CHIP - April 2017 MY PDF

Ryzen Puns
Managing Director Noor Azman
Head of Department YK Cheah
EDITORIAL
Over 9,000
Senior Writer Matthew Yap
Writer Nixon Ng
Writer Rikco Shim
Contributors Daniela Lukassen, Roman Leipold, Fabian von
Keudell, Felix Knoke, Sepp Reitberger, Bjoern Lorenz, Andreas Th.
Fischer, Christoph Schmidt, Jörg Geiger, Markus Mandau, Robert Di
Marcoberardino, Benjamin Hartlmaier
M
arch has proven to be a red-flavoured month, Design & Layout Halijah Ismail, Nurul Huda Mohd Dan
Cover Design Nurul Huda Mohd Dan
with lots of news and some fanboy wars going
on in the desktop CPU segment. In the midst of SALES & MARKETING
Senior Manager YK Cheah
all that, the Mobile World Congress 2017 plodded along Consultant Muffadzlee Dato’ Sufian
and revealed a few expected products, and some not so
ADMINISTRATION
expected. Admin Manager WP Lim
Speaking of MWC 2017, do turn to page 62 to check out
ONLINE
our 10-page round up of what we personally found www.chip.com.my
interesting in this year’s mobile-centric tradeshow.
Besides the usual deluge of smartphones, we also @CHIPMY
highlighted some new technology that was discussed in CHIP Malaysia
keynotes, such as 5G.
On features, we have a few interesting ones this issue, PUBLISHER
including tips on how to tame Windows 10 (that unruly Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd.
A-5-07 Block A, Neo Damansara
boy), and how you can maximise your wireless network’s Bandar Damansara Perdana, Jalan PJU 8/1
coverage and speed. 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
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The other big thing this month is the fact that we’ve
managed to secure a review unit of AMD’s Ryzen 7 1700X PRINTED BY
Unipress Printer Sdn. Bhd.
CPU, look forward to the review in page 84. Along with 117-G, Jalan Tiaj 1/4, Taman Industri Alam Jaya,
the chip, we also reviewed two AM4 boards for this issue, 42300 Bandar Punchak Alam,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
which you can check out in our test lab pages as well. Tel: (03) 6038 5578 Fax: (03) 6038 3944
For those looking to read something fun, we also
managed to get our hands on Horizon Zero Dawn. Read DISTRIBUTED BY
about how we slayed robotic dinosaurs with a toothpick MPH Distributors Sdn. Bhd.
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enough of our April issue for you. So, ryze up and go forth
to the pages! © This edition of CHIP is a publication of Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. licensed by Vögel
Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich, Germany.
© Copyright of the trademark “CHIP” by Vögel Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich,
Germany.
No part of CHIP magazine / shall be reproduced without the publisher’s written

permission.
CHIP Malaysia All views expressed in the magazine are solely those of the writer and do not
necessarily represent those of CHIP magazine / the publisher.
All information in the magazine is provided ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ and CHIP magazine
/ the publisher makes no representations and gives no warranty of any kind, implied,
express or statutory as to the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, non-infringement
of 3rd party rights, title, merchantability and / or suitability / fitness for a particular
purpose with respect to the said information.
Under no circumstances whatsoever shall the CHIP magazine / the publisher be liable
for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages whether in contract or in tort
arising out of or in connection with the use of the information made available in CHIP
magazine.
All prices, product versions and URLs’ are correct at the time of printing.
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contents
062 010 040
COVER 062 Mobile World Congress 2017

The next trade show of the year had
some compelling reveals
STORY
NEWS & 006 Local News
Coverage of the latest news and
events right on our shores
TRENDS 030 World Wired Web

All the latest tech happenings around
the world
028 Security Reports
Monthly dose of security news
FEATURES 040 Commuting For The Future

With cities becoming ever larger, the way
we commute needs to looked into
047 Overclocking to 5GHz
Intel’s i7-7700K is rumoured to be capable
of smashing the overclocking ceiling, we
attempt to do just that
050 Taming Windows 10
Microsoft’s OS has a few tricks up its
sleeve that some prefer to have done away
with, here’s how
104 108 114
contents
047 050 102
077 Test Lab: The Tools

TEST LAB Test Labs’ tools of the trade
078 Test Lab Contents
Take a pick and get started!
086 Reviews
Professionally conducted reviews
following our stringent tests and
benchmarks
108 E-Sports Express

LITE & What’s the latest gossip in the
e-sports world?
LEISURE 104 Horizon Zero Dawn

Join our open world excursion with
metallic beasts ruling the land
PRACTICE 114 Repair Like The Professionals

Notebook problems doesn’t have to
mean a trip to a repair shop
REGULARS 001 Welcome Note

118 Tips and Tricks
082
contents
chip download
CHIP Downloads
April 2017
We’re back with our monthly dose of interesting, free and handy tools for you to enhance your PC experience. If you want to know how you
can get these files, follow the instructions below:
1. Head on our website @ www.chip.com.my and right at the top, click on the ‘‘Downloads” tab
2. After that, click on the respective month’s post. You will then be prompted for a password. The password can be found on this page
monthly.
3. Navigate using the tabs and pick the categories you want to download the files from. Once you find the file you want, just click on it and
you’re good to go!
And it’s as easy as that!
PASSWORD FOR APRIL 2017 - springloaded
Featured Tools
Ashampoo WinOptimizer
Microsoft Windows may have advanced technologically, but the need for effective maintenance
is greater than ever. Ashampoo WinOptimizer makes Windows maintenance fast and easy.
Keeping your Windows computer running fast and smooth, and it also comes with a whole
suite of easy-to-use tools that enable you to configure and tune your Windows Computer.
RealIlusion iClone
iClone 6 is a real-time 3D animator for digital actors, virtual environments,
visual effects with drag and drop editing, powerful physics and easy plug-in
compatibility, designed for creativity in storytelling and broadcast production,
education and pre-visualisation. Professionals and beginners can take
advantage of tons of pre-made content and smart interactivity between actors
and the environment.
DriverMax
Drivers are an essential part of every operating system, with this in mind your drivers
should always be up to date. DriverMax support automated installs, scheduled scans, and
full device driver backups. It can be set to check for driver updates and downloads them
for you at any time of any day, week, or month.
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 user’s experience. The links on our
website won’t provide you with the files, instead it will lead you to the
developers’ official website, where you can find the right file for you.
004 april 17 chip malaysia

contents
chip download
The Monthly Downloads

Linux Deepin
Operating system: Windows 7/8.1/10
This popular Debian based distribution stands out due to its user-friendliness, and gives you a slight Mac feeling
on a PC. Deepin was developed for a separate desktop environment called DDE. Furthermore, the media player
DMusic and DPlayer implemented here are also different from the popular standard players.
XMind
Using XMind you can now quickly create mindmaps, helping you to keep upcoming tasks always in front of you, and
keep them updated if needed. XMind provides you a large selection of already existing templates. It also allows you
to import graphics from other programs like Mindjet, FreeMind or NovaMind.
Mars WiFi
With Mars WiFi you can create your own private hotspot and connect all other devices. Using Mars WiFi you won’t
need to purchase additional wireless routers, just install Mars WiFi and you can let any iPhone, Pad and other
wireless devices to join.
Complete Internet Repair

Complete Internet Repair is a free open source power tool to repair internet connections and get you up and
running in no time. Complete Internet Repair should be able to help with most of your internet issues, but
there are no promises.
DeskTask
DeskTask connects to Microsoft Outlook and displays your calendar appointments, task items and flagged e-mails
on the desktop. The information is integrated with your desktop wallpaper and automatically updates itself to
display the latest information.
Dual Monitor Tools

Dual Monitor Tools is a software package for Windows users with dual or multiple monitor setups. You can change
allocation of individual program windows, interchange both monitors or adjust the wallpaper to stitch perfectly
across the respective monitors.
CopyQ
CopyQ monitors the system clipboard and saves its content in customised tabs. Saved clipboards can be copied and
pasted directly into any application later. Using the integrated search function, you can quickly search your stored
data which you can edit.
FileVoyager
FileVoyager is a freeware Orthodox file manager (OFM) for Microsoft Windows. OFM’s are file managers using two
panels of disk browsers. You can browse in various display modes as well as retaining usual file operations like
renaming, copying, deleting and more.
PrimoCache
PrimoCache is a supplementary software caching scheme that cooperates with physical memory, solid state drives
and flash drives to provide data caching for local physical disks. It transparently stores disk data into fast cache
devices such as physical memory, reducing access time and improving overall system performance.
chip malaysia april 17 005

news
MSI Launches MSI

GE62VR Camo Squad
Limited Edition
Notebook
A gathering of media and gamers to unveil the military
themed notebook was filled with excitement and the
passion for gaming
A closer look at the GE62VR 7RF Camo Squad shows
how awesome it looks
G
athering
both performance. Hearing what the community
media had to say, MSI decided on the military-
and gamers alike, inspired desert camouflage to go together
MSI along with with their gaming views. Bringing the feel of
ViewSonic and the battlefield right to the gamer’s laps.
11street unveiled The GE62VR 7RF Camo Squad houses an
the GE62VR 7RF Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GTX 1060 3GB
Camo Squad GDDR5 graphics card, support for up to 32GB
Limited Edition. of DDR4 2,400MHz RAM, and has blazing
Based off MSI’s fast storage with an M.2 SSD combo. Not
own GE62VR 7RF only that, with MSI’s latest Cooler Boost 4
gaming notebook, technology you get enhanced cooling evened
it retains its during long gaming sessions. This ensures
gamer-centric that even though you’re heated up during
features and raw battle, the laptop stays cool and collected
and keeps you gaming on
and on.
During the unveiling
of the laptop, gamers and
media were given the
opportunity to experience
gaming monitors from
ViewSonic, and the chance
to try on the MSI VR One
backpack diving into to the
virtual world. For those
interested in the MSI GE62VR
Camo Squad keep your eyes
open for it, as it is a limited
edition notebook you’ll find it
hard-pressed to get one. At
a price of RM7,699 you can
find it on 11street now while
stocks last, and it comes with
an exclusive bundle you don’t
want to miss out on.
http://www.11street.my/
productdetail/exclusive-
ge62-camo-squad-limited-
The limited Camo Pack you would get if you successfully pre-ordered the MSI GE62VR 7RF Camo Squad edition-15-6-31508783
006 march 17 chip malaysia

news
Robi-ng His Way

Into Your Hearts
A companion that you can build, but is it for you?
R
obi, an interactive robotic companion, robot and humans are possible. By being
has finally launched in Malaysia on able to speak multiple languages, it is able
the 10th of March 2017. This time, to communicate with humans. But you have
Robi is upgraded with an ability to speak to mind your phrases as Robi only accepts
Manglish aka Bahasa Rojak, a popular set phrases. For example, you can tell him to
English-based creole (language developed dance, but we doubt he is capable of doing
from combining different languages) on local your dishes. At least not yet. Maybe in the
grounds. DeAgostini, together with Professor near future, its creators can make it do so. At
Tomotaka Takahashi, created Robi with the the moment, Robi can be instructed to clean
aim of bringing families closer together. Robi table or hard surfaces with his feet.
is a combination of Japanese technology and Aside from that, Robi can act as a remote
used sophisticated design to achieve that. control. You can configure Robi to switch the Robi taking a break
He can communicate, express emotions, channels of your TV, without even having to
sing, talk and dance. With a vocabulary of move. But, you would need Robi to be within picking up phrases if you are too far away.
more than 250 phrases, interaction between talking distance, as Robi has some difficulty Another thing you have to note is that even
though Robi has a built-in speaker in his
chest, the speaker by itself is not very loud.
Robi can also act as a timer once instructed,
to count down specified minutes and alert
you when the time is up.
When you’re done having fun or when
Robi is low on battery, he will inform you in a
few select phrases such as: ‘‘I’m tired” or ‘‘I’m
hungry”. Then it is time for you to return him
to his charging seat, so he can recharge.
Robi is not prebuilt, but instead families
will have a chance to build it themselves.
It will be released in a weekly partwork
magazines, available in selected stores or
online. Robi can be completed during the
course of 70 issues, in specific parts. The
head of Robi itself can be built using issues
1 to 8.
All you need to build Robi is just a
screwdriver. It’s that simple! Included in the
magazine are news and articles that focuses
on robotics, guides on building Robi and
the parts to build Robi. Once built, Robi will
weigh 1kg and be 34cm tall. Robi is priced
at RM74.90 for its standard issue, which is
available in stores or online, but you can also
get Robi at RM67.40 if you are subscribed
for the whole 70 issues, which will then be
sent to your selected location, so you would
not miss any parts. Note that some issues
contain expensive parts, thus prices of
selected issues will be higher than regular
issues.
www.deagostini.my/robi/
Professor Tomotaka Takahasi (Left) and Mr. Hajime Murano (Right) posing with Robi

