Calm Before

The Storm
T

Managing Director Noor Azman

Head of Department YK Cheah

he month of July has been a relatively quiet one, what

with Aidilfitri celebrations still lingering in the air and
everyone appears to be in a festive mood. That being
said, its about time that all the new hardware announced at
and prior to COMPUTEX start appearing, and this month,
weve got quite a number of new things to play with.
Our cover story for the month talks about online banking,
and its a topic that were sure is close to a lot of peoples
hearts, especially as online shopping is starting to become a
really big thing in this region. Well be talking about the
importance in keeping your online banking details safe, and
what you can do to ensure that it stays that way.
Weve got two competing GPUs in the form of an NVIDIA
GTX 1060 and AMD Radeon RX 480, which have been touted
as the new kings of the hill for high-end 1080p gaming. As if
thats not enough, weve got not one, not two, but three brand
new Intel X99 motherboards from ASUS, GIGABYTE and MSI
respectively to play with too. The Intel LGA 2011 platform
seems to be enjoying a renewed renaissance period no
thanks to Intels brand new Broadwell-E processor, and oh
boy, dont we wish some of this tech trickles down to the
Z170 platform.
Is your PC facing some problems that are difficult to
pinpoint? Want to do some diagnostic checks on your SSD?
Our Practice section this month talks about running tests to
ensure that your PC is free of problems and is running at
optimum efficiency. Definitely worth a look so that you can
figure out what the problem is before sending your PC to the
repair shop.
Theres more of course, but youll have to turn the pages to
read about them!

EDITORIAL
Deputy Editor Nazrin Zain
Senior Writer Matthew Yap
Writer Nixon Ng
Contributors Edwin Lee, Christoph Schmidt, James E. Curtis, Caren
Stella Geiger, R. Mattgey, Jrg Geiger, Robert Di Marcoberardino,
Markus Mandau, Leo Joscha, Fabian von Keudell
Design & Layout Halijah Ismail
Cover Design Halijah Ismail
SALES & MARKETING
Senior Manager YK Cheah
Consultant Muffadzlee Dato Sufian
ADMINISTRATION
Admin Manager WP Lim
ONLINE
www.chip.com.my
@CHIPMY
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Deputy Editor

No part of CHIP magazine / shall be reproduced without the publishers written

permission.
All views expressed in the magazine are solely those of the writer and do not
necessarily represent those of CHIP magazine / the publisher.
All information in the magazine is provided as is and as available and CHIP magazine
/ the publisher makes no representations and gives no warranty of any kind, implied,
express or statutory as to the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, non-infringement
of 3rd party rights, title, merchantability and / or suitability / fitness for a particular
purpose with respect to the said information.
Under no circumstances whatsoever shall the CHIP magazine / the publisher be liable
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contents

066

COVER
STORY
NEWS &
TRENDS

006

038

066 Making Online Banking Safe

Online banking is a big thing these days,
but is it truly safe? We show you the
benefits, dangers, and how to secure
your online banking transactions

006 Local News

Coverage of the latest news and
events right on our shores

034 World Wired Web

All the latest tech happenings around
the world

030 Security Reports

Monthly dose of security news

FEATURES

038 LegalTech
Is Net Neutrality important?

052 Attack On Android

Years on, Android continues to be a
platform that is bugged with constant
threats

064 WWW Turns 25

The Internet as we know it turns 25 this
year. Lets take a trip down nostalgia lane
and see how it has advanced over the
years

110

112

114

contents

054

TEST LAB

064

106

075 Test Lab: The Tools

Test Labs tools of the trade

077 Test Lab Contents

Take a pick and get started!

084 Reviews
Professionally conducted reviews
following our stringent tests and
benchmarks

LITE &
LEISURE
PRACTICE
REGULARS
084

110 E-Sports Express

Whats the latest gossip in the
e-sports world?

112 Made Possible By The Masses

Looking for music apps to entertain
yourself on the move? Look no further!
114 Checking Your PCs Performance
Even a high-end PC needs to be checked
up once in a while to ensure it performs
well. Here are some of our tips on how
to do it

001 Welcome Note

118 Tips and Tricks

contents
chip download

CHIP Downloads
August 2016
Were back with our monthly dose of interesting, free and handy tools for you to enhance your PC experience. If you want to know how you
can get these files, follow the instructions below:
1. Head on our website @ www.chip.com.my and right at the top, click on the Downloads tab
2. After that, click on the respective months post. You will then be prompted for a password. The password can be found on this page
monthly.
3. Navigate using the tabs and pick the categories you want to download the files from. Once you find the file you want, just click on it and
youre good to go!
And its as easy as that!
PASSWORD FOR AUGUST 2016 - PolarisPascal

Featured Tools

VirtualDub

VirtualDub is a video capturing/processing utility for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows platforms.
Although it lacks the editing power of a general-purpose editor such as Adobe Premiere, its
streamlined for fast linear operations over video. It has batch-processing capabilities for
processing large numbers of files and can be extended with third-party video filters.
VirtualDub is mainly geared towards processing AVI files, although it can read but not write
MPEG-1 and can also handle sets of BMP images.

HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern,
widely supported codecs. You can get started with HandBrake within seconds, by choosing
profiles optimised for your device, or choose a universal profile for standard or high quality
conversions. HandBrake can process most common multimedia files and any DVD or BluRay
sources that do not contain any kind of copy protection. You can also implement chapter
markers, title and chapter range selections, and subtitles with HandBrake.

Avidemux
Avidemux is a video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It
supports many file types including AVI, DVD, compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a
variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue and its powerful scripting
capabilities. Avidemix is available for Linux, BSD, MacOS X and Microsoft windows, the
program was written from scratch, but the code has contributions from other people and
projects.

Essentials

Our list of essentials consists of programs and software such as graphic

drivers, browsers, compression software and even Cloud storage
software that will improve a PC users experience. The links on our
website wont provide you with the files, instead it will lead you to the
developers official website, where you can find the right file for you.
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contents
chip download

The Monthly Downloads

MediaPortal 2
Operating system: Win 7/8/10
In windows 10, users would find that Windows Media Player is not around anymore, its also said there would be no
replacement for it in the new operating system. One program you can look at is MediaPortal 2, which also runs smoothly
on older systems so even if youre on a Pentium 4 or AMD XP2000+ it shouldnt pose a problem.

Print Conductor
Operating system: Win XP/Vista/7/8/10
Would you like to print multiple documents at a time without opening all those documents? Then Print Conductor is the
right program for you, with this program all you have to do is add the files you wish to print and select the printer, and
with a click youll instantly print all those documents.

Atom
Operating system: Win 7/8/10
Atom is there if you need a high-performance programming language editor, it supports PHP, Javascript, HTML and many
others. The tool can be adapted to almost all the requirements and demands of a user and makes a great alternative to
Notepad++ or any standard editor.

Iperius Backup
Operating system: Win 8/10
A power failure during the most urgent of times, and *poof* there goes your work. Not to mention if excess voltage not
only damages your data but the entire system, but now with Iperius Backup you might have your last saving grace. You
can backup all your data into the cloud and restore it on a new PC easily.

Emsisoft Decrypter
Operating system: Win 7/8/10
The Trojan Autolocky is a ransomware which is currently taking the world by storm, encrypting files and only releasing
them when payment is made. Emsisoft Decrypter decrypts the file system to help you get back your data without giving
in to blackmail.

MegaGlest
Operating system: Win XP/Vista/7/8/10
A cross-platform game that takes place on a map of varying size, such as large plains and fields, with terrain features like
rivers, mountains, seas, or cliffs. Players must establish settlements to gain resources, defend against other players, and
train units to explore the map and attack enemies.

Wise Registry Cleaner

Operating system: Win 10
Wise Registry Cleaner is one of the safest registry cleaning tools available, its scanning engine is thorough, safe and fast.
It scans the Windows registry and finds incorrect or obsolete information and fixes them, so that your system will work
better and efficiently.

Seer
Operating system: Win 7/8/10
This sleek tool allows users to add useful preview functions for files to the classic Windows Explorer. After installing the
program all you have to do is select a file and hit the spacebar, it will then show a preview window containing
information.

VDesk
Operating system: Win 10
In Windows 10, virtual desktops are a part of the operating system. With VDesk, you can specify which Windows
applications would run on a virtual desktop once, or would it permanently run on a virtual desktop.

chip malaysia

august 16

005

news

The Perfect 10 With

HTC

The highly anticipated HTC 10 finally hits Malaysian shores

ith the culmination in years of

innovation and combining the best
world class features consumers
have come to expect, HTC is proud to announce
the highly anticipated HTC 10 is landing onto
Malaysian shores. With customer feedback
being an integral part of HTCs development
process, combined with an obsessive attention
to detail, the HTC 10 delivers everything that
Malaysians would want from a flagship device.
Carrying the slogan of Power of 10, the
HTC 10 has been designed from the ground up
as a smartphone worthy of the flagship title
that symbolises greatness and independence
but also that the whole is greater than the
sum of its parts. This newest addition to the
HTC phone family combines features that
consumers have come to expect, like a world
class camera and gold standard audio. The bold
new metal unibody designed together with
unparalleled performance combined creates a

smartphone that is truly a perfect 10.

With the HTC 10, we are proud to offer
Malaysians the best innovations that we have
made over the past 20 years, thus creating a
device that stands out with an attractive price
that everyone will love. With all its features, we
are confident that consumers can look forward
to another brilliant year with our HTC 10, said
Mr Faisal Siddiqui, President, HTC South Asia.
Seeing as how frequently one uses
their smartphone cameras today, HTC has
packed the HTC 10 with the best smartphone
camera available on the market today to give
Malaysians more opportunities to capture
brilliant moments. With the worlds first
optically stabilised, large aperture f/1.8 lenses
on both the front and rear cameras, new larger
sensors, 12 million of HTCs new generation
UltraPixels, faster autofocus powering the
main camera and a wide angle lens and screen
flash on the front UltraSelfie camera, the HTC

10 delivers brilliantly sharp, low light and highresolution photos whether behind or in front of
the lens.
Whilst the HTC 10 nails it on the hardware
with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and 4GB
of RAM, HTC focuses on getting the right
fundamentals for delivering the best in class
software. By reducing the number of duplicative
and pre-loaded apps and bloatware, and
integrating the best of both HTCV and Google,
a more streamlined phone was created that
enables you to decide what you want on your
handset. The HTC 10 comes in both Carbon Grey
and Topaz Gold colours, only for the price of
RM2,799.
www.htc.com

The HTC 10 is the first smartphone to have OIS lenses

on both the front and back cameras

Cheong Wah Tong, Country Manager, HTC Malaysia(centre) and Aaron Lim, Senior Field Technical Lead Engineer,
Sales & Product, HTC Malaysia(right) revealing the HTC 10

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No lousy bloatware on the HTC 10 to bog down its

performance!

news

David Nalasco explaining the features of the new

Radeon RX 480 graphics card

Ryan Sim, Channel Sales Director, ASEAN & India, AMD (third from left), David Nalasco, Senior Technology
Manager for Graphics, Radeon Technology Group, AMD (third from right), and Peter Amos, APU Product Marketing
Manager, AMD Client Business officially launching the AMD Radeon RX 480 here in Malaysia

designed so that it gives you a look at what

to expect from performance levels when the
cards are overclocked.
At the event, AMD also revealed that
the RX 460 and RX 470 will be launched in
Malaysian markets soon. We did manage
to get a look at the card at the event, and it
is an impressive little thing, as it was hooked
up to an Oculus Rift unit, and was able to
play Eve Gunjack without any noticeable lag
whatsoever.
www.amd.com

AMD Officially Launch

New RX 480 Graphics
Cards In Malaysia
Gamers can finally rejoice as the AMD Radeon RX 480 is
now officially here

MDs new Radeon RX 480 graphics

cards are already available in local
computer stores locally, but the
company recently held a media event to
officially welcome it here, while unveiling a
series of other cards which will be hitting
the shelves here sometime soon.
The idea behind the development of the
Polaris chip that powers the RX 480 is the
fact that virtual reality gaming is starting
to become a big thing, but the cost of
ownership is astronomically high. The RX
480s starting price tag of USD199 aims to
fix this problem by making the components
needed to play VR games more affordable.
There is an estimated number of 1.3

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billion PCs around the world right

now, but out of that number, only
13 million PCs are able to utilise
VR headsets like the Oculus Rift
and the HTC Vive. With the launch
of the RX 480, AMD aims to
increase the number of PCs that
are VR ready, whilst providing non
VR games with the best gaming
experience at an inexpensive price.
With the RX 480, AMD also
unveiled its new overclocking app
called Wattman, which allows users
to adjust various settings like core
clock speeds, voltage levels and
VRAM speeds. The app is also well-

A reference design Radeon RX 480 from XFX

The AMD Radeon RX 460 is a card that is yet to be launched, but

is capable of playing VR games like Eve Gunjack smoothly

news

(4th from left) TKP Dato Narander Singh, Kajang Prison Director, Jasmine Begum, Director of Corporate, External & Legal Affairs, Microsoft Malaysia and Emerging Markets,
TKJP Dato Haji Hassan bin Sakimon, Deputy Commissioner General, Malaysian Prisons Department, Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropies; and
KP Dato Jamaluddin Saad, Director, Management of Inmate Division, Prisons Department of Malaysia, pictured on stage together at the event

Education For All

Microsoft works with Malaysian Prisons Department to

improve digital literacy amongst juvenile inmates

icrosoft Malaysia has recently

announced a three-year partnership
with the Malaysian Prisons
Department to help juvenile inmates here gain
digital literacy, skilling them for opportunities in
the areas of digital inclusion, entrepreneurship
and capacity building.
This collaboration aims to educate 500
inmates, aged 16 to 21 from 13 different
prison schools nationwide, with volunteers
ranging from Microsoft staff, student partners,
and even NGOs such as Yayasan Generasi
Gemilang. The three-year partnership is aimed
at getting these young adults geared for
employment, or to pursue further education
upon their release from prison.
Besides training the inmates, Microsoft
Malaysia is also looking to train the teachers

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in these institutions to make them a lot more

computer literate, which would in turn help
them teach the students computer skills in a
more efficient manner.
We are excited about the partnership
with the Prison Department of Malaysia
on this program, which includes providing
Digital Literacy, entrepreneurship, computer
science and leadership amongst others,
looks at employability and start-ups as an
outcome for these 13 prison schools, said
Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President of
Microsoft Philanthropies, during her visit here
to Malaysia.
This isnt the first time Microsoft Malaysia
has collaborated with the Malaysian Prisons
Department as last year, 160 inmates from
the Henry Gurney Prison School joined the

companys Hour of Code initiative. They were

introduced to a specially created Minecraft
coding tutorial, where both students and
teachers learnt about the basics of coding,
while allowing them to navigate through the of
Minecraft, plugging blocks together to complete
actions and generate code.
As that particular event was a major
success, the Ministry of Home Affairs went into
talks with Microsoft Malaysia to develop more
capacity-building programs like Hour of Code,
which led to the Malaysian Prisons Department
to consider developing IT academies for the 13
prison schools nationwide.
http://microsoft.com/en-my

news

Alvin Liew, Director of Sales and Marketing for

Plantronics Southeast Asia

The Voyager 5200 connected to its charging dock.

(Third and fourth from right) Alvin Liew and Richard Tan of Plantronics Southeast Asia, posing with the newly
launched devices with local distributors.

Plantronics Launches
New Wireless
Devices
The new BackBeat GO 3 is made for the music lover, while
the Voyager 5200 is great for working professionals

lantronics has just launched two new

audio devices called the BackBeat GO
3 wireless earbud and the Voyager
5200 Bluetooth headset. Standing in stark
contrast to one another, the former is
designed to isolate the user and provide
excellent sound quality, while the latter is
good for professionals who need a highquality wireless communication tool on the
go.
Starting with the Voyager 5200,
Plantronics has created a Bluetooth headset
that allows users to be heard even in noisy
environments. Equipped with Plantronics
in-house WindSmart technology, this
headset is able to reduce wind and noise
effectively. This enables users to speak to
another person on a phone, for example, and
still be heard clearly despite the external

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noise.
According to Richard Tan, Regional
Consumer Business Manager for Plantronics
Southeast Asia, the working professional
thrives on mobility and that was the idea
behind the design for the Voyager 5200.
Besides the six layers of WindSmart
technology to reduce noise, this headset also
has an aerodynamic boom and a windbox
that shields the microphone from noise
generated by wind. It also has a proprietary
wind-cancelling algorithm to keep the mics
focused only on the users voice.
Next, Alvin Liew, Director of Sales and
Marketing for Plantronics Southeast Asia,
took the stage to give a product briefing of
the BackBeat GO 3. The BackBeat GO 3 is the
opposite of the Voyager 5200, which is more
for professional. This wireless earbud is

This carry case also charges the BackBeat GO 3 like a

powerbank.

made for music lovers who want to lose the

cables. Unlike many wireless earbuds with
similar design, the BackBeat GO 3 isnt tuned
to be bass heavy but instead tries its best
to reveal the many micro-details that can
otherwise be drowned out by heavy bass.
It has a sweat-proof P2i nano-coating
that makes it ideal for use in a gym and a
new design compared to its predecessor
thats much more comfortable. On top that,
it also has a portable charging case that will
provide an additional 13 hours of battery.
Both devices are now available for
purchase locally, with the Voyager 5200
priced at RM499 and the BackBeat GO 3
also priced at RM499 but has the charging
case bundled along. Customers can also buy
an optional charging cradle for the Voyager
5200 for RM168, which would be useful for
those who are constantly away from any
available wall plug or charging station.
www.plantronics.com

news

From left to right is Zeffri Yusoaf, Head of Communications & Public Affairs, Google Malaysia; Sajith Sivanandan, Managging Director, Google Malaysia, Vietnam, Phillipines
and New Emerging Markets; Dato Yasmin Mahmood, CEO, MDEC; Lee Ching Wei, Co-Founder & CEO, iMoney Group during the events panel discussion

Google-Temasek SEA
Research Findings
Theres a lot of potential in the SEA region but also plenty of
challenges standing before us which needs to be addressed

oogle invited the media and related

organisations to reveal their research
findings of digital opportunity for the
next decade. South East Asia is the worlds
fastest growing internet region with an
existing internet user base of 250 mllion and
should grow to ~480 million users by the
year 2020. Consequently, the SEA internet
economy is expected to grow to ~USD200+
billion by 2025, driven mostly by the growth
of first-hand eCommerce markets, and
followed by online media, and online travel.
Furthermore, the total first-hand
eCommerce market in SEA is expected to
reach ~USD88 billion by 2025, significantly
outpacing the growth of offline retail with
the potential to reach ~USD120 billion. There
are three factors that are unique to sea

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that will drive its growth, the first being a

burgeoning young population, second the
lack of big-box retail access particularly
difficult in remote islands which are
abundant in Philippines and Indonesia, and
lastly the rapidly growing middle-class. It is
also said that the number of transactions is
expected to be the biggest growth driver, as
more people gain access to the internet and
availability of products online increases.
To make SEA a USD200 billion internet
economy will require ~USD40-50 billion of
additional investments over the next 10
years. Additionally, five other challenges
must be addressed through public and
private-sector initiatives for further growth.
The lack of senior developers and CXO-level
talent causes startups to rely on expat

talent from China and US, therefore the

lack of talent must be addressed with new
tech-focused educational programs that are
needed to create a future pipeline.
There is also still no scalable e-payment
alternatives resulting in increased of Cash
on Delivery transactions, which in turn
increases risk and costs for merchants.
This is also the result of lack of consumer
trust, as consumers are wary of making
transactions online due to various security
issues such as fraud. Then theres the
issue of internet infrastructure, low
internet speeds and penetration rate due
to regulatory and geographical constraints,
where innovative PPP initiatives are required
to make high-speed internet a commodity
in SEA. Finally the government is needed to
invest and focus on improving the road and
rail networks, which are critical to ensure a
fast and efficient delivery system.
www.google.com

news

Lee Jui Siang, Vice President of Mobile Division,

Samsung Malaysia speaking at the event

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro launch coincided together with a big durian feast hosted by Samsung Malaysia

Bigger And Better

Than Before

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro sports a large and vibrant

6.0 inch Full HD screen

Samsung officially launches the Galaxy A9 Pro in Malaysia

he age of phablets is over you say? Not

if Samsung has anything to say about
it. The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is now
in Malaysia, and its certainly a phone that
will raise more than just a few eyebrows. At
a recent media gathering, Samsung Malaysia
made the official announcement for the
much talked-about smartphone.
The Galaxy A9 sports a gigantic 6.0 inch
display, and is powered by a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 652 processor, with 4GBs of
RAM and 32GBs of storage space, which can
be expanded via a MicroSD card, right up to
256GBs.
Speaking of MicroSD cards, according to
Samsung, each purchase of the Samsung
Galaxy A9 Pro will also come with a free
64GB Samsung EVO MicroSD card. Samsung
also clarified that this isnt a limited time
offer, as each phone will definitely come

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with a free MicroSD card.

At the back is a 16MP camera with built
in optical image stabiliser (OIS), allowing
users to take great-looking photos without
having to worry about camera shake, as the
OIS will take care of that. Up front, the A9
Pro has an 8MP wide-angle camera which
also takes great selfie shots, while the home
button doubles as a fingerprint scanner,
providing you instant access to your phone
and a variety of functions.
For those who are looking for a device
with long-lasting battery, fret not as the
Galaxy A9 Pro comes with a whopping
5,000mAh battery, which is enough to keep
the phone running for about two days. You
also dont need to fear that the phone will
charge slowly, as the phone comes with
Samsungs fast charge technology which
means the phone will be fully charge from

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is available in three

different colours: Gold, Black and White

empty in and around two hours.

Available in authorised retailers
nationwide, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
retails for RM 1,999, and comes in three
colour options that include Gold, Black and
White.
www.samsung.com/my

news

Sierra Blair-Coyle, Professional Climber climbs a highrise building using a pair of LG CordZeros

From left to right Kong Mun Keen, General Manager Marketing, LG Electronics Malaysia, David Oh, Managing
Director, LG Electronics Malaysia, LG OLED TV Marathon participants and Mohamad Alex Edward, Deputy General
Manager, Malaysia Book of Records

Malaysia Book
Of Records And
Innovations With LG

perceived as A Whole New Category of

Television in the electronics industry for
its superior display technology, distinctive
design and perfect colour contrast. The TV
is enhanced by high dynamic range (HDR),
a technology that provides infinite contrast
ratio for unmatched clarity ensuring perfect
black and vibrant colours. LG OLED TV
received the coveted Innovation Award in
CES 2016 for its superior display, making it a
must-have feature in every living room.
LG continued to defy odds by partnering
professional climber Sierra Blair-Coyle to
demonstrate the power of its CordZero
canister vacuum cleaners. The two-time US
champion professional climber conquered
the side of a 140-meter high-rise building
in Seoul, South Korea with just two canister
vacuum cleaners strapped to her back.
Blair-Coyles extravagant climbing effort
proves the suction power of the LG vacuum
cleaners when she completed the climb in
less than 30 minutes.
The LG Roadshow 2016 featured other
innovations namely the SUPER UHD
TV, home speakers, refrigerators, top
and bottom load washing machines, air
conditioner and many more.
www.lg.com.my

LG breaks records and does what seems impossible with

innovations that defy the odds

G Electronics Malaysia clinched a new

milestone by completing the Longest
Non-Stop Television Watching
Marathon under Malaysia Book of Records
today. The announcement was made during
LGs Beyond Imagination Roadshow, an
event showcasing record breaking and
monumental efforts from around the world.
Five young Malaysians took on the
challenge to watch TV for 48-hours and
successfully made it into the records book
for their effort. Lee Jiin Aun, Chue Jia Hui,
Loi Kah Hau, Tang Hoe Sing, and Siow
Shook Yien continuously watched various
programmes for two days and two nights,

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taking only one fiveminute break hourly.

The attempt was
completed earlier this
month in a customised
LG apartment
featuring the multiaward winning LG
OLED TV, well known
for its superior perfect
black picture quality,
friendly to viewers
eye and unmatched
design.
LG OLED TV is

The LG OLED TV which participants used to challenge the record, is

well known to have superior image quality

news

Maxis Introduces
Best In Class IOT
Solutions To Create
Smarter Businesses

Maxis demonstrates the vast opportunities in business

with the capability of IoT in different sectors

axis announced that it will begin

offering Vodafones world leading
Internet of Things (IoT) services to
businesses. The agreement means Maxis
can now offer enterprises best in class
IoT solutions to optimise costs, improve
operational efficiency, create more value
and ultimately deliver a better customer
experience.
By pairing its local market knowledge
and leading high speed data network
with Vodafones expertise and market
leading platform, Maxis will be able to
deliver the necessary technology required
for businesses in Malaysia looking to
implement IoT services in their operations.
The IoT, which is about connecting devices
over the internet, allowing them to talk to

us and each other by sending and receiving

data, is drastically changing the way we live
and work. With 25 billion connected devices
predicted by 2020, the powerful combination
of sensors and connectivity is propelling IoT
from a mere trend into the next industrial
revolution.
The exponential growth of data and how
people use them has had a huge impact
on how businesses operate. Through our
agreement with Vodafone, which brings with
it a global standard of service, unrivalled IoT
experience and highly ranked by analysts,
we are equipping businesses in Malaysia
with more than just connectivity through
our advanced data network, but a suit of
IoT solutions to digitalise and transform
their operations. This is a milestone in our

New ways of doing business smarter made possible

with IoT

The benefits of picking Maxis IoT

drive towards new ways of working and

digitalisation for enterprises, said Shanti
Jusnita Johari, Maxis Head of Enterprise
Marking and Products.
Today, even a watch can track
your fitness routine and send
data to your doctor so they can
prescribe the best medication
for you, and you could remotely
control your home appliances
from across the world. IoT is also
transforming the way businesses
operate. Sensors in manufacturing
equipment, for example, can monitor
and send alerts when parts need
maintenance, then automatically
send reports to business owners.
In construction, wireless sensors
embedded in concrete foundation
piles can ensure the quality and
integrity of a structure.
While consumer applications like
fitness monitors and smart homes
attract the most attention and can
create significant value, the B2B
opportunity is expected to generate
nearly 70 percent of potential value
enabled by IoT.
www.maxis.com.my/iot

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Frankie Lee - Senior Manager, ASEAN Marketing, Wana Tun - Regional Technical Evangelist, Justin Peters - APAC
Technology Solutions Director and Sumit Bansal - ASEAN & Korea Sales Director

Keeping Your
Businesses Secure

Sophos Central provides easy-to-use security solutions to

both partners and customers

ophos, a company known for its

enterprise-level network and
endpoint security solutions has
recently launched a brand new cloud-based
management platform with the release of
Sophos Central.
Sophos Central is an integrated
management platform that simplifies the
administration of multiple Sophos products,
enabling efficient business management
for the companys partners. This unified
security management platform is an
element of Sophos synchronised security
strategy to enable multiple security
products to work together seamlessly with
simpler management and better security.
We see too many customers crushed

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under an
avalanche
of security
tools that are
too complex
to manage
effectively.
Sophos Central
simplifies this
for partners and
customers by
bringing their
Sophos products
into one
management
platform. The
synchronised

real-time information sharing enables a

faster response to incidents and improved
security for organizations of all sizes,
commented Bill Lucchini, general manager
and senior vice president at Sophos.
The Sophos Central software is made
up of three core components, namely
Admin, which allows the IT administrator to
manage a variety of Sophos products all in
one place, which includes endpoint, mobile,
and web, with more features such as e-mail
and WiFi management coming later.
Partner, meanwhile, allows partners to
manage product licensing, identity while
tracking cross-sell and up-sell opportunities
with ease. It also allows Sophos partners to
remotely manage their customers Sophos
solutions, without having to actually go
on-site.
The third component, Self Service, will
be launching sometime later this year,
allowing end-users within an organisation
or business to manage quarantined e-mails,
allocate provisioning for Bring Your Own
Devices (BYOD) policies, and even secure
configuration of WiFi access points and
hotspots on their own.
In addition to the ease of security
management, Sophos Central makes it easy
for our partners to manage their customers.
They can proactively manage and track their
business, identify and act upon revenue
opportunities, manage customer security
configurations and see all security issues
in one dashboard. This can all be done
remotely which reduces their overall cost of
business and allows rapid growth without
demanding more and more expensive
resources added Bill.
www.sophos.com/central

news

Acer Introduces
Compact Desktops
And Gaming Monitors
Acer reveals compact performance desktops, and gaming
monitors that dont break the bank

cer announced its latest Aspire tower

series- the Aspire X3 and XC. The
attractive desktops pack powerful
processing power into a compact form
factor to seamlessly power through all your
daily work and play tasks. Along with the
announcement, Acer also unveiled its KG
series Entry Gaming Monitor, the KG270 and
KG 240A, the gateway towards a smooth
gaming experience.
The Aspire X3 and XC harnesses the
performance from sixth generation Intel
processors to make computing smoother
when you work, browse, or entertain.
Memory-wise, the Aspire X3 and XC are
equipped with up to 32GB of super-fast
DDR4 memory for a smoother computing
experience. In addition, thanks to the latest
802.11ac wireless, these desktops connect
to the Internet, to wireless devices, and
to the world with just a click and at three

times faster. Sporting higher performances

but lower power requirements, the Aspire
X series certainly packs a lot of processing
punch into its small footprint.
Meanwhile, the Acer Full HD KG270 and
KG240A monitors are beautifully designed
entry gaming monitors. They users into a
perfect colourful world in Full HD 1920 x
1080, and provide the finest natural and
sharp image quality. The series is equipped
with AMD FreeSync technology for smooth
gameplay with decreased lag and no screen
tearing. Sporting an ultra-fast 1ms response
time, it provides super smooth and fluid
gaming experiences together with faster
blur-free images.
Through the Black boost technology,
gamers can fine-tune the visuals to see
more details in darker scenes. In addition,
the high refresh rate of 144Hz on the
KG240A speeds up the frames delivered

to provide an ultra-smooth 2D motion

scene. Also taking into account of a users
prolonged usage, the KG Series comes with
Acer EyeProtect technology, which comprises
of Acers Flicker-less, Acer Blue Light Filter
and the Acer ComfyView.
The Aspire X3 should be available early
this month for RM3,499 and above, while
the Aspire XC is available immediately at
RM1,599. The KG240A is available and is
priced at RM759, while the KG240A should
be available sometime this month for
RM899.
www.acer.com/ac/en/my/content/home

The Aspire X3 offers premium performance together

with a wireless charging deck for cahrging devices
cable free

Game smoothly and safely with AMD FreeSync technology and Acer EyeProtect technology

The Aspire XC sports sixth generation Intel Core

processors and up to 32GB of RAM for amazing
performance

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Ultimate Protection
On The Road With
Transcend

Protecting you on the road, Transcend ensures you get

everything on video no matter what

ranscend Information Inc., a leading

manufacturer of storage and multimedia
products, has announced the release of
its DrivePro 50 Car Video Recorder. Featuring an
extremely compact size, a large F/1.8 aperture,
Wi-Fi connectivity, a built-in battery, a highquality Full HD imaging sensor, and a G-sensor
emergency recording function, the DrivePro 50
provides its users with ultimate protection on
the road.
The DrivePro 50 extremely compact size
can be well hidden behind the rear-view mirror
without blocking the drivers view. The DrivePro
50s large F/1.8 aperture is capable of capturing
all details of an incident, including license
plates, during either daytime or nighttime.

The DrivePro 50s camera integrates a wide

130-degree viewing angle and a Full HD
imaging sensor for clear and smooth 1080p
(30fps) video recording. In addition, the 6 glass
lenses plus 1 infrared filter lens are designed
to prevent fogging from heat generated during
extended recordings and to ensure the whole
trip is recorded in high clarity.
Thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi and the free
DrivePro New App, the DrivePro 50 can be
operated entirely via iOS or Android devices.
When connected to the DrivePro 50s dedicated
wireless network, users can stream, playback,
ad download videos, and easily adjust DrivePro
50s settings directly from their smartphone
or tablet. The DrivePro 50s built-in G-sensor

OnePlus 3 Now
Available Locally
The wait is finally over as OnePlus finally launches its latest
flagship smartphone in Malaysia

martphone maker OnePlus has

released its latest model, the OnePlus
3, in Malaysia via local distributed
Brightstar Distribution Sdn. Bhd. With
improved hardware and tweaks in design,
OnePlus new smartphone aims to deliver
a premium device with a greater user
experience.
The OnePlus 3 comes with flexibility as
one of its key strong points. Not only is the
device not tied down by any local carriers,
it also comes with an unlocked bootloader,
which allows users to mod the ROM of the
phone if they so desire.
We know that the best smartphone is
the one that works exactly how you want it
to, said OnePlus Founder and CEO Pete Lau.
The OnePlus 3 delivers that experience and
combines what our customers already love

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about our products, with what they want

and expect next. For example, Dash Charge
sets a new standard for fast charging
technology. Its a flagship smartphone
inspired by and made
for our fans.
One of its highlight
features is the fast
charging technology
called Dash Charge.
It can give
the device a
days worth
of power just
by charging it for
half an hour, and
wont feel hot in
the users hand
during charge.

instantly triggers
the Emergency
Recording mode
when it detects
an impact
during recording.
Alternatively, users
can also activate the
emergency recording
mode manually
by pressing the red emergency button; this
is useful when situations occur outside the
vehicle and you need to collect evidence.
The bundled accessories ensure easy
installation and operation. After the DrivePro 50
is mounted on the windshield and connected
to the lighter socket, further driver involvement
is not required. When the vehicles engine is
turn on, video files are automatically recorded
to the included Transcend High Endurance
16GB microSDHC MLC memory card that offers
consistent durability and endurance. Moreover,
with Loop Recording enabled, oldest video
files in the memory card will be overwritten by
new files when memory card capacity is full,
eliminating the need to purchase additional
storage.
http://my.transcend-info.com/

This is due to the power management being

handled by the adapter itself, so most of the
heat is generated there instead of within
the device. In addition, there are five custom
safety measures designed to secure the
adapter, cable and phone, so that users
can charge the OnePlus 3 quickly without
mishaps.
The OnePlus 3 has plenty of other
premium features, such as a 16MP rear
camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS)
and Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) for
clearer images. Its also a device that looks
good with its thin and curved aluminium
body. Its display is a 5.5-inch 1080p Optic
AMOLED with thin bezels and promises to
deliver more true-to-life colours.
A Snapdragon 820 powers the OnePlus 3,
along with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of
Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0, while the
OS is an Android Marshmallow based
OygenOS.
Available in Graphite
and Soft Gold variants, the
OnePlus 3 will retail for
RM1,888.
www.brightstarcorp.
com.my/oneplus

news

Bid For A Superstar

Phone From OPPO

RM43,000 was raised for a signed unit of OPPOs F1 Plus FC

Barcelona edition

he appeal of a football stars signature

is certainly great, as OPPO has
succeeded in auctioning its limited
OPPO F1 Plus FC Barcelona Edition. This
special edition device came with the
signature of three famous FC Barcelona
players, including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez
and Neymar Jr. It was auctioned off online
via GemFive.com, OPPOs e-commerce
partner.
Beginning on the 18th of July and ending
on 20th of July, the device was auctioned
for RM43,398, with all proceeds to be fully
donated to the 30-Hour Famine World Vision
Malaysia. This amount marks the single
device as OPPOs highest priced smartphone
in the Southeast Asia region, and shows that
the star power of football celebrities can
contribute to charity. In addition, it is also

OPPO Malaysias first charity auction.

We have witnessed the passion of the
OPPO fans and FC Barcelona fans combined.
It is to our great pleasure that we are able
to offer such a sought after F1 Plus edition
for our loyal fans in Malaysia, and able to do
good deeds for the
charity house. With
such confidence,
we will be working
more closely with
FC Barcelona for
more exciting
collaborations in
the future, said
William Fang, CEO
of OPPO Malaysia.
Besides that,
OPPO has also

Astro Set To
Broadcast The
International 6
Enjoy high-quality DoTA 2 matches from your couch

s the worlds most prestigious DOTA

2 tournament with a prize pool that
surpasses any e-sports event, Astro
expects there to be plenty of eyeballs on
this years International 6 (Ti6) and will once
again televised it, once again via its eGG
Network (Channel 808) and Astro on the Go.
Matches will begin at 1am local time of
3 August 2016, with teams battling it out
for the final two Wildcard qualifier spots,
ending with the grand finals that is set on
14 August 2016 (also 1am local time). The
group stages will air between 4-6 August
and will see the 16 qualifying teams battle
for a chunk of the record breaking 18.5 US
Dollar prize pool.
Lee Choong Khay, Head of Sports
Business at Astro, gave a simple brief on

the coverage saying: eGG Network is proud

to be the first in ASEAN to televise the full
coverage of The International 2016 from the
group stages till the grand finale. Over 1.6
million fans tuned in for the finals of TI5
last year and we believe for even stronger
viewership this time around. Bringing the
experience further, fans can cheer on their
favourite teams at the Ti6 Grand Finals
on 13th August viewing parties at 3 major
locations across the country.
It is expected for there to be over 90
hours of the entire tournament to be
broadcast on eGG Network, so DOTA 2 fans
will get complete coverage of the event.
But other than the satellite broadcast, eGG
Network will also be hosting meet ups
to watch the broadcast at TGV Cinemas.

made the remaining nine units of the F1

Plus FC Barcelona Standard Edition available
for RM2,098. Those who bid in the charity
auction would get priority in purchasing
the special editions, with a first come first
served basis.
Featuring a head-turning blue-and- red
colour scheme, an 18K gold-plated club
insignia, an FC Barcelona-themed UI and
an exclusive case sporting laser-printed
signatures from five top Barca players, the
special customised F1 Plus looks stunning
in all angles and signifying the loyal spirit of
the football club.
www.oppo.com/my

Dubbed The International Pub Stomp, to be

held on 14 August 2016, fans will be able to
meet and mingle in three locations: 1 Utama
Shopping Centre in Selangor, Tebrau Mall in
Johor Bahru, and First Avenue in Penang.
At the three locations, fans will get to
meet Danelie Purdue, Faraz Shababi, Abdul
Muadz and Faisal Ariffin from eGG Network.
They also stand a chance to win gaming
peripherals and eGG exclusive merchandise.
The tickets for The International Pub
Stomp will be available for purchase
beginning on 3 August 2016 at www.tgv.
com.my, or at the cinema locations listed
above.
www.egg.network

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news

Samsung Presents
New Soundbars at
KLIAV Show 2016

Many Samsung audio-video products were on display at the

annual event

he annual Kuala Lumpur International AV

Show was left late in July, and Samsung
was there to exhibit some of its latest AV
products this year.
Present at a small media briefing on the
first day of the show, Jimmy Tan, Head of
Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung
Malaysia Electronics said, Samsung is a
torchbearer when it comes to innovation.
We introduced many firsts in both design
and technology in the TV/AV industry and
have proudly led the global TV market for 10
consecutive years. We are in an era where
technology thrives and as such, we will
continue to feed our passion for innovation by
creating the very best of visual displays and

home theatre systems for our customers everevolving entertainment needs. We are proud
to embark on another decade of excellence by
reinventing the modern-day viewing experience
with our meaningful innovations.
Among the products on display, some were
featured in this years Samsung SEA Forum,
which was also held in Kuala Lumpur this year.
One of it is Samsungs latest SUHD TVs, which
are Smart TVs that have the Smart Hub feature.
With this, the SUHD TVs are able to detect and
recognise compatible home entertainment
devices automatically, without the need of
individual setups.
Samsung also had its latest curved TVs on
display, as well as the new audio device the

Samsung Malaysias Jimmy Tan giving the media a

short briefing on Samsungs current AV lineup

HW-K950 Soundbar. This soundbar has an

unusual property and is the first in the industry
to be packaged with two Dolby Atmos-enabled
wireless rear speakers, allowing the HW-K950
to output in 5.1.4-channel sound for what
Samsung believes to be a truly immersive
cinematic audio experience.
In addition, Samsung also featured its
first 4K (or Ultra HD) Blu-ray player the
UBD-K8500. This Blu-ray player can deliver
four times the resolution and 64 times more
colour than regular Blu-ray players. It can also
play older formats of optical discs, including
standard Blu-ray discs, and has an up-scaling
technology built into the player that allows it to
enhance the image quality of those discs.
The new HW-K950 Soundbar will be
available in August at a few chosen Samsung
Experience Stores, as well as at authorised
dealers. It will retail at a price of RM5,999.
www.samsung.com/my

SanDisk Expands
Portfolio With High
Performance SSD

The newly updated SanDisk SSD Plus eliminates the need to

replace an aging laptop or desktop PC

ot long after Western Digitals

confirmed purchase of SanDisk, the
company launched the updated
SanDisk SSD Plus, further expanding its
portfolio of consumer SSD storage solutions
available in Malaysia. The next generation
SanDisk SSD Plus is an ideal solution
for users who are looking to improve
performance on an existing laptop or
notebook.
The SanDisk SSD Plus offers customers
faster boot-up and shutdown times,
improved application response and data
transfer and improved overall system
performance. By installing the SanDisk SSD
Plus, users can instantly upgrade their PC or
laptop, and eliminate the need to completely

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replace an aging laptop or desktop PC.

In addition, with read speeds of up to
535MB/s, the SanDisk SSD Plus delivers up
to 20X the performance of a typical laptop
hard disk drive.
The SanDisk SSD Plus is available in
120GB, 240GB and 480GB models, and
enables users to conveniently enjoy high
laptop or PC performance with solid
capacity for media and applications such as
photographs, videos, music and games. The
SanDisk SSD Plus also features TLC NAND
flash memory and SLC caching to maximise
read and write speeds as well as burst
performance.
In comparison to hard disk drives, which
offer high capacity value, SSDs deliver lower

power consumption and less noise, while

offering enhanced boot-up and shutdown
speeds, application launching and data
transfer. SanDisk SSDs are designed
and tested to provide superior shock
and vibration resistance, as well as high
durability, bringing consumers peace of
mind.
SanDisk SSD Plus drives come with a
three-year warranty and is available in
capacities of 120GB for RM239, 240GB for
RM499 and 480GB for RM629.
www.sandisk.com/home/ssd/ssd-plus

news

Shopback Launches
Mobile App
New cashback deals to accompany launch of app

he online cashback platform, ShopBack

Malaysia, has released its mobile app to
the Google Play Store and iOS App Store.
Along with the launch of the app, ShopBack
offered all shoppers an additional RM5
cashback when they make a purchase via
the app, as long as it was made during the
promotional period from 19 to 21 July 2016.
Moreover, 11 e-retailers will be joining in
by giving away a plethora of cool deals and
cashback. The e-retailers include the likes of
Groupon, Hermo, Lazada and more.
Cashback is really just getting cash back.
Online Cashback functions differently from
credit card Cashback. There is no cap limit and
we offer shoppers up to 30% Cashback every
time when they spend at any of our partner
stores. It is easy to use and the Cashback
savings can be transferred into their bank
account after validation period, said Sharmeen

Looi, COO of ShopBack Malaysia.

According to Looi, ShopBack now about
300,000 local users every month that are
actively using the platform. Since its inception
last year, the platform has paid RM5.4 million
in total to its local users. It has partnered with
over 1,300 merchants, helping make sales of
over RM45 million every month in total for
these merchants.
Statistics that ShopBack has gathered
showed that locally, only 30% of shoppers are
from Klang Valley while the rest are from the
other states. They have also discovered that
local shoppers like to shop after meals, typically
between 2pm-3pm or 9pm-10pm. As for types
of purchases, local shoppers tend to buy from
the Travel, Fashion, General Electronics and
Household category merchants. But with the
addition of merchants like Tesco and Guardian,
ShopBack expects the F&B and Groceries

Sharmeen Looi, COO of ShopBack Malaysia,

showcasing the Android version of ShopBack mobile
app

category to be another popular one.

We value the notion and endeavour to
enable Malaysians to shop smart and earn
Cashback through daily purchases. The number
of smartphone users in Malaysia is estimated
to reach 11 million. It is a huge untapped
population for us, and we are confident that
ShopBack mobile app will be a strategic tool to
bring online Cashback to more digital users in a
faster way, Looi added.
xxx

U Mobile Adding
More To Video-Onz
Get more value for money with additional video content
courtesy of Video-Onz

Mobile has announced that its

Video-Onz service will continue
to be free until the end of this
year - 31 December 2016. Launched earlier
this year in April, Video-Onz enabled U
Mobile customers to stream videos with no
limits, as long as the content belonged to
associated partners.
Though the service hasnt been active for
long, U Mobile already has a healthy stable
of partners to feed its customer base. Along
with the announcement of the extension, U
Mobile also revealed that it has added seven
more partners, bringing up the total number
of partners to 18. The seven are: The Edge
TV, BFM 89.9, Viki, Dailymotion, YuppTV,
StarLive, and Crunchyroll.
In addition, U Mobile has made video
streaming the key selling point of its new

Hero Postpaid Plan the Hero P98. As

the name implies, for RM98 not only will
customers get 30GB of data and access to
Video-Onz, they will also get unlimited calls
to all networks and an additional seven
months of free Video-Onz till 31 July 2017.
U Mobiles Video-Onz is definitely one
of our big innovations of 2016 and we have
received tremendous positive response to
the offering. Hence, we decided to extend
the free streaming offering for VideoOnz
until 31 Dec 2016. We have also worked hard
to expand our Video-Onz partner list and
now we have 18, a huge jump even though
it has been less than three months since
the launch. Of course, we will definitely be
adding even more video partners to VideoOnz soon, said Jasmine Lee, Chief Marketing
Office of U Mobile.

Lee also commented on the Hero P98

plan, saying: The new Hero P98 postpaid
plan will definitely enhance customers
video streaming experience even further.
Apart from 24 hours free unlimited video
streaming, anytime, anywhere on VideoOnz, customers of Hero P98 will also get
a free monthly video subscription from a
Video-Onz partner until 31st July 2017. This
is on top of the 30GB and free calls to all
networks that they will get to enjoy for just
RM98 each month.
u.com.my/postpaid

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security report

Attack On Critical Industrial

Plants
Attacks on atomic plants and other industrial complexes are probably higher than
imagined - there are logins for sale on the web

alware was discovered on a

with radioactive elements are exclusively
the past, there have been successful attacks
computer of the Gundremmingen
controlled analogously. For security expert
on critical systems, e.g. the attack on a
nuclear power plant. It is still
Eugene Kaspersky, the danger is not averted
blast furnace of a steel plant in Germany.
unclear how the computer could have been
with this: I am surprised that we do not
According to the Federal Agency for Security
infiltrated, but it is not the first infection
hear of such worrying cases more often. In
in Information Technology (BSI), there was
in industrial plants; the
massive damage to the plant
manipulated system in
due to the attack and the BSI
the AKW was responsible
classified the hackers technical
for the logging of the
ability as very advanced.
loading machine for fuel.
According to the security
Tobias Schmidt, Speaker
firm Intel Security, login access
for the Gundremmingen
of industrial plants can be
nuclear power plant,
found for sale on the Dark Web.
emphasized that all the
The cyber gangsters also offer
sensitive power plant
contract hacks on the portals.
sectors are decoupled
As proof of authenticity of the
and are fundamentally
logins, the cyber criminals often
designed in a redundant
include screenshots of the user
manner and such that
interface. The victims however
they are protected
often do not realize that their
against manipulation.
login access are being offered for
Also, all machines that
sale on the net.
Cyber criminals offer access to industrial controls on the Dark Web for authenticity,
they often attach screenshots
come in direct contact

Data Theft Of The Month

EMAIL ACCOUNTS:
272 M DATA RECORDS STOLEN

EBAY:
PHISHERS USE USER-DATA

VOTING LIST IN MEXICO:

132 GB DATA STOLEN

An estimated 272 million access data is

believed to have been hacked worldwide
at the beginning of May. The security
firm Hold Security, to whom the data
was leaked, reported this. Fortunately,
only two percent of the data records
are usable. In all the other data, the
addresses do not correspond or the
password is incorrect. Google, Yahoo
and Mail.ru arrived at this result after
screening the data.

Phishers evidently use the data of the

major eBay-hacks from two years back to
send personalised phishing mails. You can
find the complete name, address and the
telephone number of the user in a letter
supposedly coming from eBay. Around 145
million customer data was lost in the data
theft at that time. The phishing mail often
consists of malware in its attachment, and
should be deleted immediately.

Unknown people have stolen data of 93.4

million Mexican voters in a data hack.
Among other things, it contained the
names and addresses of the voters. The
data is available in a freely accessible
database.

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security report

Ransomware Infiltrates PCs

Of German Authorities
A

ccording to a report in the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (Central German newspaper), the Constitution Protection department of Saxony-Anhalt
became a victim of a Trojan attack. This report reveals that many computers were infiltrated with ransomware since mid-April. The exact
processes should be discussed in a special session of the Parliamentary Control Panel (PKGr).

Hackers Use
Bugs For
Server
Manipulation
S

ecurity experts from CloudFlare warn of security loopholes

in the server plug-in ImageMagick. The plug-in scales
images on the server side for advertisements in the
browser, allowing attackers to install malicious codes on the
server via the bugs. This loophole is already being actively
exploited according to CloudFlare. Patches are available.

Danger Barometer
CloudFlare servers
need to be patched
immediately, to cover
the security loopholes
found in the plug-in
ImageMagick. Through
the bugs present on
the plug-in, attackers
can insert malicious
codes into the server

High risk

Innovations
For MS-Patch
Tuesday
M

icrosoft introduced a serious innovation in patches for Windows,

Office & Co. with the Patch Tuesday in May 2016. Before this, users
had the choice to install the updates directly through Windows
Update or via manual download from the Microsoft Download Center.
The latter option will no longer be available now; individual end-users can
now obtain the updates of the Patch Tuesday only via Windows Update in
Windows. Firms may still use the Microsoft Update Catalog through which
they can download individual update files via Internet explorer and an
appropriate plug-in.

False support

Hackers love iOS loopholes

Over 100 million viruses were discovered in 2015

which use the alleged support staff to get access to
the user-PCs.

Hackers love iOS loopholes

From all the mobile loopholes that are reported, more
than 80 percent are found in iOS devices. This is
because security researchers and hackers specifically
look for bugs to install jail-breaks on the devices.

18

Millions support scan viruses

16
100

14
Medium risk

Share of bugs found in percent

90
82

12

84

84

80

10

70

60

2015
2014
2013

50

40

Low risk

30

20

10

Jan Feb Mr Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2015

13

11

16
1

0
iOS

Android

SOURCE: SYMANTEC

Number of the Month:

272 million

4
<1

BlackBerry OS

<1

SOURCE: SYMANTEC

Over 272 million data records all over the

world have been hacked and stolen since
May, an alarming number that highlights
the severe rise of cyber-attacks. The one
silver lining is: only 2% of the data stolen
are usable

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august 16

<1

Windows Phone

027

security report

Ten-Year Old Cracks The

Security System Of Instagram
T

en-year old Finn Jani has developed a hack with that can delete the comments of other users from the Instagram platform. Jani reported the
loophole immediately to Facebook, which owns Instagram. He got a test account from the security representatives there to be able to produce
the evidence of the loopholes. This made him the youngest receiver of the Facebook Bug bounty an award for capturing bugs. This bounty
has a minimum of 500 dollars (approx. RM2,012), but it can be higher depending on the severity of the loophole discovered. Jani received 10,000
dollars (approx. RM40,242), which he plans to use to buy a new bicycle, football equipment and a computer for his brother. This incident is extremely
embarrassing for Facebook and casts a dismal light on the security standards of the social network with its 1.35 billion users. The loophole was likely
in the dynamically generated HTML-code for the comment-delete button. After scrutinising it carefully, Jani realised that his comment had a specific
number and could be changed in the input line. Very clever for a 10-year old, but a rookies mistake on the part of Facebook.

Ransomware Censorship?
For Android Apple Bans
A
Security-App
From The
Store
I
Malware
Uses Secret
Bug
T
ttackers can install the Cyber Police ransomware on
devices with a JavaScript through two loopholes in older
Android devices based on versions 4.0 to 4.3, which are
variants that are still widespread. Once the ransomware is on the
system, calls can no longer be received or made, and only a reset
to the factory settings can free the smartphone from the virus. To
protect oneself from such an attack, users must install anti-virus
software on the devices, which will recognise such attacks and
wards them off.

he anti-virus manufacturer, McAfee warns of a new

type of malware which gets indelibly rooted in the
system with a trick. The malware, Dynamer, uses an
undocumented Windows feature for this. This allows users to
create special system files, e.g. a folder with all the important
Control Panel elements. The malware proceeds just the same
way, but saves the malicious code in this folder. The content
of the folder cannot be deleted by the user via the link of the
folder that is sent. Modern anti-virus systems can however
delete the virus without any problems. Be careful to regularly
install the signature updates for the virus protection.

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f someone gives the

impression that Apples
iPhones can be unsecure, it is
kicked out of the App store. The
app System and Security Info
of the security firm SektionEins
wanted to check the iOS-devices
for hidden jailbreaks, with which
secret services and hackers can
bug or infiltrate the telephone
specifically. Just after a few days,
the app - that searches iOS
devices for evidence of a jailbreak
or suspicious background
services - was again deleted from
the App store. The developers
from Cologne speak about this
censorship by Apple in their
company blog. The aim of the
app is, among others, to protect
the users from spy firms like
FinFisher from Munich, whose
software of the same name uses
modified Jailbreaks to spy on the
iOS-devices specifically.

security report

Children At Risk Online

A

research conducted by Kaspersky Lab and iconKids & Youth, suggests that children and teenagers from ages 8 to 16 are heavily addicted to
social media communications. Not only that, the way they are using it in an unsafe manner which can jeopardise the safety of their friends and
family.
For the children these days, the internet has become a way of life, a way for them to connect with others. It is considered their most important
online activity and the numbers from the research supports this: 35% have stated that they cant stand being without social media. As they grow older,
this form of online communication becomes their dominant method of social communication. However, social media can be as much a force of ill as it
can be for convenient communications.
In their desire to belong to certain social networking peer groups, young people inevitably share too much of their personal information on social
media, information that can be used by people with malicious intentions. According to the Connected Kids Research, 66% of children actually reveal
which school they go to, 54% like to talk about the places they visit and 22% have made their home address viewable. Furthermore, 36% of them reveal
information about the expensive things their parents do, as well as information like their parents occupation (33%) and how much they earn (23%). With
all this information on hand, the risk is high that potential kidnappers can easily locate children and better select their targets.
In addition, the fact that 31% of children have no qualms with lying about their age online can bring on a whole set of other problems. The research
reveals that about 17% of that age group pretend to be older and 10% of them will match their age to the requirements of a website they intend to use.
This could expose them to adult content, or unsavoury individuals who think the children are actually adults.
Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab, commented: It is wise to teach children from an early age what can be shared
online and offline and what should be kept secret, in the interests of the familys safety and privacy. It is also important to use necessary privacy
settings in social networks, so that only friends can see childrens posts and information. For an additional layer of protection, specialised security
software, such as Kaspersky Safe Kids, allows parents to constantly monitor changes in their childrens friend list and wall posts, so that parents can
protect their children before they unwittingly cause themselves harm.
Below are some tips given by Kaspersky Lab on how to educate children and help parents avoid the risks mentioned above:
Discuss with your children about their experiences and concerns
Try working together on the activities found on www.webwewant.eu
Encourage their creativity online, but teach them how and what type of posts can be uploaded before letting them do it alone
Explain why social media is for children aged 13 and over, teach them about rights and responsibilities
Befriend then online until you are satisfied that s/he has learned how to be responsible when using the internet and social media; from time to time
print out their profile and stick it on the wall online content takes on a very different aspect when it is printed for public viewing
Set rules with your teen about the use of their webcam make sure they respect those rules
Encourage them to teach you about new options, apps and more, especially those that relate to privacy

Travelers Experience Higher

Online Risks
A

recent research by Kaspersky Lab states that travellers are leaving themselves wide open to security risk when abroad. These travellers are
often using open, unsecured Wi-Fi connections, or handing off their smartphones to strangers, both of which are dangerous habits. According to
the research, over 42% of travellers admit that they are more careless when on a vacation, as compared to if they are travelling for business.
The research was conducted via a survey of 11,850 people all around the world, showing a clear pattern where travellers desire to be constantly
connected to the internet. They do so without making sure that their data connections area secure, which puts them at risk of cyber-attacks.
Some numbers quoted by Kaspersky were: 28% leave their devices unsupervised; 19% have left them with hotel concierges at one point or another;
and 18% of people under the age of 25 have handed their phone to strangers, often to take a photo.
Kaspersky Lab reports that the findings prove that when people are in holiday mode, they let their guard down, or exhibit unusual behaviour like
drinking more than they usually do when abroad (15%). Travellers also often use public Wi-Fi that are not secured to visit websites with sensitive,
personal information. This includes online banking (48%) and online shopping (46%). In addition, 35% of respondents have admitted that they make
confidential calls in public, because they believe the language barrier keeps them safe.
These behaviours are, of course, dangerous and should be fixed. Elena Kharcenko, Head of Consumer Product Management at Kaspersky Lab, said:
It is natural to want to relax on holiday, but too often our guard drops completely when connecting to the Internet, and our better judgment seems to
put its feet up, and kick back. Should we connect? Should we post on social media? Yes, of course but we advise users to take extra precautions when
they do this abroad. Make sure you are being cyber-savvy and put measures in place
to protect yourself and your data.
Kaspersky has suggested that even while away for a holiday, users should only
connect to networks via a VPN and use a security solution on their devices to protect
themselves from potential cyber-attacks.

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Time To
Fight
Back

IDC unveils strategy against

cyber-attacks at ASEAN IT
Security Conference 2016

DC recently hosted its annual ASEAN IT

Security Conference in Kuala Lumpur,
entitled Critical C-Suite Security
Knowledge. The conference highlighted how
CIOs should prepare an accurate strategy to
anticipate the threat of cyber-attacks in their organization.
In todays fast-paced digital world that is increasingly driven by innovations and technology advances, many enterprises are leaning on the
Digital Transformation (DX) platform as a way to ensure timely services delivery, while also minimizing the complexity and costs involved.
The ever growing demand of innovation applications on the latest devices is putting IT decision makers under great pressure to deliver IT
solutions that meet expectations of businesses and customers.
At this stage, IT security and protection then play a very critical role in the information technology equation. According to the Worldwide
2016 IT Security Predictions Asia Pacific excluding Japan, the security services market in 2017 will increase by at least 30% due to the
scarcity and high price of available data scientists, leading sub Fortune 100 companies to seek alternatives. However, IT leaders are not fully
conversant with the correct strategy by which cyber security investments should be made. It is then important to note that cyber-warfare
and cybersecurity investments are more akin to military spending and not a business ROI that can truly be expected.
This years ASEAN IT Security Conference highlights the essential guidance for C-level executives in the development of an IT security
strategy that ensures a more secure overall IT environment for their organization.
This conference has provided deeper insights into how attackers operate, the routes they use and what IT leaders could do in their
organization to minimize the impact of these attacks. IDC has some clear ideas on what makes the IT leaders more or less secure, says
Simon Piff, Associate Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure & Head of IT Security Research, IDC Asia/Pacific.
The ASEAN IT Security Conference 2016 brought together regional IT leaders and prominent cybersecurity experts across verticals in
Malaysia. The holistic insights offered at this event is oriented towards helping IT leaders plan their strategy in advance to deliver a secure
business environment and more accurately identify key issues, challenges and requirements that are critical in minimizing future risks.

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security report

Internet As A
Source Of Family
Disconnect?

New research from Kaspersky shows that spending too

much time on the Internet is bad for family relations

ccording to a recent report by

Kaspersky Labs and iconKids &
Youth, people are spending even
more time online now, with a fifth of parents
and children from a survey saying that the
internet and connected devices can be a
source of tension within families.
The research, which surveyed over
3,700 families in seven countries, provides

an insight into how the digital world is

disrupting traditional family dynamics.
Whereas in the past parents were the first
port of call for children seeking answers to
questions or advice, one-in-four (23 percent)
of the parents surveyed say that their kids
now prefer to go online rather than talk to
them.
The research also found that 42 percent

of parents are not friends

with their children on social
networks, and 18 percent
of them say this is because
their children would find
it embarrassing. While 21
percent of parents and 22
percent of children say that
the internet can cause family
tension, the most worrying
point of all is that 31 percent
of parents feel that the
Internet isolates them from
their children.
The conflict may be
exacerbated by the fact that
the devices used to go online
are often shared. Two-thirds
of the families surveyed
said they share a family
computer. As result, 31
percent of parents surveyed
complain that their child
has broken something on a
connected device or infected
it with a virus while online
(30 percent) and while a
quarter of them has had to
pay for something their child
had ordered or downloaded.
Andrei Mochola, Head
of Consumer Business at
Kaspersky Lab said: It is
only natural that using and
misusing each others
connected devices can
become a cause of conflict for families.
However, as we spend more and more
time online, family dynamics are also
changing. We recommend installing an
integrated home Internet security solution
on all devices in the home. This should be
enhanced with Parental Control software,
which can block access to inappropriate
sites or apps and prevent sensitive data
from being shared or deleted.
Janice Richardson, Senior Advisor
at European Schoolnet, adds: Although
Internet becomes a source of conflict
in some families, a recent study by the
Joint Research Center of the European
Commission interestingly underlines
an emerging trend, with siblings and
extended family members taking on a much
bigger role in childrens online activities.
Unsurprisingly, children are instinctively
turning to the person they perceive to
be able to fix technical issues, advise on
sites and security tools and provide more
objective responses to delicate queries.

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Big Changes
Announced At AMD
Capsaicin Siggraph

t this years Capsaicin Siggraph press conference, AMD revealed that some new
graphics technologies and partnerships. AMD believes that these partnerships
and technologies will change the industry and shape the computer graphics
community for the coming years.
One of the reveals was about the new Radeon Pro WX Series. It is a series aimed at
modern professionals in content creation and engineering. Based on the AMDs Polaris
architecture, the Radeon Pro WX series is designed to deliver exceptional capabilities
for the immersive computing era. Made to address specific demands in content
creation today, the Radeon WX series is targeted at workloads like demanding design
engineering, media entertainment, product development, or CAD designs.
AMD also formally launch Radeon ProRender and moved its development under GPUOpen, which is an open source environment that will give
developers access to the source code. With ProRender, content creators are able to realise their ideas by using high-performance applications and
workflows enhanced by photorealistic rendering. In addition, ProRender is special in that it can use the computing capabilities of multiple GPUs and
CPUs at the same time, while balancing the compute load evenly. With this feature, it can provide cutting edge GPU acceleration for faster and more
accurate results.
Plugins for the new Radeon ProRender are available for widely used 3D applications, including Autodesk 3ds Max, SOLIDWORKS by Dassault
Systmes and Rhino. Plugins for Autodesk Maya will also be made available soon. In terms of platform and hardware compatibility, Radeon ProRender
will work on Windows, OS X and Linux operating system. It will support AMDs GPUs, CPUs and APUs, as well as hardware from other vendors.
AMD also announced the Radeon Solid State Graphics (SSG), an innovative technology based on Radeon Pro. This technology will deliver greater
memory capacity directly to the existing GPU, which will provide greater performance. Its ideal for when rendering huge data sets, such as real-time
post-production of 8K videos, high-resolution rendering, VR content creation, oil and gas exploration, computational engineering, medical imaging and
life sciences.

ELSTER Procedure Gets Ready To

Fly High

he electronic tax declaration (ELSTER) in a normal case: in 2015, 20 million income tax returns were filed via the Internet in the relevant tax office
an increase of almost a quarter as compared to 2014. Since 2011, the number of participants in the ELSTER procedure has more than doubled,
according to the current figures of the fiscal authorities. The main reason for this is that almost every tax programme for the PC now has an
ELSTER interface, through which the income tax return generated with software support can be transferred to the tax office easily and at lightning
speed. The preferred processing of the income tax return by the fiscal authorities also speaks in favour of ELSTER. Furthermore, ELSTER users can
expect a tax refund as early as four weeks after filing the income tax return.

Electronic income tax returns (ELSTER) in million

20

20
15.2

15

16.1

12
8.2

3.6
1.1

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4.6

8.3

8.6

5.5

1.8

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

chip malaysia

SOURCE: BITKOM

10

9.5

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Big Update For Windows 7

indows 7, which is still the most-used version by far, will be getting a second Service Pack after more than five years. The update, that has a
somewhat weird name, Windows 7 SP 1 Convenience Rollup for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 contains all the patches for Windows
7 since the release of Service Pack 1 in February 2011. The update thus saves hours of downloads and installation sprees of missing patches
with a re-installation of Windows 7.

Compact
Camera With
Superzoom
And Effects

ts ultra-wide-angle lens with a 25x optical zoom

distinguishes the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS (approx.
RM1,164, available from June). The image sensor has a
resolution of 20.2 megapixels, with an image stabiliser to
ensure sharp and non-blurred pictures across any
distance. This is also applicable to the full-HD videos,
which can be shot with the SX620 HS. In the Creative Shot
mode, Canon saves five creative versions of the original
picture, e.g. with fisheye or miniature effect.

Ultrasone: HighEnd Headphones

To Go

he Bavarian headphone
manufacturer Ultrasone
presented its new
flagship at this years trade fair
- High End - in Munich. The
Edition M Black Pearl will be
available in the market at the
end of June for about 700
(approx. RM3,075). It is said to
appeal to audiophile music
fans.
The closed, circumaural
headphones mainly earn points
for their wearing comfort and
its headset function.

Western Digital
Develops 64-Layer 3D
NAND Memory

torage maker Western Digital (WD) has made great strides in NAND technology development, a
particular aspect that was previously not one of the companys strong suits.
According to reports, the company has with the help of Toshiba develop a next-generation 3D
NAND technology, which has 64-layers of vertical storage capability. This concept is similar to AMDs High
Bandwidth Memory (HBM), except in the form of NAND storage. The new technology has been dubbed BiCS3
(Bit Cost Scalable 3) and the first production run has commenced in the two companies joint venture
facilities in Yokkaichi, Japan. Initial output is expected to be out later this year, so further information and
specifications might be revealed then.
However, any commercial launch is not expected to be any time soon, as WD states that meaningful
commercial volumes would not be available until the first half of 2017. Initial reports state that BiCS3 will
come in 256 Gigabit capacity, with those in the future going up to asa much as half a terabit on a single chip.
The executive VP for memory technology at Western Digital, Siva Sivaram, had this to say about the new
technology: BiCS3 will feature the use of 3-bits-per-cell technology along with advances in high aspect ratio
semiconductor processing to deliver higher capacity, superior performance and reliability at an attractive
cost. Together with BiCS2, our 3D NAND portfolio has broadened significantly, enhancing our ability to
address a full spectrum of customer applications in retail, mobile and data centre.

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Affordable
Smartphone With
Top-Class Features

oth the manufacturers, Coolpad from China and Archos from France, have recently
started offering very reasonable Smartphones with high-quality functions. Coolpad
Torino S costs just 199 (approx. RM874), but has a curved HD display with 4.7-inch
screen. The in-built fingerprint sensor on the back of the device allows you to use up to five
fingers in order to not only unlock the device, but also to start different apps or call contacts. The
device memory is 16 GB and can be expanded by 32 GB via a microSD a feature that iPhones
still do not offer.
A likewise good price-performance ratio is offered by the Android smartphone Archos 50
Power for about 150 (approx. RM659). The manufacturer mainly wanted to earn points with
its large 4,000 mAh battery capacity, which ensures a runtime of more than two days. It has a
five-inch IPS display with HD resolution, as well as LTE connection and 2 GB RAM. Devices such
as these are able to compete with Premium suppliers such as Samsung or Apple.

First
Retrofit To An E-Bike
MicroSD
In 60 Seconds
Worldwide T
With 256
GB
Capacity

he US start-up GeoOrbital recently started a Kickstarter campaign for a gear, which

transforms almost every normal bicycle with a 26 or 28-inch tyre size and caliper breaks
into an e-bike. Only the normal front wheel needs to be removed in this case and
replaced with the GeoOrbital Wheel. The tyre made of hard foam will be driven over rollers lying
on the rim and a battery is installed in the spokes. One charge of the bigger model with pedal
assist is enough for about 80 kilometers and speeds of maximum 32 km/h according to the
manufacturer. This has made it compulsory to wear helmets. The GeoOrbital wheel should be
available from November for about $950 (approx. RM3,791).

amsung is upgrading its offer among the

memory cards through an intriguing
product: the microSD EVO Plus. It offers 256
GB storage space as the first card of the UHS-1
category sufficient for 12 hours of 4K video, 33
hours for Full HD or 55,200 photos. The writing
and reading speed is up to 95 MB/s. Owing to its
price of 250 (approx. RM1,098, this card is
primarily for professionals.

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Macro Lens With Integrated Ring

Flash

anon recently presented the EF-M 28 mm 1:3.5 macro IS STM. This new lens for mirrorless system cameras is extending the portfolio of the
EOS-M series that was sparse so far. It has an in-built ring-shaped flash and LEDs are used instead of a flash tube. The subjects are thus well-lit
in super-macro mode, with an image ratio of up to 1.2:1. In addition, the camera-to-subject distance is only about nine centimeters and ring
flashs brightness can be adjusted gradually. This lens will be available from June for about 370 (approx. RM1,625).

Epson Is Top
Telefnica
Projector
Turns The
Manufacturer Again Smartphone
Into A Bank
F
Account
or the 15th year consecutively, Epson has been declared world number one in
projector manufacturing by Futuresource Consulting. This marks a major milestone
for the company and is proof of Epsons solid success in this segment of the visual
imaging industry.
At 32.1% for 2015, Epson has the largest market presence in the 500-lumen and above
category, up from 29.4% the year before. Home projectors for the same category recorded
a similar percentage, with 35.1% of market share for 2015. The companys market share
has also been increasing at a steady pace over the last decade and a half. Within our
region of Southeast Asia, Epson also maintained market leadership with 28% in 2015.
Epsons has a wide variety of different projectors, ranging from enterprise projectors
for classrooms, interactive projectors for the enterprise sectors, and high brightness
projectors for large venues. The companys core projector technology now is 3LCD, a
technology that allows Epson projectors to deliver images that are more lifelike and more
vibrant.
We are continuously investing in innovative products and technologies to strengthen
our position as market leader, and to create new value for our customers worldwide. We
are proud to achieve this position, and as a company, will continue to drive innovations to
create new visual experiences for our customers, said Danny Lee, General Manager, Sales,
Epson Malaysia.

n late summer, Telefnica wants to compete with the

banks and launch an account for the Smartphone.
The O2 Banking offer includes a free-of-charge
Mastercard, which can also be used to withdraw cash
free of cost. In order to carry out a transfer, you simply
need to enter the O2 number of the recipient in the
Smartphone. In addition, customers can use the O2Banking app to obtain instant loan at any time. It can
also be used as a salary account. Instead of interest
rates, the customers will receive an additional data
volume.

Drive More
New LG Action
Cam LTE Streams Safely Thanks
To Garmin Drive
To YouTube

G Electronics is competing with the market leader GoPro with its new
Action Cam LTE. The camera can directly stream to YouTube with a
resolution of 720p without the need to use a Smartphone. Moreover, it is
able to shoot in 4K at 30 pictures per second and in full-HD at 60 pictures per
second. For outdoor fans, the camera also contains GPS as well as motion
and position sensors, whose data is recorded upon request. The camera is
supposed to hit the markets in June, but LG has yet to revealed its price.

t the end of April, Garmin presented new navigation devices

with Drive, DriveSmart, DriveAssist and DriveLuxe, which equip
every car with additional safety features. DriveAssist contains a
Dashcam for example, which automatically saves a video in case of
any vibration. It also warns of imminent collisions and can help to
keep track. Another new feature is the so-called Go-Alarm that can
notify the driver as soon as the traffic starts moving again. Garmin
has priced its most affordable model at 130 (approx. RM571), while
the most expensive one is about 390 (approx. RM1,713).