news
VIPs and models with the new devices
Sweet 10 For Huawei

Huawei’s latest - the P10, P10 Plus, P10 Lite, Nova Lite and
5.2-inch screen size.
Both the P10 and P10 Plus will be
powered by a Kirin 960 Octa-core 2.4 Ghz
processor. However, the P10 Plus is packed
two new watches with 6GB of RAM, and comes with 128GB of
built-in storage. As for the P10, it will feature
O
n the 8th of March, we got a chance With these devices, Huawei is tackling 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
to attend a major Huawei product both the mid-priced and luxury-priced The P10 Lite on the other hand will have
briefing. Huawei released three smartphone market. The Huawei P10 and a Kirin 655 Octa-core 2.1 Ghz, 4GB RAM and
new devices from the P series, and a new P10 Plus, both co-engineered with world- comes with 32GB internal memory. For the
Huawei Nova Lite. Aside from smartphones, renowned Leica, brings major enhancement Nova Lite - a Kirin 650, Octa-core 2.0 Ghz,
Huawei also announced two new watches, towards portrait photography. With a never 3GB RAM and 16GB storage space will be
the Huawei Watch 2 and Huawei Watch 2 seen before 8-megapixel Leica Front Camera, present in it. All of the devices above will run
Classic. as well as 20 + 12-megapixel dual rear on an Android 7.0.
cameras, P10 and In the battery department, one of the
P10 Plus owners P10 Plus’s highlight is its large 3,750mAh
will be able to battery, while the P10 will have a 3,200mAh
experience and battery. As for the P10 Lite and Nova Lite, a
take smartphone 3,000mAh battery will be equipped in both
photography to of them.
new heights. The P10 Plus, P10 and P10 Lite was made
The P10 Plus, available starting from the 23rd of March,
will feature a with the P10 Plus priced at RM3,099 and the
5.5-inch screen, P10 at a reasonable RM2,499. As for the P10
while the P10 will Lite, it’s priced at RM1,299, just slightly above
have a 5.1-inch the normal mid-range smartphones. The
display. As for Nova Lite will be available early April, with no
the P10 Lite and concrete pricing yet.
Nova Lite, both of consumer.huawei.com/sa-en/index.htm
The sleek and gorgeous P10 them will have a

news
Lenovo Legion Series version of the GTX 1050 instead. The third
variant takes another step up by replacing
the 1TB HDD with a speedy 128GB M.2 PCIe
Makes Its Malaysian SSD, while the GPU is also a more powerful
4GB GTX 1050 Ti. Finally, gamers can also opt
for the most powerful (to date) Y520, which
Debut
upgrades the SSD to a 256GB one and the
RAM to 8GB, with an additional 2TB HDD in
the mix. The prices for the four variants are,
Two new gaming laptops are the first to feature the Legion respectively, RM3,299, RM4,219, RM4,919, and
moniker RM5,419.
If that’s not enough for you to game
L
enovo recently launched two new the gaming industry, securing its spot in the on, fret not! Because the higher end Y720
gaming laptops for local gamers. Lenovo top 25 gaming countries in the world,” said comes with not only an Intel Core i7-7700HQ
has decided to fold all its gaming class Khoo, referring to a survey done by Newzoo processor, but also 8GB of DDR4 RAM, a
products into a new sub-brand called Legion, earlier this year. ‘‘Legion is the perfect NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU with 6GB of
beginning with the newly launched 15.6-inch showcase of our commitment to gaming VRAM, more than capable of handling most
Legion 720 and Legion Y520 gaming laptops. innovation and to the endless possibilities in games without issue. It also has a backlit
According to Lenovo Malaysia’s Country the gaming sector,” he added. keyboard featuring RGB lighting, the option
General Manager, Khoo Hung Chuan, Legion is At the lower end, the Legion Y520 has for a 4K screen, and support for the Razer
designed with the needs of modern gamers in enough variants with different specifications Core external GPU enclosure. The Y720 will
mind, meaning that factors such as flexibility, that should satisfy the needs of many cost RM6,099 for those who choose to go for
portability, and DIY upgrading were all taken games. The first one comes with Intel’s Core a 1080p display, while the 4K variant currently
into consideration. With PC gaming being a i5-7300HQ CPU, 4GB DDR4 RAM, the entry has an unconfirmed price.
huge past time for many in Malaysia, Legion level 2GB VRAM NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 All variants of the Legion Y520 and the
would be the banner through which Lenovo GPU, and 1TB 5400rpm HDD. Next, there’s the Y720 are now available for purchase in
can rally the local gaming community. one with Intel’s Core i7-7700HQ, currently the Malaysia.
‘‘Malaysia has definitely made its mark in best mobile CPU Intel offers, and a 4GB VRAM www3.lenovo.com
XXXX

news
Third from Left: Victor Hong, Director of Thorus Technology Malaysia, Marco Beh, Country Manager of Infinix Mobility Malaysia, Shierlyn Chan, Director of Thorus Technology
Malaysia, Marcia Sun, Head of Southeast Asia, Infinix Mobility and Janson Kwan, General Manager of Thorus Technology Malaysia
To Infinix And Beyond of RAM, all on a gigantic 4,000mAh battery.

Both the Zero 4 and Zero 4 Plus are running
Infinix’s OS, the XOS that’s based on Android
6.0, with planned upgrades in June for Android
Infinix Mobile launches its latest smartphones for the very 7.0. The Zero 4 has a 5.5-inch IPS display,
first time in Malaysia while the Zero 4 Plus has a bigger 5.98-inch
FullHD screen.
O
n the 15th of March, Infinix infiltrate the market, with brand awareness The Infinix HOT 4 Pro on the other hand,
Mobile launched its latest line of and popularity as priority. is aimed at busy businessmen or the older
smartphones on local ground. Arriving The Zero 4 and Zero 4 Plus are devices generation of smartphone users, with some
in Malaysian in three flavours is the Infinix aimed at photography enthusiasts, with the unique features, mainly its speakers. By
Zero 4, Infinix Zero 4 Plus and the Infinix HOT former sporting a 16-megapixel rear camera utilising Dirac Stereo Widening technology on
4 Pro – all priced at a competitive level to and 8-megapixel front camera, while the Plus its dual speakers, the HOT 4 Pro can be heard
version comes with a whopping loud and clear, even when taking calls in
20.7-megapixel rear camera and noisy environments. Featuring a 5.5-inch HD
a 13-megapixel front camera. display, it’s powered by MediaTek’s 6737 SoC,
The specifications of the Zero a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel
4 are as follows: A Mali-T720 front camera. Owing to its 4,000mAh battery,
GPU and Octa-core CPU on the Infinix claimed that the HOT 4 Pro could last
MediaTek 6753 chipset, with two days on a full charge, which is important
32GB of expandable storage for busy and heavy users.
space, and 3GB of RAM – all Infinix Zero 4 is available now for RM999,
powered by a 3,200mAh battery. while the Infinix HOT 4 Pro is priced at a
As for the Zero 4 Plus, it is lower RM599 and comes with multiple
running on an ARM Mali-T880, colours. As for the Infinix Zero 4 Plus, price
with a MediaTek 6797M Deca- and availability will be announced come April.
Core CPU. 10 Cores! Additionally, You can purchase Infinix devices from Lazada
it can support a microSD for Online or authorised dealers.
Zero 4 and Zero 4 Plus side-by-side 32GB more storage and has 4GB www.infinixmobility.com

news
From left to right: Edmund Hoh (Acer Malaysia Product Manager), Johnson Seet (Acer Malaysia Director of Products) and Jeffrey Lai (Acer Malaysia Product Manager)
showing off the Acer Aspire VX 15
Be Ace, Be Acer Vin (Chew Hoe Sheng), Malaysia’s very own

FIFA Online 3 Veteran who has won multiple
tournaments representing Malaysia. Garena
Acer’s brand new line-up made for gamers showcased some League of Legend goodies
at the event as well. Some attendees got a
A
cer’s latest venture to the gaming less screen tear and lag. The KG251Q rocks chance to play with eMaster.Vin, although
market has been quite successful. On a 24.5-inch screen, while the KG271 has most of them got demolished.
the 23rd of March, we were invited a 27-inch one. Both monitors are Full HD The Acer Aspire VX 15 and Acer Aspire
to attend the launch of not one, but four displays capable of 1ms GTG response time, GX781 is priced at RM4,399, while the
devices that are targeted at gamers – the and come with the Black Boost technology. KG251Q monitor is priced at RM659, with
Acer Aspire VX 15 Gaming Laptop, Acer Last but definitely not least, the Acer the KG271 priced at RM899. Acer has also
KG251Q and KG271 monitors, and the Acer Aspire GX781. This powerhouse of a desktop included three years of on-site warranty for
Aspire GX781 desktop. has an i7 Quad-Core processor, 8GB of DDR4 selected devices.
The Acer Aspire VX 15 is a gaming laptop RAM that can be upgraded to 32GB, and www.acer.com.my
that’s built for style. Featuring a mostly an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card,
black body with red accents and chassis all allowing it to deliver
over the laptop, as well as an iron red backlit 4K2K resolutions
keyboard, this laptop is aesthetically pleasing easily. The GX781
to the eyes. Aside from looks, the VX 15 could also run
features an i7 Quad-Core processor, with multiple monitors at
8GB of RAM, and 1TB of HDD storage. Built the same time for an
with a 15.6-inch Full HD screen, coupled with immersive gaming
a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 card, this laptop experience. Other
is not one to stifle at. than that, the GX781
As for the Acer KG251Q and KG271 includes a 1TB HDD
monitors, they would be among the few and 128GB SSD for all
monitors in Malaysia to have 75Hz. With your storage needs.
HDMI and FreeSync support, you would get Garena was also
to enjoy smooth gameplay experience with present with eMaster. Models posing with the four new products