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BIOSTAR Pushes Continued

Market Presence
B

IOSTAR is proud to announce its commitment to the industry with its

ongoing activities throughout the globe. BIOSTAR has recently been
conducting regional product launches and activities to reinforce its
brand and promote its dedicated to the industry with its new product line.
It was recently that BIOSTAR celebrated its 30 years in the industry and is
determined to fulfil its theme of Racing to the Future.
BIOSTAR has been holding activities throughout the first half of 2016 with
grand activities held in COMPUTEX 2016, and has immediately proceeded to
visit other regions to engage in dealer and media promotions to launch their
new products. BIOSTARs most recent stops included Thailand, Vietnam, and
India. Notably to visit dealers, media and select power users and also inviting
them to special activities like racing events and dinner parties, where BIOSTAR
showcased their newest products in custom gaming machines and builds to
showcase the new features of their products.
We have been in this business for 30 years and are looking forward to
another 30 and onwards, says Kevin Cheng, Global Marketing Manager,
BIOSTAR. Kevin added We will continue to race towards the future and our consumers and partners should be rest assured that we are
doing our best.
BIOSTAR is currently launching their RACING and PRO series motherboards globally in various locations and will be holding more events
in various locations in the future to showcase their new products. They believe in the value of working closely with consumers and dealers to
produce a mutually beneficial relationship, thus promoting greater brand awareness and confidence from consumers and dealers.

Xiaomi Reveals
Its First Laptop
M

ajor Chinese gadget manufacturer has recently revealed the

companys first laptop, a slim machine that comes with some
pretty good specs and a rather affordable price point.
Named suspiciously similar to another famous laptop, the Mi Notebook
Air comes in two different sizes a more powerful 13.3-inch model and
a more modest 12.5-inch one. Both come with a 1080p display with slim
bezels, a 1-Megapixel webcam, backlit keyboard, and a charging port that
uses a USB Type-C connector. In addition, there are two USB ports and an
audio output. Also, both models will run on Windows 10.
The differentiators lie in the hardware specs, with the more powerful
13.3-inch model set to come powered by an Intel Core i5-6200U processor,
8GB of DDR4 RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and a Nvidia GTX 940MX GPU. On
the other hand, the Mi Book Air 12.5-inch model will run on an Intel Core
m3-6Y30 CPU, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and 128 of SSD storage. It does not come
with a discrete graphics processor.
Availability locally is doubtful, though those who are interested can
import it from China. The 13.3-inch model of the Mi Notebook Air is priced
at 4,999 yuan (approx. RM3,050), while its smaller 12.5-inch sibling will cost
3,499 yuan (approx. RM2,135).

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BlackBerry
Announces
New Android
Smartphone
W

hile it has been down, it has certainly not thrown in the

towel yet. BlackBerry is back with another smartphone
and its an Android device. According to BlackBerry, the
DTEK50 is the worlds most secure Android smartphone.
Based on Android Marshmallow, BlackBerry used its expertise
in smartphone security, privacy and productivity, to provide the
DTEK50 with a full Android experience that has an all-touch
design. This is different from the brands previous secure Android
smartphone, which still featured the companys famed specialty, a
physical QWERTY keyboard.
We take our customers privacy seriously. Thats why were
excited with all the security and functionality thats built in our
newest Android smartphone. DTEK50 merges the unique security and connectivity features BlackBerry is known for, with the rich Android
ecosystem, said Ralph Pini, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Devices, BlackBerry.
According to a survey by Google Consumer Surveys, 50% of Android smartphone users say that their smartphone is not completely secure.
With an increase in cybercrime on smartphones, consumers need to recognize that the private details of their lives where they live, their
bank info, pictures of their kids are at risk on their personal device, said David Kleidermacher, Chief Security Officer at BlackBerry. Its
equally important for businesses to protect their sensitive data from cyberattacks at all points of their mobile environment from the device
to the network and servers, he added.
The DTEK50s target users are those who value security and privacy on their Android devices. Its able to encrypt all of its users
information, such as business critical data, as well as personal pictures, videos and contacts. Moreover, it has malware protection, back-up,
wipe and restore functions built into the device. Other software are also included to give users of the DTEK50 with the visibility/transparency
and control over the devices. For example, if an app wants to access sensitive information or components like the microphone, the user will
know.
BlackBerry is also aiming to deliver security patches as soon information is released by Google. This would be its advantage over Android
devices from other brands, which often do not patch security exploits fast enough.
The new DTEK50 is currently only available as pre-order from ShopBlackBerry.com for customers in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany,
Spain, Italy and The Netherlands, at a retail price of 299 US Dollars.

NVIDIA Is Powering The Force

A

ccording to a blog post by NVIDIA, the companies GPUs have helped in the creation of new virtual reality content for ILMxLAB.
Lucasfilms ILMxLAB was formed last year with the purpose of creating a new generation of immersive platforms. Its new VR
experiement, was created last year to build experiences for a new generation of immersive platforms. Besides ILMxLABs collaboration
with Magic Leap to create original Star Wars content, it has been working on third-party VR experiences.
With so much to work on, ILMxLAB artists require reliable professionals GPU and they have turned to NVIDIAs Quadro GPUs. By using
NVIDIAs VRWorks VR SLI, a technology that enables the assignment of multiple GPUs to specific eyes, the artists have been able to quicken
the rendering process.
VR SLI has nearly doubled our rendering power and allows us to create higher fidelity renderings, says ILMxLAB Principal Engineer and
Technology Development Lead Lutz Latta.
One of ILMxLABs aim is to create new ways of storytelling, particularly using new platforms such as cinematic VR and modern computer
graphics. NVIDIAs Quadro GPUs and VRWorks software are highlighted as important cornerstones to success in that endeavour.

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legaltech

Net
Neutrality
and Open
Internet
Rules
Net Neutrality has been talked about for quite some time now, but do we truly understand
what it means? Our resident IT law specialist talks about what the term entails
By Edwin Lee Yong Cieh

he issue of the need to maintain net neutrality and an open

Internet concept has been a considerable debate for years,
with the most recent development being the landmark ruling
of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on 14
June 2016 in favour of net neutrality.
Net neutrality is a principle which requires all Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) to treat all sources of online content equally and
provide all consumers the right to access the content on a nondiscriminatory basis. The idea behind net neutrality is that the
Internet should remain open and neutral with uninhibited access to
online content without the ISPs being allowed to block, impair or
establish fast/slow lanes on the delivery of online content to
consumers. However, ISPs argue that they have the right to optimise
the use of the network resources and that Internet traffic or traffic
prioritisation measures are necessary to ensure a reasonable quality
of service standard for all Internet users, especially as Internet traffic
continues to grow.

The Open Internet Rules in the US

In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has
developed Open Internet Rules, which are designed to protect free
expression, innovation and economic growth on the Internet, as well
as to promote investment in broadband networks. The Open Internet
Rules are also intended to ensure that consumers and businesses
alike have access to a fast, fair and open Internet. The FCCs Open
Internet Rules came into force on 12 June 2015 and apply to both

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fixed and mobile broadband Internet access services, which is

classified as a telecommunications service by the FCC.
Essentially, the Open Internet Rules set out five bright-line rules,
as follows:
(a) No blocking: ISPs are not allowed to block access to lawful online
content, applications, services or non-harmful devices;
(b) No throttling: ISPs are not allowed to impair or degrade lawful
Internet traffic on the basis of content, applications, services or nonharmful devices;
(c) No paid prioritisation: ISPs are not allowed to favour some lawful
Internet traffic over other lawful traffic in exchange for consideration
of any kind (in other words, ISPs are not allowed to provide fast
lanes to certain content/service providers who are willing to pay in
exchange for fast lanes);
(d) No unreasonable interference: ISPs are not allowed to interfere
unreasonably with their end users ability to use broadband Internet
access services, or with their edge providers ability to make lawful
online content, applications, services and devices available to end
users; and
(e) Enhanced transparency: ISPs must publicly disclose accurate
information regarding the network management practices,
performance and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access
services to allow end users to make informed choices and for
content, application and service providers to develop, maintain and
market Internet offerings.
As many as 4 million of Americans have overwhelmingly voted to

legaltech
support the FCCs initiative in keeping a free and fair Internet. Many
tech giants like Google, Facebook and Netflix have also rallied in
favour of the Open Internet Rules. It is said that without net
neutrality, ISPs may choose to deliver certain online content at a
slower speed, for example, making the video streaming on Netflix or
YouTube buffer, unless they pay extra to get in the fast lane.
However, the Open Internet Rules were not welcomed by the ISPs
and they brought a case against the FCC. They argued, amongst
others, that as broadband is an information service, as opposed to a
telecommunications service, hence the FCC lacked statutory
authority to create the Open Internet Rules and impose them on
ISPs. They also argued that some of the rules were
unconstitutionally vague and ran afoul of the US Constitution.
The US Court of Appeals rejected the ISPs arguments, and held in
favour of the Open Internet Rules. The court held that:
(a) FCC had the authority to reclassify broadband as a
telecommunications service. This was based on the evidence that
consumers generally viewed broadband as an essential
communications and information platform that transmits data of
their own choosing to their desired destination, as opposed to a
mere information service;
(b) interconnection arrangements are derivative of the broadband
Internet access service and hence, they could be regulated under the
law;
(c) FCC had the authority to come up with measures to encourage
the deployment of broadband infrastructure and rules to govern
ISPs treatment of Internet traffic; and
(d) the Open Internet Rules generally require ISPs to offer a
standardised service that transmits data on a non-discriminatory
basis. Such equal access rule did not run afoul of the First
Amendment to the US Constitution (which affirms the right to
freedom of expression).
This decision affirmed the US Governments view that broadband
is a utility that should be made equally available to all consumers,
rather than a luxury that does not require government supervision.
This decision marks a landslide victory for net neutrality in the US
and an enormous win for consumers. With this decision, all ISPs
must treat all Internet traffic equally, and this assures a level playing
field for all online content and benefitting both consumers and
online content developers alike.
President Obama The Man behind the Push for Net Neutrality
Rules
The current US President, Barack Obama, is known as an ardent
supporter of net neutrality. He has been instrumental in calling on
the FCC to take up the strongest possible rules to protect net
neutrality. In an open letter to the FCC in November 2014, he wrote,
an open Internet is essential to the American economy, and
increasingly to our very way of life. By lowering the cost of launching
a new idea, igniting new political movements, and bringing
communities closer together, it has been one of the most significant
democratising influences the world has even known The Internet
has been one of the greatest gifts our economy and our society has
ever known there is no higher calling than protecting an open,
accessible and free Internet.

Net Neutrality Concept in Malaysia & ASEAN

In ASEAN, Singapores telecommunications regulator (the Infocomm
Development Authority) issued its net neutrality policy in 2011 and it

appears that Singapore is the only regulator in the region which has
taken a clear stand on net neutrality. Under this policy, ISPs can offer
specialised or customised online content or services and can perform
reasonable network management practices, but are not allowed to
impose discriminatory practices which would render any lawful
online content inaccessible or unusable. In other words, ISPs are not
allowed to block lawful online content. However, there is no outright
ban on ISPs throttling Internet traffic and selling fast lanes to
content providers.
In Malaysia, there are currently no provisions within the
Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) that expressly
address net neutrality. The closest related provision would be
Section 197 of the CMA, which provides that service providers may
set rates for their services in accordance with market rates. Section
198 in turn sets out certain principles on rate setting, which
prescribes that rates, amongst others must be fair and, for similarly
situated persons, not unreasonably discriminatory and should not
contain discounts that unreasonably prejudice the competitive
opportunities of other providers. Section 199 states that the
Minister may, on the recommendations of the MCMC, intervene
freely in the setting of rates for any competitive facilities or services
provided, for good cause or public interest.
In terms of blocking of online content, while it is noteworthy that
the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees assures that there will be no
censorship of the Internet, this, however, does not mean that any
person may disseminate illegal online content without regard to the
law. The Government has the power to direct ISPs to block access to
or remove certain prohibited content if the content is found to have
violated Malaysian laws.
Delivery of online content is subject to the provisions of the CMA
which prohibit the dissemination of indecent, obscene, false,
menacing or other illegal or offensive materials and also the
provisions of the Content Code and the Internet Access Service
Provider Sub Code. For example, the Code says that ISPs must not
discriminate unduly between persons in the provision of their
services and must provide equal access to all consumers. ISPs must
also endeavour to provide consistent and reliable access to the
Internet services.

The view expressed in this article is intended to provide a general

guide to the subject matter and does not constitute professional
legal advice. You are advised to seek proper legal advice for your
specific situation.

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feature

Alaric Choo (left) and Ian Ng (right) started the Secretlab journey to create great gaming chairs that are comfortable and affordable

D
The Secret To

Comfortable
Gaming Lies
With A Chair
Secretlab founders give us some insights
into their design concept for their gaming
chairs By Matthew Yap

uring a chance trip to Singapore in May, we made a visit to

Secretlabs office located on Bendemeer Road to talk about the
company and its flagship OMEGA Stealth chair, which we
reviewed in our July issue. Following that, we sent founders Alaric
Choo and Ian Ng some questions we thought our readers might be
curious of. Heres how it went:

Hi guys, thanks for accepting our interview. To

start, could you tell us more about yourselves?
Alaric: We knew each other when we were younger and still avid
gamers. We were competitive Starcraft 2 players so we knew each
other from there. We then went on to play a number of games
together and ended up working separately but in the same office.
The company, Aftershock PC, belonged to an old mutual friend and
gaming buddy Marcus Wee. He graciously gave us space to start
work on Secretlab as well as mentoring us through the process as
well.

How did you start Secretlab and what were the

personal motivations or inspirations behind the
founding of this company and its products?
Ian: I had just renovated my house back then and was looking for a

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feature

The Throne had a V1 and now a V2, what about

the OMEGA Stealth? Would there be improved
versions with different features?
Alaric: We are very happy where the OMEGA is at right now in terms
of product quality and features. Customer feedback and reviews
have also been unanimously spectacular, so we do not expect any
changes there.

Due to our exchange rate with the Singapore

Dollar, the OMEGA Stealth is a bit pricey for
Malaysians, while the Throne V2 hits a good price
but lacks the premium multi-tilt feature. Will
there be a mid-range model in the future?
The famed multi-tilt component, one of the reasons why people love the OMEGA
series chairs.

comfortable and sick looking chair to fit my gaming setup. I found

that the options in the market were very unappealing, in terms of
either price or quality. One thing led to another and after lots of
determination and help from mentors we managed to get the first
batch of production out.

How long did it take to develop your first

successful prototype?
When it came to the research and development of
the chairs, what were some of the discoveries and
challenges that you have encountered?
In terms of the features for the chairs, what kind
of ideas or considerations do you have when
designing them? Is there a particular theme or
concept in mind?

Ian: Were aware of the exchange rate issues that Malaysians are
facing, and have been trying ways to make it more affordable via
sales and instalment plans. A mid-range model isnt currently in the
pipeline but weve definitely considered it before.

Besides chairs, are there any plans to ever come

up with other products that fit the gaming theme?
No immediate plans at the moment, we plan on focusing on making
our chairs more widely available first.

Your chairs are now sold in Australia too and are

doing well, which markets are you targeting next?
Ian: A few other countries are in the pipeline. We cant however
reveal them yet, but were working really hard on making it happen.
Were quite insistent on bringing our chairs into each market
ourselves in order to maintain the same service standard that made
us popular in the first place.

Alaric: We wanted to create a chair that was not only top in quality,
but also being the best value for money on the market. We are
practical and very critical of functions that should be included and
omitted. The composition material used is also very important to us
were always looking out for the most suitable materials to be used
for all parts of our chair.
Ian: We also dont want to produce lots of random designs. Instead,
every one of our chairs released should resonate well with majority
of our customers. We spend a lot of time doing research and getting
feedback about colour schemes, detailed design choices, before we
give the green light for a certain design.

What do your users like the most about your

chairs?
Ian: A chair is a chair and a personal preference thing, but our chairs
have received almost perfect reviews from both media and users for
its comfort and features. Were very proud of that it shows that
weve managed to reach our goals from a product design perspective.
Alaric: The Secretlab name has also become almost synonymous
with quality assurance.
They know that we take aftersales support very seriously so they can
purchase with peace of mind.

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Eric Chan, Fortinets Solution Consulting Director for South East Asia & Hong Kong

Understanding
Shadow IT
With technology moving at a blistering
pace, the concept of Shadow IT is fast
taking root in businesses. We talk to
Fortinets Eric Chan to understand why this
is happening, and the potential dangers
behind it By CHIP Team
With BYOD being widely adopted in the working
environment, what are the implications for cyber
security?
The primary objective for most organisations implementing BYOD is
to grant easy, secure access to the network across the entire user
base. Gartner predicts that by 2017, most employers will require
their employees to bring their own devices for work. Global market

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research and consulting company MarketsandMarkets expects the

global market for BYOD to increase from US$67.21 billion in 2011 to
US$181.39 billion by the year 2017.
The benefits of BYOD include creating new mobile workforce
opportunities, increasing employee satisfaction and reducing costs.
However, security continues to be the biggest concern for BYOD. The
challenges associated with BYOD can force an organisation to
rigorously evaluate its security posture and infrastructure.
Many employees have found that mobile devices often do not
deliver the same strict policy enforcement capabilities as desktop
devices. This policy gap enables many employees to use their mobile
devices to access applications and content that is denied by
standard corporate policy, such as video streaming. With mobile
devices offering an easy way to bypass the limits normally imposed
on them, users are putting a strain on the corporate network and
exposing it to additional risk of compromise.
With devices operating outside the confines of the traditional
brick and mortar enterprise, the potential for data loss increases
significantly. The threats to mobile users include the risk of malware
infection, inadvertent or malicious sharing of critical business data or
the devices being lost or stolen. Additionally, rogue wireless
networks exist in the public with the sole purpose of stealing
unprotected data.
For every device manufacturer and version of the mobile
operating system, there is likely going to be differences in what
policies can be applied. Solving the mobile security challenge will be
difficult by relying solely on agents. There are simply too many
operating systems, devices and hardware platforms to expect agents
to exist for every device and for every agent to act the same way on
every device.
Security professionals cannot rely on agents alone to secure the
complex range of actions inherent in mobile devices. There has to be
another layer of security that acts as the final authority. Ultimately
the network needs to be aware of its traffic.
Fortinets Security Fabric advocates an effective awareness
strategy:
User identification Who is on the network? What are they allowed
to do? When did they join the network?
Device identification What devices are on the network? Who do
they belong to? What are they allowed to do? How do I find out when
they start behaving badly?
Physical Topology How are these devices connected to the
network? What devices are they allowed and not allowed to interact
with?
Network and Application Topology What policies do we need?
How are they distributed and enforced? Do we have a single view
across the network? How do we know when a policy has been
violated? Can a violation detected on one device trigger an
automated response on another device?

Cloud storage applications such as Dropbox have

proven to be extremely popular among
Malaysians who want to transfer large amounts
of data. What are some of the risks associated
with such applications?
There are several risks associated with the use of third-party cloud
storage services.
When using third-party file sharing services, the data is typically
taken outside of the companys secured IT environment, and that
means that the datas privacy settings are beyond the control of the
enterprise. Data at third-party storage and file sharing apps is also

feature
potentially at risk of being viewed or mishandled, thus leading to
data leak. There are also a number of external threats that can lead
to data leakage, including malicious hacks of cloud providers or
compromises of cloud user accounts. Files in the cloud are among
the most susceptible to hacking. Even if the cloud service provides
encryption for files, data can still be intercepted on route to its
destination.
Despite cloud access being restricted based on user credentials;
the security strength is based on individual users password and
subject to compromise. While a credential compromise may not give
attackers access to the data within your files, it could allow them to
perform other tasks such as making copies or deleting them.
While the cloud storage and file sharing services can offer great
value to enterprises for their flexibility, scalability, and cost savings,
it is critical that organisations address these security concerns with
an implementation of a comprehensive cloud security strategy.

Employees and end-users are often thought to be

the weakest link when it comes to cyber-security.
What are some of Fortinets best security
practices to address this?
You can have the strongest systems but if you do not have the
people who know how to use them, or how to protect data, then they
are invariably going to become the weakest links. Until you close the
human gap in the equation, you are always vulnerable to attacks.
All employees must practice good cyber hygiene. Any individual
with access to a companys system represents a threat and must be
part of that companys cyber defence strategy.
Fortinet recommends taking the following steps:
Compulsory password change every three months. Access will be
denied if password wasnt change.
Limit access to social media where data leakage may occur.
Organisation may consider blocking such websites.
Enhance email filtering features, such as spam mails which may
contain harmful viruses or backdoor Trojan that may spy on users
computers.
Most importantly, educate users on usage of computers and IT
security best practices. Remind users not to open unknown emails
from senders which they do not know.

IoT and proliferation of smart devices have

further exposed enterprise networks to cyber
threats. How should enterprises defend against
such threats?
Networks are currently undergoing dramatic changes. Organisations
are faced with issues including BYOD, IoT, virtualisation, SDN, cloud,
the proliferation of applications and Big Data. Gartner predicts that
the Internet of Things market will grow and there will be 26 billion
connected devices by 2020. This has exponentially increased the
attack surface that all organisations should be concerned with and
protecting a companys data and intellectual property is more
important than ever. Many IoT devices are headless, run simple
communications protocols, and are unable to run a client or even be
patched. They rely exclusively on the access network for security.
To defend against cyber threats, Fortinet advocates the following:
Pre-programmed credit alerts and two-factor authentication are
important tools than can easily be applied as a starting point. This
can be a combination of things, such as log-in credentials combined
with a token (chip card) or biometric (fingerprint). Companies could
also employ attribute-based factors to assess the authenticity of
users as they login. These attributes could be an encrypted cookie
linked to a device, a source IP address, the typical time of day a user

accesses the system, or even the speed and pattern by which a user
enters his or her password.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning - Potentially, AI could
learn with a higher degree of efficiency and granularity what a
unique set of attributes might be per user: what would individually
equate to a good vs. bad authorisation. These attributes could then
also be weighted, because some may be worth more, in terms of
accuracy, than others. Applying AI on a profile-by-profile basis,
organisations could possibly create tailored attribute rates that keep
false positive rates low while leading to better user experience.
Using threat intelligence inside existing security infrastructure you
have is also important, as it can trigger on poor reputation domains
and URLs coming to your network location and mailbox. The advent
of NFV security in edge devices for small business (IE, AT&T UCPE)
and even homes will also help, when enabled with proper threat
intelligence.
Protecting Access points (APs) is critical to wireless security, and to
securely extending physical coverage for users. Todays APs not only
need to support high density environments, but also support security
features like Application Visibility & Control (AVC), Wireless IPS
(wIPS), and Rogue monitoring without the loss of performance.
Fortinets latest Security Fabric is so important. Companies need
deeply integrated security systems that share information across all
areas, including wired, wireless, VPN, and cloud environments. And
when that integration is coupled with machine learning capabilities,
the system can flag abnormalities more accurately and more rapidly,
and coordinate responses between different security deployments.
All of this contributes to better response time for organisations in
mitigating threats.

Could you elaborate on Shadow IT is it similar to

Dark Web and what are some of the
vulnerabilities as a result of Shadow IT?
Shadow IT is a term used to describe the use of unapproved devices
and services on the network. For example, an IT department might
have to support tablets not because they are corporate approved
assets, but only because everyone from the CEO down has a tablet
on the network. But there could also be myriads of devices on the
network that IT doesnt even know about.
Most recently, Shadow IT has begun to include consumer or
enterprise applications in the cloud, such as file sharing apps, social
media, and collaboration tools, and it can also include lines of
business that have deployed enterprise-class SaaS applications or
sometimes even cloud-based infrastructure. There is often no
corporate policy or decision to allow this, and most of the time its
unknown by anyone on the IT team.
The traditional perimeter of the data center, and the network
itself, is fundamentally changing. Users expect to be able to access
any information, from any location, at any time, using any device. The
result is that the corporate network is expanding beyond its
traditional borders to include web and cloud-based access.
Securing data in this environment can be a complex process
because that data no longer simply exists behind the iron doors of
the data center. The flow of data transactions into and out of the
data center, between data centers, or that is used and stored on a
wide variety of devices is increasing at a dramatic pace. During this
process, the nature of the data changes, and comprehensive data
loss security strategies need to address.
Fortinets Security Fabric allows different security technologies to
work together to more effectively secure evolving network
environments and solve new threat challenges.

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feature
On the other hand, the Dark Web is the non-indexed part of the
Internet which can only be accessed via a series of high-level
passcodes that are only known by cyber criminals. The Dark Web
consists of a few layers of abstraction that are differentiated by
content, secrecy and difficulty in accessing them.
The transformation to a digital business model has extended the
network beyond the perimeter, which means that todays networks
and its related security are becoming borderless.

Why do employees practice Shadow IT in the first

place? Could it also be the CTOs fault if
employees are not satisfied with the current tech
they have?
Many employees practice Shadow IT, unaware of its implications. In
large organisations, getting IT departments to approve a new
hardware and software can be extremely time consuming and
bureaucratic. Most organisations are not structured to offer new IT
solutions at such a rapid pace. Employees often skirt around
corporate policy and find their own technology solution because they
simply want to get their work done. Unfortunately, Shadow IT
practices leaves a company vulnerable to data leaks, possible
phishing scams and significant data breaches.

As seen in recent months, ransomware has

become a huge problem. What kind of security
measures has Fortinet developed to combat
ransomware, be it in practices, hardware or
software development?
Ransomware is a form of malware that infects devices, networks
and data centers by preventing them from being used until the
organisation pays a ransom in order to unlock the system.
Ransomware is not new. However, ransomware attacks have
become very sophisticated, targeted and lucrative. For example,
crypto-ransomware can infect an operating system so that a device
is unable to boot up. Other ransomware will encrypt a drive or a set
of files or file names. Some malicious versions have a timer and
begin deleting files until a ransom has been paid. All demand that a
ransom be paid in order to unlock or release the blocked or encrypted
system, files, or data.
As such, Fortinet suggests these 10 critical steps to protect an
organisation from the effects of ransomware:
1) Develop a backup and recovery plan To prepare effectively in
case of ransomware attack, back up your systems regularly, and
store that backup offline on a separate device. It is also important to
ensure that the backup process is practical and diversified.
2) Use professional email and web security tools Specialisation
tools can analyse email attachments, websites, and files for
malware, and block potentially compromised advertisements and
social media sites that have no business relevance. These tools
should include sandbox functionality, so that new or unrecognised
files can be executed and analysed in a safe environment.
3) Keep your operating systems, devices, and software patched and
updated This will ensure most up to date defence to block entry
ways for cyber criminals as exploitations rely greatly on
vulnerabilities.
4) Ensure your device and network antivirus, IPS, and antimalware tools are running the latest updates.
5) Use application whitelisting where possible - Whitelisting
prevents unauthorised applications to be downloaded or run.
Restricting users installations of unsolicited files, software and
applications can also help to reduce the effects of ransomware.

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6) Segment your network into security zones - An infection in one

area cannot easily spread to another with segmentation.
7) Establish and enforce permission and privilege This ensures the
fewest number of users have the potential to infect business-critical
applications, data, or services. The uses of strong passwords are
highly encouraged and to reduce risks, change the passwords often.
8) Establish and enforce a BYOD security policy A clear and
effective BYOD policy will ensure consistent enforcement of
inspection, thus blocking devices which do not meet your standards
for security (no client or antimalware installed, antivirus files are out
of date, operating systems need critical patches, etc.)
9) Deploy forensic analysis tools Forensics tools help identify
where the infection came from, how long it has been in your
environment, that you have removed all of it from every device, and
that you can ensure it does not come back.
10) Do NOT rely on employees to keep you safe - While it is still
important to up-level your user awareness training so employees
are taught to not download files, click on email attachments, or
follow unsolicited web links in emails, human beings are the most
vulnerable link in any security chain, thus there must be alternative
plans in the event of a security compromise.

Other than ransomware, what other notable cyber

threats should CIOs in Malaysia be on the lookout for?
The threat landscape is in a constant state of evolution and the arms
race between cyber guardians and cyber criminals has been heating
up dramatically over the course of the last year. Over 20 billion
devices are expected to be connected in the next four years alone,
forcing individuals and organisations to face an exponentially
expanding attack surface, bound to a borderless cyberspace.
In addition to ransomware, Fortinet predicts these top four
emerging threats that will challenge our defenses:
Machine-to-Machine Attacks
The exponential increase of unmanaged, headless devices driven
by the Internet of Things will make these types of devices a tempting
target for hackers looking to secure a beachhead into more
traditional devices and corporate infrastructures. We will see a rise
in the number of attacks that exploit flaws in trusted machine to
machine (M2M) communication protocols.
Headless Worms Target Headless Devices
Related to the rise in machine-to-machine attacks, the headless
devices driven by the Internet of Things will also become a focus of
worms and viruses that are designed to independently target and
automatically propagate to other devices via trusted communication
protocols. These viruses could be designed to cause the systematic
failure of devices and the damages would be far more substantial as
the numbers of IoT devices grows into the billions.
Jailbreaking the Cloud
As adoption of virtualisation and cloud strategies increases, hackers
are developing strategies to break out of hypervisors and infect the
larger infrastructures and systems. Hackers will start targeting
malware that exploits flaws in virtualisation protocols to jailbreak
the cloud and gain access to wider infrastructure data.
Two-Faced Malware
Malware has been continually evolving features to avoid detection as
security measure like sandboxing become more prevalent. As
Sandboxing become more resistant to these countermeasures, we
anticipate the development of Two-Faced Malware designed to
execute an innocent task to avoid detection and then execute the
malicious process once it has cleared security protocols.

feature

Protect Yourself
From Kickstarter
Ripoffs
Crowd-funding is an established financing instrument for
technical start-ups, artists and cheats. We show you how to
identify rip-offs on platforms like Kickstarter
By Benjamin Hartlmaier

hen the times are good, crowd

funding platforms like Kickstarter
and Indiegogo facilitate
breakthroughs of technical innovations
such as the smart watch Pebble and the
VR-goggle Oculus Rift.
On the contrary, if things go bad, not the
product, but only the account of the

fraudster is financed. One of the many

attempts to get money from trusting
supporters with false promises was the
project Kobe Red. The alleged dried meat
product made from Japanese deluxe beef
was however ended by Kickstarter before
the cheats could get away with over
120,000 US-dollars. This however, was

possible only because the financing period

had still not elapsed.
If a project is already successfully
financed, Kickstarter will not return any
money. If the initiator does not deliver, the
supporters are completely on their own.
Over 1,000 supporters of the video game
Mansion Lord, whose developer absconded
with 30,000 USD have experienced this
exact same problem.
Apart from frauds, successfully
financed projects also often collapse
because the suppliers back out or the
initiators are overstrained. Until now, one
could retrieve the invested money through
Paypal-buyer protection. However, this has
now ended partially: the payment agents
are withdrawing the buyer protection for
crowd-funding from 25 June in USA, Canada,
Brazil and Japan.
It is recommended that backers take a
close look before investing in crowd funding
projects. Read the guide below for things to
watch out.

GUIDE

Four tips against crowd funding fraud

Investing in crowd funding projects is always risky. To minimize it, one must be well-informed before clicking on Support. We give four tips for
safe crowd funding.
>How reliable is the project?
A project on Kickstarter sounds too good to be
true? Then alarm bells should start ringing.
Before you invest in a new super gadget, you
must research the technical background
(Wikipedia is a good place to start).
Furthermore, be very careful about what you
see in campaign-videos: Is there a prototype
already? Or is the company showing just a
dummy or no product at all? Then it is better to
stay away.
>Who are the initiators?
Also verify the initiators in addition to the
product presented. Have they already worked
on a similar project prior to this or completed a
corresponding course of study? If there is a

company behind a project, it should not have

been founded just before the start of the
crowd funding campaign. Serious developers
need a certain amount of lead time before
building a prototype.
>Is the project heavily over financed?
It is good to be careful if the project sees too
much success as well: developers, who initially
wanted to deliver only several hundred copies
of their new product, but suddenly need to
produce more than a thousand pieces, most
often do not have sufficient production
capacity for it. Also, they often lack appropriate
business partners and the experience for mass
production.
If a project has already met more than its

required financing goals, you should be careful.

>What do other backerss say?
Check the comments column of the project for
justified doubts of other supporters before
investing yourself. Questionable Kickstarter
projects have also been accumulated on the
site kickscammed.com (see below).

tech spelunk

HP Spectre
These days, we see plenty of people who work without an office, or bring their work with them on the
go. A thin and light laptop is something they all love to have, but it also has to perform well and look
great too. The options that cater to this demand are out there, with one of the latest being a sexy
entry from HP the HP Spectre
By CHIP Team

Marvellously Slim Design

One of the biggest highlights of this laptop is how thin it is. At
10.4mm in thickness and weighing in at 1.1kg, the HP Spectre
is one of the most portable notebook PC available today. With
these dimensions, it can be slipped into a messenger bag and
not feel like its even there.

Wheres My Bling!?
For those who like to work while the lights are out and their
spouse is sleeping, the Spectre caters to that too. With its
backlit keyboard and trackpad, using the machine in the dark
isnt that much of a problem.

A Multi-sensory Experience
A full HD IPS display is employed for the Spectres 13-inch
screen to deliver crisp pictures and extra wide viewing
angles. This, coupled with HPs dual speaker system with
audio that is custom-tuned by the audio professionals from
Bang & Olufsen, promises to create a sensory experience like
never before.

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tech spelunk
Robust Build
When something is so slim and light, build quality becomes a concern. But fortunately, thats not an issue with the Spectre. HP went
with CNC-milled aluminium and carbon fibre to build this model, ensuring that its tough enough to withstand the rigours of constantly
moving with its user.

Cooling To Match Its Performance

A laptop PC in this category usually run on a Core M processor,
but HP has outfitted the Spectre with one from the Core i5/i7
family. It also has 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a 256 or 512GB M.2
SSD inside, which should deliver decent levels of performance.
In addition, HP came up with a hyperbaric cooling system to
ensure that it stays as cool as it can.

Battery Juggernaut
According to HP, the Spectres battery can power up to nine
hours worth of active use on a full-charge. Its using a hybrid
battery system consisting of four battery cells, as opposed to a
single large battery cell, which helped HP create a laptop with
such dimensions.

chip malaysia

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047

feature

Technilexicon 802.11ad
The new WiFi standard 802.11ad extends current specifications instead of replacing them. It adds
very high speed at close distance and with visual contact
By Christoph Schmidt

60 GHz: Great
speed but.

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clients can apply for fixed time periods for

the router (they are service periods shown
in the image Flow of data transfer) where
data is transferred by considering the
overhead without further negotiations.

ad-WiFi in practice
Due to the short range, a router with
802.11ad has benefits only when it is in the
same room as the client. On the client side,
the Snapdragon 820 from Qualcomm is the
first smartphone SOC with ad-WiFi support.
Apart from the traditional WiFi in the
vicinity, the high bandwidth predestines for
point-to-point connections to transfer the
cellphone display to the TV. This becomes
possible as the transfer of cable signals like
HDMI is planned in ad-standard. Even the
wireless connection from USB devices can
be conceived especially the small
antennae can be installed in many devices
at less cost. Thus, the notebook could use
two monitors, three USB-3 ports and audio
devices wirelessly.

Hyper-WiFi in outdoor use

Although it initially appears preposterous,
research is being done on the application of
the 60 GHz WLAN in open areas in cities.
Many transmitting stations are required for
this purpose due to the short wavelength
but these stations are relatively small and
inexpensive. For example, in this manner,
Facebook is providing a fast 1 GB/s WiFi on
its campus in Menlo park as a pilot project
meaning the 60-GHz bandwidth can also
be a faster alternative to LTE.