news
CommunicAsia And EnterpriseIT

2017 to Showcase Growing
Ecosystem Of Innovations For
Asia’s Smart Cities
Emerging technologies to feature at New Startup Alley, Cyber Security Zone and bigger AR/
VR segment
A
s Asia continues down the path five-year period from 2017 to 2021, Asia flows through them.”
of digital transformation and its seeing a record 23.4 billion US Dollars in SatComm, which boasts Asia’s largest
cities get increasingly connected, startup funding in the second quarter of gathering of more than 160 satellite
CommunicAsia and EnterpriseIT 2017, set to 20161, and worldwide revenues for the AR communications companies, is another
be held on 23 to 25 May, will add brand new and VR market expected to reach 162 billion integral part of the event. Taking place on
feature zones to address the growing need US Dollars in 2020, the new zones are timely Level 1 of the Marina Bay Sands, SatComm
for data security and the budding startup additions to the event. will showcase satellite solutions that will
culture in the region. ‘‘As cities and their populations become enable upcoming technologies such as 4K
Spanning the whole fifth level of Marina smarter and more connected, the amount and IoT to support smart city developments.
Bay Sands, these zones will be housed at of data produced increases. As reported With the heightened pressure
NXT@CommunicAsia, a dedicated showcase by Cisco Systems’ latest Visual Networking and push for seamless integration of
underlining innovations for smart cities Index, the Asia-Pacific region will drive 45% technology, analytics and connectivity,
and disruptive technology to empower of the world’s mobile data traffic by 2020, the CommunicAsia2017 Summit is set
the digital transformation of governments and global IP traffic will increase nearly to augment and ultimately revolutionise
and enterprises. The new Cyber Security threefold over the next five years with the today’s entire ecosystem. Taking place
zone has been added to the focused number of devices connected to IP networks throughout the event, the Summit will
clusters that include Big Data, Cloud and exceeding three times the global population cover topics such as the Internet of Things,
IoT. NXT@CommunicAsia will also feature during this same period,” said Victor Wong, Security of Things, Smart Cities, Digital
CommunicAsia’s first-ever Startup Alley Project Director for Communications Events Talent Analytics, and Broadband. Mr Rohit
with startups from Singapore and Malaysia. at organiser UBM SES. ‘‘CommunicAsia and Talwar, CEO of Fast Future Research will
The event will also see a bigger augmented EnterpriseIT will provide first-hand access to deliver this year’s Visionary Address titled
reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) segment. the latest in constantly evolving technology – Artificial Intelligence vs. Genuine Stupidity
With the Cybersecurity Market Report and new disruptive innovations needed to - Navigating Exponential Technologies to
predicting worldwide spending on cyber ensure the sustainable growth of smart city Create a Very Human Future.
security to top 1 trillion US Dollars for the ecosystems and the security of data that http://www.communicasia.com/

news
Marvelously
Delightful Devices
SNS Network’s latest superhero feature
S
NS Network certainly hasn’t been resting convertible laptop, with a glowing Arc Reactor
on its laurels, for it launched its new line on the back of the laptop – non-Iron Man fans The AVR10T
of Marvel’s Avengers themed devices in would even be inclined to consider the device.
early March. Featuring the always popular Iron The convertible has a 10.1-inch IPS display that the convertible, it will fulfill your need for both a
Man on one of the devices, this would surely is powered by a Quad-Core Intel Atom X5-Z8300 laptop and a tablet with no problems.
garner some attention from superhero fans. processor. With 4 GB of DD3 RAM,and 64 GB of The other device that was announced, the
One of the new devices, the AVR10T, storage space, extendable up to 64 GB MicroSD AVR116T, features an Avengers themed skin
will feature Iron Man on the design of the slot, as well as a USB Type C and Micro USB on on the back, sadly no glowing icon on this one.
This device has an 11.6-inch HD display on
the convertible laptop that is sure to wow. It is
powered by the same processor, the Quad-Core
Intel Atom X5-Z8300 processor, and 4 GB of
DDR3 RAM. However, the difference is that
it has only 32 GB of storage space, with an
additional 64 GB available via MicroSD.
On to more important news. The AVR10T
(Iron Man) is available to you at a price of
RM1,249, while the AVR116T (Avengers) will cost
RM1,449. SNS Network has also quoted that
other superheroes might make an appearance
in the future. Both convertible laptops will come
with Windows 10 Home preinstalled.
www.sns.com.my
SNS Ambassadors and Iron Man posing with the AVR10T & AVR116T
Small, New & Sweet 8 hours without any problems. The JOI is priced
at an astoundingly impressive price of RM899,
inclusive of GST, but the active pen and external
SNS Network’s latest remake of the JOI 11 keyboards must be purchased separately or
in bundles. You can pre-order the JOI 11 now
S
NS Network, a company based in an external video and audio outputs with its at GLOO Outlets, Aeon and Aeon Big Malls, or
Malaysia, launched their brand-new built-in HDMI port. purchased online through GLOO’s website or on
product on the 2nd of March 2017 at However, there are several external add-ons 11Street.
Talent Lounge, in PJ Trade Centre. The JOI 11 is that you can buy to compliment and further www.sns.com.my
a convertible tablet that can be a fully-fledged improve on the JOI 11. One of it is the JOI Active
laptop with a few external add-ons. Pen, which helps with
The JOI 11 comes with some bells and precision drawing, and
whistles that enables it to give the users an a choice between two
incredible experience. It is built with a 10.8-inch detachable keyboards,
Full HD display, weighing only 700 grams and is the JOI Metal Keyboard
8.8mm thin. and JOI Leather
Powered by a Quad-Core Intel Atom x5 Keyboard. With this,
processor with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 32 the tablet could be a
GB of storage expandable to 128 GB, the JOI full-fledged laptop with
11 should be sufficient for Windows 10 and touchscreen capabilities.
a few games and videos. External storages With a battery
are always an option and with USB Type C, capacity of 8,400 mAh,
there would be no problem transferring files at SNS claimed that the JOI
high speed. You can also plug the JOI 11 into 11 could last from 6 to The JOI 11 in Metal and Leather Keyboard, along with the JOI Active Pen

news
OPPO ambassadors posing with R9s Plus
Taking the
OPPOrtunity to
Dominate the Market
OPPO is improving on one of their best releases, with the
OPPO R9s Plus
E
arly on in March, OPPO unveiled its
latest iteration of the OPPO R9s series,
the OPPO R9s Plus, at the Greenhouse
The OPPO R9s Plus
in Seputeh. The OPPO R9s Plus comes with a
slew of features that put OPPO’s competitors is its specs. It is powered by a Qualcomm
to shame. Snapdragon 653 processor, 6GB of RAM, and a
At the event, we were joined by R9s Plus storage size of 64GB, which could be expanded
ambassadors, Ayda Jebat and Min Chen. The up to 128GB, all kept running with a large
event started with OPPO’s Product Manager 4,000mAh battery. With VOOC Flash Charge
Ken Ng presenting the new features and the Technology, the R9s Plus can be charged 4X
specifications of the R9s Plus. faster than conventional charges. Thanks to
The R9s Plus comes with an impressive both technologies, your day-to-day activities
16-megapixel IMX398 rear camera, a would not be in any immediate danger in the
collaborative effort of OPPO together with middle of the day. Topped with a gigantic 6-inch
SONY, and a massive f/1.7 aperture. It’s Full HD panel, the phone runs on OPPO’s Colour
bundled together with Dual PDAF technology, OS 3.0, which is based on Android 6.0.
which was improved from standard PDAF, to According to OPPO’s Sales Director, Garry
deliver almost-instant focus, even in low light Gong, the R9s Plus will be priced at RM2,498
scenarios. The R9s Plus also features a brand and come packaged with an OPPO Care service
new Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) that counters of 12 months. The R9s Plus is now available at
shaky movement with an increased 40% Anti- all OPPO online and concept stores, as well as
Shake Range. Maxis and Celcom.
OPPO brand ambassador, Min Chen with the R9s Plus Another selling point of the R9s Plus www.oppo.com/my

AMBIL
SENASKHAH,
POPULARITI
BERTAMBAH
Ambil. Baca. Kongsi.
PERCUMA TERBIT SETIAP RABU

Boleh didapati di stesen LRT berhampiran anda
www.warta.my
news
New Tales From

OUKITEL
OUKITEL’s latest offerings in the smartphone market finally
hits local shores, with the tag: U & I for OK life
O
UKITEL, a well-established smartphone As for the OUKITEL U16 Max, it comes with
manufacturer from China set their built with an aircraft aluminium alloy body
sights some time ago in Malaysia and design with a 2.5D curved glass panel. The
on the 21st of March, we finally got the chance U16 Max features a 6-inch LTPS HD JDI (Japan
to attend its launch. The devices that they Display Inc.) display. Built in the U16 Max is an The U20 Plus
announced are as follows: OUKITEL K6000 Plus, Octa-Core 1.3GHz processor with 3GB of RAM
OUKITEL U16 Max, and OUKITEL U20 Plus. and 32GB of storage, expandable with microSD. is adorned with a 13-megapixel rear camera
The OUKITEL K6000 Plus comes with a full Powered by a 4,000mAh battery and running on with Sony’s IMX135, as well as a 5-megapixel
metallic body and features a 5.5-inch LTPS Android 7.0, the U16 Max also supports 5V/1.5A front camera. Sadly, the U20 Plus is running on
(Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) panel. quick charge. A 13-megapixel rear camera and Android 6.0.
Sporting a MediaTek 6750T SoC, and 4GB of 5-megapixel front camera is included in the The prices of the devices were announced as
RAM with 64GB internal storage, the K6000 U16 Max. well, with the OUKITEL K6000 Plus priced at an
Plus is powered with a gigantic 6,080mAh The OUKITEL U20 Plus is made of solid RRP of RM999. As for the U series, the OUKITEL
SCUD battery. Camera-wise, the K6000 Plus polycarbonate with curved edges and 2.5D U16 Max is priced at an RRP of RM889, while
has a 16-megapixel with Sony IMX298 sensor glass panel, dazzled with a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS the U20 Plus is priced at an RRP of RM639.
rear camera, and an 8-megapixel wide angle display made by Sharp. It runs on a MT6737T The U20 Plus is available now from stores and
front camera. Fast charging of 12V/2A is also SoC, 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage distributors, while the K6000 Plus and U16 Max
available, while the K6000 Plus is all running on expandable with microSD, and has a 3,300 mAh will make an appearance come April 2017.
the latest Android 7.0. battery. With the focus on camera, the U20 Plus www.oukitel.my
Philips’ Brand
New Trio
Three brand new Philips monitors
introduced in Malaysia
P
hilips launched three brand new immersive gaming experience. With
monitors for March – the BDM4037UW, the FlickerFree feature to reduce eye
323E7QDAB and 278E8QJAW. With fatigue as well as a SmartContrast
three different models to choose from, for deeper blacks. Equipped with
consumers are spoilt for choice with these VGA, DVI-D, and HDMI inputs, two 5W
aesthetically pleasing monitors. built-in speakers, and a 5ms response
Let’s start with the BDM4037UW, a curved time, the monitor should tick most
4K monitor with Ultra HD with MultiView. boxes for those hunting for a monitor. Philips 323E7QDAB
This is easily the largest curved monitor in Lastly, we have the 278E8QJAW,
the market to date. It can deliver UltraClear which has a curved 27-inch Full HD VA LCD edge in gaming precision by removing screen
4K UHD resolution and is built for graphics Panel, 4ms response time and 60Hz refresh tear, choppy gameplay and broken frames.
professionals, photographers, 3D animators rate. With the help of its curved display, the All three monitors are available from
and even accountants and financiers working monitor offers pleasant viewing, especially Philips Monitor partners and distributors.
on big spreadsheets with its 40-inch curved with the help of Ultra Wide-Color for wider The 40-inch curved BDM4037UW is priced
VA LCD panel. With the help of Multiview, the spectrums of colours, FlickerFree technology at a RRP of RM2,699, while the 323E7QDAB,
monitor can open up to four Full HD input to reduce eye strain, and SmartContrast for with its 32-inch display, is priced at an RRP
sources on-screen. HDMI 2.0 connection is deeper black level details. Included with the of RM999. As for the 278E8QJAW, the 27-inch
available on the monitor. monitor is a VGA, DisplayPort and HDMI monitor, it’ll cost you RM1,499.
For the 323E7QDAB, it features a inputs, as well as two 3W built-in speakers. http://www.philips.com.my/c-m-pc/
32-inch Full HD LCD display, capable of an AMD FreeSync is also included for the extra monitors