PHotos: Hersteller

must be restricted to legally permitted,

iFi exists in most households
licence-free and a few frequency bands
today. That said, current
that are still free which, in this case, is the
technology often reaches its
60 Gigahertz band. As disturbances through
limits as the data throughput is quite high
other 60-GHz net- works can be hardly
for something like HD video streaming and
envisaged due to strong signal damping,
big downloads.
the engineers of the standard Wireless
The new 802.11ad standard aims blow
Gigabit Alliance have divided the band into
away these limits. While the established
a few but broad radio channels these are
specifications 802.11n and 802.11ac use
the subranges on which the transmitters
frequency ranges of 2.4 or 5 Gigahertz,
and receivers must unite.
ad-devices work in 60 GHz band. The
The short wavelength of the ad-signals
bandwidth usable there is huge, also there
is suitable for very small antennae. Many of
are no other radio technologies which could
these can fit in to a mobile device. The new
cause disturbance; thus data rates of 5 to 6
standard uses such antennae arrays for
GB/s are actually possible in reality.
improved beam forming. The radio radiation
But there is a downside: The highis oriented specifically
frequency radio waves are
for the destination
damped by the air but
device through
physical obstacles do not
modulation of the
block the signal. Therefore,
radio waves. Thus,
radio connections between
.less range as air and obstacles
block the signal heavily or
connections stronger
satellites in the vacuum of
completely
than 2.4 or 5 GHz can
outer space use this
be established only
frequency range. In the
one out of these works with a cellphone, in
home network, this technology works for
each case, owning to its size. Also, ad
only a few metres and by line of vision
reserves a time window for the
which is why they are offered in specifically
optimisation of the beam forming in every
advertised routers. End devices switch
radio interval (0.1 to 1 second). This
seamlessly from Hyper-WiFi to the slower
guarantees a consistently good connection,
standards if they go out of the ad-range.
even when the devices are moving.
WiFi Turbo with specific boost
ad-WiFi offers not only more bandwidth
Technically, the multiband capability is
theoretically but also uses them better
implemented such that a control link is
than n or ac in reality. They come into
maintained in the 2.4 or 5 GHz band and
practice due to protocol overheads, at
the Data Turbo in the 60 GHz band is
maximum 50% of the nominal data rate. The
engaged only if it is available.
new standard should achieve up to 90%
Like other radio standards, ad-WiFi
through more efficient data transfer. ad-

feature
The first 802.11ad devices

Apart from the conventional radio technology, the TP Link Talon

AD7200 1 has an additional chip and corresponding antennae for
the 60-GHz band. Dell Latitude 6430u 2 uses WIGIg-radio
technology for wireless and fast connection of a docking station
with display and USB-3 ports

Frequencies and bandwidths

In contrast to the currently used
radio frequencies 2.4 and 5
Gigahertz, the wavelength 1 of
the 60-GHz band from ad-WLAN
is only half a centimetre. This high
frequency is particularly absorbed
strongly by atmospheric oxygen.

This reduces the range but also

reduces the interferences which
allows three very broad radio
channels with 2.1 GHz 2 and a
high transfer rate.
60 GHz
0.49 cm

2.4 GHz
12.3 cm

5 GHz
5.51 cm

60 GHz

0 2.4 GHz 5 GHz

59.4

5.155.275
2.42.485

57.24

58.32

59.4

Channel 1 (not EU)

61.56

60.48

Channel 2

62.64

63.72

65.88
65.88

64.8

Channel 3

Channel 4

Signal section (appr. 0.1-1s)

Signal management phase

Alarm signal

Data transfer

AT
(Announcement
time)
Meta & service
data

CBP 1
(Contention-based
period)

SP 1
(Service period)

Negotiable
transfer

Defined transfer
window

SP 2

CBP 2

SP 3

Flow of data transfer

The regularly transferred Beaconsignals shape the data flow.
Useful data is transferred to the CBPs and SPs where the
latter permit particularly efficient transfers through defined
time windows.

Sector-level
search

QUELLE: JRG RECH, WIRELESS LANS

BT
(Beacon time)

A-BFT
(Association
beamforming
training)
Fine tuning of
beam forming

Transmitter

Transmitter

Recipient

In every time window

for the beam forming
fine tuning,
transmitters and
receivers determine the
direction of the partner
1 and strengthen the
signal precisely in that
direction 2

802.11n

802.11ac

Frequency band

2.4 GHz*

5 GHz

60 GHz

Available bandwidth

0.085 GHz

0.455 GHz

6,48 GHz

Channel width

2040 MHz

20160 MHz

2.16 GHz

Nominal data rate

1.0 MBit/s

2.166 MBit/s

6.8 GBit/s

Optimal practical
data rate

~ 200 MBit/s

~ 400 MBit/s

56 GBit/s

One-family
home

Apartment/
Floor

1 room

Typical range

802.11ad

Differences between 802.11 n and ac

The more efficient data transfer by 802.11ad is seen in the
fact that the practical data rate comes close to the nominal
value as compared to n and ac.
chip malaysia

august 16

049

* (5 GHz mglich, aber selten)

Recipient
Beam-forming
fine tuning

Beam-forming
Training
Phase

feature

UHD monitors are constantly becoming cheaper. Does this

mean that one can buy it for every work desk? Having such large
displays with big resolutions doesnt come without its own set
of problems
By Sepp Reitberger

igher resolution is always better.

Back when LCD displays first came
out, it was a breath of fresh air as it
meant not only that monitors no longer take
up too much space, but the colours were also
a lot more vibrant. When widescreen
displays became a thing, it also meant
making multitasking a much simpler effort. I

050

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chip malaysia

could place the windows of system console,

editor, compiler and mail-program next to
each other on it at the same time what
magnificent comfort! With the flat screens
of the 2000s, I re-experienced this: The first
24-inch with Full-HD resolution finally made
it possible to display Adobe InDesign and
Outlook or Browser next to each other.

Stumbling Blocks
Before talking about the good experiences,
came the bad ones. My computer at the
publishing house is fitted with a GeForce 520
GT which has two dual-link DVI ports for
monitors. In theory, the bandwidth of these
connections is sufficient for the UHD
resolution in 30 Hertz. There are DVI inputs
on the monitor but less as compared to
most other UHD monitors. The simple DVIHDMI adapters which are available for cheap
use only one DVI link. Because of this, the
usable resolution is limited to full-HD.
We must get hold of a new graphics card.
There are no cards with UHD-capable HDMI
2.0 in our IT-equipment. Therefore, I insert a
GeForce GTX 760 with display port in the PC.
Actually I am expecting to install some
drivers and change some settings in

Photos: Juliane Weber (Aufm.); Gigabyte (Grafikk.)

4K For
Workstations

In 2016, it now seems almost compelling

to take the next step: good UHD monitors
with quadrupled Full-HD resolution (3,840 x
2,160 pixels) are available for around 1,000
euros (~4,400 MYR).

feature

UHD Checklist
Operating system
The good UHD support speaks for
Windows 8.1 or 10
Software
The scaling functions in Windows 10
can cause problems for old software.
Use the latest versions.
Graphics card connection
UHD needs HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort
1.2 for full quality.
Cable
The cables must meet the current
HDMI or DisplayPort standards or
there will be image interferences

Windows 7 works only with a magnifying glass

Windows 7 is not prepared for high resolutions as icons
become too small, the operation with two monitors leads
to frustration.

Windows but as soon as I start the system

with the UHD monitor at the output, the
login-window appears unusually small. I see
it in UHD.

UHD With Goggles?

Everything is now small on the screen
The 163 dpi of the monitor not only means
that pictures will have a much finer
resolution than as on a standard screen with
92 dpi, but also that all the elements of the
Windows user interface will be reduced to
smaller than one-third of the size.
During the last eye checkup, the company
doctor had certified a visual capacity of over
hundred percent for me, but the toolbars of
Adobe InDesign and also of Photoshop (in
each case in the CC 2014 version - see
screenshots above) strain my eyes. This is
no longer the correct way to operate.
In the display-settings of Windows 7,
there is a dialog under Make text and other
items larger or smaller with which all the
contents can be expanded up to 150 percent.
This also works - in parts. Start menu, icons
and system dialogs are thus easily usable,
the ribbon menu toolbars of Office 2016,
which I have on my computer, are also
suitable to the UHD conditions. A program
suite ignores the Windows settings for the
display size but as far as possible: the
Creative-Cloud program by Adobe InDesign

Windows 10 is more flexible

The current Windows adjusts every display individually
and forces applications into sensible scaling. The
benefits of the high resolution is now more practical.

and Photoshop of all things, have calculated

their own settings for scaling of the user
interface they however do not change
anything. As I connect the monitor as an
additional display to the mini-display port of
my laptop, I am confronted with two more
problems: Windows 7 cannot go about it
sensibly if 2 displays have very different
pixel densities. The adjustment of the
display for the external monitor means that
the icons appear grotesquely large on the
laptop screen and many system dialogs are
cut. Furthermore, the integrated graphics
card achieves only 30 Hz in my Core i5 in the
UHD resolution. YouTube-Videos with 24
pictures per second judder a lots. Now I am
really frustrated: I cannot really use the UHD
monitor in my work environment. Finally, I
simply set Windows on Full HD and am at
least pleased with the quality of the monitor.

UHD Needs Windows 10

This possibly could not have been all. I finally
connect the UHD monitor to my test PC. That
not only has a powerful graphics card inside,
but above all, also has Windows 10 on it. I
install the latest version of Creative Cloud on
this computer and then see: everything is as
it should be namely without manipulating
the system settings. The system
automatically adjusts to the pixel density on
every screen. This makes work fun: I can see

Graphic cards with DVI support the high resolution

only in theory. UHD needs Display Port or HDMI

The right GPU for UHD

From GeForce 5XX:
UHD 30 Hz on HDMI
From GeForce 7XX:
UHD 60 Hz on DP 1.2

From Radeon HD 5000:

UHD 30 Hz on HDMI
From Radeon HD 6000:
UHD 60 Hz on DP 1.2

From Intel HD gr. 4000:

UHD 30 Hz on HDMI
From Intel HD gr. 5000
UHD 60 Hz on DP 1.2

two notebook pages in original size and

judge without magnification how
screenshots and pictures look. I just need to
convince our in-house IT department for a
quick upgrade to Windows 10.

chip malaysia

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051

Attack On
Android
Has Android become a victim of its own success? Monthly
security patches cannot prevent the rise in the flood of malware
and it is becoming increasingly threatening
By Markus Mandau

e already know from Windows

and many users have also
experienced this: malware lurks
in every nook and corner as soon as you
access the Internet. Is a similar fate
threatening Android? A comparison shows
that the conditions also correspond: just
like Windows on the desktop, Android is by
far the most widely used system on
smartphones and hence, the first target
for malware.
Google responded to this situation last
year and issues monthly security patches,

052

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chip malaysia

just like how Microsoft does for Windows.

They have barely impacted the number of
malware programs. The numbers from an
AV test confirm this. The central German
test lab for anti-virus programs has
recorded about 12 million samples of
malware for Android in its database till
today. January 2016 was the worst month
in that respect with over a million new
samples. Since then, the level has
approximately been maintained.
There is a simple reason as to why the
Google updates cannot stop this trend of

increase in malware: so far, these hackers

used loopholes in Android to infiltrate the
Smartphone only sporadically. Rather, they
rely a lot more on Social Engineering and
tempt the users to install infected apps
themselves. Hence, some experts advise to
forego anti-malware on Android. Instead,
one should act carefully and not install any
app outside the Google Play Store. This
could soon change because malware now
also uses system loopholes. In this case,
caution is not sufficient protection, because
the user is no longer the weak point but the
operating system is. It is then important to
always install the latest security patches.

Split: The
Google PatchDilemma
Stagefright was a big bang. The loophole
prompted Google to release monthly
security patches. The framework of the
same name uses Android for processing of
multimedia files. Experts of the security
startup Zimperium have found a way to

Lead Story: Veronika Zangl (composing); Stock photo/petekarici (Hg.) Google (Smartphone) Photos: Manufacturer (Products)

feature

feature
Android-Patches only for new versions
Google has modernized the security architecture of the kernel with Android 4.4.
Older versions are hence no longer patched; about one-fourth of all the devices
are still affected by this.
0.1 %
Froyo (2.2)

7.5 %
Marshmallow (6.0)

2.2 %
Gingerbread (2.3.32.3.7)
2.0 %
Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.34.0.4)

35.6 %
Lollipop (5.05.1)

20.1 %
Jelly Bean (4.14.3)

Samsung
S III

create a buffer overflow via the Stagefright

framework.
We already know of buffer-overflow
from Windows: with that, malware can
write data in a different area of the main
memory, which is reserved for system
programs if something goes wrong. Thus,
the malware finally gains access to the root
and can do whatever it wants on the
operating system.

Version number as the big

question
The parallels between Android and
Windows stop with the distribution of the
patches. Unlike Microsoft, Google provides
them automatically only for its own Nexus
devices. At the same time, the smartphone
manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, LG
or HTC also receive the patches. They
independently decide which devices they
will still patch. In some cases, the providers
from whom many customers buy their
smartphones, also get involved and publish

Samsung
S4

Current version

4.3

Version

4.4.2

Version

5.0.1

Last Update

02.05.2015

Update

29.01.2016

Update

22.12.2015

Even if Google distributes new patches to the smartphone manufacturers, it does not
mean that older devices will also receive them.

32.5 %
KitKat (4.4)

Available patches
No more patches

Samsung
S4 mini

their own updates. Normally,

manufacturers and providers preferably

routine, Google has eliminated 164

loopholes in all, 70 of which were critical.

attend to new releases and top models.

Patches are installed on the remaining
smartphones if at all necessary and with a
delay. One finds hundreds of possible
constellations in the wild. Researchers of
the University of Berkeley have attempted
to lighten the thicket of versions: In October
2015, their analysis revealed that 87
percent of all devices are not up-to-date.
Old system versions constitute a
significant proportion of the unsafe devices,
because Google provides its monthly
patches only for Android 4.4 and higher.
This is related to the fact that Google built
the Kernel-extension Security Enhanced
Linux (SELinux) subsequently: partly in
version 4.4 and completely from 5.0.
SELinux ensures that every application runs
in a protected environment. If there is a
security problem, then Google patches just
the Android versions with SELinux.
Since the introduction of the patch

For Google it is critical that a privilege

escalation is possible via buffer overflow for
instance. We must check whether the latest
patch is installed on our smartphone in the
system information under AndroidSecurity patch-Level. This cannot be said
as a general statement: there are older
devices with Android 5.0, which are up-todate, and those like Galaxy S4 which has
not seen any patches since months (see
above). This is a problem because
Stagefright is not easily fixed.

Malware attacks system

loopholes
Currently we are at Stagefright 3.0. For this
version, security experts from the Israeli
firm NorthBit have, for the first time
provided a proof of concept, a guide about
how malware can make use of the
loopholes: The user surfs a website in which
an infected video is integrated. It starts

Monthly security patches: almost 170 Android loopholes eliminated

Since August 2015, Google is releasing monthly security patches. Until now, 70 critical loopholes have
been eliminated, which would have facilitated a privilege escalation for the malware.

total

critical

high

moderate

low

2015
August

21

September

October

29

20

November

December

16

10

2016
January

12

February

13

March
April

19
39

7
15

10
16

2
8

0
0

Total

164

70

63

28

In Settings, one can verify,

when the last patch was
installed

feature

Malware is increasingly targeting Android

The number of malware families, which use their own attacking methods in each
case, is important for the security situation. According to the security report by
Symantec, the number has greatly increased in the last year.

automatically and ensures that the player on

the smartphone crashes.
As soon as the user tries to play back the
video, the malware enters the system with
increased rights. The guide explains in detail,
how one can leverage Androids memory
protection ASLR (AddressSpace
Layout Randomization) for a targeted
buffer overflow. Google eliminated the
loophole with a patch released in April.

1,000
4,350

7,612

9,839

13,783

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

SOURCE: SYMANTEC

567

The ransomware
Dogspectus poses as
cyber police and
blocks older devices
that are no longer
patched

Malware
Versus Virus
Scanner
For older devices with OS versions of
Android 4.3 and older, active malware with
root access is already on its way: at the end
of April, the security specialists from Blue
Coat discovered a new ransomware that
took advantage of a system loophole for the
first time. Dogspectus is loaded as Drive-byDownload over an infected advertising
banner. The malware stops running apps,
prevents the start of anti-malware
applications and ensures that it is activated
first during a system restart. Fortunately,
the ransomware does not encrypt any files,
but only blocks the device and unblocks it
again for a fee of 100 USD. The experts could
connect the infected smartphone to a PC
and download all data. From there, the unit
could be reset to the default factory settings,
which cleans the system of the malware. If
Dogspectus had also encrypted the data, it

august 16

Protection from simple

ransomware
The process superficially seems just as is
the case with Dogspectus, but this is
misleading. Unlike malware with root access,
antivirus apps seem very well-equipped
against them. In March, AV-Test had

The protection programs do this

Protection apps
monitor web
surfing using the
Accessibility
Service in Android,
which is actually
intended for
visually impaired
people.

054

would have been lost just as is the case in

Windows with ransomware.
Luckily, the majority of Android malware
is still not going the complicated way for
security loopholes. According to Andreas
Marx, director of AV-Test, most of the
installations are done via thoughtless
interaction within the scope of social
engineering: the users mostly search for
things which are not available in Android by
default, such as Flash Player, Erotic apps or
updates for the banking apps.

Just like Dogspectus, the ransomware

Lite also attempts to lock the device, but
finds it more difficult because it has to
manage without root access. In a non-rooted
Android, the user cannot miss this even with
a thoughtless click.
But it may give an app rights, like Device
administrator. If this happens, the malware
can prevent itself from being disabled from
the system. If the user tries to do just that,
he is simply presented with the lock screen
and will be locked out from his own device.

The anti-virus experts from AV-test have reviewed how well Android protection programs recognise
malicious apps. The known sector names are not doing badly.
Known Virus Scanner

chip malaysia

Real-time detection of all new android

malware

Detection of android malware from last 4

weeks

Avast Mobile Security 5.0

99.9 %

99.9 %

AVG AntiVirus Free 5.1

99.3 %

99.8 %

Avira Antivirus Security 4.3

98.9 %

100 %

Bitdefender Mobile Security 3.2

100 %

100 %

ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus 3.2

99.9 %

99.9 %

G Data Internet Security 25.10

99.8 %

100 %

Kaspersky Lab Internet Security 11.10

99.8 %

100 %

McAfee Mobile Security 4.6

99.3 %

99.8 %

Norton Mobile Security 3.13

99.9 %

100 %

Sophos Mobile Security 6.0

100 %

100 %

Trend Micro Mobile Security 7.0

99.8 %

100 %

feature

For apps that are

installed via
sideloading, antivirus
software is imperative

systematically investigated the efficiency of

Android protection apps. If you take a look at
the results of the names known from the
Windows (see below), they often reach a
recognition rate between 99 and 100 percent
for all the latest malware.
If the malware is around for a month,
then the antivirus apps can almost always
catch them.
The protection programs also register
with increased rights in Android. They can be
found in the system settings under Device
administrators and also in Operating
Assistance. Here, Android has provided
functions, among other things, which
facilitate the operation of the device for
people with restricted vision, such as the
test display with high contrast or the voice
output of texts. Apps which use this system
interface may monitor activities on the
smartphone and intervene if needed.
Antivirus software uses Androids
Accessibility Service for monitoring browsers
or for child safety. Because of the extended
rights of this service, the scanners can strike
if the users surf websites with malicious
code.

Last countermeasure: start Android in Safe mode

loophole. Some anti-virus apps have

integrated a rooting detection, but this does
not mean automatic protection, says Marx:
Here, the user must naturally still decide
whether the action has been carried out by
him or whether it is a malware attack.
If it concerns apps, the antivirus software
will notice the installation in each case. If the
web filter strikes in the browser, Marx at
least seems to be confident that the attack
can be preventively blocked using this.

Androids China syndrome

Social engineering will continue to play an
important role whatever the future of
Android brings. Google faces a similar
dilemma just like the Android patches. Its
Play Store is blocked in China. The Chinese
need to switch to alternate shops or make
do with sideloading of apps, i.e. get APK files
from the net and install them with a double
click. This means that they must permit the
Installation of apps from other sources in
the Android settings and thus, deactivate an
important security feature of the system.
Whether it is sideloading or China-shop,

both are missing the app check implemented

in the Play Store. The consequences of this
are indicated in the numbers laid out by
Googles security report for 2015: Without
Play Store, the probability of a malware
attack increases tenfold, whereas a
dangerous app is delivered only in 0.15
percent of all the cases.
If the device is infiltrated once, the user
has no protection options. Sometimes the
Safe mode offers one solution, which
functions similar to that in Windows: with a
long click on the Switch off button, you can
prompt a restart, where Android boots up
only with Googles own apps.
Older malware which has not claimed any
rights as Device administrator can still be
removed this way. In case it still possesses
these rights, one can at least access ones
data from outside and make it safe provided it has not already been encrypted
by any ransomware. Marx recommends
Android users to regularly back up data
ideally on a PC and not only on the Cloud.
One does this in exactly the same way in
Windows.

Dead heat for system access

Currently, we have somewhat of a strange
situation in Android, that malware and antimalware are competing for extended rights
in the operating system. Finally, assesses
Marx, antivirus scanners are allowed to do
all that malware can. This poses the
question as to how well-equipped are the
protection programs against malware, which
aims to gain root access via a safety

Sideloading of apps can

be easily prevented via
the system settings

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Digitising Physical
Content
Get your super-8 videos from the storage, slide boxes from your basement and music cassettes
from your garage and bring old analogue treasures into the digital age with our guide

igital photos, music and videos

occupy the most space on average
hard drives, SSDs and NAS systems
today. Photos, music and videos existed
long before computers in every house.
Years ago, it was all analog but most of us
have all but left that era. Photo albums,
negatives, slides, vinyl records, music
cassettes, VHS and Super 8 videos mostly
gather dust in the basement and these
treasures are discovered only when packing
to moving or during spring cleaning. In this

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guide, we will show you how to preserve

such memories as well as important
documents.

Digitising
Photos

Photos are the usual path of entry into the

world of digitisation. Since capturing huge
collections takes up a lot of time, you
should inspect the collection and sort out

shaken, blurred or unwanted photos. Clean

the photos before digitising using a slightly
moist microfibre cloth. Open photo cartons
with a thick layer of dust can be cleaned
using compressed air which will remove the
rough dirt and then use a dusting brush.

Scanning is the best option

The best results of digitisation of photos
can be achieved using a scanner. You do
not need any special equipment, the
scanners on multi-function printers are

Fotos: Juliane Weber (Aufm.); Hewlett Packard (Drucker);

Fujitsu (Scanner); Sony (Plattensp.); Hersteller (Produkte)

By Jrg Geiger

feature

The scanning software

integrated in Windows
cannot do more. Using
a proper scanning
software is better

Paper photography can be

digitised easily using a scanner,
or a multifunction printer

enough for the same. Important: Clean the

glass surface of the scanner! The minimum
resolution for a photo is 300 dpi. In reality,
scans up to 600 dpi are a good compromise
between quality, the scanning time needed
and storage space. If you are planning for
large-format prints, then you can use the
maximum resolution of the scanner for
individual photos. Save the images as lossfree TIFFs if you want to edit them later.
JPGs or PNGs are good if you want to just
view the photos or post them on social
networks. The colour depth is at 24 Bit by
default (8 Bit for every colour channel) but
many scanners also support 48 Bit. This
does sound good but actually has no
relevance for the display or print.
If you are planning some extensive
editing, then you should use the 48 Bit
version if the image editing program is
compatible with it. Photoshop, obviously,
works well but not Photoshop Elements.
The scanning program installed in
Windows or OS X can be used but with
restrictions as it is not so simple to use. If
you do not wish to shell out money for
special scanning software, then you can use
software that came with the scanner or
printer. For example, you can scan several
photos in a jiffy and the scanning software
will then identify the various photos,
automatically separate them, realign them
and save the results as separate files.
Scanned photos can be archived easily and
quickly on the PC. If needed, you can edit the
photos using a software like Paint.NET.

Using
Photoshop or
Lightroom,
you can
retouch
digitized
photos

Not everyone has a scanner with him/her

and only some photos need to be digitised.
This can be solved by taking photos of the
paper photos. You can obviously use an SLR
camera and an expensive tripod to build a
perfect digitisation station but that is not
needed for now. If you visit your aunt once a
year, then you can quickly take her photos
using your smartphone. Free apps like
Heirloom will help you in this matter. You
just need to capture all four corners of the
photo using the app and the rest happens
automatically like correcting the photo
orientation. You can also select the sections
and share photos.
If you do not have time or the mood or
equipment to scan by yourself, then go to a
photo scanning service which quite a
number of photo and camera stores in and
around Klang Valley have.

The digitisation of paper photos

can be done using a
smartphone app

dpi. For a manageable number of slides, the

so-called duplication attachments for
digicams a reasonable alternative if the
remaining camera equipment is already
available. Third option are the special slide
and negative scanners which are also
available under 100 Euro (RM500).
Huge collections can include several
thousand slides and scanning all of them

Slides and Negatives

In order to digitise slides and negatives, you
need to use a scanner with a transparency
unit which creates at least 2800 dpi. If you
want larger prints, then it may also be 4800

TIFF is a logical setting for editing photo scans. Not

all tools can work with 48 Bit colour depth

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feature
may take months. If you do not want to
spend so much time with old photos, then
either use a professional service or get a
slide scanner which moves slides one after
another like a projector. Such a device is the
DigitDia 6000 from Reflecta. Do not be fooled
by the nominal 5000 dpi resolution, the
quality of the digitised photos is sufficient
for large A5 prints and screen displays. The
price of 1,500 Euro (MYR 7,500) may be scary
but the device offered is cheaper to use and
after digitising your own collection you can
sell the Reflecta Scanner at a good price on
sites like eBay.

CanoScan 9000F Mark II scans

slides and negatives at 4,800 dpi

With Nikon ES-1, you get a slide

copier set for lenses under 100
Euro (MYR500)

Digitising
Videos

Personal videos are unique, in which can be

easily digitised if the suitable playback
device can be found. For example, a VHS
video recorder. When it comes to digitising,
modern video recorders have some
advantages as compared to the older ones
as they frequently reduce noise or adjust the
brightness automatically.
The procurement of a special device with
a built-in DVD or hard disk recorder is
actually a good solution but expensive. It is
worthwhile only for businesses as prices of
good devices can go into several hundreds of
Euro but their prices remain stable and
they have a good resale value. A Video
Grabber acts as a bridge between a normal
video recorder and the PC. This analogue to
digital converter docks to the recorder via
the composite or S-Video connection and
can be connected via USB to the computer.
There are more expensive solutions with
integrated hardware encoders that work
faster. You can leave the encoding to a

Video Grabbers connect

recorder and PC and also have
tools for digital conversion

software which comes along with the cheap

grabber for about 20 Euro (MYR100).
For example, the LogiLink Video Grabber
has a version of Ulead Video Studio SE in the
pack. VHS movies can then be saved as
MPEG1, 2 or 4 or as DivX on the hard drive.

Editing Is Necessary
While digitising videos, if you cannot get
around with the editing, the software of the
converter cannot be relied on. Instead, you
can work with powerful freeware tools like
VirtualDub. Either try the Capture module

Once videos are digitised,

the various devices are no
longer used; a free tool like
HandBrake accomplished
format conversions

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For extensive slide collections, a

slide scanner like DigitDia 6000
from Reflecta is recommended

from VirtualDub to directly digitise videos or

you can convert the MPEG videos into AVI
with AviSynth. The reason for the shift:
VirtualDub can work only with AVI. You can
obviously pick from a plethora of videos on
the hard disk and for example, play the
previous analogue collections on a tablet or
smartphone. The freeware tools like
HandBrake make the necessary format
conversions in just a few clicks.

Scanning reel movies is tedious

If you want to digitise reel movies then you
will need a projector so that you can record
the movie being played on the screen which
is the easiest way to do it. If none of your
friends have one, then you can look for one
on eBay or Mudah. Variably adjustable
playback speed is an important feature as
you can then increase the 18 images per
second to 25. Alternatively, instead of a
canvas screen, you can use deflections.
Ideally, recording is done with a HD
camcorder or HD video function of a latest
digicam. A tripod is not necessary.
Important: The digicam should record the
projected film from edge to edge; focus must

feature
Filming of reeling
films is tedious,
sadly the result
is mostly poor

Many service
providers
digitalise movies,
the price
difference is
quite
considerable

Automatic text
recognition
In the scanning
software, select the
OCR profile 1 , set
the format to PDF

be manual.

Movie scanner or service

provider
Like for slides, there is an interesting
solution from Reflecta for Super 8-reels. The
Super-8-Scanner looks like a projector but
instead of optics, it has a scanning unit
which records the film in individual images
with 1140 x 837 pixels. The images are then
merged using a tool of your choice (for
example, the free Avidemux). The image
sharpness of the Reflecta scanner is clearly
better than the recording but the dynamics
of Super 8 overburden the device. Therefore,
for optimal quality, you have to individually
set the brightness for every scene. The
scanning takes up 40 times more time than
the duration of the film. Thus, a larger
collection will keep you busy for weeks or
even months. The price of the Super-8Scanner (appr. 1000 Euro) can be expansive,
but can fetch a good resale price after its
work is done.
Service providers, in case of films, are
worth a look as they have professional
equipment and save you the time and effort.
The pricing is per piece for VHS cassettes
and there are good offers under 10 Euro
(MYR50).

Digitise
Documents
Quickly
Insurance policies or bills ensure a well-piled
writing desk and many metres of files and
folders. That is why you need to digitise
these documents.

More efficient than

multifunction
devices, real
document scanners
digitise even larger
paper volumes

keywords. If a scanner is not available or if

you have to quickly digitalise a document
while travelling, then there are free apps like
Microsoft Office Lens.

Scanning is the first choice

The scanning unit of a usual multi-function
device is generally sufficient for documents.
A special document scanner is
recommended only when you have to
digitise an extensive inventory or deal with
large amounts of paper. The simple scanning
with on-board resources from Windows and
OS-X is recommended when your PC is wellmaintained. If you scan a receipt as an
image, then name it carefully and store it in
a way so that it is easy to find.
Scanning with Optical Character
Recognition (OCR) is best suitable for digital
documents.
The OCR extra from the scanner
manufacturer is sufficient for home use.
Select PDF as the format to save the files
and select English as the OCR language in
the settings. You will then find the
digitalised document when you search using

When you are in a hurry, you can scan

even with the help of an app

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2a

2b

1a

Recording
Music
Vinyl records are experiencing their second
spring. Fans swear on the special sound and
their durability surpasses every music CD. As
the use does make its mark on the discs and
you want to enjoy your favourite music
everywhere, digitalisation is also an option
for record owners. The situation is
somewhat different for music cassettes.
Speaking of quality, they are on the off-side
and the jaws of time keep gnawing on the
tapes. In this case, you should digitise them
as soon as possible, and a software that can
help you out with this is one called Magix
Audio & Music Lab. In this tutorial, we will
show you how to digitalise audop using the
Magix software.

Finding the connection

Vinyl records and music cassettes can be

3a

digitalised in real time but it takes longer

than ripping a CD. You have to connect a
tape deck or a record player to the PC on
which Magix software is running and then
just play the music. Coupling the two
depends on the hardware used. The classic
method is via the Clinch outputs (Line-out,
Aux-out) of the stereo system to the line
input of the sound card. Mostly the stereo
jack sockets are there and you need an
adapter from Cinch for 3.5 mm jack which
costs only a few Ringgit. It becomes
complicated when your stereo system does
not have any Phono input for the record
player. Then you have to introduce a preamp here. If you are keen on good sound
quality then you have to pay a bit more. An
alternative: Recently, new record players
with integrated digitalisation units have
entered the market that send an audio
stream to the PC via USB.
Such a model is the Sony PS-HX500. The
belt-driven turntable is a solid product and

3b

its sound measured against the price (appr.

500 Euro (MYR 2,500) itself is decent with
the accompanying pick-up; if you are an
audiophile, then you will also like the option
to save the audio stream in high resolution
(up to 192 kHz sampling rate and up to 24
Bit resolution). Unfortunately, the software
provided by Sony is disappointing as it is
suitable only for recording. It is better to go
back to our Magix tool for the further
processing of the WAV files.

Importing music

Open Magix software. The program has

many functions but it is clearly structured.
On top, you will see the latest audio material
along with control knobs. The lower area of
the windows is responsible for the import.
You have to select Import (2a) on the left
here. On the right next to it, you will see a
few tabs out of which Vinyl Record and
Cassette are important for digitisation.
Even if the different areas look the same at
first, it is important to select the appropriate
tab. The automatic song recognition has
been specially optimised for the source used.
Play an LP or a cassette loud passages are
best for adjusting the levels. The Recording
level should be in the safe (2b) zone.

feature
4a

4b

5a

4c

If the level enters the Too loud zone,

then there may be distortions and if it enters
the Too low zone, then the recording may
fade away. You can adjust the level using the
level slider on the left. Once this is done, the
green controller in the middle with the Pause
symbol is next. It is responsible for track
recognition. Play a music piece till the end
and observe whether the level falls under
the green controller. If not, then you will
need to re-adjust the level. But no worries:
You can separate the tracks manually
afterwards, you will have to do that anyway
in case of merging pieces.
Before you start recording, click on
Settings and fine tune. For example, set
the recording format to MP3 or FLAC and
also set the resolution and sampling rate.
The setting Automatic track recognition is
important.

Removing noise

The supreme discipline in digitalisation of

music is the Cleaning i.e. the removal of
noise such as the humming of the power
adapter or the crackles and pops of discs.
There are many methods in the Magix
software which you can use or combine to

remove this noise. With Auto-Cleaning (3a),

the software analyses the recording and
makes cleaning suggestions. You can
compare the original and the result. If you
are not satisfied, you can choose a suitable
preset from the menu Vinyl Records (3b).
Classify the recording like Good state for
slight background crackles. You will hear the
effect in real time. Apart from the automatic
processes, you can also re-adjust every
effect module yourself. Clicking on the
gearwheel icon will reveal more options. The
last settings will be automatically retained
upon exiting the module.

Improving sound

After the noise is eliminated, you can

specifically improve or change your recording
in the Mastering area. You can also try
out effects in mastering during playback.
You can also jazz up your recordings using
specific styles via Auto-Mastering (4a).
With just one mouse click, you can listen to
the results, bit Disco sound from the 70s, Bar
Jazz or Classical music. Clicking on
Original will take it back to the initial
status. More modules specifically optimise
the sound or dynamics. General tips are

difficult; you can play with the settings of

the module but do not exaggerate the
effects. The options Dynamics (4b),
Brilliance Enhancer (4c) and Stereo
Enhancer are worth trying.

Digital Finish

Finally, clicking on Tracks will give you an

overview of the track selections. Check
whether all music pieces have been really
identified. You can get the title information
for albums via freedb via an online query.
The ID3 Editor (5a) allows more additions.
When everything is done, you can save as
audio files, burn them or even share the
recordings online via Export (5b).

5b

feature

Unknown and unused

When asked if they know about
Smartphone-payment via NFC, users reply
as follows:
49 %
Yes, but I do not
use it

Source: statista.com/eResult

7%
I know and use
it

Is NFC
Faltering?
Near Field Communication should make things a lot easier and
also turn the smartphone into a money purse. That said, the
technology isnt without its own faults and shortcomings
By Benjamin Hartlmaier

t has been praised by the industry for

years. The attractive new mobile payment
world, in which plastic cards and wallets
are a thing of the past. The smartphone
would take over its function from now on.
The key technology for the digital wallets
is called Near Field Communication, NFC. This
allows transmission of data over short
distances of up to four centimeters without
contact. But ten years after its launch, NFC
has yet to live up to its full potential.
Behind the scenes, there is currently a lot
of movement around NFC. Is its

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breakthrough around the corner? Or has the

technology already failed?
A striking example of the status quo of
the payment by NFC in the Smartphone, is
the NFC City Berlin initiative, which ended
in April: providers such as Telekom, Vodafone
and O2, together with different partners such
as Obi and Rewe, had attempted for a year to
establish the smartphone as a wallet in the
capital. But in the end, even the leader of the
initiative had to state that the transactions
during the project term were still low-key
overall. In other words: despite major

marketing and investment efforts about

1000 stores were fitted with NFC-terminals
almost nobody wanted to pay with a
smartphone. This impression is reinforced
with the fact that upon asking, the
initiators are not willing to give us any
concrete numbers for the NFC payment
transactions.

A Near-Field Hurdle
One cannot really blame the users because
in practice, the hurdles for mobile payment
via NFC are high. It is not enough to own a
NFC-compatible smartphone. One who
wants to use the payment systems of
Vodafone and Base must change the
previous SIM card against a special NFC
SIM, on which payment information is
saved, in addition to the NFC hardware in
the Smartphone. If NFC is not installed in
the device, then one must stick a NFCsticker on the rear cover. Since the stickers
also work without a mobile device, they can
be stuck to any object.
The mobile payment solution by O2
considers the principle, NFC in
Smartphone as completely absurd: m-pass
works exclusively with stickers if you use

Photos i. UZS v. li. O.: iStockphoto/pixdeluxe; Giro Go; Payback; dpa/Picture Alliance/Emanueal Bloedt;iStockphoto/Julia Albul(2)

44 %
No

feature
Girogo, Visa Paywave and MasterCard Paypass
indeed rely on NFC, however not on the
Smartphone: The chip is present in the debit or
credit card

With the Payback app, one can soon pay in the

dm drug stores and Real markets however via
QR code and not NFC

The NFC-based ticket system Touch &

Travel of the German railway will be
discontinued at the end of 2016. The
reason: the service has few users

one, you must deactivate the NFC hardware

in the smartphone, so that the payment is
smooth.
Owners of an NFC-compatible iPhone,
who want to pay using it, must also rely on
stickers in this country. This is because
Apple has reserved the NFC-hardware
exclusively for the in-house service Apple
Pay, which is offered only in the USA and
Great Britain until now. Whether and when
Apple Pay will come to other countries is
anybodys guess.
Samsung meanwhile offers its cashless

payment service, Samsung Pay in Europe,

besides Great Britain and Spain. Its
introduction in other European countries
has been planned for the second half of
2016. In South East Asia, only Singapore is
slated to gain access to this service.

Payback Gains Ground Over NFC

Another setback for NFC in Europe is the
new Payback app. With it, one can now pay
via mobile devices in dm drug stores and
from July onwards at Real. However,
payment is made not with NFC, but via QR

code. The dealers rejected the NFC option,

said a Payback speaker upon being asked.
As if it were not bad enough news for the
NFC, it has now gotten out that the railway
will set up its service Touch & Travel by the
end of 2016. The mobile ticket system in
which tickets can be purchased via NFC
terminals at the platforms has only 100,000
users too few for the railway.
The trend shows: unless there is a
miracle, NFC in the smartphone as everyday
technology has for the time being failed us.

Niche applications for NFC

As a wireless transmission technology, NFC has not penetrated far into the daily lives of smartphone users yet, like Bluetooth or WiFi. In special
application cases, Near Field Communication can however offer a lot of advantages. We are presenting three scenarios in which NFC is used.

Data transfer

Automate Smartphone

Connect devices

If WiFi Direct, Bluetooth or WhatsApp are

not available, contacts, websites or media
can also be sent via Android Beam directly
from device to device.

Apps like Trigger can program NFC-tags

such that a Smartphone carries out a
specific action, as soon as it is placed on it.
It then goes to mute, for example.

Devices like headphones and Smartphone

connect quickly via NFC and without
entering pin codes. The music is then
transmitted over other mediums like
Bluetooth.

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feature

1994
One browser for all
With Mosaic Netscape, the first
web browser is available to the
mass market

1991
WWW starts
The first website is publically
accessible

1980

1990

http://info.cern.ch

CHIP TIMELINE
The World Wide Web
Turns 25
Today, the World Wide Web comprises of more than a billion websites. It all started 25
years ago with a proposal to improve the information flow at CERN By Christoph Schmidt

n 1989, the European Organisation for

Nuclear Research (CERN) commissioned its
Large Electron-Positron Collider LEP for
researching into particle physics. The world
was going to be revolutionalised by a byproduct: the World Wide Web. CERN

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employee Tim Berners-Lee actually only

wanted to improve the information transfer
within the research organisation. An
Internet with connected computers, mails,
FTP and Usenet were all already available.
Berners-Lee specified the programming

language HTML, which allows formatting and

mainly links to other documents in the text
documents. Moreover, he developed the first
web-server and browser to offer HTML
documents and make them legible. On 6
August 1991, he presented his project in a

PHOTOS AND SCREENSHOTS: CERN (HG, 1991); PROVIDER (4)

was the first Internet address

of the world. It is accessible
even today

feature

2005
Web becomes interactive
YouTube is the first video portal
and pioneer for Web 2.0 as well
as social media

2000

2010

1997

2016

Breakthrough with a search

engine

Multimedia in the network

A majority of the traffic creates
videos from streaming services

Google revolutionizes the web

search and starts its triumphal
march

news group and facilitated public access to

the first website http://info.cern.ch. Today
you can see that the site is being
reconstructed. The project comparison
between this simple and now extremely fast
text page with a current website shows the
rapid development at a glance.
Berners-Lee first used the name
''WorldWideWeb for the browser he
developed. The progress with the browsers
together with the development of the HTML
specification made more and more featurerich websites possible, which became
increasingly interesting for the providers
and those searching for information and

services: Soon after, Netscape Navigator

started its ascent in 1994, and Microsoft
bought Internet Explorer from Spyglass in
1995, who are the developers of the
Netscape predecessor Mosaic.
In the same year, the commercial WWW
was born: eBay as well as Amazon started
and laid the foundation stone for
e-commerce. For a long time it was difficult
to find relevant information on the chaotic
proliferating web. Google took over this
mammoth task on 15 September 1997 by
recording how often the page is linked by
others in addition to the information content
of a website.

The importance of linking and

interaction led to the term Web 2.0
characterized in 2003, where users
increasingly create content on their own and
use interactive services. Facebook started in
the year after that to develope the web into
a participation internet and into a
communication platform. There are now
about a billion websites which contain all
the possible information, media and
products Tim Berners-Lee certainly could
not have imagined this in 1991.
If this goes on, the web is likely to have
much more than 25 years ahead of it.

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cover story

Making Online
Banking Safe
Online banking is a big thing now as it is a very convenient way to pay
for your bills and purchases on the web. We will show you how you
can make your devices safe for banking
By Fabian von Keudell

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cover story
How Europeans use online banking
Europe as a whole is at the forefront of online banking services. Countries
like Norway, Finland and Sweden are almost fully reliant on it, as they aim to
be rid of physical cash altogether over the next several years
Norway

90 %

Finland

86 %

Sweden

80 %

Luxembourg

65 %
58 %

France
United Kingdom

58 %
51 %

Germany
39 %

Spain
28 %

Italy
Greece

14 %

Proportion of the online banking users

Source: Eurostat

nline banking is booming every

bank, ranging from CIMB to Maybank
and RHB all have their own online
portals where users can do all of their
payments at the tip of their fingers, without
having to leave their homes or offices.
So why not carry out all banking
transactions online? The transactions are
very quick in most cases. But, banking is
nowhere near safe with it. Cyber criminals
are hoping for big catches thanks to Trojans,
bogus websites and social engineering. So
that you dont walk into their trap, we will
explain how you can protect your desktop
computer and your mobile phone against
attacks, which TAN procedure is safe and
what is to be done if you are faced with the
worst-case scenario and a hacker still
manages to access your account. Moreover,
we compare mobile banking apps for iOS and
Android.

For banking transactions, you should use a separate user account with standard rights. This
makes it difficult for Trojans to steal data

How To Make
PCs Safe For
Banking
Most of the users use online banking via the
browser on the computer. This is more
convenient than making transfers on a small
Smartphone display but also more
dangerous. Windows is still the main target
for hackers. You should follow a couple of
important tips so that you can still carry out
your banking transactions safely.

Photos: iStockphoto/Sean Pavone (Skyline), assalve (Geld) Composing: Jennifer Heintzschel

Install Windows update

The most important basis for a safe banking
transaction is a computer that is protected
against malware. Hence, ensure that you
essentially install all the critical security
updates via the Windows Update function.
First of all, you can leave aside the other
updates such as the bug fixes recommended
by Microsoft there were problems with a
few of these patches in the past. However, as
mentioned earlier: critical updates are
mandatory in view of the computer security.
In Windows 7, you can Change settings and
remove the checkmark in front of Give me
recommended updates the same way I
receive important updates in the Windows
Update settings. The same is applicable to
Windows 8. If you see Windows 10, there is
no distinction between the updates.

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Create a separate account

In addition to updates and virus protection,
we recommend a separate Windows account
for your banking transactions. This makes it
difficult for attackers to access already
secured cookies and temporary Windows
data. Furthermore, this also protects bank
statements if they are saved in the
Documents folder of the relevant online
banking user account; this is because
Windows blocks accounts from accessing
other accounts data. In order to create the
login in Windows, click Accounts > Family
and other users in the Control Panel in
Windows 10, select Add another person to
this PC there and then press I do not know
the login information of this person > Add
user without Microsoft account. Specify the
login name and password, then click on the
account and select Standard User as the
account type.

Install banking browser

For banking transactions, you should either

rely on a dedicated banking application, for

example ALF-BanCo, or use a special virtual
browser, for example BitBox.
The advantage of this special browser:
even if malware is on a rampage on the
desktop computer, the virtual browser is
hundred percent sealed off. However, this is
not a solution for daily surfing because
comfort falls by the wayside with respect to
downloads and plug-ins in case of BitBox.
This solution is however perfect for online
banking. As BitBox starts the browser in a

Quick tips for banking

Sign out
After online banking, you should
sign out immediately. Otherwise,
malware can snoop around in the
account
Use two devices
Always use a second device for
generating TAN for releasing
transactions
Define limits
Define a transfer limit. You thus
restrict the damage in a worst-case
scenario

cover story
The Germans know and use this safety procedure during
online banking
Sm@rt-TAN is already used by half of all the online banking users. On the contrary, the
more convenient and safe pushTAN procedure is still almost unknown
35 %

Sm@rt-TAN plus

50 %
42 %

Mobile TAN

56 %
12 %

HBCI

27 %

iTAN
pushTAN

Photos: iStockphoto/Petar Chernaev (mobile); Reiner SCT

None of the above

29 %
1%
8%
3%
11 %

separate virtual environment, you should

have a modern computer (not older than five
years) with sufficient computing capacity.
When installing BitBox, select the Expert
Mode.
Only then will you be able to select e.g.
the Download directory subsequently if
desired. It is best if you use the Documents
folder of the new Windows account that is
not visible to other users for this.

Use a separate banking OS

With BitBox, you are already protected
against attacks almost hundred percent.
However, only if they aim at the desktop
system. Attacks, which break into the virtual
browser and thus act within the virtual
environment, continue to be a threat albeit
a minor one. If you want to play it safe, you
will not get past a Linux-Live systems. The
system starts from a DVD or a USB stick if
desired and offers an extremely safe
environment for online banking since most
malware aim at Windows.

Use
Awareness

Source: Initiative D21

20 %

standard programs. When selecting banking

apps, it is important that the software
supports different security features, e.g. that
it prevents screenshot photos. Hackers can
access personal information using such
screenshots.

Protecting iOS devices

Apple system users are essentially wellprotected against attacks. The reason for this
is the rigid checks of all the applications in
the App Store by Apple as well as the limited
access rights of the iOS operating system
but they also make use of the anti-virus
systems on the devices pointless.
The users can barely protect themselves
from current loopholes, which are already
known, but for which no patch is still

Banking On
The
Smartphone
It is recommended that you use a banking
app on smartphones. It has the advantage
that the data is encrypted and transferred to
the bank by all means and the software is
better protected against attacks than

The tanJack by ReinerSCT transfers generated TANs

wirelessly to the encrypted banking app on the
mobile

You need to select the Expert mode to change settings

in the Browser-in-the-Box tool

available from Apple. When entering any

login data, especially during online banking,
you should rely on using the fingerprint
scanner installed from iPhone 5s onwards.
By comparing the fingerprint, the system
then logs you into the banking apps. You
need to enter the banking PIN only once
while installing the app.
For the login, the app will trust the iOS
system in future. The fingerprint for the
comparison is in a safe storage area
hackers have not been able to intercept or
forge it so far.

Secure Android OS with tools

The Android operating system is an easy
target thanks to its open architecture for
hacker attacks. Equipped with the
corresponding authorisations, apps can
monitor the system completely and thus
your online-banking accesses.
In principle, just like in case of iOS, you
should also always use a separate online
banking app in Android and never access
your account via the browser. Such apps are
much better protected against attacks than
conventional browsers. If your mobile phone
is equipped with a fingerprint scanner as an
access control, you should also use this to
activate the banking app. This method is
equally safe as in case of Apple.
Another Android hitch: due to the
comprehensive authorizations in the OS, it is
possible for malware apps to either delete
the banking app and replace it with a forged
version, or to monitor the network traffic in
the background. However, you can prevent

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069

cover story
Malaysia has its own fair share of mobile banking apps too, which allows you to do a variety of banking tasks

this with simple tools. For one, install an

anti-virus system on the device; it constantly
monitors your system in the background and
notifies suspicious accesses. In addition, you
can install the McAfee Financial Security
app from the Google Play Store. The app
checks whether installed banking apps have
been changed.
Financial Security checks the checksum of
the app and compares it to a McAfee
database. Moreover, the app checks the
network connection. During online banking, if
you access an unsecured WiFi, the McAfee
app disconnects the WiFi connection and
establishes the connection to the bank via
the mobile network. Moreover, ARP attacks
(Address Resolution Protocol) are no longer
possible with the use of the financial security
tool. In case of such an attack, attackers
manipulate the network connection and
divert queries to bank addresses to hacker
sites.

However, in some cases, the attackers use

social engineering information freely
available on the Internet, to obtain copies of
your SIM cards for example. The criminals can
intercept your transaction codes with it and
transfer money from your account. In most
cases, it is enough to implant a virus on the
PC, which does not seem threatening at all. In
case of the Acecard malware, attackers use a
supposed junk mail from Adobe, which offers
Adobe Flash to Android customers. Although
Flash for Android was discontinued in 2012, a
few people still fall for this trap. In order to
protect yourself from such malware, you

Regardless of the platform youre doing

online banking on, hackers often find a way
to avoid protective mechanisms. A simple
virus protection is often helpful against it.

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Mobile Banking Trojans

Cyber terrorists have now found a completely
deceitful trick to access your data: they first

Photo: Apple

Hackers Come
Through
These
Loopholes

should install banking security apps like

McAfee Financial Security.

Some banking apps display an

overview of the dealings entered
on linked Smartphones, e.g. the
Apple watch, if desired

cover story

The McAfee app Financial Security checks the device

safety among other things, before using the banking
apps

this as well. One of the simplest ones is the

installation of a Trojan such as Zeus-P2P on
the desktop computer for example. As soon
as you release a transfer in the browser, the
virus changes the recipient. The SMS, which
you receive from your bank, often contains
only the bank name, the amount as well as
the OTP. If you do not carefully check the
recipient bank here, you send the money to

overlay designs. Acecard usually gets on the

mobile device via spam mail disguised as
an app update for known software tools.

Attack on OTPs
The One Time Password (OTP) procedure in
which you receive a transfer code as an SMS
on the mobile phone, was considered as
relatively safe at times.
However, there are now attack routes for

Attacks of a mobile banking Trojan

Acecard malware infects Android devices and spies on access data for online banking there.

ain
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Source: Kaspersky

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the wrong recipient by entering the OTP.

An attack in which hackers stole login
data via malware was much more complex,
but not any less successful.
In order to carry out a transfer, the
mobiles of the victims were the only things
missing for the criminals. For this, the
gangsters simply applied for a new SIM card
with the victims provider and got it sent to
another address. The data required for
legitimisation was available to them from the
social media accounts of the victim. With the
activation of the SIM card, the attackers now
received the OTPs on the new SIM card. In
the past years, the hackers got away with
more than one million Euros (MYR 5.0
million). The mobile phone network providers
have certainly implemented additional safety
measures now, which should prevent such a
process, but the fraud continues even today
in some cases. Some branches of the
provider still do not check the identity as
carefully as required.

In Europe, the pushTAN procedure is one of

the prized procedures when it comes to
safety during online banking. In this method,
the bank encrypts and transfers the TAN
(similar to OTP) to a separate app on the
mobile phone. Security researcher Vincent
Haupert and Tilo Mller from the University
of Erlangen have however found a way as to
how this procedure can also be removed
without the user realizing anything about it.
The attackers use a Super-User approval in
Android to forge the transfer amount.
However, this worked only because the

chip malaysia

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071

Illustration: iStockphoto/suriya9 (Weltkarte)

spread software on the Internet, which does

not pose a risk to the computers initially.
Such a base virus structure is classified as
not very threatening by most anti-virus
companies and hence will not be dealt with
as a priority.
Once the software has spread, the virus
calls its actual commands and additional
functions via a command server. This can
sometimes take place only months after the
infection. The same happened in case of the
Acecard virus. Acecard is a banking Trojan for
Android devices, which was discovered for
the first time in February 2014 the virus
however started its attack only in May; the
attack continues to this date. In the past
year, Acecard damaged 1067 users only in
Germany. In order to access the data, Acecard
uses a simple, but effective way: the virus
places its own formula over the view of the
login form, which is almost identical to the
real one. The software then taps logins of the
online banking portals among other things.
The unique feature about Acecard is its
transformation ability: conventional banking
Trojans generally create an overlay window
for two banks in a section; Acecard supports
more than 30 different login windows. And
this is nowhere near the end. Via its
Command & Control server, the virus
consistently receives updates and new

cover story
banking app and pushTAN app are installed
on one and the same device. This is how the
attackers hacked the Sparkassen (savings
banks) app in November 2015. The hackers
also found a loophole in the subsequently
updated app and could carry out the attacks.
Both the experts are advising that the
banking app and pushTAN app should not be
used on one device.

Who Is
Responsible
For Cyber
Attacks?
Online banking frauds are a rare thing in
Malaysia, but is quite rampant in Europe.
According to paragraph 675v of the German
Civil Code, the user must pay for damages
during online banking only if he is grossly
negligent or has acted deliberately. However,
there are traps.

Forged websites
The crux is the design, which is considered as
grossly negligent. An online banking
customer, for example, had entered all the
100 TANs from his list on a forged website.
The Munich Higher Regional Court considered
this to be grossly negligent. However, the

courts did not charge the user for entering

one single TAN on a deceptively real website
according to the current legal practice.

Manipulated TAN data

Thanks to wide circulation, the mobile TAN
attracted the attention of hackers. Outwitting
the procedure is not trivial, but works with
sufficient amount of resources. In such cases,
the customer is naturally not responsible for
this. The situation is again different if a
hacker manages to manipulate the transfer.
If the user stops checking the transfer data in
the SMS, it will be interpreted as gross
negligence, according to a ruling by the
Cologne District Court. The same due
diligence is also applicable to TAN generators:
the bank did not have to refund the loss to a
man from whom 18,500 euros (MYR 83,000)
was stolen using a Trojan according to the
ruling by the Darmstadt District Court: he had
missed checking the data for the TAN
generator.

Banks promise safety

In order to make customers overcome their
fear of online banking, some banks advertise
with a safety promise: in case of fraud, the
companies chip in for the resulting damage.
However, these safety promises differ
distinctly in detail as some banks are only
minimally above the statutory minimum
standards with it, others on the contrary

If you do not compare the data of the TAN

reader with your transfer data, you are being
careless

surpass it extensively. Depending on the

bank, the financial institutions however insist
upon specific prerequisites, for example, an
activated SMS notification service or a onetime registration in case of emergency. Many
banks also expect a criminal report with the
police before they refund. The following is
applicable to the safety promises of the
banks on the basis of the many different
conditions: read through the General Terms
and Conditions carefully and check the
conditions under which the bank pays.

Banking in real-time
The Berlin-based start-up Number26 (number26.de) wants
to be the most modern account of Europe. For this, the
company, which works together with the Wirecard Bank,
has come up with something very special: real-time access
to transactions and card settings.
> Sales notification As soon as you have made a purchase
in a shop, the sale directly appears in the banking app of
Number26. In addition, the users receive a Push
notification on the mobile if requested. A manipulation, for
example theft and use of the credit card, can thus be
detected immediately.
> Card options In addition to the real-time display of the
sales, the Number26 users can also modify card options in
real-time. Thus, for example, the PIN to withdraw money
can be changed or the card can be blocked with immediate
effect and unblocked again. Those who are safetyconscious can thus keep the card blocked all along and
remove the block shortly before the purchase. Moreover,
specific blocks can be set up, e.g. online or foreign
payments as well as the option to prevent cash
withdrawals at ATMs.

In the Number26 app, different blocks can

be set up for credit and Master cards - in
real-time

All the transactions of Number26 appear

on the linked mobile phone if requested,
using the Push notification

cover story

Has Cash Been

Scrapped?
Only in four countries in Europe can you still pay
every amount in cash. A majority of the countries rely
on electronic money transactions even today, with
negative consequences

France
Maximum limit: 1000.
Individual transactions
however do not have any
cash limit

Maximum limits for cash payments

No legally prescribed maximum limit, however exceptions
in practice
No maximum limit for cash payments
No information

Portugal
Maximum limit: 1000.
Everything above this
must either be settled
using a bank card,
transfer or cheque

Photo: Reiner SCT Illustration: iStockphoto/mattjeacock (Europakarte)

rom the end of 2018, the 500 Euro bank

note will be discontinued, and the end
of physical cash will also be a
possibility. A reason for this: black money
transactions and the financing of terror
groups should be hampered. The plan, in
Germanys case: cash transactions should be
capped at 5,000 Euros in the future. In Italy,
the practice of capping has already started.
For controlling mafia money, a limit of 1,000
Euros was introduced in 2011. This was
however increased to 2,999 Euros at the
start of 2016 owing to difficulties in the
tourism sector. France intensified the cash
limit only in October 2015 after the terror
attacks on the Charlie Hebdo editorial
office at the start of January.
Experts are disputing whether the
restrictions will really result in a decline in
terror financing. Their justification: private
transactions are excluded from the
regulation. As long as no invoice is issued, a
control is thus impossible. Nobody will
seriously assume that terror financers will
expect an invoice. If cash payments are
restricted further, alternatives are still
available (see right).

Italy
The maximum limit here is
at 2,999. Violations can
be punished up to 40
percent of the cash
payment transaction

These services send you money

While cash is still king in South East Asia
and throughout most of the continent, its
always a good idea to look at some of the
changes in transaction methods that are
happening across Europe. Here are some
money transaction apps that dont require you to physically hand over money.
> Cringle Cringle users can send up to 100
euros (RM500) per month to friends. All
that you need to know in addition to this
is the mobile phone number of the recipient. In the background, Cringle then withdraws the money from the bank account
of the sender and transfers it to the bank
account of the recipient.

> Lendstar Lendstar functions according

to a similar principle such as Cringle.
However, the app additionally offers the
option of lending money. Lendstar shows
the lent amounts in an overview and
sends a repayment query with a deadline
if requested.
> Kesh, PayPal With both these services,
users can pay en route in transactions
with their accounts. The process is extremely easy: users will scan a QR code with
their mobile phone or log into the pointof-sale terminal using the app and release the payment. The hitch: only very
few businesses support this.

test lab

TEST LAB: The Tools

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

Intel Platform
Motherboards
Intel DZ77GA-70K
MSI Z87 MPower

Processors
Intel Core i7-3770K
Intel Core i7-4770K

Graphics
Processing Unit
MSI GeForce GTX 980
GAMING 4G

CPU Cooler Cooler

Master X6

PSU, Storage & RAM

Power Supply

Memory

Cooler Master Silent Pro

Hybrid (1300W)

Kingston HyperX
KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX
Kingston HyperX FURY
HX318C10FWK2/8
Kingston HyperX Predator
HX430C15PBK4/16

Storage
Western Digital Black Dual
Drive
Western Digital My Book
Live Duo

AMD Platform
Motherboards
ASUS Crosshair V
ASUS A88X-Pro

Graphics
Processing Unit
ASUS Radeon R9 290X

Processors

CPU Cooler

AMD FX-8150
AMD A8-3850

Cooler Master Hyper 212

EVO

Benchmark Software
Operating
System
Windows 7 Ultimate
(64-bit)

Futuremark
PCMark 8
3DMark

Industry
Standard
Benchmark Tools
AIDA64
SiSoftware SANDRA
Speccy
Unigine Heaven

chip malaysia august 16

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test lab

TEST LAB
8

11

17

19

13

7
6

18
9

10

20

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test lab

CONTENTS
1

16

2
3
4
5
1

6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

15

17
18
19
20

Armaggeddon Molotov-5
Zowie ZA12
Zowie FK1
honor 5C
Wiko U FEEL
Ducky One Orange Legends
MSI GTX 970 Tiger
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M377dw
AMD RX 480
Dell Precision Tower 3420
ASUS X99-Deluxe II
TP-LINK Neffos C5 Max
Cooler Master MasterKeys Lite L Combo
HTC 10
Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver
ASUS VivoMini VM65N
GIGABYTE X99-Ultra Gaming
MSI GTX 1060 GAMING X
MSI X99A XPower Gaming Titanium
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro

CHIP Awards
CHIP Editors Choice Award

084
085
086
087
088
089
090
091
092
093
094
095
096
097
098
099
100
101
102
103

Ratings
Each product review is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 for
different key parameters:

Awarded to products that receive unanimous

endorsement from all CHIP editors for its overall
brilliance

CHIP Outstanding Award

Reserved for products that combine astute technical
performance with good quality and design

CHIP Recommended Award

Given to products that possess singular quality
worthy of a recommendation

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

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first looks
Watching From Above
The Aztech WIPC411FHD IP camera sports a 2.0 megapixel lens
perfected further by a 4.2mm focal length, a 355-degree horizontal
pan and 120-degree vertical tilt angles for viewing control, and
an H.264 video compression format to maximise storage without
affecting quality. In addition, the WIPC411FHD has an improved
90-degree angle of view that provides an even wider range of
surveillance in addition to 1080p HD surveillance quality. Through the
Aztech IP Ca app, you can now record real time surveillance videos
using you devices local storage, and view up to four surveillance
areas simultaneously.
Aztech WIPC411FHD
Contact: Az-Technology Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7804 8450
Info: www.aztech.com.my

The Buzzing Of Bees

A small size and elegant design packed with stunning
performance, the ASRock Beebox-S can do pretty much
everything that a standard desktop is capable of. Powered
by Intel sixth generation Core i3 and i5 CPUs, it supports
frequencies of up to 2.8GHz, hence delivering great
performance with low power consumption. It also supports the
latest DDR-4 SO-DIMM dual channel memory technology with
a maximum capacity of 32GB. The Beebox-S packs two HDMI
ports and a single DisplayPort, making it capable of connecting
dual monitors simultaneously. To make graphics capability
more distinctive, it supports 4K playback and High Efficiency
Video Coding (HEVC/H.264) technology, transforming your
home into an entertainment centre effortlessly.
ASRock Beebox-S
Contact: AMT PC Distributors Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 3344 1124
Info: www.asrock.com

The Pyramid Returns

The D-Link DIR-895L is the heart of your Smart home
connectivity. Equipped with a dual-core processor, gigabit
ports and tri-band it provides a blazing ast home network
that connects all your computers, mobile devices and smart
home devices to your broadband Internet connection. Sporting
3 wireless modules and built based on Broadcoms NitroQAM
technology, the DIR-895L can provide up to 2167Mbps per
5GHz band and 1000Mbps on its 2.4GHz band, offering
abundant bandwidth to cater to all your needs. It is also
built on the latest AC WAVE II standard where the MU-MIMO
technology is incorporated, the DIR-895L can concurrently
communicate with multiple MU-MIMO clients at the same
time.
D-Link DIR-895L
Contact: Advancenet Technology Sdn. Bhd., Ingram Micro Sdn.
Bhd., Lab Seven (M) Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 8070 3633, (03) 7952 8188, (03) 80758811
Info: www.dlink.com.my

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first looks
Bring Your Beats Around
At home or on the move, enjoy great sound with the Sony h.ear
go, the worlds smallest portable wireless speaker that is HighResolution Audio compatible. The h.ear go packs a powerful
audio punch, thanks to its newly-designed 35mm diameter HighResolution full-range speaker unit. Left and Right channel speaker
chambers are complemented by dual passive radiators that
extend low-end response, and despite its compact size youll enjoy
room-filling sound, with EXTRA BASS delivering a taut largerthan-life low-end. If youre out and about, the compact h.ear go
wont weight you down especially with a massive 12 hour battery
life.
Sony h.ear go
Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 300 88 1233
Info: www.sony.com.my

Smaller And Better

The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 Mini Edition enables raw gaming
power to come to smaller builds without compromising thermal
performance and noise level. This is made possible with a single
wide 90mm fan helped with direct GPU contact and a carefully
designed aluminium heatsink providing even greater heat
dissipation all within a 6.85-inch length. The ZOTAC GeForce GTX
1060 Mini Edition is based on the latest edition within the NVIDIA
Pascal architecture, with superior performance that can drive the
VR experience. The Mini is VR Ready while only taking 2 PCIE slots,
making this the perfect upgrade for enthusiasts and users who are
looking to march into VR or build a powerful compact system.
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 Mini Edition
Contact: Sun Cycle Sdn Bhd
Phone: (05) 322 5531
Info: www.cycle.com.my

More Monitors Than Ever

The new SAPPHIRE GPRO Commercial Graphics features leading
chip technologies and a set of industrial enhancements in
durability and connectivity. The SAPPHIRE GPRO 6200 is tailored
for interactive walls, digital signage in financial trading, hotels,
conference environments, medical centres as well as media and
entertainment use. Utilising a powerful AMD Graphics Core Next
based chip and 4GB of GDDR5 high speed memory, the GPRO
6200 enables a wide range of multi-display solutions across
various vertical markets. This single-slot ATX card features six
Mini DisplayPort 1.2 outputs that can drive up to 6 displays.
SAPPHIRE GPRO 6200
Contact: Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7955 1136
Info: www.sapphirepgs.com

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first looks
Less Is More
The ECS H110S-2P is a mini-STX form factor motherboard
that extends high performance and flexibility to something
as small as a hand. Mini-STX was defined by Intel and
ECS as the next generation form factor. Its smaller than
mini-ITX and reduces the layout space of the PCB by 29
percent. However, the ECS H110S-2P still keeps various
design features and components on such a narrow and
small space. You can choose any standard LGA115x CPU
cooler to make the platform as cool as possible. Just choose
a suitable chassis to be a builder of a One-Litre computer
with our mini-STX motherboard design. The ECS H110S-2P
holds the philosophy of Less is more to make things
easier.
ECS H110S-2P mini-STX Motherboard
Contact: Ingens Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7688 9888
Info: www.ingens.com.my

Ultra-Fast Response
The ViewSonic VX2757-mhd sports fast input response and
ultra-fast response times. Offering low input-lag, utilising a
monitor process reducer, which decreases signal latency. It
delivers the fastest display signal from the graphics card to the
display, giving users an edge against the competition. It also
features Viewsonics exclusive ClearMotiv II imaging technology
to deliver ultra-fast 1 millisecond liquid crystal response times,
in order to create smooth images without streaking, blurring or
ghosting. It also equipped with VESA Adaptive-Sync technology
and AMD FreeSync technology, the variable refresh rate
capability of this monitor virtually eliminates screen tearing and
stuttering for fluid game play during fast-paced action scenes.
ViewSonic VX2757-mhd
Contact: Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7955 1136
Info: www.build.com.my

External, Portable, Incredible

Embodying ADATA innovation and dedication to premium products,
the SE720 packs read/write performance of up to 500MB/s in a
super-compact form factor that weights a mere 33g. The smallest
external SSD with a reversible USB Type-C connector in the world at
the time of writing. The SE730 supercharges data transfers with USB
3.1 Gen 2. Its sandblasted metallic enclosure and robust build means
it carries an official IEC IP68 dust and water proof qualification, as
well as military-grade shock proofing. The SE730 offers the ultimate
in external SSD style, performance, durability, and mobility, all while
weighing less than a golf ball and fitting easily in the palm of your
hand.
ADATA SE730
Contact: Achieva Technology Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7955 1768
Info: www.adata.com

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first looks
Powering your Mobile Devices
The ASUS ZenPower Pro offers one of the highest capacities
of any power bank of similar dimensions. Its one of the
smallest power banks for its capacity, and has a creditcard sized footprint, yet it features an incredible 10500mAh
capacity, dual USB ports and a built-in LED flashlight. It
also features multiple protection systems and international
certificates and is among the worlds safest chargers.
The ZenPower Pro features Qualcomms Quick Charge
2.0 technology and is designed to charge the batteries of
supported devices much faster than conventional chargers. It
identifies the exact power needed by the device and conducts
the charging at the most optimal voltage and speed.
ASUS ZenPower Pro
Contact: Dynamics Distribution Sdn Bhd., ECS Astar Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 8024 2100, (03) 6286 8222
Info: www.asus.com/my

Built To Be Tough
Designed for military, law enforcement, and private security
applications, Transcends DrivePro Body 52 body cameras
are the clear choice for rugged, secure and dependable
evidence collection with exceptional picture quality. The
camera features a compact camera unit attached via a
flexible 1.2 metre cable capable of 1080p Full HD video
recording, a 360-degree rotating clip mount and Velcro
mount, a high-quality belt holster, a built-in Wi-Fi function,
a snapshot button, long battery life, and a non-removable
32GB internal storage with high-quality MLc flash chips. In
addition, Transcends DrivePro Body 52 body cameras are
both shock and IPX4 water resistant.
Transcend DrivePro Body 52
Contact: Amble Action Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7968 6899
Info: www.transcend-info.com

More Modular Than Ever

Cooler Master wants users to have absolute control over
how their case looks and functions. FreeForm provides
options to not only adjust the case exterior, but also
offers interior layout flexibility in a mid-sized case. In the
MasterCase Maker 5, FreeForm allows a single case to
support a host of different configurations, enabling users to
upgrade rather than replace their case and system. Though
a unique Clip-and-Click panel, Freeform lets users adjust
vertically or remove the drive cages entirely. This flexibility
allows building multiple system configurations like home
servers, water-cooled workstations, or gaming rigs with
dual-slot extra-long graphics cards using a single case.
Cooler Master MasterCase Maker 5
Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd, Build Technology
Supply Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7956 6300, (03) 7955 3699
Info: www.coolermaster.com

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The Simple Slitherer
The Abyssus V2 is a basic-but-versatile ambidextrous
gaming mouse perfected for any playing style. It features
an upgraded 5,000 DPI optical sensor, lighting features and
on-the-fly programmability. Four rapid-fire, tactile, hyperresponse switches are featured on the mouse which have
a lifespan of up to 20 million clicks. Both the main mouse
buttons feature contoured grooves for more control, and
dedicated cycling button allows users to quickly toggle
between five different customisable DPI stages anytime.
The Abyssus V2 is molded, textured, and the rubber side
grips are optimised for liftoff and swiping gameplay.
Razer Abyssus V2
Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7956 6300
Info: www.razerzone.com

Portable Banging Beats

The Philips Bluetooth Speaker BT2600 is an easy-to-carry,
compact and rechargeable speaker that delivers a clean and
powerful sound experience that you would not expect from
a small speaker. Available in a variety of colours, the BT2600
features multi-pair technology, allowing you to connect to
two smart devices at the same time simply by touching your
smartphone or tablet on the speaker. Its perfect for sharing
music with friends, at parties, or just playing different songs
stored on different devices. The Bt2600 offers complete
flexibility as these slim and lightweight designed speakers
can easily be carried and placed anywhere. With its built-in
rechargeable battery, the speaker allows you to enjoy music for
8 hours long without the fuss of tangled power cords.
Philips Bluetooth Speaker BT2600
Contact: Gibson Innovations Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Info: www.gibsoninnovations.com

High Performance For the Mainstream User

The SanDisk SSD Plus offers users faster boot-up and shutdown
times, improved application response, data transfer and improved
overall system performance. By installing the SanDisk SSD Plus,
users can instantly upgrade their laptop or PC, and eliminate the need
to completely replace an aging laptop or desktop PC. In addition, with
read speeds of up to 535MB/s, the SanDisk SSD Plus delivers up to
20X the performance of a typical laptop hard disk drive. In comparison
to hard disk drives, SSDs deliver lower power consumption and
less noise, while offering enhanced boot-up and shutdown speeds,
application launching and data transfers.
SanDisk SSD Plus
Contact: Ingram Micro Sdn Bhd, Vector Digital Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7940 8888, (03) 2143 2822
Info: www.sandisk.com

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Smooth As Silk?
Cloth mousepads were designed for those that prfer
the control of cloth and the comfort of rubber bases.
The ZOWIE G-SR Mousepad does not sacrifice stability
for comfort, featuring a rubber base the G-SR is soft
and 100 percent flat to ensure the same performance
across the mousepad regardless of any surface. The
G-SR is 480mm in length and 400m in width to allow
you have a wide area for your mouse to glide if youre
a gamer which makes wide movements. The thickness
of the mousepad is 3.5mm and the sides are stitched
to prevent fraying of the edges, providing you with
a simple, smooth, durable and controlled gaming
environment.
ZOWIE G-SR Mousepad
Contact: BenQ Marketing & Services Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7954 7800
Info: www.benq.com.my

Metal Never Looked So Good

Following the trend that HTC set for all-metal smartphones,
its design team has once again raised the bar when it comes to
creating beautifully crafted devices for Malaysians. The HTC One
X9 pulls through with the look and feel of high end silk, creating
a softer, warmer and more luxurious finish to the phone. Tapping
into the fashion worlds obsession with silver and gold, the HTC
One X9 comes in two colours, Gold and Gray, making it the perfect
accessory. At just 75.9mm, its glass curved front and finely honed
corners make it one of the most slender handsets in its class.
HTC One X9
Contact: HTC Careline
Phone: 1 800 88 9855
Info: www.htc.com/sea

One Keyboard For Any Device

The K780 Multi-Device offers quiet and responsive typing and
features large keys that are carefully scooped for typing comfort and
precision. A convenient 10-key pad makes it easy to enter numbers
and an integrated rubber slot with a soft finish, securely cradles
a variety of mobile devices at a perfect reading angle, ranging from
smartphones to 12-inch iPad Pros. The keyboard is slim and is built
solidly while being designed to look good in a modern home or office
environment. The K780 adapts to your devices, so whether you are
using a windows PC or iPhone, the key layout is familiar and you can
even access your favourite shortcuts.
Logitech K780 Multi-Device
Contact: Ingram Micro Sdn Bhd., MCL Sdn Bhd., M-Link Sdn Bhd.,
Kaira Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7955 8188, (03) 8023 3800, (03) 7728 9003, (03) 7955 3669
Info: www.logitech.com/en-my

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Armaggeddon
Molotov-5
Price: RM99.90
Contact: Leapfrog Distribution Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7803 6703
Info: www.armaggeddon.net

Driver: 40 mm dynamic Dome type Delta Zero

Sensor
Frequency Range: 20-20,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 103dB/mW
Microphone frequency: 75-20,000 Hz
Microphone sensitivity: 42+-4dB

By Matthew Yap

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Compact Value
Armaggeddons new headset might not have doomsday
class performance but offers amazing value

here are about a dozen brands that

produce gaming headsets, some
surprisingly quite close to home. When
Singapore-born Armaggeddon sent us a unit of
its Molotov-5 gaming headset, we wanted to
see how well it performs.
The unit we received was the red one
(there is also a blue and yellow version), which
thankfully didnt look tacky. It sports 40mm
audio drivers and is rather compact. Rather
than the larger headsets that cover the ears
entirely, the Molotov-5 is an on-ear headset so
sound can leak out if the volume is too loud.
Its earcups and headband have pleather as the
outer material, with foam inside for cushioning.
Additionally, there is a hinge on both sides of
the headset, which allows users to fold it into a
more compact form. Unfortunately, theres no
carry case included, which would have made it
more travel-friendly.
Build quality is decent for this headset. The
headband can be flexed to a good degree so
that it can fit most people, while also light and
tough enough to survive dropping from a desk.
In addition, the metal supports on both sides
holding the earcups to the headband are sturdy
and shouldnt bend out of shape, unless too
much force is exerted on it.