news
KEF Launches First

Concept Store And
Wireless LS50
The KEF LS50 Wireless truly brings together the best of
their LS50 together with the modern world From left to right is Johan Coorg, Brand Development,
KEF GP Acoustics Group and Lawrence Chu, Group
Business Development Director, Asia Pacific GP
I
n conjunction with the opening of its first soundstage experience, made possible by Industries Limited posing with the KEF LS50 Wireless
concept store in Malaysia, KEF proudly expert acoustic design and cutting edge Speakers
presented the LS50 Wireless, a complete and technologies.
fully active music system, which just happens Despite its small enclosure, the wireless resonances and colouration. New additions
to look like a pair of conventional LS50’s. pair delivers a sweet spot listening experience include an end-to-end 192kHz/25-bit high-
Sharing the same winning acoustic features of regardless where you sit in a room. This is due resolution digital signal path, a dedicated DAC
LS50, the new LS50 Wireless enables the user to KEF’s patented Uni-Q technology that allows per channel, a streaming pre-amplifier and
to enjoy excellent music reproduction. the speaker to create three-dimensional sound factory optimised amplification in a bi-amp dual
With the LS50 Wireless Bluetooth system, image, for your ultimate listening pleasure. The mono configuration. The KEF LS50 Wireless
KEF has now developed a complete, fully active, FEA-designed cabinet, Uni-Q driver, constrained is retailing exclusively at the KEF Malaysia
system that trains all the acoustic features layer damping bracing, precision-made curved flagship store at Encorp Strand Mall, Kota
and benefits of the LS50 with everything built baffle and elliptical flexible sound port, all of the Damansara and will be available in Titanium
in to allow a multitude of connectivity needs. LS50‘s pedigree are retained. GreyRed, Gloss Black/Blue, and Gloss White/
It delivers smooth and detailed sound that These features prevent cabinet vibrations, Copper for RM10,999.
creates an intense, rich and multi-dimensional enhance radiating sound, and reduce http://international.kef.com/ls50-wireless
Versatility Within 90x, while the IXUS 190 has a 10x zoom lens
expandable to 20x with ZoomPlus. Then there’s
also the IXUS 185, which features an 8x zoom
Compacts lens that’s expandable to 16x with ZoomPlus.

The IXUS 185 and IXUS 190 comes bundled
with a 16GB SD Card and a case. They will
Canon’s latest compact cameras on local grounds be priced at an RRP of RM419 and RM669
respectively. As for the PowerShot SX430 IS,
O
n the 6th of March 2017, Canon image processor, which helps in delivering a it’s bundled with only a 16GB SD Card and is
announced their latest offerings meticulous tracking performance. The DIGIC priced at RM1,059. Next is the PowerShot G9X
in compact cameras, the Canon 7 will automatically detect and track the Mark II, which is priced at an RRP of RM2,059
PowerShot G9X Mark II, Canon PowerShot face of a designated person, even animals and will be bundled with a 16GB SD Card.
SX430 IS, Canon IXUS 190 and the Canon IXUS and objects when in a low colour-saturation Purchase of the G9X Mark II, IXUS 195, and
185 is now available to purchase in Malaysia. background. Aside from that, the DIGIC 7 allows IXUS 190 is available from Canon Image Square
Jeffrey Kung, Head of Consumer Imaging for continuous shooting of 8.1 fps, making and authorised dealers nationwide. As for the
and Information Division of Canon Marketing short work of fast moving photography. With PowerShot SX430 IS, it can only be bought from
(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd claimed as a leading the help of DIGIC 7, the PowerShot G9X Mark the Canon Official Store on Lazada Online.
specialist in imaging solutions, it has come II can maintain excellent resolution and image www.canon.com.my
to Canon’s understanding that photography clarity, especially with the dual sensing image
means different things to people – ranging stabilisation feature which provides 3.5 stops of
from capturing picture perfect moments, image stabilisation by reducing camera shake,
making memories everlasting, and as even in low light conditions.
expressions of art. Jeffrey also mentioned that As for the PowerShot SX430 IS, IXUS 190
the new cameras will enhance customers’ and IXUS 185, all three of these cameras are
love for photography but also spur them to lightweight and powered by a DIGIC 4+ image
pursue photography and to create a deeper processor while fitted with a 20-megapixel
appreciation for the art of photography. CCD image processor to deliver exceptional
The PowerShot G9X Mark II comes image clarity. The PowerShot SX430 features
with an upgrade in the shape of a DIGIC 7 a 45x optical zoom, with a ZoomPlus of up to Canon PowerShot
SX430 IS
chip malaysia march 17 025

news
Alta HR, Fitbit’s

Latest Fitness
Wristband
Now with advanced sleep tracking!
R
ecently, fitness wearable leader Fitbit to accurately estimate the times you spend
introduced the new Fitbit Alta HR. between light, deep or REM sleep stages, and
Using new breakthroughs in sleep Sleep Insights, it provides guidance and help
tracking, it will give you accurate observations to improve your sleep. Both of these helps the
on your sleep patterns to help you make Alta HR by tracking your sleep patterns, which
better decisions, which helps with your health then guides you to ways on how to improve The Alta HR comes with new functions
and wellbeing goals. your sleep, for better health. The CEO and
The Fitbit Alta HR features continuous co-founder of Fitbit said, ‘‘Alta HR and these trackers. Some collections from leather to
heart rate tracking, by combining the benefits powerful new sleep features demonstrate our steel and designer collections are available
of Fitbit’s PurePulse heart rate technology, continued focus on evolving our innovative as well.
with an automatic exercise recognition as technology to deliver deeper, more actionable The Alta HR is available from early April,
well as the aforementioned sleep tracking. insights to help our users impove their online and from designated retailers at a local
According to Fitbit, the Alta HR has a battery health.’’ retail price of RM730. There will also be a
life of up to seven days. It’s able to send PurePulse is a feature that was requested Special Edition Alta HR for RM820. As for the
smart notifications on a slim display that is the most by previous Fitbit Alta users. It different bands for the Alta HR, they will range
customisable to your preferred look and style, helps with measuring calorie burns, heart from RM130 to RM420 depending on the
a feature that is sure to please those who are zones and heart rate monitor, all jam-packed editions. Note that the Sleep Stages and Sleep
in the market for a fitness band. into the Alta HR. The Alta HR trackers are Insights feature will be available sometime in
Utilising Sleep Stages, which uses interchangeable with multiple accessories, Q2 2017.
accelerometer data and heart rate variability ranging from classic trackers to special edition www.fitbit.com
Airvolution 2017
AirAsia’s hackathon to spearhead innovation in Asean
also mentioned that he wishes Airvolution
would take-off and be a hit. ‘‘You cannot
fight technology, if we don’t change we’ll be
irrelevant,’’ said Tan Sri Tony Fernandes during
a Q&A session. He also mentioned that change
O
n the 18th of March, VIPs from On Sunday, Singapore’s Aviato team management in a company is critical and if
AirAsia, most notably Tan Sri Dr. Tony emerged victorious. By piecing together a not handled properly the company could face
Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia, helped real-time user profile from Instagram pictures disastrous results. According to him, AirAsia will
officiate the launch of AirAsia’s ‘‘Airvolution and likes, they were then able to target offers must continuously reinvent itself to keep with
2017: Spearheading Innovation in Asean’’. of AirAsia destinations and food that reflects the times, which is also the motivation behind
The purpose of this hackathon is to develop the user’s interest. They were judged based on the hackathon.
ideas in regards to changing the way how we impact, creativity, design and execution for the www.airasia.com
approach air travel. The participating teams solution based on
were given a travel-related challenge, and they the challenge that
have to figure out how to tackle the problem they were given.
using new technological products or solutions. For winning, they
The teams had 18.5 hours, starting from were awarded
2:30pm on 18th March (Saturday) till 9:00am on a grand prize of
the next day to figure out a solution. There was RM25,000 in cash,
a total of 20 teams with five members each and 100,000 Air Asia
as many as 13 nationalities who attended. BIG Points and
Google, Microsoft and Amazon were among five return flights
the partners of the hackathon. They provided to any AirAsia
services and products for the teams to build on, destination.
VIPs posing for a photo (4th from the Left: Shanti Nikunj, Group Chief Data and Digital
and to provide guidance on the products if they Tan Sri Dr. Officer of AirAsia, Aireen Omar, CEO of AirAsia, and Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes Group
got lost on how it works. Tony Fernandes CEO of AirAsia

news
D-Link Appoints
New Chairman
Ex-CEO and Vice Chairman Douglas Hsiao
appointed Global Chairman of D-Link
D
-Link, a global leader in connecting and columnist at
people, businesses and cities has grown DigiTimes. Graduating
from a group of seven friends since its from National Chiao
founding in 1986 in Taiwan to having more than Tung University
2,000 employees worldwide, has appointed a with a degree in
new Global Chairman, Douglas Hsiao. Hsiao has telecommunication
served as D-Link’s Chief Executive Officer and engineering, he
Vice Chairman of the Board since 2015. continued to be
Hsiao has over 30 years of experience in the involved with his alma
Douglas Hsiao
industry, and is the former general manager mater, as he became
and current corporation representative of the CEO of the Branding College of his Alumni solutions,” said Douglas Hsiao. ‘‘D-Link has
board director at Alpha Networks Incorporated. Association. been a market leader for over 30 years, and I
Hsiao also previously held positions as Sales ‘‘I am honoured to be named Chairman, and I look forward to leading D-Link as it enters a
Manager at Wang Laboratories, Vice President have confidence in continuing D-Link’s success new era.”
of Sales at Lite-On Technology Corporation, in creating innovative, high-quality networking http://www.dlink.com.my/
The NeXT big thing

Maxis is taking on the smartphone market head-on with
their very own smartphone, the NeXT M1
M
axis introduced their very own MT6755M (MTK Helio P10) SoC and runs on
smartphone, called the NeXT M1 Android 6.0.
on the 2nd of March 2017. The With a storage space of 16GB that is
The NeXT M1
NeXT M1 features a 5.5-inch IPS display, the example by another 32GB via microSD, the
storage size is not
that impressive
compared to others. we’ve detailed its specifications, let’s start
But it does have pricing. The NeXT M1 would cost you RM78
a 13-megapixel a month for 24 months, which is a total of
camera. Juiced up RM1,872. There’s no other extra charges,
with a 2,960 mAh as Maxis confirmed that there will be zero
battery, the NeXT upfront payment. However, that could change
M1 should last you depending on the terms and conditions. For
a day, as long you example, Maxis current customers would have
do not run overly to sign up for a new line to be eligible for this
battery consuming offer.
tasks on the phone. With price out of the way, Maxis mentions
Now that that the NeXT M1 comes with free 4GB data
and 50 minutes of talk time every month,
as well as a two year warranty (as long as
the contract) instant one-to-one phone
Chan Peng Li(Left), replacement, as well as a six month screen
Maxis’ Head of Device
Marketing with the protection warranty.
Maxis NeXT M1 www.maxis.com.my

security report
33C3: I Hacker Fair

In Hamburg
In December 2016, the Chaos Computer Club invited hackers, security experts and geeks to
their congress. The focus here was on digital security with the motto “Works for me”
P
ost-Christmas 2016, hackers and
security experts meet up at the 33C3,
the annual congress of the Chaos
Computer Club. By way of presentations
and workshops, researchers demonstrated
some glaring flaws in smart homes. A good
example here is door locks with a Bluetooth
feature. Instead of using a key, you can easily
lock such locks with your smartphone. Ray,
a lock picker, picked three different models
and showed some striking safety flaws.
He initially proceeded without high-tech
equipment in a model by Dog & Bone, which
allowed him to open the lock using a thin
sheet, and a lock by Master Lock with just a
magnet. He used digital equipment for the
lock by Noke. Within two days, Ray found the
required communication between the lock and
cloud service, subsequently recording it and
figuring out how to manipulate it. He even
managed to reprogram and open the lock. This
isn’t something new for Ray. At the hacker
convention Defcon in August, he demonstrated
twelve Bluetooth locks that were easy to pick. Participants discuss current topics revolving around digital life and internet security for three days at the 33C3
Equally interesting were the presentations
on digital culture. NSA whistleblower Edward intended for combating terrorism. It was people who helped Snowden flee. These often
Snowden, who participated by video, harshly more about exercising power. Lawyer Robert included refugees whose benefits were taken
denounced the government surveillance Tibbo’s presentation was more emotional. away after their involvement in this became
campaigns, saying that they were never He introduced the “Snowguardians”, the known.
Data Theft Of The Month

YAHOO: DATA OF A BILLION USERS CRYPTOCURRENCY FORUM DATA LEAKED DURING
STOLEN HACKED TELEKOM’S CLOUD SERVICE
Hackers got their hands on a billion users’ A hacker found his way into the forum MIGRATION
details in an attack on Yahoo, way back databases of the cryptocurrency Ethereum. An extensive data spill occurred during
in 2013, according to the company. Yahoo The database, containing 15,500 user names, migration at Telekom. When the Managed
couldn’t say who was behind it. Users have email addresses, profile details, private Exchange service was updated, thousands
been advised to change their passwords and and public messages as well as passwords of contact details from address books were
monitor any services linked to their Yahoo largely hashed by salt, was stolen in April incorrectly synchronised, and as a result,
account. It was also not an isolated incident; 2016. other users could read the information.
just a few weeks ago, Yahoo admitted to the According to sources, Telekom has rectified
theft of 500 million users’ details in 2014. the problem.

security report
Chain Letters On WhatsApp

A
fter e-mails and Facebook, chain letter-sending scammers have now turned to WhatsApp for more victims. Spam messages promising coupons
for Lidl, Rewe or H&M are on the rise on the instant messaging app. If you click on the accompanying link, you won’t get a coupon. Instead, you’ll
have to fill out a form for a lottery. The information is then transferred in fine print to advertisers, along with the consent to receive calls, post,
SMS and advertising mails. If you receive such messages, you should delete them right away and never click on these links.
DDoS Critical Gap In

Attacks Thunderbird
On BKA T
hose who use the popular e-mail client Thunderbird should update the software as soon as
possible. There are several flaws that, among other things, allow random external program codes to
run. The computer emergency team CERT has categorised the flaws as serious, largely because the
Portal
gaps can be exploited by outsiders. Mozilla has come up with an update.
Flaw In Tor Browser

S
omebody, whose identity is
not yet known, attacked an
information portal set up by the
German Federal Criminal Police Office
(BKA) following the terror attack at a
Bundle
M
Christmas market in Berlin. This portal ozilla has fixed several critical flaws in Firefox that placed the security of the Tor browser
was set up to gather information bundle at great risk. The ESR version of Firefox, which has been supported for a long time
centrally from the residents. The DDoS now, uses it. Because of the flaws, it was also possible to undo the anonymisation feature
attack, which has been assessed as a for Tor users and makes them traceable. The team of developers of Tor have fixed the gaps in version
‘‘professional” one by the BKA, lasted 6.0.7 and delivered an update for the integrated NoSCript add-on. They have also advised all users to
for several hours. update to it as soon as possible.
Danger Barometer Safety gaps of 2016

CVEDetails released an overview of flaws by systems from last year. Oracle tops the list,
followed by Google and Adobe. Microsoft comes fourth
High risk Where buyers get their information about products from
700
Cyber No. of Safety gaps
criminals are
600
able to hack 500
into smart
Medium risk
homes, with 400
SOURCE: CVEDETAIL
Bluetooth
locks, for 300
example,
easily 200
unlocked
using some
100
Low risk
magnets 0
Oracle
Google
Adobe
Microsoft
Novell
IBM
Cisco
Apple
Debian
Canonical
Redhat
Linux
Mozilla
Fedoraproject
HP
PHP
Apache
Huawai
Wireshark
Suse
Number of the Month:

500,000,000 500 million Yahoo users‘ details were
compromised in 2014

world wired web
Streaming Is Getting Bigger

M
arket researchers expect IHS Markit to have a turnover of almost RM4.7 billion with Video on Demand in 2017. The VoD turnovers have
grown for the seventh year in a row to RM4.45 billion – a growth of 18% compared to last year. The largest portion, with RM2.41 billion,
goes to the fee-based services offered by Video, Netflix, and others.
According to forecasts by market researchers, at RM1.29 billion, subscription models will make higher turnovers than individual orders
(RM1.11 billion) for the first time. The turnover share of free offers such as YouTube, funded by advertisements, is expect to reach RM2.04 billion
this year – almost twice as much as in 2014.
Sign
Digitally
On Your
Mobile
Phone
S
ketch iD, a software developed by
Swiss company Intelligent Insights,
apparently detects signatures on
mobile phones in a forgery-proofed manner.
The algorithm extracts every pixel from the
signature and enhances it with biometric
features.
PowerDVD
With
Headphones For High UHD-BD
Standards License
T
he media player CyberLink PowerDVD
T
he Fidelio X2HR is a premium headphone that comes with High Resolution Audio, a is the first software playback device to
50mm neodymium driver and a frequency range of 5-40,000 Hz. Thanks to Hi-Res receive the license for transferring
Audio, the Fidelio X2HR can deliver quality greater than CD quality. It’s also very UHD Blu-rays from the Blue-ray Disc
comfortable to wear, with its double-layered ear cups perfectly fitting the natural shape of Association (BDA). The media player also
the ears. supports the latest sound formats.

world wired web
Mega TV With OLED Display

L
Gs premim-range TV models of 2017 combine innumerable premium features such as WebOS 3.0, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and HDR
technology. The new OLED product range, comprising models 77/65W7, 77/65G7, 65/55E7, 65/55C7 and 65/55B7, were first revealed at CES
in Las Vegas this earlier this year. In fact, the 77-inch-big LG Signature OLED TV won the “Best of Innovation Award 2017”. The so-called
picture on wall design ensures that there is no longer any gap between the TV and the wall. This, according to LG, will create the impression of one
looking through a window rather than at a television. The barely 2.57 millimetre-slim LG flagship can be affix to surfaces using magnetic brackets,
and come with a combination of Dolby Vision and High Dynamic Range (HDR) for more brightness levels and colour shades.
The signature OLEDs with Dolby Atmos also deliver great sound quality through Harman Kardon speakers, bringing cinema sound quality to
the living room.
Speed Charger Cheap

For USB C In-ear
T
he Dutch manufacturer Trust
recently introduced the first
USB C charger with 60W – the
Moda. The Moda will charge
Headset
E
smartphones, tablets and rato, the developer of the
notebooks in equal measure using earphones Apollo 7, has now
a USB C interface. The charger come up with a similar,
automatically identifies the affordable in-ear headset with
necessary voltage and output in Bluetooth 4.2, for around RM540.
order to prevent overcharging. The Rio 3 supports audio
Priced at approximately RM329, compression aptX and thanks to its
however, the Moda isn’t particularly powerful battery, can play music
cheap for six consecutive hours.

world wired web
Mini Soundbar With

Great Sound
U
S manufacturer Polk has launched the slim sound bar
MagniFi Mini, which delivers a full Dolby surround sound
via HDMI despite its compact dimensions. In addition, it
has a night mode where the extra subwoofer can be turned
down so as not to disturb the neighbours. The soundbar can
also wirelessly receive music via Bluetooth, Spotify or Google.
If you want to purchase the MagniFi Mini, it’ll costs around
RM1,649.
Mobile Phone Google

For Rough Tests
Environments AlphaGo
Update
T
he outdoor mobile phone, Archos 50 Saphir looks
tough. Its robust, rubberised casing supposedly
A
hitherto-unknown Go gamer
absorbs falls up to one metre and can survive 30 called Master (P), which has
minutes under water. Thanks to a powerful battery with beaten the best Go experts in
5,000 mAh capacity, several days of outdoor use won’t be a the world in online gaming in the past
problem either. The 5-inch mobile phone with Android 6.0 few weeks, has emerged as the new
has a four-core CPU with 1.5 GHz and a 16-GB internal version of AlphaGo. Google’s
storage, which can be extended up to 128 GB with an SD subsidiary, DeepMind, had developed
card. The Saphir is available now for around RM1,018. the AI program. AlphaGo had already
beaten the top gamer Lee Sedol in
March 2016.
Stylish
Input Set
M
icrosoft’s has unveiled new input gadgets for its 2-in-1 Surface
tablet series. The surface keypad (approx. RM517) as well as the
surface mouse (approx. RM259) can be connected to other desktop PCs,
notebooks or tablets via its Bluetooth 4.0 interface. The dull grey aluminium keypad has a
complete keypad layout that includes a number pad, media keys and function keys, despite its slim
form. The soft texture of the keys allows for light and consistent typing. As for the mouse, it has a
metallic scroll wheel with 24 catches and weighs a mere 90g. Mobile warriors will be glad to hear that
the batteries of both products will each last a year.

feature
Turbo Charger
For Smartphones
Using the proprietary technology - Quick Charge - many smartphones are charging their batteries
with lightning fast speed. In the new version 4, a five-minute charging time can provide five hours
of usage By Jörg Geiger
T
he user requirements for future In 2013, the first QC version had a 5V 2A According to Qualcomm, the charging
smartphones are grounded, according to specification, resulting in a cool 10W of power. device should supply power in case of a near
a survey done by the Qualcomm. In the In comparison, standard USB charging devices empty battery. But even when a specific
top 10 requirements, you will not find voice come to 5V and 500mA (USB 2.0) or 900 mA, charge level is attained, it does not imply that
control, virtual reality or other popular issues. which is a maximum of 4.5W. Qualcomm also faster charging is always better. In fact, the
Instead, it was the battery that came up thrice introduced two new charging technologies battery should not be overcharged. With the
in the list. First place was “Improved battery with the first version, APSD (Automatic Power new QC4, Qualcomm has once again refined
life”, third was “Increased battery capacity” Source Detection) which identifies whether it INOV, so that smartphones can dynamically
and fourth was “Faster charging time”. deals with a QC-compatible power adapter, or adjust the voltage in 20mV levels. Even when
This is good for Qualcomm since the in- whether the smartphone is connected to the Quick Charge was not responsible for the
house technology Quick Charge ensures faster USB port of a computer, as disaster of the Samsung
charging time. Its version 4.0 (or QC4) made its well as AICL (Automatic Galaxy Note 7, the story
debut with the new Super SoC (system on Input Current Limit) which Quick Charge raised questions
chip) Snapdragon 835, which will be installed
in upcoming premium smartphones like the
ensures that a powerful
power adapter does not
4.0 is regarding the safety of
quick charge
Samsung Galaxy S8. With QC4, Qualcomm is overload the battery and compatible with technologies. For such
aiming for five hours of usage after being limits the current. Thus, a cases, there is the
connected to the power socket for five QC power adapter can be USB Battery Saver technology
minutes. A typical smartphone battery also used for smartphones and uses the protocol to in Quick Charge, which
becomes half full with 2,750 mAh after 15 without the quick charging negotiate power consumption monitors the battery
minutes of charging time. Compared to the function since it delivers the temperature, applied
usual charging method via standard USB, QC4 current with the usual 5V and 500mA, or up to voltage and strength of the current in real
should expedite the process by 85 percent. To 1.8A. time. QC4 defines four levels of temperature
make this work, Quick Charge needs special With Quick Charge 2.0, Qualcomm control that should ensure that neither
power adapters, USB charging cable and a increased the permitted maximum voltage to battery nor the charging unit get too hot. QC4
suitable voltage regulator, as well as a power 12V in 2015 where 5V to 9V were also allowed. analyses the cable quality also during this
management unit installed in the chip to This resulted in the need for a second voltage process.
control the power adapter. regulator (Dual Charging). For this, Qualcomm
introduced the HVDCP (High Voltage In cooperation with USB
Smartphone negotiates with the Dedicated Charging Port), which creates the With QC4, Qualcomm will initially support
charging unit voltage required by the smartphone. In 2016, Power Delivery - the standard of the USB
The showstopper for QC is that the charging QC3 abolished the fixed charging levels consortium - since Google explicitly
devices and smartphones negotiate the because the applied voltage can dynamically recommends USB-PD for Android 7 to
applied voltage. Standard USBs pulls 5V from change between 2.6V and 20V, with smartphone manufacturers. Qualcomm is
the wall, but QC allows it to range from 4V to adjustments in 200mV steps (HVDCP+). With approaching this Quasi specification very
20V in version 4. If the built-in battery can up to 3A current, these charging devices can pragmatically and will use USB-PD for QC4 as
withstand more voltage and if the power have from 10 to 60W of power. However, the communication protocol to negotiate the
adapter can deliver, then QC will increase HVDCP+ uses the USB data cables to power to be delivered by the power adapter,
charging speed accordingly. In reality, this negotiate the appropriate voltage and limits it without it affecting USB data transfers. Is
requires major changes in the charging where required. Quick Charge unnecessary as an independent
process since the USB voltage line is The optimum voltage is determined by an standard? Qualcomm answered in the
specifically manipulated in this case and algorithm from the power management unit negative, stating that temperature monitoring
alienates the USB data cables. To date, quick of the smartphone, which Qualcomm calls in real time and performance optimisation
charging while transferring data Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage during charging is a feature that Quick Charge
simultaneously does not work. (INOV). excels in.