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We had varying experiences when trying

out the Molotov-5. While it can and will fit
most people, more often than not we found
it clamping down on the top of our ears. This
causes our ears to get sore when we use it for
long sessions, as the foam inside isnt as soft
as wed like.
The sound quality for this pair of headset
is actually quite decent. Like many gaming
headsets, its skewed towards delivering bigger
bass. Counterstrike or FPS gamers would
probably appreciate it more, since it gives
sounds of explosions that little bit of oomph.
Trying to play music with it is, predictably,
not that great because the boomy bass can
overwhelm the details in music, particularly the
mid-tones.
One con to consider is the microphone.
To communicate with it, we had to press the
push-to-talk button, which can be frustrating
to use when playing games. On the other hand,
when used as it is intended as a mobile
headset the mic makes a lot more sense. By
using a push-to-talk format here, call recipients
wont have to listen to too much ambient noise
when were not speaking. This can be good in
loud, noisy environments as it would spare the
recipient from too much noise pollution.

It can be folded into a more compact form, making it

travel friendly

To use the microphone, this push-to-talk button must

be pressed

Decent sound
quality
Affordable

Not comfortable
Mic not convenient
for PC use

CHIP CONCLUDES
Although it doesnt have the fancy bells
and whistles of the larger gaming headset,
the Molotov-5s sound quality is not bad.
However, its not very comfortable and is
unsuitable for desktop use.

test lab

Zowie ZA12
Price: TBA
Contact: BenQ Marketing & Services Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7954 7800
Info: www.zowie.benq.com
Sensor : Avago 3310
DPI: 400/800/1,600/3,200
USB Connector: USB 2.0
Poling rate: 125/500/1,000Hz
Dimensions: 122 x 63 x 40 mm
Weight: 90g

By Nazrin Zain

Performance:
Features:
Design:

No Frills, All Thrills

Two additional buttons adorn the side of the ZA12,

which is pretty standard fare for gaming mice

Zowie shows you dont need fancy gaming gear to have fun

f youre into the e-sports scene boom, no

doubt you know, or at least youve heard
of Zowie. The PC accessories brand, which
was recently acquired by BenQ is beginning
to expand rapidly here in Malaysia. The Zowie
ZA12 is one of two gaming mice that were sent
to us recently, with the other being the FK1.
The ZA12 is one of three variants of the ZA
series of mice, the ZA11, ZA12, and ZA13, with
the ZA11 being the biggest and the ZA13 the
smallest. The ZA12 sits right in the middle,
and fits standard adult palms the best, in our
opinion.
As far as the look and design of the
ZA12 goes, the mouse sports a standard
polycarbonate shell, and on top of the standard
left and right click buttons plus scroll wheel, it
also has four side buttons, two on each side of
the mouse.
At the bottom of the ZA12 is a button that
allows you to adjust the poling rate of the
mouse. While this is technically still considered
on-the-fly, the fact that you have to lift the
mouse to change the DPI settings might be a

deal-killer to some. Users have four options

to choose from here: 400, 800, 1,600, and 3200
DPI.
The ZA12, in our opinion is a pretty great
all-rounder mouse. We played a variety of
games with it, ranging from MMOs like Final
Fantasy XIV to FPS titles like Serious Sam 3
and even RTS games like Starcraft II, and the
mouse feels very comfortable throughout all
these gameplay sessions.
Weighing in at just 90 grams, the ZA12 is an
excellent mouse of choice for competitive FPS
titles too, like Overwatch and Counter Strike:
Global Offensive. When set at appropriate DPI,
the mouse can whiz across the pad lightning
quick, or become superbly stable if you happen
to be on sniping duty.
That being said, for MMORPG titles, it could
be a very hit and miss thing sometimes, where
you could accidentally click on the wrong
enemy, or even worse, the wrong skills. But
throughout most of my play time, this is a rare
occurrence, however and doesnt really affect
gameplay most of the time.

The DPI switcher is located underneath the mouse,

allowing users to set different level of mouse
sensitivity

Comfortable to use
Performance

DPI switch inconveniently

located at the bottom

CHIP CONCLUDES
If youre looking for a simple, no-fuss gaming
mouse, the ZA12 is one you could consider
getting yourself. The fact that there are a
variety of sizes that you can choose from
within the same series means that youll
always get a mouse that fits your palm the
best.

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Zowie FK1

Price: TBA
Contact: BenQ Marketing & Services Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7954 7800
Info: www.zowie.benq.com
Sensor : Avago 3310
DPI: 400/800/1,600/3,200
USB Connector: USB 2.0
Poling rate: 125/500/1,000Hz
Dimensions: 67 x 128 x 37mm
Weight: 90g
Performance:
Features:
Design:

By Nixon Ng

Wowie For Zowie

Regardless of how you enjoy holding your mouse, the

Zowie FK1 works both ways for both left and right handed
gamers

ot a new name in the gaming peripheral

scene, the Zowie name used to be under
ZOWIE GEAR but was then acquired by
BenQ end of last year. Zowie has been known
by enthusiast as a brand that makes simple yet
well performing gaming peripherals. With the
acquirement of ZOWIE GEAR, BenQ announced
that ZOWIE GEAR would become their new
gaming division, and expanding their products
to include mice, mousepads, sound cards,
monitors and other gaming accessories.
This time around we were able to get our
hands on a Zowie FK1 gaming mouse, an
ergonomic mouse aimed to dominate the
gaming world without all the bells and whistles.
Right out of the box, the FK1 looks almost
like any other ergonomic gaming mouse, but
decided to go for a rubber cable instead of a
braided one to decrease friction and increase
cable flexibility. The ergonomic shape of the
mouse makes it comfortable to grip even in
a claw or palm style grip, and each button
was easy to reach even with the different grip
styles.

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The mouse glided smoothly on top of a

Zowie GS-R mousepad and had a good lift-off
distance which suits claw-grip users. After a
bit of digging we also found out that the FK1
uses an Avago 3310 sensor which are used in
other popular optical mice. Theres something
that many gamers dont realise when choosing
mice, and that is hardware acceleration. A lot
of gamers prefer having no mouse acceleration,
but there are plenty of mice out there which
have built-in hardware acceleration. Hardware
acceleration is present on the Zowie FK1 but
only ever so slightly.
The mouse buttons require quite a bit of
actuation force for it to register, this may be
a plus or a minus to some. Some of us prefer
being able to click easily while others may
prefer using a bit more force as to prevent
misclicks, so its entirely up to user preference
when it comes to the mouse buttons. The scroll
wheel is tactile and works well while browsing
sites or reading web novels, one of the more
comfortable and tactile scroll wheels weve
experienced.

The FK1s buttons are a treat to click but those who like
a lighter actuation force might find it awkward

The FK1 uses an Avago 3310 sensor that sports low

acceleration for those who prefer it that way

Smooth glide
Comfortable grip

None

CHIP CONCLUDES
The Zowie FK1 is a great all-rounder mouse
which performs great regardless of what grip
youre using. Even though there are plenty
of rivals out there for picking a good mouse,
the Zowie FK1 would easily find itself in your
shortlist after a few tries.

test lab

honor 5C
Price: RM799
Contact: Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 22 3366
Info: www.vmall.my
Display: 5.2-inch 1080 x 1920 IPS
CPU: Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 + quad-core
1.7 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: Mali-T880MP2
Memory: 2GB
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi, LTE
Storage: 16GB eMMC Flash expandable with
microSD
Operating System: Android 6.0
Camera: 13MP (rear), 8MP (front)
Dimensions: 147.1 x 73.8 x 8.3 mm
Weight: 156 g
3DMark Icestorm Unlimited: 11,678 points
PC Mark Work: 5,439 points
Antutu: 52,532 points

By Matthew Yap

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Honourable Choice
honor continues to deliver great value with their
smartphones

his year, smartphone makers havent

been (in our opinion) innovating much,
but are instead engaged in an arms race
to deliver better specs, better components. The
honor 5C is the same, aiming to do so with a
lower price point.
The honor 5C unit we received comes with
a white front and brushed metallic silver back.
It has an 8MP front camera with an LED flash,
while the back has a square-shaped rearcamera and fingerprint sensor. A fingerprint
sensor on a smartphone at this price range
is almost unprecedented, so this addition is a
premium feature thats much appreciated.
Next are the sides, with the removal dualSIM tray on the left. One of its slots double
up as a micro-SD slot and supports cards
of up to 256GB, so it can really store a lot of
content. We would have preferred the volume
and power buttons on the right to be more
textured, but theyre not slippery and have a
good click to it so its not an issue.
At about 5.7-inch tall, the 5C is not very
large so its not hard to use it with one hand,
nor is it too small so watching multimedia
content on it is still good. However, do note
that the brushed aluminium back is a bit

slippery and it scratches easily so its best to

use a case with it.
Our experience using the honor 5C was
a largely positive one. For one, its quite
responsive and more than suitable for the
standard use: browsing, multimedia, and even
some simple games. But activate too many
apps or browser tabs at the same time and
the 2GB of RAM starts to show its limits. The
fingerprint sensor offers a lot of utility, allowing
us to browse the gallery by swiping on it, or
bring down the notifications centre. Although,
when compared to swiping normally on the
screen, its response time is slightly slower.
The audio is average at best and lacks
bass, which is expected with a device of this
size. Display quality is somewhat better, with
colour calibration available, but maximum
brightness isnt high so it hampers visibility
under sunlight.
This smartphone would have been gotten
our glowing stamp of approval if the cameras
were better. The autofocus is not the slowest,
but it isnt fast either. And while its more than
capable of good shots in well-lit conditions,
noise level is bad in pictures taken in low-light
conditions; this applies to both cameras.

Its surprisingly to see a fingerprint sensor on a phone

at this price

We like the smooth, rounded edges found on the 5C,

which makes it pleasant to hold in the hand

Affordable
Fingerprint sensor

Average camera

CHIP CONCLUDES
All things considered, the honor 5C is a
product that offers great value. Its overall
performance is decent and the fingerprint
sensor has some handy uses. Its too bad the
cameras arent all that great.

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Wiko U FEEL
Price: RM699
Contact: Wiko Mobile
Info: http://my-en.wikomobile.com/

Display: 5-inch (HD)

Processor: MediaTek MT6735
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi
Memory: 3GB
Storage: 16GB expandable with microSD
Operating System: Android 6.0
Camera: 13MP (rear), 5MP (front)
Dimensions: 143mm x 70.7mm x 8.55mm
Weight: 147g
3DMark Icestorm Unlimited: 5,249 points
3DMark Icestorm Extreme: 3,039 points
3DMark Icestorm: 5,363 points
PC Mark Work: 3,694 points
Antutu: 29,552 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

By Nixon Ng

Are You Feeling It?

A great phone if youre on a budget as you get exactly what
youre paying for while getting a little bit more luxury
features

ot many people are willing to spend

thousands on a phone, especially
those who just want to have a phone
that works. Wiko has been doing great within
the range of budget and mid-range phones,
providing a nice range of products at affordable
prices without compromise. This time Wiko
sent us their Wiko U FEEL and we are prepared
to give it a run for its money.
The first thing we noticed about the U FEEL
was its sandstone back cover, which has a
nice texture to it that feels a lot like a fabric.
The body has a nice weighted feel for its size
and the 5-inch 2.5D curved screen looks great.
The screen itself displays things perfectly,
and has a wide view-angle which could cause
users who love to privacy to consider getting
a privacy screen protector. Reading on the U
FEEL is comfortable with text displayed crisply
and clearly, while watching videos on the phone
satisfying as well.
The Mediatek MT6735 processor does
well in providing a smooth user experience,

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especially with its 3GB of RAM providing

you some extra lee-way for multi-tasking
applications. We found no issues while using
different applications, other than an occasional
stutter once in a while but it shouldnt pose a
problem. The rear 13MP camera sports a Sony
IMX 258 sensor, 5P lens and a blue optical filter
providing great picture quality, and theres also
the LED flash which provides just enough light
to get a better photo in low-light conditions.
For the selfie-lowers out there, the 5MP
front camera features a selfie flash so you can
always take a selfie wherever you are. What
we enjoyed about the camera was it Dual-View
mode which allows capturing of images and
videos from both the front and back cameras
together. While thinking of all the pictures and
videos you could be taking, lets not forget that
the U FEEL has 16GB of built-in memory for
you store your recorded media, but if that isnt
enough no problem as the U FEEL supports an
external microSD card up to 64GB if you ever
need more storage.

The sandstone back cover has a nice texture to it, akin

to fabric

Doesnt look very slim, but dont be fooled, the phone

fitted well in our hands

All-rounder
Dual-View

None

CHIP CONCLUDES
Sitting somewhere in the mid-range the
Wiko U FEEL is an interesting phone, packed
with certain features you dont usually see in
phones in this range, the U FEEL is a phone
you can consider if youre not willing to spend
more on higher-end phones.

test lab

Ducky One
Orange Legends
Price: RM369
Contact: Ultimatch Solution Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7931 7187
Info: ultimatchsolutions.com.my
Keyboard Switches: Cherry MX Red
NKRO: Yes
Interface: USB 2.0
Dimensions: 440 x 140 x 41mm
Weight: 1.31kg

By Nixon Ng

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Quack Quack
I Mean Clack Clack

The orange legends look so good on top of black

This is one duck that means business

echanical keyboard enthusiasts have

come to love the clicks and clacks of
their boards, but after the clicks and
the clack what else could possibly come next?
Keycaps, thats whats next on the mechanical
keyboard food-chain. Usually when one find
that their keyboard is satisfactory, they would
find ways to modify them further, maybe with
a new cable, or even a new case, but keycaps
seems to be the easiest and most aesthetically
pleasing way to upgrade your keyboard.
The Ducky One sent to us sports Doubleshot ABS keycaps with orange legends, this
is actually quite significant. Double-shot ABS
keycaps are created by combining two different
colours of plastic, in this way the keycap surface
and the character will not be worn out. The
durability of the keycaps are basically assured
to last a long time, and the orange on black
theme is beautiful to look at. The keycaps had
a nice clack to it when bottoming out, and was
smooth to the touch gliding from one key to
another.

The body itself seemed to be smaller than

older Ducky keyboards, we think its because
Ducky had made the bezel narrower. The Ducky
One has two-stage feet to adjust your keyboard
into 3 different angles flat, short and tall. This
comes as a treat because now users have the
ability to adjust it more to their liking than ever
before, though the only gripe we had with the
feet were the short ones which felt a tad flimsy,
whereas the tall one was much bigger and
sturdier.
The switch used by the Ducky One sent
to us was Cherry MX Red, known for being a
gamers favourite. The keys were nice to work
on, even when during word processing or just
daily chatting. Though we understand that
typists usually like the click of a Cherry MX Blue
board, the Cherry MX Red is also a good switch
for typing said one of our writers. The build
quality of the board as a whole is very good, it
had a nice weight to it and feels durable, and
has a nice body when you press the keys down.

The two-step angle adjusting feet, the smaller one

could be sturdier

Double-shot ABS
Build quality

Small feet feels

flimsy

CHIP CONCLUDES
You wouldnt find it hard to look for a great
board from Ducky these days, and the Duck
One Orange Legends is no exception. The
keyboard performs great and the Doubleshot ABS keycaps with orange legends would
even make an enthusiast happy.

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MSI GeForce
GTX 970 Tiger
Price: RM 1,479
Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn. Bhd., Mediaforte
(Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Advancenet Technology Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 2148 1307, (03) 7960 6868, (03) 8070 3633
Info: my.msi.com
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 970
Memory: 4GB GDDR5
Ports: DVI x2, HDMI x1, DisplayPort x1
Slot Size: Double
3DMark FireStrike: 11,582 points
3DMark FireStrike (Extreme): 5,121 points
3DMark FireStrike (Ultra): 2,316 points

By Nazrin Zain

Performance:
Features:
Design:

A Tiger In Your PC

Two 6-pin PCIe power plugs are required to power up

the card

The GTX 970 is still good for Full HD gaming

hilst all the graphics card hype now

surrounds the likes of NVIDIAs GTX
10XX series and the new AMDs
Radeon RX 480, the GTX 970 series of cards is
now likely the go-to card for an inexpensive
high-end 1080p gaming option, as it still holds
its own against the new kids on the block. The
MSI GTX 970 Tiger may just be what youre
looking for.
The GTX 970 Tiger sports MSIs cool Armor
2X cooling system, which sports aluminium
fins, copper heatpipes and two black-and-white
10mm fans which help dissipate heat from the
HSF. At the back, the 970 Tiger features two
DVI ports, one HDMI port and one DisplayPort
for video output. To power the card, two six-pin
PCIe power plugs are required.
The 970 Tiger comes out of the box with
similar clock speeds as that of the reference
design, but thanks to the MSI Afterburner
software, you can still overclock the core clock a
fair bit to get the most out of your GPU.
As far as overclocking is concerned, we were

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able to push the base clock to about 1,100MHz

without a problem. Throughout our tests, the
GTX 970 Tiger was still able to play all the latest
games, like Doom, Rise of The Tomb Raider and
Grand Theft Auto V at the highest settings at
1080p. In some cases, like Shadow of Mordor,
were even able to push the card to play at
1440p, with adjustments in some settings.
The great thing of course is that throughout
most of these tests, the fans were keeping the
cards temperature under control, but its only
when the action gets a bit heated do the fans
start becoming somewhat audible. That said,
the noise wasnt all too loud, and we were still
able to game in relative silence as the sounds
that can be heard were mostly ones that are
being output by the speakers.
One of our favourite things about the card,
besides its performance and features, is how
easily it blends in with the multitude of black
and white motherboards that are coming out
lately. Modders and system builders would
definitely want to consider.

The MSI GTX 970 Tiger comes with the standard

accompaniment of video out ports

Performance still
holds up to the new
cards

None

CHIP CONCLUDES
No doubt the GTX 10XX and RX 480 cards are
the talk of town right now, but the GTX 970
is still a great choice if the aforementioned
cards are still difficult to find in stores right
now.

test lab

HP Color LaserJet
Pro MFP M377dw
Price: RM 3,179
Contact: Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 22 6998
Info: www.hp.com/my
Type: Laser
Max Paper Size: A4
Max paper count: 250
Scanner: Yes, 1,200x1,200 DPI
Connectivity: WiFi, USB 2.0

By Nazrin Zain

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Small In Size, Big

In Performance

This touch screen display is where all the magic

happens

Print quickly and securely with HPs latest printer

ts been a while since we last reviewed a

printer. HP recently unveiled a brand new
line of products here in Malaysia, and one of
them happens to be a multifunction printer. We
were recently given the opportunity to review
one of them, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP
M377dw, a printer that HP says not only gives
you excellent printing performance, but guards
against outside threats such as hackers too.
Up front, the M377dw sports a touch-screen
colour-graphic display, which is pretty much
where all of the options and functions that can
be used on the printer are housed. If youre
looking for less cable clutter around the printer,
youll be happy to know that it has WiFi built-in,
and supports a variety of authentication types,
including WEP, WPA, WPA-2, and has support
for AES and TKIP encryption formats.
Printers are traditionally used alongside
computers, but with the M377dw, you can
also print from smartphones, tablets and USB
thumbdrives as well. It has support for HP

ePrint, Apple AirPrint, as well as Google Cloud

Print, amongst others.
Printing quality is very decent for both
monochrome and colour prints, as we managed
to get about 25-30 prints per minute for the
former, and around 20 prints for the latter. The
first page out times meanwhile varies around
10-15 seconds depending on the type of prints
that youre putting out.
Print quality is also quite good, with no
noticeable carbon dust beside the text prints,
while the colour prints look sharp and vibrant.
The input tray holds up to about 250 pieces of
paper according to HP, with an option to add a
paper tray that holds out 500 more pieces of
paper if your office needs it.
As far as toners are concerned, HP says
that each of the standard toners are capable of
printing out up to 2,300 pages, which is great
because it means that you dont have to switch
them out every so often, making them quite
value for money.

The M377dws toners can be accessed from the rear

of the printer

Performance
Features

Price

CHIP CONCLUDES
If your office happens to be a small or a
mid-sized one, the HP Color LaserJet Pro
MFP M377dw is a great printer to have to
share amongst your colleagues. Initial cost of
ownership may be a bit high at first, but with
the features built into this printer, youll save
up on toners, and have more space for other
things.

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AMD Radeon
RX 480
Price: N/A
Contact: AMD Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 8316 3512
Info: www.amd.com
GPU: AMD RX 480
Memory: 8GB GDDR5
Ports: 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
Slot Size: Dual-Slot
3D Mark
Fire Strike: 10,906 points
Fire Strike Extreme: 5,355 points
Fire Strike Ultra: 2,755 points
Time Spy: 4,214 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:

By Nixon Ng

The New Budget

King?
At the RX 480s price point I dont think any other card can
come beat it within the same price range, high
performance with VR-ready capabilities makes the RX 480
AMDs current golden egg

ith VR gaming just around the

horizon, AMD is already prepared
to give gamers the VR experience
we need. With the release of AMDs Polaris
graphic cards and graphic cards yet to come,
the future of VR seems to be in good hands
when it comes to hardware. With the AMD
RX480 you can have mid-range graphic
performance whilst enjoying VR at reasonable
prices. Without further ado, lets get into
AMDs latest graphic card for the masses.
The AMD RX 480 is based on the new
Polaris architecture that combines the latest
14nm FinFET process and AMDs advanced
power, gating and clocking technologies.
With the smaller architecture we can expect
there to be better cooling and lower power
consumption while enjoying high performance
without compromise. The RX 480 is also
HDR (High Dynamic Range) ready, although
only TVs have the privilege of enjoying this
technology, AMD has said they were working
with monitor manufacturers on this and we
may see HDR monitors in the near future.
The new Polaris architecture supports

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HDMI 2.0b along with DisplayPort 1.3 for

greater compatibility with new generation
monitors. When it comes to gaming
performance, the RX 480 performs like a
high-end card from the previous generation
but at the price point of a mid-range card.
The current generation of games on 1080p
shouldnt have any issues playing smoothly
on this graphic card. Even if youre just a
casual or competitive MOBA gamer, in the
future newer games should still be playable
if you choose to pick up this card. Before
we forget, the core clock of the RX 480 is
1120MHz but when going into heavier loads,
the RX 480 is capable of boosting up to
1266MHz for its boost clock.
When it comes to cooling and noise we
didnt expect too much since its a reference
blower-style cooler. But due to the reduced
heat from the Polaris architecture we did
notice that card ran a lot quieter than other
blower-style coolers. Unfortunately, we did
not have any VR gears on us so we werent
able to test VR games, which we may revisit
on future graphic card reviews.

Only a 6-pin power connector is needed to power this

bad boy

Three DisplayPorts and one HDMI port seems to be the

norm, would be better if they gave an extra HDMI

Performance
Price performance
ratio
VR-ready

None

CHIP CONCLUDES
If youre out to buy a card thatll be ready for
the future and dont have much to spend too
much, AMDs RX 480 is hands down the best
choice other than aiming for a second-hand
card.

test lab

Dell Precision
Tower 3420
Price: RM3,832
Contact: Dell Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 88 0301, 1 800 88 2888
Info: www.dell.com.my
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
Processor: Intel Core i7-6700
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro K620
Memory: 32GB DDR4
Storage: 2TB HDD
Input/Output: 1x PS/2 Keyboard, 1x PS/2 Mouse,
1x Optical drive, 1x Gigabit LAN, 3x DisplayPort, 1x
DVI-D, 1x HDMI, 1x VGA, 1x audio jack, 6x USB 3.0,
4x USB 2.0
Dimensions: 92.7mm x 292.1mm x 290mm
Weight: 5.3kg
PCMark Home: 3,960 points
PCMark Creative: 3,848 points
PCMark Work: 3,466 points

By Matthew Yap

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Upgrading Made
Easy
This desktop from Dell doesnt look like much, but its a
capable workstation for all sorts of rendering work

ue to all the premium laptops to

high-end gaming desktops, often times
we forget that theres a lot of people
who want a simpler PC or workstation. Dell
has always been one of those that does this
category justice and one of its latest is the
Precision Tower 3420.
The Dell Precision Tower 3420 is a
workstation in a Small Form Factor (SFF). Its
slim enough to be kept at a corner of the desk
without occupying too much space, or laid flat
and placed under a monitor if preferred.
As a well-equipped machine, the Tower
3420 comes with not only a good number of
USB ports, it also has an optical drive, a variety
of display outputs, Gigabit LAN port, and old
school PS/2 ports for both keyboard and
mouse.
Inside, this desktop comes back with
workstation grade hardware. Theres an Intel
Core i7-6700 powering it, along with 32GB of
DDR4 RAM, a Nvidia Quadro K620 GPU, and 2TB
of HDD storage. This particular configuration is

meant as a workstation, with the GPU ideal for

graphics rendering for 2D/3D models.
The biggest advantage of this desktop, as
opposed to many other pre-built desktops,
is that almost everything inside the Tower
3420 can be replaced easily. Pulling a latch at
the back of the case allows for removal of the
side panel and access to the internals. From
there, all it takes is some effort to remove the
components on top, in order to do upgrades.
Not only can the hard drive be replaced, so can
the optical drive and the RAMs beneath the
drive cage. Its also possible to install a M.2 SSD
on the motherboard, remove the CPU cooler to
upgrade the processor (Kaby Lake, for example),
as well as replace the Quadro K620 GPU.
Overall, we are quite impressed with the
performance of this SFF desktop PC from
Dell. Its computing performance is great and
is particularly suited for rendering work, as
expected. In operation, its as quiet as it can be
and temperatures remain at about 78-degree
Celsius, which is not too hot.

A set of basic keyboard and mouse is included here

The side of the desktop can be unlatched, allowing

you to swap out some of the components within

Compact
Upgradable

GPU upgrade options

limited
Poor keyboard and
mouse set

CHIP CONCLUDES
For a workstation, the Tower 3420 provides
the performance required for rendering
tasks that are not too demanding. Best thing
yet, this package is relatively affordable,
compared to more high-end workstations.

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ASUS X99-Deluxe II
Price: RM2,115
Contact: Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd.,
ECS Astar Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222
Info: www.asus.com/my/
Socket: LGA 2011-v3
Chipset: Intel X99
RAM Slots: 8
Memory: 3333(O.C.)/3300(O.C.)/3200(O.C.)/3000(
O.C.)/2800(O.C.)/2666(O.C.)/2400(O.C.)/2133 MHz
DDR4
Ports: 2x LAN, 3x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x USB Type-C,
4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 5x Audio ports, 1x Optical
(SPDIF), 3x WiFi antenna port, 4x PCIe 3.0/2.0
x16, 1x PCIe 2.0 x4, 1x PCI x1, 8x SATA 6Gb/s, 1x
SATA Express, 1x M.2 socket 3 (vertical), 2x U.2
connector
PCMark 8 Home: 4,215 points
PCMark 8 Creative: 4,887 points
PCMark 8 Work: 3,636 points

By Matthew Yap

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Luxury Package
ASUS really gave us a pleasant surprise with how much
theyve managed to stuff into the box of the X99-Deluxe II

he newer X99 motherboards have

started appearing on the market last
month, with ASUS X99-Deluxe II among
the most premium model there is currently.
The ASUS X99-Deluxe comes in a large
black box with the ATX-sized motherboard, as
well as tonnes of goodies inside. This includes
a PCI card for an extra M.2 SSD, another one
for USB 3.1 Type-C supporting Thunderbolt 3,
a fan extension header, a wireless AC antenna
extender, and a three-way SLI bridge.
Just like its predecessor, the Deluxe II has
a cover over the I/O ports and audio chipset
on the motherboard to help drastically reduce
EMI, as well as metal reinforced PCI Express
slots. It also has a M.2 socket in a vertical
position, plenty of additional headers for USB
ports, a connector for a RGB LED strip, and a
4-pin connector for a water pump. With eight
DIMM slots, this motherboard can support
up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM running at a
maximum of 3,333 MHz.
Other nice additions are like the dedicated
circuits for the fan headers, to help prevent
over-temperature or over-current; extra
pins (compared to the standard LGA-2011
socket) on the CPU socket for more headroom
in overclocking the CPU and RAM, while

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maintaining greater stability; and the semiopaque clips on the PCI-e slots that allow the
RGB lights to shine through.
Installing this motherboard is a relatively
simple process. A CPU installation tool is
available, but unnecessary for those who
are experienced with CPU installations. We
did run into clearance issues for the CPU
cooler, due to the CPU sockets proximity to
the DIMM slots. But as long as the RAMs
are installed first, its not an issue. Also,
depending on how many RAMs are being
used, different installation configurations
that ASUS specified must be followed, or the
system wont even boot up. The vertical M.2
SSD slot is highly unusual and requires the
extra bracket found in the box to secure it in
place. Its a little bit of extra work, compared
to the typical single screw to secure, but not a
big deal breaker.
Overall, the performance of the Deluxe
II is indeed good. The RGB LEDs are a nice
touch, but not viewable unless a casing with
a transparent side panel is used. What will
definitely appeal to the enthusiasts out there,
however, is all the extras that it offers and
the fantastic build quality that ensures this
motherboard a long lifespan.

A simple layout here, but packed with extras like the

USB Type-C port and the antenna connectors for
wireless AC

A bunch of extra goodies come packed with this

motherboard

Useful components
included
High quality build

Price

CHIP CONCLUDES
A motherboard that can handle extreme
overclocking and last the distance. Its a
top-end, high performing motherboard with
tonnes of added value.

test lab

TP-LINK Neffos
C5 Max
Price: RM699
Contact: ECS Astar Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 6286 8222
Info: www.ecsm.com.my
Display: 5.5-inch (FHD)
Processor: MediaTek MT6753
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi
Memory: 2GB
Storage: 16GB expandable with microSD
Operating System: Android 5.1
Camera: 13MP (rear), 5MP (front)
Dimensions: 152mm x 76mm x 8.95mm
Weight: 161g
3DMark Icestorm Unlimited: 6,818 points
3DMark Icestorm Extreme: 4,343 points
3DMark Icestorm: 7,612 points
PC Mark Work: 3,768 points
Antutu: 37,021 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

By Nixon Ng

May The Neffos Be

With You
TP-LINKs foray into the mobile world is well done,
providing a satisfying experience at a reasonable price
point

P-LINK is known mainly as a global

provider of network products, but it
was only recent that they began their
foray into the world of smartphones. Now
TP-LINK has a line of smartphones under the
title C5, and we had the pleasure of testing
the TP-LINK Neffos C5 Max, their highest end
smartphone at the time we received it.
The Neffos C5 Max is a simple looking
phone, but that doesnt mean its a bad
thing as there are users who like a simple
and neat design. Though the silver metal
accented edges do make for some elegance
in the midst of the simplicity. The 5.5-inch
IPS screen sports Full HD resolution and
is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass for
added protection. The IPS screen makes
for outstanding viewing angles and great
image reproduction, all the while making text
comfortable to read as well.
Despite its simple outlook the phone has
some pretty good hardware under its hood,

a MediaTek MT6753 and 2GB of RAM. The

2GB of RAM is something we didnt like as
the average modern user likes to multi-task
on their phone and the 2GB of RAM just
doesnt cut it. Although the RAM is a problem
the Neffos C5 Max is still capable of smooth
operation on a day to day basis. Applications
still work smoothly and menus and navigation
are lag-free unless multiple applications are
running at a time. Its not recommended to
run many background applications.
Another downside would be its speakers,
which we found adequate for normal usage
but disappointing when it came to listening
to music especially heavier kinds like J-Rock
or Orchestral. The phone also comes with
16GB of built-in memory with a microSD slot
to expand it up to 32GB. All that storage can
be put to good use with the phones 13MP
rear camera which takes satisfying pictures,
and should be able to capture your special
moments without a hitch.

A simple design for simple purposes

The accented silver edges definitely gives it a bit of a

classy look

Performance

Speakers
2GB RAM only

CHIP CONCLUDES
For those who are looking for a simple phone
that does what it was meant to do, the
TP-LINK Neffos C5 Max does just that, and
we can recommend it if youre looking for a
simple phone that performs well for its price.