tech spelunk
Nintendo Switch
The gaming console space has been largely dominated by Sony’s Playstation 4 in the last few
years, while Microsoft’s Xbox One has a large user base in the US and Europe. Nintendo seemed
to have faded away with its disastrous Wii U release, but now it’s back in business with the new
Nintendo Switch By CHIP Team
Switching is a snap
The Switch isn’t just a large portable console
you can bring whenever you go. It can also
be hooked to a dock, transforming the
portable into a gaming console fit for
multiplayer sessions in a living room. The
dock allows the Switch to output directly to
a TV, so that you can have a larger screen to
game with.
Have some Amiibo, amigo

Got a tonne of Amiibo figurines lying around? They won’t be
wasted! The Joy-Cons come with an NFC touch point, allowing you
to ‘upload’ the toys-to-life figurines to compatible games, such as
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

tech spelunk
Large screen for the win

At 6.2-inch diagonally, the Switch’s display is the same size as the
one on the Wii U controller. But its smaller bezels and overall size
gives players a greater sense of immersion.
A pair of joy
One of the coolest aspects of the Switch is its pair of Joy-Con
controllers. They slide on to the sides of the main unit and are
usable as standard controllers, or for motion controls in games like
the 1-2 Switch. Two players can take one of each for localised coop
or competitive games too, making it a truly versatile piece of
hardware.

feature
The Hybrid
Model That Is
Putting SMBs
On Cloud Nine
Modern workplace trends and requirements are driving
smaller businesses to mix on-premise with cloud – for the
best of both worlds By Amit Bathla, Director and Head of Marketing, APAC, ALE

feature
A
recent survey by IDC Enterprise collaboration. ‘‘Hot-desking‘‘ poses a further which drove up the total cost of ownership.
indicates 54 percent of all enterprises question of how they too can adapt the This new-found flexibility allows SMBs to
are preparing to adopt hybrid Unified traditional office layout, in which each maintain a cost effective ‘pay per license‘
Communications and Collaboration by 2017. employee might have their own PC at their model to minimise the cost of enterprise
And that‘s not just the big players. The new own desk. class IT capabilities. It also provides the
generation of hybrid UC&C platforms lets Most traditional SMB-positioned ability to rapidly bring onboard new
SMBs protect existing investments by communication solutions have not offered employees and their mobile devices, without
mixing on-premise with cloud to get the the scalability smaller organisations require any significant administrative effort or major
communications services they want - from as they grow and expand. This is forcing infrastructural costs.
data mobility and instant messaging, to businesses to divert resources and make
video and cloud backups. Amit Bathla, heavy investments in changing platforms SMBs Need The Security Of
Director and Head of Marketing at ALE, altogether in order to continue supporting Backup And Support
APAC, looks at what SMBs need to keep up business needs. As acquisitions and mergers A key aspect of the hybrid approach is the
with large enterprises, and how hybrid is are becoming more common for SMBs, this ability to keep ultimate control in-house, but
fast emerging as the favoured solution. lack of scalability hits home yet again. There shift the burden of service maintenance and
This year we have seen the near- has been a lack of cost effective options to support to the provider. So for SMBs, it is
ubiquitous nature of the services now adapt existing platform infrastructure, important to make sure any hybrid UC&C
available on cloud platforms. From backups solution brings with it remote management
on consumer smartphones to multimedia and support - on demand.
collaboration for large enterprises, cloud is Downtime means lost business. But
here and is growing. IDC predicts worldwide network and communications redundancy is
spending on cloud services will more than simply an unwelcome extra expense that
double to reach 141 billion US Dollars by few can afford, meaning there is zero room
2019. This demand for cloud services is for network downtime. Hybrid cloud removes
driving investment and innovation across much of the management and maintenance
the market, and SMBs are next in line to reap burden facing SMBs that may lack some of
the rewards. the IT skills available to larger companies,
instead tasking the solution provider with
SMBs Need To Protect Existing maximising uptime.
Investment – They Pick And Mix An emerging trend for hybrid solutions is
With Hybrid the use of remote management to ensure
The benefits of a hybrid approach for SMBs uptime for SMBs, in which solution providers
are clear. You retain on-premise platforms
to make the most of existing investment
‘‘Hybrid cloud can remotely access the network to provide
support and troubleshooting. Hardware and
while being able to bolt on cloud-based adoption is the software is updated remotely to eliminate
services when necessary. With the right maintenance delays and ensure security
solution in place this can be paid for on a ideal solution..” from external threats, while multi-year
per-user basis – whether this is instant Amit Bathla, Director and Head of support contracts mean SMBs routinely
messaging presence, flexible multimedia Marketing, APAC, ALE benefit from major security and functionality
collaboration or data storage. updates.
Hybrid cloud adoption is the ideal leaving smaller businesses at a technological
solution. Not rushing ahead with full cloud disadvantage to their larger competitors. Levelling The Playing Field
adoption, which may compromise existing This is the business challenge that hybrid Taking into account the current business
investment - the too much too soon cloud solutions address, enabling SMBs to needs for SMBs, hybrid cloud is the perfect
approach - but at the same time not falling take full advantage of flexible work options approach to take. You can maintain on-
behind the growing cloud crowd. By adopting without the CAPEX investment. By picking premise systems for when more control is
hybrid, any further transition to a full cloud only the functionalities that the business needed over secure local services, and adopt
solution is far simpler than starting from needs and paying for them on a subscription cloud services capable of supporting
scratch, as it has already reduced the need basis, SMBs can keep their IT footprint small enterprise collaboration tools. This puts
for on-premise physical infrastructure. at the same time as introducing productivity SMBs on a technological par with the largest
enhancing capabilities. enterprises that can afford to invest millions
SMBs Need To Offer Employees of dollars into full cloud services and
Flexible Collaborative Working Licensing No Longer An Issue support, resulting in them being equally as
Today‘s mobile workforce has led to a The latest communications platforms competitive and productive.
complete rethink of how employees address these workplace trends to a far For many SMBs with limited IT budgets,
collaborate in modern business. For SMBs, greater extent than ever before. cloud is shifting from being unfeasible or
the open office culture typified by home Hybrid communication platforms tailored overpriced to a model capable of addressing
working, geographically separated teams, to SMBs are now looking to simplify the major current business needs. The hybrid
and mobile workers across multiple licensing of new users and devices, approach plants one foot firmly in the cloud-
timezones adds an unwelcome layer of eliminating the previous requirement to pay based future, but maintains tried and tested
complexity to providing a single point of for separate licenses for different devices on-premise infrastructure.

feature
Smart City: Disruptions

And Predictions
Dr Renato de Castro is an international advisor for the World e-Governments Organisation of Cities
& Local Governments (WeGO). He will be attending the upcoming CommunicAsia 2017 as a speaker
to give a talk about three important points that he expects Smart Cities will follow. Below is an
article containing his thoughts on the topic
B
y 2030, 70 percent of the world’s hyper-cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Mexico such Airbnb and Uber is shocking the
population will be concentrated in cities. City, Sao Paulo, New York, Dhaka, Jakarta and traditional marketplace and will affect the
Today, we are seeing large scale rural to Lagos. global production and distribution chain,
urban migration with an estimated of 370,000 The rise in the number of hypercities is likely promoting the rise of new business and
people forecasted to migrate daily between to lead to the development of district innovation models, specifically one that caters
2015 and 2020. The massive growth of urban confederations as a result of steep inter-city to the idea of ‘‘access over ownership”.
populations has brought about a series of competition. Even today, large cities are already The Circular Economy. An economy
managerial challenges in both the public and fighting for investments and talents to increase whereby there is no wastage, which is obtained
private sectors, from resource limitations to the competitiveness. This emerging trend among through consciously reusing resources to
constant need to adapt to consumer demands. big cities is likely to become even more ensure long-term sustainability of our
To be truly Smart, cities must integrate and pronounced in the near future. In the long run, environment. This is in stark contrast to our
use ICT that is citizen centric to improve the cities will play a more significant role in their current linear production models, that
quality of life, enable more positive economic own governance in response to the push to transforms raw materials into use, then
outlook and ensure greater economic resilience. better develop and enhance its attractiveness. eventually waste.
Dr Renato De Castro shares the three must- This will lead to the development of district Co-Creation. New start-ups are
know predictions to be brought about by Smart confederations, where each district has their welcoming collaboration with all stakeholders;
Cities: own rules, regulations, and pilot projects. employees, suppliers, customers and even
competitors. This concept can be developed to
1. Rise of Artificial Intelligence to 3. The Fourth Industrial encompass the co-creation of citizens with
combat security risks Revolution and its resulting public management to raise the quality of life.
Deep understanding and analysis of data is economies These major changes can be characterised
becoming an increasingly powerful tool for The fourth industrial revolution seeks to be the by new-fangled perspectives about the
governments and businesses to leverage. most disruptive one yet, where transformation implications of time and space due to
Possible issues such as high crime rates and can be classified into four unique and technology bridging physical, digital and
the threat of terrorism are just a few things dramatically different dimensions, they are: biological domains.
that cities around the world must address. The The Creative Economy. As the name In the face of the impending change, one
marriage of technology to security can suggests, it is the use of creativity to add value has to be mindful that it is mindsets and
potentially alleviate and help manage these to the local economy. The blossoming of the perspectives that will steer the movement
issues. Cities can consider adopting state-of- creative class has been attributed by Richard towards smarter cities and smarter citizens.
the-art high-definition surveillance systems Florida to the increasing prosperity of Technology is just a vessel for change. The
across information networks like social media prosperous high-tech clusters such as Silicon embracement of technology has to be thorough,
where AI is able to process a large amount of Valley in California, Austin Technology Cluster in inclusive and complete on all levels for the
data. This not only shortens the required Texas and East London Tech City. successful implementation of Smart City
response time in threatening situations, but can The Sharing Economy. The rise of services projects.
also predict crimes. Controversies of monitoring
and privacy aside, AI has the potential to
improve the safety and security of smart cities 40,000 1950
2005
for the betterment of its citizens. 2015
35,000
2020
Population (thousands)
2. Hypercities and their 30,000
consequences 25,000
According to the United Nations, a hypercity 20,000