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test lab

Cooler Master
MasterKeys
Lite L Combo
Price: RM 299
Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd,
Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7956 6300, (03) 7955 3699
Info: www.coolermaster.com
Switch: Cooler Master Mem-chanical/Omron 10M
Sensor: Avago 3050
LED Colour: RGB
Connector cable: USB 2.0
Dimensions: 553 x 129 x 41 mm
Weight: 1.058KG

By Nazrin Zain

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

A Colourful Combo

Cooler Masters keyboard and mouse combo add colour to

your gaming experience

eyboard and mouse combos are quite a

common sight these days, but more often
than not, theyre usually pretty low-key,
and are made to be as cheap as possible,
while compromising on a fair bit of quality.
Cooler Master aims to change all that with the
MasterKeys Lite L Combo.
This particular setup allows you to have an
above average keyboard and mouse setup at
an affordable price, which also come with RGB
lighting that allows you to brighten up your
own home or office desktop setup.
As far as look and feel go, the MasterKeys
Lite L Combo is as standard as most keyboard
and mice come. The keyboard sports an allpolycarbonate chassis, with removable keycaps
that are Cherry MX compatible, even though
the switches used are of Cooler Masters own
design, called Mem-chanical switches, which
are a hybrid of a mechanical switch and normal
membrane ones.
The mouse meanwhile utilises an Avago
3050 sensor, which is complemented with
Omron switches, which not only provide tactile
clicks, but also a long-lasting lifespan. On top
of the usual four buttons and one scroll-wheel
combo, the mouse also comes with an on-thefly DPI switcher, which goes from 500 all the

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way up to 3,500 for a super stable, or extremely

fast gaming experience.
As mentioned before, both the mouse and
keyboard come with RGB lighting options,
and in the case of the keyboard, it has six
lighting zones, with a variety of lighting modes,
including breathing, wave, ripple, scan and a
host of others. With the mouse, you get to
choose if you want to have static colours, or
have them cycle through different hues.
Controls for the mode and colour switching
can all be done via the keyboard, without having
to install any software, and same goes for the
mouse. The colours and lighting modes on the
mouse can be changed by doing a combo of
clicks, all of which are well-documented in the
manual.
The keyboard is quite an enjoyable one to
use if youre doing a lot of typing. Whilst the
clicks on the keys dont feel as tactile as that of
the Cherry MX, its actuation force is similar to
that of Brown switches, which is something we
do like quite a bit.
The mouse does not lag far behind as the
Omron switches ensure that each click is a
satisfying one while ensuring that they last
longer than most other mice at this price point.

The MasterKeys mouse is a pretty simple,

straightforward device

The lighting options for the MasterKeys keyboard can

be changed directly from the keyboard itself without
any software installation

Price
Performance

RGB lights dont

illuminate keys properly

CHIP CONCLUDES
The Cooler Master MasterKeys Lite L Combo
is a great set to have if youre looking to buy
a mouse and keyboard that doesnt chip away
too much on your budget.

test lab

HTC 10
Price: RM2,799
Contact: HTC Careline
Phone: 1 800 88 9855
Info: www.htc.com/sea
Display: 5.2 inch (2,560x1,440)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 32GB (expandable via MicroSD up to 2TB)
Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera: Rear-facing 12MP UltraPixel, Front-facing
5MP camera
Dimensions: 145.9 x 71.9 x 3.0 mm
Weight: 161g
AnTuTu Benchmark: 134,070 points
3DMark SlingShot ES3.1: 2,183 points
PCMark: 5,736 points

By Nazrin Zain

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

The Power Of 10
HTC makes a return with a bold statement

TCs flagship phones have always been

some of our favourite smartphones to
play around with. With many brands
now competing in that same premium space
as of late, how does its latest and greatest,
the HTC 10 fare? Read on to find out how it did
during our short time with it.
Sporting a 5.2 inch display with a resolution
of 2,560x1,440 pixels, the HTC 10 is powered
by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor,
with 4GBs of RAM and 32GBs of storage space,
which is expandable via a microSD slot, which
allows the phones storage to go up to 2TBs.
The HTC 10 also runs Googles latest Android 6.0
operating system, codenamed Marshmallow.
One of the best things about the HTC 10,
we feel is its insistence to keep to a form factor
that provides users with a big display real
estate, but stops short of being too unwieldy.
The aluminium unibody design makes a return
of course, but this time around, there is a thick
chamfered bezel at the back of the phone,
making it look considerably thick.
Also located at the back is the 12MP
Ultrapixel 2 camera, which takes some pretty
brilliant looking shots both in places where

there are plenty of or lacking light. HTC has

also added manual controls in the form of the
Pro mode in its camera app, allowing users to
control the cameras settings to shoot photos in
certain ways.
Performance-wise, the HTC 10 is easily on
par with the best flagship smartphones out
there in the market right now. Right from the
various benchmark numbers, to real life usage
scenarios, the HTC 10 does not miss a beat. You
can install pretty much any app on it and the
phone will run it with no issues whatsoever.
Battery life is also a big plus for the HTC
10, as the 3,000mAh battery not only lasts
you throughout the entire day and a bit more
on a single charge, the phone also sports a
USB Type-C connector that is QuickCharge 3.0
certified, which charges the phone from empty
up to 50% in just half an hour.
As an extra, audiophiles will also be happy
to know that the HTC 10 supports end-to-end
24bit Hi-Res sound, which is previously only
seen on Sony phones. The earphones that
come with the device also is capable of driving
the lossless format without any noticeable loss
in quality.

The HTC 10s rear-facing 12MP camera takes some

pretty great shots too

The HTC 10 is the latest smartphone to sport

Qualcomms QuickCharge 3.0-certified USB Type-C
port, which charges the phone from empty to 50% in 30
minutes

Performance
Design

Price

CHIP CONCLUDES
The HTC 10 comes in at the time when the
company sorely needs a powerful flagship
to lift it up, and the device does exactly that
admirably.

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Kingston HyperX
Cloud Revolver
Price: TBA
Contact: Amble Action Sdn Bhd., Convergent Distribution(M)
Sdn Bhd., Ingram Micro Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7665 3939, (03) 2144 1881, (03) 7952 8188
Info: www.kingston.com
Driver: 50mm dynamic - neodymium magnets
Frequency Range: 12-28,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 104.5dB/mW
Mic: Electret condenser microphone
Recording pattern: Uni-directional, Noisecancelling
Weight: 360g

By Matthew Yap

Performance:
Features:
Design:

Comfort Revolution
Kingston has up the game with its latest gaming headset,
with visible improvements over its older siblings

lot of gaming headsets have ridiculous

price tags, but dont provide the comfort,
sound quality, or even microphone
quality to justify the cost. There are some
exceptions, however, and Kingstons HyperX
Cloud Revolver might just be better than most
options out there.
As the next in line of Kingstons HyperX
gaming headset series, Kingston has made
quite a few design changes that differentiates
the Revolver from its predecessor, the Cloud
II. From first impressions alone, the Revolver
looks sleeker than the Cloud II and doesnt have
that slightly tacky plastic plate on the earcups.
Kingston opted to keep the oval-shaped soft
pleather earcups for the Revolver, which is
fine because the 50mm drivers mean that the
earcups are big enough most people.
In a move to keep the cost low, Kingston
did away with the extra set of plush velour
cushions and the USB sound card. This is easy
to tell, because the extended cable ends in two
3.5 mm jacks that plug into the audio out and
line-in of a motherboards back IO. It does have
inline volume control and a mute switch for the
microphone.
The last component is the detachable boom

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mic that plugs directly into a port on the left

side of the headset. Its not as flexible as the
one on the Cloud II, but it isnt a big deal as its
natural position is just right below and away
from the users mouth, while being off-centred.
We really like the build quality of the
Revolver and the comfort it provides. Thanks
to its steel frame, its really solid yet doesnt
feel like its heavy on our heads because the
elastic headband will adjust accordingly. The
pleather earcups are also softer than the one
that comes with the Cloud II, sealing the audio
output in and keeping external sound out. In
addition, we didnt feel it clamp hard during use.
In terms of sound quality, the Cloud
Revolvers sound signature is typical of gaming
headsets bass heavy. Overall, its good
enough for gaming since it does allow us to
hear where sound is coming from. Its still
decent for music, though audiophiles probably
wont be all that impressed with it. The mic
performs well, delivering clear voice quality to
recipients without distortion. Kingston used
a noise-cancelling boom mic for the Cloud
Revolver, which helps eliminate the ambient
noise in the environment like the hum of a PCs
fan.

No more USB sound cards this time, only a cable splitter

for the PC

This detachable boom mic is semi-flexible and

performs well enough

Comfortable
Good mic
Solid build

Not quite meant

for music

CHIP CONCLUDES
Theres no external 7.1 audio USB sound card,
but the sound quality isnt that different from
the Cloud II. However, the Cloud Revolver
is very comfortable to wear and is multiplatform, allowing you to use it with next-gen
consoles too.

test lab

ASUS VivoMini
VM65N
Price: RM2,299
Contact: Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd,
Servex(Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Ingram Micro Malaysia Sdn Bhd,
Achieva Technology Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7955 3699, (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7952 8188,
(03) 7955 1768
Info: www.asus.com/my
Operating System: Windows 10
Processor: Intel i5-6200U
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 930M
Memory: 4GB DDR4
Storage: 1x 1TB HDD
PCMark Work: 2,672 points
PCMark Home: 2,359 points
PCMark Creative: 2,319 points

By Nixon Ng

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Portability And
Performance

Portability done right by ASUS, a PC with a wide variety of

uses combined with the input and outputs of a PC

irst there are desktops, meant for

stationary purposes and high-end gaming
with all the inputs and outputs youll ever
need on your desk. Then there are laptops
which although could reach desktop level
performances, it lacks the multiple inputs and
outputs of a desktop. But if youre looking for
computer for media purposes and require a lot
of inputs and outputs, you could take a look at
the ASUS VivoMini VM65N.
The ASUS VivoMini VM65N actually makes
a pretty good travel companion if youre going
to stay at hotels with TVs that sport a HDMI
connection. Carry along a portable keyboard
and mouse and a HDMI cables and youre all
set to have a mobile PC when youre anywhere
in the world. The VM65N runs on an Intel
Core i5-6200U Skylake processor, a pretty
decent processor that should handle everyday
tasks smoothly and efficiently. Such as word
processing, data entry and even watching
movies. It works exactly like a basic PC would at
home, but with greater portability and retaining
connectivity.
The VM65N can also work as a media server

for your home, or when youre on vacation with

nothing to do at your hotel. It sports a total of 6
USB ports for charging devices and connecting
external storage devices. Speaking of storage
devices, the VM65N allows you to change
your hard drives for an SSD or another larger
HDD for faster performance. You can also add
additional RAM up to 16GBs of DDR4 2133MHz
RAM. For casual gaming the mini-pc has a
NVIDIA GeForce 930M with 1GB of dedicated
memory so you can play those less demanding
games, and also enjoy watching videos in true
4K and UHD resolutions when working together
with NVIDIAs Optimus technology.
The built-in SonicMaster speakers are quite
decent for small bedrooms or living rooms,
but will require speakers when blasting out in
a medium sized room. The VM65N is a quiet
player, not making much noise when playing
high-resolution media, and the temperatures
are actually quite decent. Theres also the ASUs
Media Streamer and Remote Go! Apps that
can turn your VM65N into a home theatre PC
by streaming music and video files from your
mobile device.

All the connectivity and inputs youll need for a long,

long time

Vivo Dual-Bay in the flesh, just slot it in screw in the

case and slide it back into place. Easy as 1,2,3!

Portability
Connectivity

None

CHIP CONCLUDES
Find that you lack the space for a full-sized
desktop in your home or want to connect
a laptop to a monitor but you dont have
enough desk space? The VM65N is perfect for
those with space restrictions as it is VESAmount compatible.

chip malaysia

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test lab

GIGABYTE X99Ultra Gaming

Price: RM1,799
Contact: Nation-Tech Sdn.Bhd.,
Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 4280 6636, (03) 79566300
Info: www.gigabyte.my
Socket: LGA 2011-v3
Chipset: Intel X99
RAM Slots: 8
Memory: 3600(OC)/3400(OC)/3333(O.C.)/3200
(O.C.)/3000(O.C.)/2800(O.C.)/2666(O.C.)/2400(
O.C.)/2133 MHz DDR4
Ports: 1x PS/2, 2x LAN, 3x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x
USB Type-C, 6x USB 3.0, 5x Audio ports, 1x Optical
(SPDIF), 2x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16, 2x PCIe 3.0 x8, 1x PCI
x1, 10x SATA 6Gb/s, 1x SATA Express, 1x M.2 SSD
connector, 1x M.2 WiFi connector, 1x U.2 connector
PCMark 8 Home: 4,219 points
PCMark 8 Creative: 4,714 points
PCMark 8 Work: 3,584 points

By Matthew Yap

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

High-end Gaming
Made Affordable
While X99 motherboards can be expensive, GIGABYTE
shows that it doesnt have to break your bank entirely

rands these days see the gaming

community as the biggest targetable
market and so were not surprised with
the name of this motherboard from GIGABYTE X99-Ultra Gaming.
The X99-Ultra Gaming doesnt have many in
the way of extra frills in the box, only a 3-way
and 2-way SLI bridge, a pair of Velcro straps
to secure cables, and an extension cable for a
RGB LED strip. By cutting out the extras and
focusing on its features, GIGABYTE helped the
user save money for other key PC components.
This motherboard also has top notch build
quality. Not only does it have metal reinforced
brackets for the DIMM and PCI-e slots,
there are high quality capacitors, dedicated
power phases, and many more. Besides that,
theres a cover over the back I/O ports and
the audio chipset, shielding these parts from
electromagnetic interference from other
components on the board.
For add-ons, it has a M.2 SSD, a M.2 WiFi
connector, a U.2 connector and SATA Express
port for compatible SSDs. Additionally, those

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who have chassis with lots of fans would

appreciate the five 4-pin connectors for chassis
fan or water pumps. And lastly, theres two
gigabit LAN ports, one from Killer Gaming
Network and the other by Intel, so users can
isolate their game network data from general
browsing or downloads.
As expected, there are eight DIMM slots
on this motherboard and the spacing can
be tight there. Larger fan CPU coolers might
block the first PCI-e slot, so smaller ones or a
water cooling solution would work better. Also,
a 3-way SLI setup could block some of the
headers on the board as well.
In terms of performance, the X99Ultra Gaming has plenty of headroom for
overclocking. But in practice, users would likely
be bottlenecked by the CPU, especially if its not
one thats suitable for overclocking. With two
PWM capable 4-pin connectors, its possible to
install two separate cooling solutions too one
for the CPU and another for GPUs so its
possible to achieve really good temperature
levels and acoustic.

All PCI-e slots on this motherboard have a metal

bracket reinforcing them

Premium motherboards like this now tend to feature

USB Type-C port as a standard

Comparatively
cheaper
Dedicated RAM
power phase

Clearance issues

CHIP CONCLUDES
A great option for gamers who want a
system that can do extreme overclocking, but
dont care for the often times insane prices
that X99 motherboards command.

test lab

MSI GTX 1060

GAMING X
Price: RM1,519
Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn. Bhd., Mediaforte
(Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Advancenet Technology Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 2148 1307, (03) 7960 6868, (03) 8070 3633
Info: my.msi.com
GPU: NVIDIA GTX1060
Memory: 6GB GDDR5
Ports: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
Slot Size: Dual-Slot
Dimensions: 277 x 140 x 39mm
3D Mark
Fire Strike: 11,866 points
Fire Strike Extreme: 6,173 points
Fire Strike Ultra: 3,177 points
Time Spy: 4,513 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

By Nixon Ng

A Gamers Grail

MSI does it again with the GTX 1060 GAMING X, bringing us

the Twin Frozr VI cooler that we love and the great
performance of a NVIDIA graphic card all-in-one

ith the release of the GTX 1060

the world is going wild as the bar
for mid-range gaming has been
brought up once again. Ushering a new
benchmark for graphic cards at its price range,
reaching performances that were only capable
in high-end graphic cards in the past. MSI
decided they had to have their own take in
this and came up with their MSI GTX 1060
GAMING X to show what theyre made of.
The MSI GTX1060 is NVIDIAs latest
mid-range graphic card occupying the space
between high-end gaming and budget
gaming, and also serves as a portal into VR
gaming as well. If youre just a 1080p gamer
and would like to get into VR gaming in the
future, the GTX 1060 seems like a good choice.
But getting back to the GTX 1060 GAMING
X, out of the box we are invited by MSIs
trademark Twin Frozr VI cooler, we personally
are a huge fan of the Twin Frozr series of
coolers. The Torx 2.0 isnt just aesthetically
pleasing, but also provides silent and cool
gaming all the time.
When running benchmarks the graphic

card proved to be a silent giant with the

fans only starting to spin when action really
gets nitty and gritty. Even then the card was
silent when placing our ears right next to the
graphic card, but this might also depend on
your cooling setup and whether your rooms
ambient temperature is low or high, in our
case it was the former. The graphic card now
also comes with a backplate which we found
to be a great addition, so gamers on a tighter
budget can still enjoy having aesthetics.
The GTX 1060 usually runs on only a single
6-pin connector but MSI decided to replace
that with an 8-pin connector to allow higher
power draw for overclocking purposes. When
on Gaming Mode which MSI deems it to be
the smoothest and stable overclock they can
achieve for gaming on this card, the core clock
finds itself at a base clock of 1569MHz and
a boost clock of 1784MHz. This is evident in
our gaming, as it easily plays the latest 1080p
games without a hitch. Though certain games
may have a higher requirement than most, we
are pretty certain that 1080p gaming would
be of no problems whatsoever.

A backplate on a mid-range card will definitely please

the masses

The Torx 2.0 fans that we have come to love up close

Performance
Twin Frozr VI
Backplate

None

CHIP CONCLUDES
On a tight budget, but are willing to spend
that few extra bucks on a graphic card?
The MSI GTX 1060 GAMING X is no doubt a
worthy contender if you dont already own a
GTX 970 or GTX 980.

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101

test lab

MSI X99A XPower

Gaming Titanium
Price: RM 2,169
Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn. Bhd., Mediaforte
(Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Advancenet Technology Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 2148 1307, (03) 7960 6868, (03) 8070 3633
Info: my.msi.com
Socket: LGA 2011-v3
Chipset: Intel X99
RAM Slots: 8
Memory: 3333(O.C.)/3300(O.C.)/3200(O.C.)/3000(
O.C.)/2800(O.C.)/2666(O.C.)/2400(O.C.)/2133 MHz
DDR4
Ports: USB 3.1 Gen 1 x4, USB Gaming Port x2,
USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A x1, USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C x1,
Intel WiFi/Bluetooth x1, HD Audio Connectors x5,
Optical S/PDIF x1
PCMark 8 Home: 4,320 points
PCMark 8 Creative: 4,831 points
PCMark 8 Work: 3,825 points

By Nazrin Zain

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

A Titanium
Behemoth

MSIs new X99 motherboard ticks all the right boxes

eve got a triple whammy of brand

new X99 motherboards this month,
no thanks to Intel just recently
launching their latest series of Broadwell-E
processors. MSI is on board with their highestend motherboard in the form of the MSI X99A
XPower Gaming Titanium.
To start off, the motherboards PCB
is encased entirely in a metallic sheen of
grey. This, coupled with the Steel Armor
reinforcements on the RAM, PCIe, and M.2 SATA
slots ensures that both the slots are protected
from possible bending issues.
The motherboard sports eight DDR4 RAM
slots which supports quad-channel memory up
to 128GBs of RAM, a very generous 10 SATA III
ports, one M.2 SATA port, and a whopping five
PCIe 3.0 slots for multi-GPU support as well as
others, such as PCIe SSD, WiFi and many more.
The XPower Gaming Titanium motherboard
is also very generous in terms of I/O, sporting
two USB gaming device ports, four USB 3.1
Gen 1 ports, as well as one each of USB Type-A
and Type-C Gen 2 ports. If youre looking to go
wireless, the motherboard also has support for
Intel WiFi and Bluetooth connections.

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If youre looking to do a fair bit of

overclocking with this board, youre in luck as
the motherboard comes with a bucketload
of options to help you do just that. The OC
Engine feature, in particular lets you fine-tune
BCLK numbers with minute adjustments from
100MHz to 125 and 167MHz straps to achieve
maximum possible numbers in overclock.
Helped together with extreme socket
designs which adds more pins to the CPU
socket, premium power phases and overvoltage
protection, you dont need to worry too much
about burning your processor and motherboard
to push for those overclocking records.
In our case, we managed to overclock our
Intel CPU to about 4.2GHz with relative ease,
and with a better cooling solution, were fairly
sure that the CPU will be able to clock even
higher, with adjustments to both BCLK and
voltage values are tested even further.
On top of an update to MSIs UEFI Click BIOS
5, users can also easily recover a corrupted
BIOS by connecting the power cable to the
motherboard (no CPU required), inserting a USB
drive with the BIOS files inside and using the
Flashback hotkey on the motherboard itself.

The XPower Gaming Titanium boasts MSIs Steel Armor

reinforcements on the PCIe slots, the M.2 SSD slot and
the RAM slots

As far as I/O ports go, MSI is very generous with the

ports on the XPower Gaming Titanium motherboard

Performance
Design
Features

Price

CHIP CONCLUDES
The MSI X99A XPower Gaming Titanium
is a motherboard to behold. It scores full
marks from us in terms of performance and
features, making it one of the motherboards
to recommend if youre looking to build a
Haswell-E or Broadwell-E system.

test lab

Samsung
Galaxy A9 Pro
Price: RM 1,999
Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 88 9999
Info: www.samsung.com.my
Display: 6.0 inches (1,920x1,080)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC
Memory: 4GBs
Storage: 32GBs (expandable via MicroSD up to
256GB)
Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera: Rear-facing 16.0MP with OIS, front-facing
8MP
Antutu Benchmark: 74,329 points
3DMark SlingShot ES3.1: 868 points
PCMark Work:

By Nazrin Zain

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:

Is Bigger Always
Better?

Samsungs Galaxy A9 Pro packs more things in a bigger

shell

ne would think that the age of phablets

is coming to its end, but Samsung goes
against that line of thought with the
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro, in an attempt to prove
that theres always an advantage with going
big.
It is not an understatement in saying that
the Galaxy A9 Pro is easily one of the biggest
smartphones weve seen. Underneath the
phones 6.0 inch Full HD display is a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 652 processor, with 4GBs of RAM
and 32GBs of storage, which is expandable via
a MicroSD card, which Samsung is generously
including with every purchase of the device.
At the back, the Galaxy A9 Pro sports a
16.0MP camera that has an aperture of f1.9
and Optical Image Stabilisation built in. This is
great especially for those who enjoy going out
and about, taking photos without having to
worry about the big phone wobbling too much.
Big displays, big storage space and a
camera with more megapixels than many.
Thats not all as the Galaxy A9 Pro also comes
sporting a 5,000mAh battery, which is easily

over 1,500mAh more than many flagship-level

phones out there. During our tests, a single
charge can easily last two whole days, even
with moderately high usage patterns.
If charging such a large capacity battery
worries you, fret not as the phone charges
pretty much from empty to full in just one to
two hours. Samsungs fast-charging technology
is brought over to this phone, making it similar
to an extra power bank if you have another
phone that requires additional battery power.
Performance-wise, were happy to note that
the Qualcomm processor and 4GBs of RAM on
the Galaxy A9 Pro performs as well as can be
expected. Playing games on the 6.0 inch screen
feels very vibrant, with nary a lag in most of the
games weve tested.
The only problem we faced with the phone
throughout our time with it is that its glass
back and aluminium sides make the phone a
tad bit slippery, and combined with the girth
of the phone, makes for some heart-stopping
moments as the phone has a tendency to slip
around in our hands.

The Galaxy A9 Pro sports a 16MP camera with OIS at

the back

The Nano SIM and MicroSD card slots are placed side
by side on the SIM tray

Battery life
Performance

Slippery

CHIP CONCLUDES
For what it is, the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is
a giant of a phone, and one that will definitely
be one to consider if youre looking for a large
mobile device that can last you for days.

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lite & leisure

PLAY

For The Watch

A fast-paced FPS game that emphasises on teamwork, team composition, and capturing
objectives. Not only that, the game is surrounded by interesting back stories and vibrant
characters By Nixon Ng

verwatch is Blizzards
latest game, receiving
much hype even before its
release. The game has become
one of the most popular games
to hit PCs and consoles this
year. It puts 12 players into two
teams of six, and brings them
into the world of Overwatch
to duke it out. Those familiar
with team-based shooter Team
Fortress 2 will find it easy to get
into this game, as the two games
share many similarities when it
comes to capturing or moving
objectives.
The game is exciting to play,
especially with friends as a great
team composition can make a

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lite & leisure

game much easier to be won. The roles

are divided into 4 categories Offense,
Defense, Tank, and Support. Each role
comes with several pre-defined hero
characters, each with their own unique
weapons and abilities that are played
differently from each other. Some players
may find certain heroes better for frontal
skirmishes, some lying in wait for an
enemy, or even those staying close to
their allies providing support. The variety
of heroes and the different ways you use
them allows a player to find what truly
suits their own playstyle.
What we found best about Overwatch
is on how easy it was to get into the
game. Some of us are veteran shooters,
but even our less FPS inclined players
found it easy to enjoy the game. Another
good note about the game is Blizzards
attentiveness to the balance of the game.
It hasnt been long and many heroes have
found themselves nerfed or powered up,
to ensure each and every hero is viable for
casual and competitive play. Furthermore,
players are given the opportunity to unlock
or purchase cosmetic items to change the
appearance of a heros theme and weapon.
To unlock many of the items available in
Overwatch you can either purchase a Loot
Box or by levelling.
To explain what gameplay is usually like,
lets pick one of our favourite heroes which
is Genji. Genji is a cybernetic ninja with a
troubled past, almost killed by his brother
but saved and rebuilt into what he is now.
His main attack comes in the form of rapidly

throwing shurikens at his enemies, but he

is also capable of climbing up walls and
deflecting enemy projectiles. We used our
wall climbing capabilities and cybernetic
agility to not only disorient our enemies but
to also take down the weaker heroes in the
enemy team's backline. Due to Genji's low
health, and the enemies quick reaction to
us, he can also be swiftly taken out by the
enemy.
While we were out of commission
waiting for our hero to spawn, the enemy
successfully captured their first objective,
with that our teammates quickly retreated
back to the next objective to prepare our
defences. The enemy also realised that Genji

was a threat to them, so the enemy relied

on tank heroes to counter us. This shows
that there is no one hero that is perfect
and flawless. You can become exceptionally
good at one hero but theres always another
which holds the advantage over you. This
went back and forth until the final objective
was captured in which then we switched
sides to become the attacking team.
This dynamic gameplay is what really
captures the attention of gamers, but
Overwatch isnt just all gameplay. Overwatch
also consists of a diverse cast of heroes
that spans genders and ethnicities, all which
have deep backgrounds. The game is slowly
gaining traction in the e-sports scene and
we wouldnt be surprised if it became big.
It has huge potential and depending on
how the developers work on it, it will keep
growing.

Overwatch
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Info: https://playoverwatch.com
System Requirements Platform: Windows, PS4,
Xbox One

Hero Cast
Fast-paced
Frequent balancing
Easy to get into

Poor leaverbuster system

Frequent server
routing issues

Gameplay:
Graphics:
Sound:
Replayability:

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lite & leisure

PLAY

The Swansong Of
Nathan Drake

We take a look at the final chapter of Nathan Drakes

adventure, which happens to be full of climbing, explosions,
and whole villages of enemies that appear to have come
out of nowhere By Nazrin Zain

dmit it. You didnt believe it when

Uncharted 4 was first announced at
E3 a few years back. But it did indeed
happened, and after months and months of
delays, the game finally decided to come out,
and it somewhat served as a bittersweet end to
round up Nathan Drakes adventures.

Plot
The game starts off, interestingly enough, with
a flashback. Not just any flashback, it was one
where Nathan was accompanied by his brother,
Samuel (Sam) Drake when they were children.
The cutscene then cuts off to when they were

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young adults, accompanied by the games

antagonist, Rafe Adler, who were looking for
clues to pirate captain Henry Averys treasure.
At the end of the flashback, it was shown
that Sam was shot and believed dead by both
Nathan and Rafe.
The game then cuts off to the present time,
where Nathan works as a salvage diver, when
Sam sprung a surprise on Nathan by revealing
that he was still alive after all, thus restarting
the search for lost pirate treasure.
As far as the story goes, Nathan Drakes
final journey throughout the multitude of
beautiful places around the world is punctuated

by plot points that can be seen from a mile

away, and even when the inevitable twist
came, it still felt predictable, although no less
entertaining due to how Nathan and crew got
there in the first place.
Sully, Nathans mentor makes a return, as
does Elena, who is now Nathans wife. Both of
them make for excellent sidekicks to Nathan
as they not only help him out, but also provide
funny commentary during otherwise drab
moments of travelling.

Gameplay
Uncharted 4s gameplay is very much similar
to that of previous games, with a number of
notable additions and omissions. Nathan gets
two brand new pieces of equipment to help
him traverse terrain: a grappling hook that lets
him latch onto pieces of hanging planks, and
later on, a pick which lets him grab onto porous
terrains as he traverses walls and such.
At times, a well-timed combination of
the two equipments are necessary in order
for Nathan to move forward, and failure in
executing these mechanics often result in his
death.
Puzzles make up a considerable portion

lite & leisure

of the game as well, as Nathan and gang all

have to figure out a whole variety of puzzles
cooked up by Henry Avery before they can get
their hands on his treasure. Uncharted 4 by
far probably has the most puzzles out of any
Uncharted game weve played, and its not just
your brain you have rely on, but also your (or
Nathans) brawns sometimes, for example, the
clocktower puzzle at Kings Bay, where you have
to jump on moving cogwheels to get to certain
locations to activate switches.
The Uncharted series has always been
known for its variety of weapons as well,
ranging from handguns, to shotguns, automatic
rifles and even grenade launchers, and in
Uncharted 4, it is no different. There are more
weapons in this game than you have fingers on
two hands, although unfortunately you can only
carry one main weapon, one side arm and three
grenades.
Speaking of grenades, in Uncharted 4,
you can no longer lob back grenades that are
thrown at you. Youre now forced to run away
and look for new cover whenever the grenade
location icon pops up, which does get a bit
annoying when you hardly have room to move
around to.
Like other Uncharted games, you have
the option to be Rambo, or approach the bad
guys with stealth. Naughty Dog makes things
a bit easier for you this time if you decide to
go stealth by allowing you to tag enemies ala
MGSV. Throughout our experience in the game,
the best course of action is to go stealth first,
take out as many enemies as you can, and
then fire away all guns blazing, letting all the
enemies you may have missed come to you
instead.
One annoying thing about skirmishes in
Uncharted 4 is the number of enemies there
seem to be at every stronghold. At one point in

the game, the enemy bases seem to not only

have a number of gun-totting baddies, but also
snipers, and grenade troopers. It gets even
worse when many of them can seem to notice
you from a field away and accurately throw
grenades right on top of your head, making you
run away from your cover.
If there are patches of tall grass in your
surroundings, you could also use them to try
and cool down the situation a little, although
in our experience this only works a handful of
times, as the enemies that are on high alert
will still be able to spot you regardless of where
youre hiding.

Graphics And Music

If there are two things most, if not everyone
have no complaints about with Uncharted 4, it
is quite likely the graphics and music for this
game. Naughty Dog has perfected the craft
of making the most out of the PlayStation 4s
hardware, which is mind-boggling to say the
least.
Regardless if youre in the cold plains of
Scotland, or the warm locale of Madagascar, the
landscape design of Uncharted 4 is second to
none. The environment design is impeccable in
this game: from the outdoors, to the building,
and the character modelling are all top notch
and look very lifelike.
The motorcycle chase scene in particular is
absolutely an absolutely great combination of
gameplay and graphics as you escape the chase
of bad guys, taking them down as you move
along.
The in-game graphics is so impressive in
fact that the cutscenes are rendered in real
time, which explains the lack of a Theatre Mode
in the game.
The music for Uncharted 4 is composed by
Henry Jackman, who has also helped compose

music for movies such as X-Men: First Class,

Captain America: Civil War, and Big Hero 6, to
name a few.
The songs he composed for Uncharted 4 fits
the tone and pacing of the game, which makes
it very enjoyable to listen to when playing. The
tunes are tense when they need to be, and
relaxing and enjoyable when youre traversing
the terrain of various countries.

Extras
If you look closely, there are a lot of hidden
gems and cameo appearances that make
themselves seen and heard in Uncharted 4.
Some of the most obvious ones are the Crash
Bandicoot levels which is directly lifted off from
one of Naughty Dogs most popular games back
in the day.
In one of the earlier missions, The Malaysian
Job, the phone number that was shown on the
map when Nathan was talking to his boss is
an actual phone number, and will be redirected
to a voicemail box of Hasnul Hadi, the Creative
Content & Technologies Director of the Malaysia
Digital Economy Corporation, MDEC.
In fact, there is a chase scene between
Nathan and a Humvee towards the end of
Uncharted 4 which is actually a tribute to the
boulder levels of Naughty Dogs own Crash
Bandicoot. Once you finish the game, depending
on how many secret treasures you collect
by the end, youll also gain points that allow
you to unlock certain modes in the game, like
Invincibility and Unlimited Ammo.
Uncharted 4 was a fun game to play, even if
the original intent was just to see how Nathan
Drakes story unfolded itself at the end, as
Naughty Dog has mentioned that they have no
intention to make another Uncharted title after
this one. It is nostalgic, with a bit of frustration
thrown in, but the good and the bad is exactly
what makes the series such fun to play.

Uncharted 4:
A Thiefs End

Genre: Action Adventure

Developer: Naughty Dog
Info: www.naughtydog.com
System Requirements Platform: Sony PlayStation
4

Excellent story
Enjoyable
gameplay
Beautiful graphics

Enemy spawn
Lack of Theatre
Mode

Gameplay:
Graphics:
Sound:
Replayability:

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lite & leisure

E-SPORTS NEWS

E-Sports Express
Latest E-sports updates from the region and around the world

By Matthew Yap and Nixon Ng

''Thats a lot of money!

If there are still any doubts that e-sports has the potential to compete with traditional
sports, at least in terms of prized money, then look no farther than this years Dota
2 The International 6. TI6s total prize pool has recently hit the 17 million US Dollars
mark (approx. RM52 million) and continues to grow with crowdfunding from its legion
of players. Valves annual major tournament has thus surpassed the 10 million USD
milestone for three years in a row, which is rather jaw dropping for those who like to
tell their kids that they cant make money by playing games.
As mentioned, the money for the prize pool is collected through crowdfunding,
specifically via the sale of the TI6 Battlepass and the various in-game items that
are tied to it. This crowdfunding will likely continue all the way up to the start of the
tournament proper, which is scheduled to begin on 3rd August 2016.

Valve Cracks Whip Over Gambling Sites

There has always been gambling when it came to sports, so when the popularity of e-sports title grew
it was inevitable for e-sports betting websites to surface. Thats fine and dandy, but Valve has decided
that any sites using its Steam OpenID API was a no-no and have started cracking down on t hem.
The company has begun to send C&D (Cease & Desist) notices to online betting websites that are
using the Steam OpenID API, the same one that Steams in-game trading system uses. Such sites
have been around since the advent of the system, with Dota 2 and CS:GO two of the most popular titles sporting many of these gambling sites.
Unfortunately, without any industry regulations in place, theres no way to control the issue.
However, due to the recent high profile case of CS:GO streamers abusing this system, Steam has decided that enough was enough and have started
cracking down on these sites. A statement from Valve reads: ' We are going to start sending notices to these sites requesting they cease operations
through Steam, and further pursue the matter as necessary.

CS:GO Gambling Scandal

The case of the gambling scandal was fairly recent, with CSGO Lotto the centre of
the issue. This site facilitates betting for CS:GO skins via the use of Steams OpenID
API and a Steam bot, the latter of which is not allowed by Steam according to the
Steam subscriber agreement.
A few weeks ago, there were some who found evidence that prominent CS:GO
YouTubers - Trevor TmarTn Martin and Tom ProSyndicate Cassell are founders of
CS:GO Lotto. Now, users of the site are openly questioning whether the site rigs the
bets for them, so that they can entice people to join the site by showing how much
they win through their videos.

Football Club Signs E-Sports Player

Though e-sports may be growing bigger, some titles are more popular while others are
not so much. FIFA certainly falls under the second category, but thats not about to stop
organisations from signing up FIFA e-sports players.
While there were rumours that English Premier League football club, Manchester
United, were going to buy an e-sports team, it was the Red Devils city rivals in blue,
Manchester City, which has signed Kieran 'Kez' Brown, a professional FIFA player.