refers to massive sprawling conurbations of
15,000
more than 20 million people. Tokyo became the
10,000
first hypercity in the mid-1960s when it crossed
the threshold. By 2020, there will be more 5,000
0
New York Tokyo London Paris Mumbai Mexico City Sao Paulo Delhi Dhaka Lagos
- Newark

know the future
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feature
Concorde has decided to

make a comeback with Boom
Supersonic. Its first test aero
plane XB-1 will take off in
2017 and take its first 44
passengers in 2020
Dream or reality? Elon Musk’s super

pneumatic tube Hyperloop has been severely
criticised as unrealistic

feature
A second living room: the Swiss car

maker, Rinspeed, grows plants in
the tail of its e-car
Up to three people with diving

equipment can fit in the Ortega electric
submersible boat Mk. 1C. It goes up to
20 km/h and 150 km
Commuting
In The Future
Photos from left: Hyperloop by BIG (2); Boom Supersonic (2); Dingo Photos/Rinspeed (2); Ortega (2)
Mobility is what connects people. But several spectacular traffic

concepts confuse the problem with the solution
By Felix Knoke
W
hat is the future of mobility? Faster means. This category includes the car and
aeroplanes? Cars covered in plants? battery company, Tesla, as well as Google and
Creep speed for everyone? Mobility is Uber.
a multifaceted term that is perfect for similarly For these companies, mobility means
multifaceted projections. And the most turning an abstract data problem, that can be
colourful ideas for moving the world obviously solved with computational power and setup in
come from the internet. For instance, massive the real world using hardware, inside out in the
electronics projects are conceived in Silicon real world. The fact that powerful equipment in
Valley that will supposedly make the traffic cars and at petrol pumps are at the beginning
system efficient with the help of artificial and end of this logic does not bother them.
intelligence, networking and advanced data Indeed, for them working on the future of
processing. Like some offline sectors before, mobility means working on a new world. It is
they intend to disrupt the “traffic” market Silicon Valley’s greatest dream project, one that
– that is, change it in their favour using modern comprises of multiple smaller, well-financed

feature
dreams; they have enough money to buy and The Swedish startup Uniti
build themselves the world that they want. plans to revolutionalise the
e-mobile involves a 400kg
There’s no other way of explaining how someone vehicle, capable of speeds of
like Elon Musk can send rockets to space but also up to 90km/h, 150km of
believe in the Hyperloop super pneumatic tube. distance, and uses its
windscreen as a display.
The other technological approach is to
gradually improve and widen the scope of
functions in current technology. This is the
path taken by all start-ups that can’t afford
Silicon Valley’s grand fantasies. For them,
mobility is a process of linear advancement
accelerated by design whizzes, as if the future
were only a line of contemporary
developments extending endlessly. If this
were how the future worked, there wouldn’t
be so many tech firms that think so.
But we shouldn’t believe too much in the
future of all these ideas. They mainly reflect
how the great internet, data and car
companies imagine the future - a world with
them at the centre of the action. Their most
spectacular ideas are ultimately the toys of rich
people. Real mobility means something else, it
means the capability of the masses to move
about.
Who Moves The Movement?

In Germany, Robert Follmer has been talking
about how people travel for twenty years now.
The Head of Department of Transport and
Regional Research at infas Institute for
Applied Social Sciences is currently conducting
a survey of 135,000 Germans on their usual
modes of transport. The results go in the
insightful study entitled “Mobility in Germany”
by the Federal Ministry for Transport and
Digital Infrastructure.
For someone so immersed in the subject,
Follmer has a surprisingly general and open
definition of mobility. He described it as
everything that people need to be socially
active. “Being out and about defines a
person,” he said.
A fascinating insight from his research is
Photos from left: Uniti (2); Eltis/Harry Schiffer/CC BY 2.0; KSR Group GmbH
that despite the changes to travelling options, An Exploding Market
the need for mobility has remained the same “Car sharing is a What Follmer doesn’t approve much of is the
over the years. “This is almost an
anthropological constant where people travel
nice concept, but belief in the all-salvaging transformation of
transportation. “Technological approaches are
an average of 90 minutes everyday and thus not a solution to quoted as the problem solver,” the expert
cover 3.5 distances.” At this number, new
technologies and costs don’t change much. “If
the problem.” criticised. “But the automobile traffic is
constantly growing all over the world. In
you save time travelling thanks to a certain Robert Follmer, transport expert infas Germany, we have over 45 million cars now and
technology, you can use the time to be mobile Institute for Applied Social Sciences, the car market is also exploding on a global
in another way,” said Follder. Bonn level.” It’s getting worse and worse. Debates on
What has changed, however, is the health and the environment, such as fine
availability of different means of transport. particles, which are currently on the sidelines,
Especially in cities, one can use private means worked out a mobility plan, know where would become undervalued. In Germany, a
or several public and economical means of we’re going and what mode of transport nation of car drivers, there’s still a lot of room
transport. But Follmer warns us not to we’re using, we don’t think about it every for better quality of living. “It becomes difficult
overestimate the influence of this variety. “We time.” to explain to people that they should ride a
are very routine-driven beings. Once we have bicycle or take the bus, which runs only three

feature
Cycles can significantly improve the congestion in the city, but this won’t work without new
roadway concepts and rules
about the future either. “It is very, very difficult when people confuse the problem with the
to assess what’s happening around the world solution. Is more technology really needed to
in the area of mobility. Even within a grasp the problem with technology?
framework of ten years.”
A Solution On Two Wheels
A Simple Solution The bicycle is the most efficient means of
The topic of environment protection will, transport in the city, but it’s so boring from a
without a doubt, play a huge role for mobility in technological point of view that it usually
the future. Even more so in large mega- appears only on the sidelines in spectacular
metropolises in Asia and Africa, than in the mobility concepts. Bicycles can be equipped for
relatively small cities of Europe. Car and tech people and loads with an electric drive, or
providers will be happy to address this issue protective housing at a cheap price, to become
with the same trio of electro mobility, car/ride the most mobile universal means of transport.
sharing and autonomous driving. Thanks to Instead of making new complex and delicate
electric vehicles, cars have less negative affects energy filling station networks for e-cars, the
on our health and the environment, while cars can simply be exchanged for comfortable
autonomous vehicles render transport more e-bikes.
efficient. In addition, ride sharing serves the If the logistical infrastructure of all big
new need for travelling without having to own European cities is supposed to be emission-
a car. free by 2050 as per the EU guideline, one
But these solutions are still building should think of using electrically driven two,
mobility around cars; only the function of the three and four wheelers – where fuel cells
Electric unicycles like this ninebot are becoming more car and technology providers have changed rather than batteries provide energy. That’s
common in some western cities from that of a manufacturer to a provider of probably why the bicycle plays such an
mobility. The automobile manufacturers thus important role in greener models of mobility of
invest in car/ride sharing companies like the future, for it allows progress without having
times a day. The German development policy DriveNow and Uber, plan car sharing offers to pull a tech rabbit out of the company’s hat. If
has cemented some things, which will keep us with municipalities, and make common cause one can get past how boring bicycles are, they’ll
busy for a long time to come.” with car rentals. According to them, they will see that it’s a rather smart and adaptable
Technical solutions won’t bring any earn money in the future by offering paid thing.
short-term relief, as city-wide car sharing or content through onboard computers. “Car And it still leaves a place for colourful
car-free city centres, for instance, are still very owners spend 50 minutes a day in the car, so technological fantasies of flying cars, intelligent
rare. “We need a solution that doesn’t monetising this time shows great potential in traffic guidance systems and a sky full of
condemn the fascination of cars, but one that the attention economy.” delivery, spy and video drones. It’s safe to say
is more ecological all over the world. And But if you strip these concepts of their that the future of mobility looks colourful, more
there’s a lot of that still missing,” said Follmer. technological superstructure, they all bear the so than the car-bus-train-plane monotony of
That’s why he doesn’t want to say anything same message: More cars! This is what happens the present.

feature
20 percent of those who pay the ransom never
Next-Gen Virus receive the decryption key for their data from
the blackmailers. On an average, the attackers
earn about RM1,300 per victim.
300,000 new types of malware crop up
Protection
every day. For anti-virus software, it’s like a
constant game of cat and mouse. The risk
can’t be overcome with the help of
conventional signature databases, so modern
protective software rely on a behaviour-based
Anti-malware vendors are using AI techniques like machine approach that checks for suspicious activity on
Photos: iStockphoto/alacatr (lead story); Kaspersky Lab (portrait)
learning to protect computers from ransomware. However, the a computer. If it encounters any, the virus
monitor stops the programme and informs the
virus coders have a decisive advantage user. However, the problem is that attackers
By Fabian von Keudell have developed methods of circumventing such
heuristic approaches, like hiding their
ransomware in legitimate programmes. To
combat this form of modus operandi, brand-new
T
he anti-virus business has been booming hands full with one specific type of malware: methods are now being deployed.
in the last few years. According to Ransomware. In just the third quarter of last
Gartner, security software worth RM97.8 year, 821,865 ransomware attacks targeting A Variety Of Scanning Methods
billion were sold throughout the world in the users of Kaspersky programmes were blocked. Are Supposed To Be Helpful
year 2015 alone. However, no matter how What’s really scary is how successful the The latest products from the security sector
much money companies and private users attackers are. According to Kaspersky, every feature a ransomware protection function,
spend, there’s no such thing as total security. third victim had to pay the hackers a ransom which checks the system for strange file
In particular, anti-virus developers have their because of a lack of countermeasures. However, accesses in real time. At the same time, the

feature
software also monitors system values. In

short, it checks whether the CPU load is
increasing abruptly and whether disk access 1
operations are intensifying significantly, which
are the first indicators of an attack. According
2
to official statements, security vendors are
confident that they can provide effective
protection against attacks. However, insiders
quietly claim that this technique also has
vulnerabilities. This is because cyber-criminals
install all their customary AV solutions on an
isolated computer, which makes it possible for
them to create the perfect virus – one that
cannot be detected by the virus monitors and
can outwit even the most modern heuristic
process.
These diligently-produced variants can
overwhelm just about any security product.
Vendors typically have a solution in a few
hours after a virus becomes known, but this Programmes with Machine Learning
antidote is of no use to the initial victims.
Malwarebytes 1 has, from version 3 onwards, been
Specialised malware researchers have to take relying on computer-aided learning. Symantec 2 has
the new malware apart, analyse it and prepare even set up its own data centre for machine learning
a description. They then use updates to install in the UK
it on the client systems. If the malware is
complex, this procedure can take several days.
In fact, it can take many months to analyse a
sophisticated cyber-warfare tool. computer what a virus looks like, what When it comes to modern AV products,
Consequently, some vendors believe that in characteristics it has and how malware usually such algorithms are part of the detection
the future, viruses will no longer be analysed behaves once it gets into the victim’s strategy. However, human researchers are still
by humans. Instead, machines will be able to computer. The researchers have to help the at work behind the scenes, because the new
eventually detect malware and generate a algorithm in the beginning, a process similar to technology is still experiencing hiccups.
suitable update. teaching a child. However, as the learning
curve progresses, the computer becomes more Problems with the magic bullet
Analysis Via Machine Learning independent. It can then differentiate between As good as the idea of machine learning is,
Various manufacturers – from Symantec to a virus and a legitimate programme in a more there are still decisive disadvantages that are
Malwarebytes – are currently developing reliable manner. Although the error rate will preventing it from taking off. First and
procedures in which IT systems would take still be very high, it will decrease with time and foremost, it’s a question of money. Only large
over the task of malware analysis. With the algorithm will keep getting better. AV companies can afford the infrastructure
‘machine learning’, researchers feed a However, such a development cycle calls for that is required for machine learning.
supercomputer with millions of files, which time and resources. For Symantec, a Furthermore, even if the arrangement
includes viruses as well as legitimate files. computing centre for machine learning was switches over to machine learning, a team of
Using ‘feature vectors’, they then tell the built to work on optimising the algorithm. experts still needs to be on hand to monitor
This is how Server: Learning phase PC: Virus protection
computers learn
Machine learning is made up of two Alleged
Virus
domains - the learning phase and detection.
> Learning phase Researchers first tell the
computer exactly what constitutes a virus. Feature- Machine Predictive
Any files Model
Vectors Learning
In the following steps, the computer learns
and becomes more intelligent. In the first step, the The experts tell the The computer then creates
researchers feed the machine which a predictive model, which
> Detection On the basis of the behaviour of algorithm with machine which is an algorithm that Result
thousands of data sets characterises a virus detects viruses
an executed programme, the trained
algorithm can then decide whether the
The computer can use the predictive
situation involves a legitimate application, or model to independently decide
malware that has been hidden within the whether the situation involves a
genuine virus
file.