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lite & leisure

ELeague Announces Overwatch Open

ELeague has announced a partnership with tournament organiser
FACEIT to host a USD300,000 Overwatch Open. Open qualifiers began
on 23 July, and only thing ahead now is the regional finals of the
tournament that will be held on 25-29 September in ELeague studios at
Turner Broadcastings home base in Atlanta, Georgia. The regional finals
and grand finals of the tournament will be broadcasted live on streaming
platform Twitch and televised live on TBS, with the winner taking home
USD100,000 and the runner-up taking home USD32,000.

zews From Coach To Gamer

Brazilian Counter-Strike head coach Wilton ''zews Prado of SK Gaming
has left the organisation to join team Immortals as a player. The former
SK Gaming coach is replacing Gustavo ''SHOOWTiME Goncalves who
has been picked up by team INTZ e-Sports, this move came right after
winning Major League Gaming Columbus with Luminosity Gaming and
ESL One Cologne 2016 under the SK Gaming banner. This will be the first
time zews is playing professionally again since his departure from team
Yakuz4.

Team SoloMid and Fnatic Joins The Watch

Team SoloMid and Fnatic have finally found their way into the Overwatch scene only a short while after Competitive Play was introduced to
the game. After overwhelming response Team SoloMid is roud to announce the start of their Overwatch division with the pickup of Code7.
Code7, is the former roster of Gale Force eSports that had found success in top North American tournaments. Not falling behind is Fnatic
who is creating their first ever US based team, with well-known names such as Iddqd and Vonethil, theres also Stoop and coolmatt69 who
are known as some of the top players in the NA scene.

Valve Cracks Down On CS:GO Gambling Sites

Valve has finally started cracking down on 23 betting sites that use its Steam platform. Valve clarified that gambling sites that are using
Steam accounts to conduct their business is subject to the terms of the Steam Subscriber Agreement. These terms will ban external sites
from asking users to connect their Steam accounts to trade their in-game items for real money. Popular gambling community CSGO Lotto
has gone offline since 8 July, with CSGO Double following shortly after receiving their own violation notice.

Astral Authority Disqualified From NA Fall Regional

Astral Authority is facing a disqualification after Blizzard deliberated together
with ESL due to exploiting a bug. The bug involves Tyrael and his level one talent
Even in Death. Even in Death allows a player to cast spells while in Passive Form,
however spells deal no damage. Theres a delay between cast time and damage,
and if timed perfectly an ability like Smite can be cast after death before exploding.
After death Even in Death no longer applies so Smite damage and additionally
exploding damage applies to surrounding heroes which was not what Blizzard
had intended. It was after complaints on a reddit post was made against Astral
Authority for using the bug that it truly came to light.

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lite & leisure

CROWDFUND

Made Possible By The

Masses
Our monthly look at crowd-funded projects that are taking the Internet by storm
By Matthew Yap and Nixon Ng

Das Keyboard 5Q Key

Notifications,
Literally

ith the Das Keyboard 5Q, we have the worlds first Cloudconnected keyboard. The idea is unique: This open API, RGB
keyboard can perform as a dashboard for various Cloud
applications, such as websites. For example, it can be programmed so that
a particular button flashes green if the build test for a Cloud application
passes, or red if theres a critical failure. Theres a lot of interesting potential
uses for it, so go check it out on Kickstarter to find out more.
http://kck.st/295aW8s

The Z Mouse
Reimagined

f you think that no gaming mouse can surpass the likes of the
Steelseries Rival 700 or Logitechs G900 Chaos Spectrum, then think
again. A Kickstarter project called The Z is poised to claim the
number one spot with its highly innovative mouse. It has a number of
unique features, such as being able to operate on the Z-axis, which
allows gamers to have actions like tilting, pivoting, and more, just by
using the mouse.
http://kck.st/298pwf5

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Soundlazer VR

irtual Reality is a hotly discussed topic this year and everyone

wants a piece of the pie. However, the Soundlazer doesnt actually
spit out laser, nor is it the VR thats constantly talked about. This
directional speaker can be positioned above you, emitting sound in a
sphere shape below it so that you can enjoy your personal bubble of
sound. It has an innovative design and the concept is rather interesting.
http://kck.st/1WYzndY

lite & leisure

CASE
Remote
Air
Make
Your
Camera
Smart

he CASE Remote Air is the

worlds smallest and most
powerful smart camera
controller out there. The CASE
Remote Air allows you to
wirelessly control your camera
with your smartphone or PC. Simply connect the CASE Remote Air
through your cameras USB, and it will generate a WiFi hotspot that will
connect your smartphone or PC to your camera. Its equipped with
advanced functions including live-view, parameter editing, HDR, focusstacking, bulb, time-lapse, video control, and many more.
http://bit.ly/2acvxfb

The SuperBook
From
Smartphone To
Laptop

ou already do a lot on your smartphone, its convenient, portable,

and holds all of your apps, files, and contacts. You could
accomplish a lot more with it, but its small screen size and limited
mobile interface you are held back quite a bit. With The Superbook those
restrictions are now removed, at its core, The Superbook is a smart
laptop shell that provides a large screen, keyboard and multi-touch
trackpad, over 8 hours of battery, and phone charging capabilities. When
plugged into your Android smartphone, it launches our app to deliver a
full laptop experience.
http://kck.st/2adAXWs

Modobag
Ride Your
Luggage

our days of riding the luggage trolleys are

over with the Modobag, featuring the latest
in luggage design and advanced motorised
technology. The Modobag is a luggage you can ride,
it combines the convenience of standard suitcase
with the innovation of personal transportability. It
sports SPRS-GSM tracking, and dual USB charging
ports to create the worlds only motorised, smart
and connected carry-on that gets you to your destinations three times faster than the average walking speed.
http://bit.ly/2axDMQF

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practice

Checking Your PCs

Performance
How is your PC? Even if youre running a high-end gaming machine, its important to make
sure that your components are in good condition By Jrg Reichertz

he game suddenly freezes, textures disappear, colourful

streaks are drawn across the screen or even worse the
computer completely refuses to start. In some games where a
lot of action happens, buggy hardware is unacceptable. Take
precautions and have a good look at your computer using analysis
tools, which cover a variety of application. There are also software
available for each hardware component. With the diagnosis tools
used here, you can track down errors in the system.

2 For hobby mechanics: complete solution

AIDA64 is another commercial software, which is suitable for
everyone who assembles their gaming computer themselves.
AIDA64 provides a comprehensive documentation of the computer
and additionally offers a large selection of diagnosis procedures. A
few of them are especially designed for the screen, e.g. the
Calibration Tests.

3 Fan: remain cool

And this is how it works

1 System: Everything at a glance
With Dr. Hardware 2016, you get a professional system analysis tool,
which covers all the fields of application. The tool digs out countless
data from your computer, it checks the processor, BIOS, cache, bus,
memory elements, chip set, PCI-devices and much more. The
software, tried and tested fpr years, was optimised for Windows 10
and is suitable for desktop computers, notebooks and Windows
tablets. You can test the software free of charge for 30 days.

SpeedFan meanwhile measures the temperature of the CPU,

graphics card and the hard disk amongst other things. The speed of
the fans can also be monitored and controlled with a little
patience, you will find the optimum ratio of the CPU performance
and noise generation. Advanced users can engage deep into the
system with this tool. Speedfan also reads voltage values and
displays them graphically.

4 Monitor: adjusted perfectly

The EIZO monitor test immediately brings the following to light: on

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practice

the basis of 24 different test images, it checks whether your monitor

is adjusted correctly or pixel errors have already crept in. Different
parameters such as geometry, convergence or brightness are also
checked by the programme.

5 Graphics card: stress test

FurMark puts your graphics card under pressure and exposes every
error mercilessly. Specify the details at the time of starting: window
or full-screen mode, resolution and other settings. You can also
decide between the benchmark mode and the stability test. The load
is especially high in this regard.

6 Hard disk: are read errors lurking?

Before undetected write and read errors ruin your gaming session,
you should take precautions with CrystalDiskInfo Portable. The tool
reads the SMART values of the hard disk and provides information
on time as soon as any critical values crop up. It is also compatible
with modern SDD hard disks.

7 Memory: defective elements?

MemTest86 is a classic among the memory tests, which helps you to
track down RAM errors. If the RAM contains faulty memory cells,
MemTest86 shows you a list with the detailed memory addresses of
the defective cells. Since the last update, DDR4-RAM can also be
checked.

8 Games: is the hardware enough?

Your computer is probably completely sound technically, but it is not

powerful enough for modern games. 3DMark can be used in order to
find this out. We use this benchmark in our Test Lab as well. The
different graphics and physics tests of the 3DMark will stretch the
graphics card to the limit.

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tips & tricks

Tips
Tricks
AUGUST 2016

WINDOWS & OFFICE

Windows 8
Activate WiFi and select the correct
wireless network

01

In order to turn on WiFi in Windows 8, you

need access to the settings. Press the key
combination [Windows]+[W] to search for
the settings. Enter "WiFi in the search
bar of the settings and go to "Activate or
deactivate WiFi. You can switch on or
switch off "WiFi with the click of a mouse
under "Wireless devices. If the "WiFi is
switched on, you have activated it.
In order to be able to access a wireless
network, you need to select it first.
Open the settings using the shortcut
[Windows]+[I]. After clicking the WiFi icon,
Windows lists all the networks, which
you can receive. Search for your wireless
network in this list and connect to it.

02

Windows
Backup and restore the registry
database of Windows

Before you make changes to the registry

database of Windows, you must do
a backup so as to be able to restore
it if necessary. To do this, use the
[Windows]+[R] combination to open the
"Run window. The registry opens by
entering "regedit and pressing "OK. After
right-clicking the "Computer entry right at
the top, select the "Export command in the
context menu. This opens a new window in
which you need to select a storage location
and a name for the backup file. After

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02
Select a storage location for the backup after
exporting the registry database

clicking "Save, a backup of the registry is

created.
If problems occur after accessing the
registry database, open the backup file with
a double click and confirm the following
query with "Yes. After restarting the
computer, the registry is restored. With
the help of the CCleaner software, you
will always keep the registry database
up-to-date. CCleaner checks the registry for
unnecessary entries and will then correct
them.

03

03
With this tool, you can transfer your Outlook data to
the Smartphone

also on your Smartphone. Before you

start the App on your mobile phone, you
need to configure a few settings on the
PC. To do this, open the tool and go to
"File > Settings. Under the menu item
"Synchronisation, select the data records
to be synchronised. For this, select the
"Outlook entry in "Contacts:, "Calendar:
or "Notes: in each case.
You can now connect your Smartphone
to the PC. To do so, open the app on your
mobile phone. It supports WiFi, Bluetooth
and cable connection. If the tool does not
detect your Smartphone automatically, click
on "File | Connect on the PC and select
the connection type under "Mobile phone
with Google Android operating system. The
software will now synchronise your data in
the background.

04

Windows
Get Movie Maker to correctly play
a video

It is sometimes found that Windows Movie

Outlook
Synchronise your Android
Smartphone with Outlook

You can transfer your Outlook data

smoothly to your Android Smartphone
using the MyPhoneExplorer tool. Install
the programme on your computer and

04
After conversion into the AVI format, the Movie
Maker should play every video

tips & tricks

Maker plays only the sound of a video but
does not display any picture. Reasons for
this can include different file formats and
versions of the Windows tool kit. You can
solve this problem with the FormatFactory
tool.
After you have installed the software,
load the source file in FormatFactory
and convert it into an MKV file. Once the
conversion is complete, navigate to the
target directory and open the MKV file with
the Windows Movie Maker. The picture
should also be visible now. If the MKV file
cannot be played, convert your source file
into the AVI or WMV format.

05

Excel
Protect individual cells or cell areas

05
In order to block a cell area, select it and place a
checkmark in front of Blocked

If you block individual cells in Excel,

they can no longer be modified, but
the remaining lines and columns of the
workbook can be. However, the protection
of individual cells is somewhat more
complex to set up than the blocking of an
entire worksheet. First right-click on the
small grey square that you will find on the
top left between the column name and
the line numbering. The entire working
area then turns grey and the context
menu appears. Call the "Format cells ...
command there and open the "Protection
tab. The "Blocked option is activated by
default. Deactivate this function and exit
the menu by clicking "OK. Now select the
cell or the cells, which you wish to block.
If these cells are not next to each other,
click on these cells individually by keeping
the [Ctrl]-key pressed. After that, call the
context menu once again with a right-click,
click on "Format cells ... and activate the

"Blocked option in the "Protection tab.

You have two options to activate the
cell protection option: either click on the
"Protect sheet option in the "Check tab
in the ribbon or right-click the tab in the
lower sheet area and calling the "Protect
sheet command in the context menu. In
both cases, you have the option to assign a
"Password to suspend the sheet protection
so as to increase the level of security.
Otherwise, confirm the blocking without
assigning any password by clicking "OK.

06

06

Windows 7
Respond correctly to start-up
problems of your PCs

An average worst-case scenario for many

users: after switching on the computer, the
screen remains black, Windows 7 does not
start. However, there are a few measures,
which can bring the operating system to
resume the operation. Restart your PC.
As soon as BIOS starts, press [F8], with
which you call the advanced start options
of Windows. To begin with, decide on the
"Safe mode. If Windows does not boot up
with it, select the "Enable Boot Logging
option. Both the modes mentioned start
Windows without additionally installed
services.
New drivers could be responsible for
this problem. If you have installed new
drivers recently, search for older software
and driver versions on the manufacturers
website. Uninstall the new drivers
completely and restart your computer if
necessary.
Then install the drivers with which the
system had last functioned.
If you are unsuccessful with the
advanced start options, try it with a clean
restart. For this, select the "Enable Boot
Logging mode in the BIOS. Then open
the "Run window using the shortcut
[Windows]+[R], enter the "msconfig
command and click "OK. Then open
the "System start tab and press the
"Deactivate all button. Now switch to the
"Services tab and hide all the Microsoft
services using the "Hide all Microsoft
services button. Subsequently deactivate
all the other services. Then shut down your
PC and restart it. If it works without any
problems, a newly installed or modified
service is responsible for the difficulties
in booting. You can now try to identify
this service by gradually reactivating

Deactivation and reactivation of services helps in

the troubleshooting if Windows causes trouble

the deactivated services and restarting

Windows every time. As soon as the
start-up problems crop up again, you have
found the problem.
During the debugging, you can also fall
back on the start help on the Windows
DVD. For this, allow your PC to be booted
from the Windows DVD, after you have
modified the booting sequence previously
in BIOS. After the restart, select the "Start
help option and allow the Windows
installation to check the boot sequence.
This process can take some time.
Subsequently restart your PC and restore
the previous boot sequence in BIOS.
Incidentally, it is always worth an
attempt to return to an earlier system
status in case of start-up problems via the
system restore ("Start > System Restore >
Restoration). However, you must perform a
back-up of your data before you do this.

07

Word
Define the line spacing in
documents separately

When writing texts, it can sometimes

be practical to expand or condense the
standard line spacing. In the text processor
Word, this is done quite fast. Open the
"Start menu and move to the "Paragraph
group in the ribbon to the left from the
centre. Click on the "Line spacing button
there. In the window that now expands,
select the desired line spacing. The
standard value is "1.15. For a more precise
determination of the spacing, go to "Line
Spacing Options. The cursor then directly
appears in the field for the spacing value
and you can define the line spacing at will.

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tips & tricks

07

09

10

You can define the distance between the lines

separately in Word

After clicking "OK, the selection list appears with a

drop-down menu in the Excel spreadsheet

Windows can try to solve problems with line

adapters on its own

options thus different eye colours in

our example in a new Excel file. Then
select the cell in which you wish to insert
your selection list. Now click on the "Data
validation icon in the "Data ribbon in
the "Data tools group and select the
"Data validation entry. In the following
window "Data validation, select the "List
point in the "Settings tab under "Allow.
Subsequently determine the expressions

The "0x80070035 error code can also

appear. The problem mainly goes back to a
Windows update from last November and
should have already been resolved with
an update. Hence, open the "Settings in
the start menu and search for the latest
updates in "Update and Security. This
could even be the solution.
If not, open the Control Panel and click
on the "Network and Internet option. In
"Network and Release centre, you will
find the "Fix problems point in "Change
Network Settings. You need to select
the "Network adapter category there and
follow the instructions. Windows now
searches for problems and solutions.
If this too does not help, uninstall the
network adapter. Windows reinstalls it
automatically after a restart. Open the
"Run window with the [Windows] +[R]
combination, enter "devmgmt.msc in the
"Open field and confirm with "OK. This
opens the Device Manager. Right-click an
adapter in the "Network adapter category,
click on the "Uninstall command in the
context menu and confirm the process.
Then repeat these steps for all the existing

08

Windows 7
Release RAM using Visual-Basic
Script

Using a VBScript, you can empty the RAM

of your computer very easily. The basis for
the script is a text document. In order to
create it, open the Editor via "Start > All
Programs > Accessories. Now enter the

08
Write a short Visual-Basic script for releasing RAM

line "FreeMem = Space(32000000) (without

quotation marks). Save the document with
"Save As. So that a VBScript is created
from the text file, the file ending must
be ".vbs instead of ".txt. Set "ANSI in
"Coding.
By double-clicking the script, Windows
releases the specified volume of RAM.
32,000,000 bytes, i.e. 32 MB according to
this example. But be careful: if you delete
more than half of the installed RAM, the
system can become unstable.

09

Excel
Create selection list with drop-down
menu in Excel

In order to create a selection list in the

calculation table, first enter the selection

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contained in your list in the "Source field.

For this, click on the icon next to the text
field and select the list created in the first
step. After pressing [Enter], the selected
cell area appears in the "Source text field.
By clicking "OK, confirm your entries in
the "Data validation window and the
selection list is created.

10

Windows 10
Solve problems with network
adapters

If Windows 10 complains that a network

protocol is missing, it has a negative effect
on the Internet connection. The error
messages are, for e.g., "The network path
was not found or "At least one network
protocol is missing on this computer.

11

PowerPoint
Print slides without the margins

When printing PowerPoint slides, a more

or less wide margin is consistently formed.
In order to minimise it, go to "File > Print
and go to the "Printer properties. Use
the "Advanced button and check the
"Marginless print option. However, you still
do not get rid of the margin completely.
Open the "View tab and select the "Notes
Master there. In the "Wildcard character
group, you can now hide fields such as

tips & tricks

11
PowerPoint slides can be expanded manually in
order to keep the interfering margin as narrow as
possible

"Headers, "Footers, "Date or "Number of

pages. If you set the slide to the desired
size after that, you will come significantly
closer to getting a marginless print.

Panel. If the DNS server error no longer

crops up subsequently, the firewall could
have been responsible for the error
message.
Changing the browser for a brief
period can also put things right. If you
have installed two browsers, try to access
the Internet using the second one. The
installation of another browser should not
be necessary if the problem is fixed.
If the DNS server problem still exists
after these three steps, open the user
interface of your router. Enter the "8.8.8.8
IP address as the DNS server in the
connection settings there. This is the IP
of Googles DNS server, which you can use
instead of your configured DNS server.

13

To finish, click a graphic element and, in

the "Format menu in the "Drawing group,
modify the so-called "Shape contour,
i.e. the colour, the "Thickness or the
appearance of the "Lines (continuous,
dotted, etc.). Text fields for labeling can be
added via the "Insert menu.

14

Windows 10
Continue using the old Windows
Photo Viewer to view images

PowerPoint
Insert and format a time bar in the
presentation

Using a time bar, you can present different

12

Windows
Access websites despite a striking
DNS server

The error message "DNS server is not

responding indicates that connections to
websites are no longer possible. In such a
case, there are a few options for rectifying
the error.
The first countermeasure is always
restarting the router. Remove the mains
plug, wait for about 30 seconds until all
the electronic components have been
discharged and then re-connect the router
to the power supply.
The firewall of your computer can also
be a source of interference. Therefore,
deactivate the firewall via the Control

12
Deactivation of the firewall can solve problems with
the DNS server and clear the Internet access again

14
With a minor registry intervention, the Photo
Viewer can be a standard tool for viewing images

13
The time bar of a presentation can be designed at
will as regards colours and line design

data clearly in PowerPoint. In order

to create the time bar, call the menu
command sequence "Insert > Forms. This
opens a window with numerous graphic
elements. The "Line or the "Arrow is best
suited for a time bar, which are located
to the extreme left in the "Lines field. If
you have clicked an element, you can get
the line or the arrow to the desired length
using the mouse.
In order to add marks to the time bar,
click "Line and drag it to the suitable
position in the length of your choice. The
position can be changed using the arrow
keys and the length can be varied with
the mouse. You can create other marks
similarly or duplicate them with a rightclick and "Copy or "Insert.

In Windows 10, you generally open your

photos using the Photos app. However,
with a small trick, you can also continue to
use the good-old Windows Photo Viewer
feature. It has not really disappeared in
Windows 10, but only intended for special
image files. To use the photo display, open
the "Run window using the [Windows]+[R]
shortcut, enter "regedit and start the
registry with "OK. There you need to
navigate to the "HKEY_LO CAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows Photo
Viewer\Capabilities\File Associations path,
right-click in a free area on the right side
and select the "Character string entry in
"New. Enter the ".jpg character string as
the "Name and double-click it to open it.
In the "Edit character string window, set
"PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Tiff as the "Value
and confirm with "OK. Repeat this process
for all the other image formats used by you
such as PNG, JPEG, GIF or BMP. The "Value
always remains the same.
In order to define the Photo Viewer as
the default tool in Windows 10, close the
registry editor and open any random image
file. Windows now offers you multiple
viewing programmes. Select the "Windows
Photo Viewer and activate the "Always use

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tips & tricks

this App for opening .xxx-files option. After
clicking "OK, your settings are saved. This
query appears only once for every image
file type.

15

Windows
Retrieve lost download folders

16
The Microsoft tool EasyFix undertakes the removal
of the Office suite simply download and start

15
Restore the Download folder with a console
command if it can no longer be found

Windows saves all the downloads in the

Download folder, which is accessed by
many users via the Start menu or desktop
shortcut. If this shortcut is lost, open
the Explorer and navigate to "C:\ Users\
Username\. You should find the Download
folder here.
If not, open the Start menu and click
"Run.... Enter "cmd in the "Open line
and confirm with [Enter]. In the console
that opens, now enter "attrib -s -h C:\
users\username\downloads command
and replace "Your Username with your
individual user name. After pressing [Enter],
Windows restores the Download folder.
You should subsequently check your PC for
viruses for security reasons as they have
probably deleted the folder.

16

17

Windows
Delete backup files that are no
longer required and free up memory

During the installation of service packs

and updates, Windows creates backup
files, which take up a lot of storage space

HARDWARE
SSD
Optimally configure and accelerate
a slow SSD

18

Even the fastest SSDs become slow with

time. However, with a few tricks, you can
bring your flash memory up to speed again.
First check whether the AHCI mode is
activated. It is a prerequisite for using the
TRIM function, which re-releases deleted
blocks. To do this, open the registry with
the "regedit command in the "Run window
and navigate to the key "HKEY_LOCAL_
MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\
Services\Msahci. After double-clicking
"Start, change the DWORD value to "0. In

MS-Office
Uninstall Microsoft Office without
a trace

If serious problems crop up with Microsoft

Office, it is recommended to uninstall the
Office suite completely and subsequently
re-install it. However, an uninstallation
via the Control Panels "Programmes and
Function is generally not thorough enough
and does not delete all the data and
entries.
In order to really uninstall Office without

120

a trace, Microsoft offers a small tool called

EasyFix for every Office version, which
you can start without installation after
downloading. If you wish to uninstall Office
2016, 2013 or Office 365, enter http://
support.microsoft.com/kb/2739501 in the
browser. If you use the Office versions
2010, 2007 or 2003, the corresponding
download link is http://sup port.microsoft.
com/kb/971179/de. After starting the
uninstallation tool, the programme carries
out a brief troubleshooting. The subsequent
uninstallation can take some time. The tool
now deletes all the files and entries, which
are a part of Office.

in the long run. To delete the backup

files, open the "Run window using the
key combination [Windows]+[R] and
enter "cleanmgr in the "Open line. "Disk
Cleanup opens after clicking "OK. Now
select your system drive and again click
"OK. Windows is generally installed on the
hard drive "C: and is already selected. The
tool now starts to scan your hard drive.
This can take a few minutes. A window
opens subsequently, which displays 'Files
to be deleted. Activate the "Windows
Update Cleanup option there, press "OK
and click "Delete files. If you cannot view
the "Windows Update Cleanup option, click
the 'Cleanup System Files option below
to the left. Windows then starts another
search run and subsequently shows you
the deletion options.
Note: After deleting the backups, you can
no longer remove the installed updates and
service packs.

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17

18

The "Windows Update Cleanup feature ensures

lots of free storage space by deleting update
backups

By deactivating the idle state and using the standby

function, many write accesses are excluded

tips & tricks

the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\
CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStorV,
again enter "0 as the DWORD value.
Subsequently restart your PC and make
the corresponding change in BIOS. Under
"Advanced Chipset Features, switch to the
AHCI mode in case of "SATA-Mode.
Now ensure that the TRIM function
is activated. Start the command prompt
ss"cmd.exe as Administrator and enter the
"fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify
command in the terminal. If you receive
the "DisableDeleteNotify = 0 notification
after pressing [Enter], the TRIM function
is active and you can close the command
prompt. However, if the notification
is "DisableDeleteNotify = 1, the TRIM
command is not activated.
Then enter the command "fsutil behavior
set DisableDeleteNotify 0. After pressing
[Enter], the TRIM function is activated.
In order that PC and SSD cooperate
optimally, the Windows settings too must
be compatible. The SSD-Tweaker tool (on
CHIP-DVD) takes care of this for you.
Immediately after the start, the programme
recommends the optimum settings to you.
Accept them by clicking the "Automatic
Optimisation button. The changes are
saved after restarting the PC.
So as to not bother your SSD with
several unnecessary write accesses, you
should deactivate the idle mode. For
this, restart the command prompt as
Administrator, enter the "powercfg h off
command and confirm with [Enter]. If you
now use the Standby mode, instead of
shutting down Windows completely, the
system starts much faster. The Standby
mode ends all the write accesses to the
SSD and saves your data in the RAM.

19

iPhone
Clean the camera lens of the iPhone
from dust

That dust collects on the camera lens

of your iPhone over time is something
you can only just avoid. Hence, a gentle
cleaning is necessary occasionally. For
this, first remove the coarse dirt carefully
with a soft brush. It then comes down
to precision work: clean the camera lens
using a microfibre cloth, which you place
on a cotton bud. Dip the microfibre cloth
into warm water first. If there are traces
of grease on the lens, possibly due to
fingerprints, add a little detergent to the

19

20

A really clean camera lens once again using a cotton

bud and a spectacle cloth

Do you need more storage space and speed? Then

treat your console to a new hard disk

water. You can also use cloth for glasses

instead of a microfibre cloth.

storage device > Copy to system memory.

Then use the [X] key to select the files that
you wish to restore.

20

PlayStation 4
Remove and replace the hard disk
of the Sony console

To replace the hard disk of a PlayStation

4, first back up your game files. To do
this, connect a USB stick or an external
hard disk to the PlayStation and select
"Management of the data saved by the
application > Data saved in the system
memory > Copy to USB storage device in
the menu. Use the [X] key to select all the
files whose backup needs to be taken, click
"Copy and remove the USB stick once this
process is complete.
Turn off the PlayStation and pull the
left upper cover of the console to the
left. Remove all the screws of the hard
disk bracket and pull out the hard disk.
Subsequently remove the bracket, fix the
new hard disk in it and fit everything once
again. A firmware update is now available.
After you have downloaded it from the
PlayStation homepage, save the "ps4update.
pup file on a USB stick (min. 1 GB) in a
previously created folder "PS4 and there in
the sub-folder "Update. Connect the stick
to the switched-off PlayStation and press
the Power key for about seven seconds in
order to start the Safe mode. Then click
'Install System Software and follow the
instructions for the setup.
To install your previously backed-up
data on the new hard disk, connect the
USB stick containing the backup to the
PlayStation. Open the menu and navigate
to "Management of the data saved by
the application > Data saved on the USB

21

Keyboard
Clean the keyboard with post-it
notes and in the dishwasher

Most of the time, all-day use in offices,

keyboards almost magically attract dust
and dirt. Cleaning them occasionally helps
to maintain the hygiene and extends
the lifetime of the keyboard. A simple
and effective method is to use post-its.
Pull the adhesive side of the yellow note
slowly through the rows of keys dust
and dirt get stuck to it. The cleaning is
more thorough after removing the keys,
which can be pulled using a cap puller
from the keyboard. First take a photo of
your keyboard so as to be able to re-insert
the keys correctly after cleaning. Treat the
keys to a wash in the cutlery basket of the
dishwasher at 40 degrees. In the meantime,

21
In case of dirty keyboards, a wash in the
dishwasher can really work wonders

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tips & tricks

clean the keyboard using a vacuum cleaner
set at the lowest suction capacity.

22

BIOS
Acertain the BIOS version of a
motherboard manually using
software

23
After changing a few settings, Spotify still plays all the tracks despite the initial refusal

22
The CPU-Z tool will help you to find out the
manufacturer, version and date of release like a
flash

Find out the BIOS version of your

motherboard by pressing the [Pause] key at
the start of the booting process and noting
down the version number that is displayed.
An alternative is offered by the CPU-Z tool.
In the "Motherboard tab, you will be able
to read the manufacturer, version number
and date of release under "BIOS.
In some computers, the information is
perhaps not displayed during the booting
process. You then need to read the BIOS
version as described.

WEB, PHOTOGRAPHY & CO.

Spotify
Bring the difficult streaming service
to play a song

23

This can be annoying: you wish to listen

to a very specific song on the streaming
service Spotify and instead receive the "This
track cannot be played error message. If
you are currently using the free account
of Spotify, then proceed as follows: Open
the "Edit menu and go to "Settings. In
the "Sound Quality field, you will find the
point "Streaming with high quality (only
Premium). It can be activated in some
free accounts due to an error. In this case,
deactivate it. Subsequently switch to the
desired track and play it.

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As a Premium customer, you have this

option: Open the "Settings in the "Edit
menu and scroll to the "Local Files field.
In "Show songs of, Spotify lists different
music sources such as "Downloads,
"Windows Media Player or "Music Library.
Deactivate all these sources. Your desired
track should now play.
If it still does not play, empty the
cache in Spotify. For this, open the "C:\
Users\ Username\AppData\Local\Spotify\
Storage folder in the Explorer and delete
all the files saved in it. Also deactivate the
"Display songs not available in Playlists
point in the "Display options field in the

24

Photography
Turn off the shutter noise of the
Smartphone camera

In some Smartphones, the shutter noise of

the camera can be turned off; this can be
done via the settings in the Camera app
provided by the manufacturer. In Samsung
and LG Smartphones, this is however not
possible.

An app ensures silent clicks e.g. "Stille

Kamera (silent camera). Another option is
to put your phone on mute. But be careful:
the camera does not fall silent with this
in every device. If you have rooted your
Smartphone and thus have Admin rights,
you have the option of falling back on
multiple apps, which can be used to turn
off the sound, for example "Ultimate Sound
Control.

25

Photoshop
Rectify lens errors automatically
and manually

The results are not always optimum even

in inexpensive lenses. However, Photoshop
can automatically rectify lens errors. To do
this, open the "Filter menu and click the
"Lens Correction... entry. In the following
window, you will find selection criteria for
the camera model, lens and the focal length
used sorted according to manufacturers
and possible lenses in the right page
menu in the "Auto Correction tab. Compare

24

25

Silence the annoying triggering noise of the

Smartphone camera with app support

With Photoshop, you can undo lens errors

automatically or manually

tips & tricks

these criteria with your camera and your
lens if Photoshop has not already done
this. Photoshop subsequently corrects the
distortion, the chromatic aberration or even
the vignetting with the help of databases.
If your camera-lens combination is
missing in the Photoshop databases or
if you wish to fix it yourself, you can
manually define all the values in the
"User-defined tab, e.g. the individual colour
fringes of the chromatic aberration or the
transformation angle. At this point, you can
also save the correction settings for your
camera so as to automatically use them for
multiple pictures. Click the small "Manage
Settings button to the extreme right on
top and select the "Save settings... option.
You can always quickly apply the personal
camera profile again to other photos in the
same menu with "Load Settings... later.

26

PDF
Scan PDF documents and comment
on them

With the word search, you can find words

and text passages at lightning speed even
in long PDF documents. Open the "Edit
menu in the PDF document and click
"Search. The "Search window now appears
at the top on the right with an input field.
Enter the term there, for which you want
to search the PDF document. Access the
individual search results using the "Next
and "Back buttons.
By inserting comments in a PDF file,
you can quickly document every flash
of thought. In the PDF file, right-click at
the point at which you wish to insert
a comment. Now call the "Add Note
command in the context menu. This opens

a window with a text field in which you can

write your comment. After right-clicking
the notes field, you can click "Respond and
thus quickly exchange information.

27

Gimp
Merge images using the Photoshop
alternative Gimp

Gimp, you can merge multiple pictures

and form panorama pictures with a fluent
transition, as an example. First create an
empty image file with "File > New. Then
open both the photos which you wish to
merge. Now click in the toolbox on the
"Rectangle Selection tool (first icon) and
"Hide Edges with a radius of "100.0. Now
move over the image area, which you want
to copy, while keeping the mouse-key
pressed. If you want to copy the left half
(of the new image), you must leave a large
distance to the right edge and if you wish
to copy the right image part, leave a lot of
space on the left. This area will become

27

transparent to be precise and allow a

fluent transition. Use the [Ctrl]+[C] shortcut
to now copy the image section and then
click "Edit > Insert as > New Layer in the
empty image. Now do the same with the
second image. Ensure that you now keep a
distance to the image border on the other
side. Now telescope both the selected
layers in the image that is empty so far
and then click "Merge Image in the "Image
tab. You can crop the result further and
also optimize it using the "Colours and
"Filter tabs.

28

VLC Media Player

Convert songs and videos with the
VLC Player

You can use the VLC Media Player to not

only play the most varied audio and video
files, but also convert them. You only
need a few steps to do this. Open the VLC
Player and click "Media in the menu bar.
Select the "Convert/Save option. Now click
"Add and select the file that you want to
convert. If the file is a video with subtitles,
you can add it by setting a checkmark in
front of "Use a subtitle file and search
for the corresponding file by clicking the
"Search button.
Then click "Convert/Save and select the
desired output format in "Settings or adapt
the output file using the "Tool button.
Then select a target file by clicking "Search
in "Target, navigating to the desired
location and specifying a file name.
In order to convert the files, click "Start.
This process can take some time depending
on the file size.

Before merging, specify the display detail of both

the photos using "Rectangle Selection

26

28

Notes can be very easily added to PDF files, to

which it is also possible to respond

The VLC Media Player can also convert films with sub-titles into another format

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picture perfect

15/7/2016

Models enjoyi

ng the beats

of the Backbe

at Go 3

14/7/2016 A garden of flowers and a bed of pictures

for the HTC 10 to lay on

19/7/2016
Galaxy A9

tropical vibe with

Samsung feeling the

the launch of the

8/6/2016 Xperiencing beauty in more than just one way

together with Sony

s more than just goo

22/7/2016 There wa
ow
Sh
during the KL AV
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d music at the OPPO

booth

picture perfect

23/6/2016 Two pairs are better than

one at the AOC Raxor launch

tter
e be any be
Could ther
28/6/2016Max? We dont think so
Neffos C5

21/7/2016 AMD lau

any enthusiast would nches Polaris with a sexy rig that
drool over

the
partner for

re
eyes we
16 All
25/6/20ampions Cup
ROG Ch

14/6/2016 Coming to you live from KLHs studio, a special

viewing provided by Logitech!

on this

stead
team in

during th

e ASUS

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in the next issue

SEPTEMBER

Is Technology
Replacing Humans?
As computers and robotics become more advanced, more and more jobs are displaced. Things
look bad for the future, at least in terms of job security, but is it really?

128

Technology: The
Whos And Whats

WhatsApp
Encryption, Secure?

In this piece we talk about some of the most significant

progressions in technology, and the people who made those
possible

With mobile security an increasing concern, WhatsApp has

implemented an end-to-end encryption for security and
privacy. We took a look at the new encryption feature to see if
its up to scratch

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