feature
tool won’t be able to protect you against

specialised attacks.
What’s missing is the data corpus. Malanov
believes that the machine learning technique
isn’t enough by itself and can merely be one cog
in a complex AV machine. However, even with
machine learning and other techniques, the
anti-virus systems are at a critical disadvantage
vis-à-vis the malware-writers.
All Anti-Virus Tools

Make Mistakes
Even if an AV software deploys sandboxes,
Modern AV quarantines, heuristics and machine learning,
systems are
supposed to detect the attackers can still use relatively simple
and stop tools to outwit the system. As mentioned
ransomware at an previously, all they have to do is test the AV
early stage
solution on an isolated computer during the
pre-release phase, then look for loopholes in
the algorithm. identify the malware family. It would require the detection mechanism.
When in doubt, the algorithm has to decide hundreds of examples of each type of The AV products themselves represent yet
whether a programme is or isn’t a virus, then malware, before the algorithm can learn another risk. As is the case with other
make the necessary re-adjustments. automatically. In addition, a machine learning software, attackers can use programming
Companies that choose to reduce personnel flaws to hijack and control them. This is what
costs and rely completely on the algorithm run happened at Symantec in June 2016, when
the risk of allowing inaccurate results into the researchers found out that almost all of
algorithm’s learning process. This leads to a Symantec’s AV products had seven critical
dramatic reduction in the algorithm’s reliability. loopholes. That meant that attackers would
According to Alexey Malanov, who is a virus have found it very easy to infiltrate the whole
analyst at Kaspersky, the machine learning computer, or even entire company networks.
problem is based primarily on language. If one All the attackers had to do to exploit the
imagines the current threat scenario to be vulnerability was convince their victims to visit
associated with an English-speaking country, a manipulated website. Since AV products that
the algorithm would only be successful against run on PCs have the highest authorisations,
English-language malware. However, since the such vulnerabilities are nothing short of fatal.
threat landscape is constantly changing, (i.e. All in all, the cat-and-mouse game
since a new language is being added all the
time), one would have to keep adapting the
‘‘Machine between attackers and defenders looks set to
continue. However, machine learning is going
algorithm accordingly, which is quite difficult. learning is not to make life a little more difficult for malware-
For example, the Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Shade
malware family consists of 30,000 sub-types. enough by itself” writers.
That’s way too many sub-types for any Alexey Malanov, Virus Analyst
algorithm to completely handle. Even if it can Kaspersky Lab
The methods of detection Tools that arrive at the PC are first

A comparison with known
virus signatures filters out
Modern anti-virus systems use a wide range of detection stopped and scanned older viruses
methods. New files run through the different stations in a
matter of seconds. 1 File input 2 Signature database
> Behaviour check In case of doubt, the scanners run the file
that allegedly contains a virus in a so-called ‘sandbox’, which If the file’s behaviour is In the next step, the scanner
suspicious, an online scanner checks the behaviour of the
is a protected area. A rudimentary algorithm then checks is used to check it programme
whether the programme is infected
> Quick assessment In the future, machine learning is ex- 4 Cloud-Scan 3 Heuristics
pected to make the current model even faster, and facilitate
better protection and performance. However, in the end, the Suspicious Unsuspicious
user in front of the computer will still be making the final

decision as to whether the file in question is trustworthy, or
5 Quarantine 6 Release of file
If the scan reports If the file has cleared all

whether it needs to be quarantined abnormalities, the file is filtered instances, it is released
and the user is informed to the user

feature
Overclocking frame - this is the so-called "Turbo" clock that

maintains the processor under load, if the
operating temperature permits. In case of
insufficient cooling, the processor restricts its
clock rate so that it does not overheat. For most
To 5 GHz processors, the maximum multiplier is

determined for a specific value. The CPU clock
can then be increased only via the system
clock, which often leads to instabilities. But
With the help of water cooling and automatic motherboard processors with the suffix "K", like our Intel Core
functions, the latest CPU from Intel runs 20 percent faster than i7-7700K test sample, can have randomly set
multipliers. You can then increase the speed till
the normal ones By Christoph Schmidt the CPU runs in a stable manner, meaning that
every single one of the 1.8 billion transistors are
activated. If the CPU is running faster than
U
ntil recently, a CPU speed of 5GHz was second are run - is a central figure for the planned, then it is consuming more electrical
the stuff of dreams, or the magic of performance of a processor. This isn’t set in power and generating more heat than normal.
specialists who know various cooling stone, but is determined by the manufacturer This calls for more powerful cooling, especially
methods to overlock a chip to its maximum through detailed tests during the when overclocking. To ensure a stable
power. But now with Intel’s new Kaby Lake Core manufacturing process. When in use, the operation for even higher frequencies, the core
i7-7700K CPU and its higher base clock speed, motherboard determines the actual CPU voltage of the processor is increased in the
breaching that ceiling just requires the right frequency. It has a clock generator that settings described below. This is possible only
resources. We did our own overclocking tests centrally specifies the constant system clock for in moderation and the heat transfer is
Photo: CHIP Studios
using a 7700K, along with a high-end Z270 different components like the PCIe and USB disproportionate.
motherboard that provides both manual and bus. The processor is also connected to the
automatic overclocking functions. components via a multiplier that determines
Why and how does one overclock? The clock the variable and much higher CPU frequencies. Top-class cooling required
frequency - i.e. how many computing cycles per Intel CPUs overclock on their own in a specific The points mentioned show that a better

feature
1 2
The water cooling is made up of the CPU heatsink 1 and the radiator 2 (on top of the
casing, with two fans on the inside). Pipes transport warm water to the radiator and
cold water to the heat sink
cooler, than the one provided, can help ensure

good performance in standard operations (as sense. While they may have a dedicated spot plug, in order to use certain features or
the CPU can run for a long time in the turbo for the radiator, they may lack the space to software. In such designs, the system runs rather
clock rate) and is the prerequisite for install the necessary number of fans. Without quietly without any load. The motherboard we
overclocking. This is particularly important for the right number of fans, the case ends up used for our tests defaulted the installed i7-
when you increase the core voltage. Different having air sucked into the case rather than the 7700K to an automatic overclocking mode.
manufacturers offer a wide range of fans that other way around (like in our sample). However, Using that setting, we ran the CPU under full
can dissipate more heat than stock coolers, it worked for our tests since the case’s side load (Prime95) for a long time with the turbo
while water-cooling can offer even better results panel was left open. For closed systems, the clock speed at 4.5 GHz and under 60⁰ Celsius.
and thereby higher overclocking, since water radiator should be mounted so that the fans According to our estimations, these parameters
has a higher thermal capacity than air. For the suck in fresh air from outside. To do this, you’ll were fully within the Intel specifications and
best mileage, we used a closed-loop water usually want to have the radiator installed on would not lead to any premature CPU damages.
cooling system for the purpose of our the bottom of the front side where most chassis
overclocking and benchmark tests. Most close- have fans. Compatibility problems are usually Set overclocking
loops, like the one we used, are made up of a not a concern, if the chassis and water cooling To avoid unnecessary damage to our costly
heat sink connected to a block that is affixed to system are from the same manufacturer. The test sample of i7-7700K, we have kept
a bracket for the CPU. power supply of the water cooling system is via ourselves to the automatic overclocking
Behind its CPU contact surface, the heat is a SATA connector and the fan signal comes specifications for the motherboard, which we
transferred to the water which then flows from a single cable connected to a 4-pin header found in its BIOS. Apart from the target
through a pipe to the radiator. Once there, two on the motherboard. frequencies, it can also set the core voltage and
140mm fans cool its large surface. Finally, a Another interesting thing to note is that other parameters accordingly. The actual
pump integrated into the radiator carries the some water cooling systems might require it to overclocking, will thus only require a few
cooled water back again to the heat sink. The be connected to the motherboard via a USB mouse clicks in UEFI. For example, some
advantage of the
closed systems for The UEFI menu of the motherboard we chose offers An example of a
testing (as opposed to overclocking presets which automatically set all water cooling from
an open test bench) is parameters Corsair, which has
extra features when
that they are often connected to the
more convenient for motherboard via a
USB header. In this
such a setup, but you’ll case, the faster the
also need the right fans and pump run,
chassis to house the the more
overclocking mileage
water cooling solution you can get
if you don’t want it to
just hang on the table.
Some chassis are not
great options in that

feature
boards have a function where you can just Benchmark results Temperature change
select the desired clock speed, like 4.8 GHz.
We managed to get the i7-7700K to reach 4.2 The 14nm CPU changes its temperature very
Once we finished those configurations, we got
GHz at standard clock speed, 4.5 GHz in Turbo fast. Here, you can see the curve for a 3-seconds
our system booted up and working normally. and 5 GHz when overclocked Prime95 stress test:
If the CPU is not able to do so, the UEFI will
Bench-Head 90 Core temperature
issue an error message and prompt you to
80
check the settings. You can then try to lower Clocking Benchmark Result
the CPU frequency to achieve a stable, running 70
Standard Cinebench 898
system. This tends to be more trial and error, 4,2 GHz R15 Points 60
64,8
but at the least this method of overclocking Handbrake* 50
fps
does no damage to the CPU since it shuts Automat. Cinebench 988 40
4,5 GHz R15 Points
down before it could overheat or go over- 69,7 30
Handbrake*
voltage. Note that the settings are still above fps
20
4.2 GHz and even beyond the Intel UEFI-OC Cinebench 1.062
5,0 GHz R15 Points 10
specifications on “Auto”, which leads to the 71,0 Seconds
Handbrake* 0
CPU’s warranty being voided. fps
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
*Conversion 4K Video to iPad 720p
Performance at the limit

The maximum automatic overclocking level of
our sample motherboard was at 5 GHz, while motherboard. Voiding the warranty for this is, in example, methods that improve the heat
paired with a water cooling solution. This our opinion, hardly worth the risk. dissipation within the CPU body.
functioned without any problems for us for Furthermore, in all overclocking attempts, we Overall, we were impressed with the fact
several hours under full load with Prime95. monitored the temperatures of the CPU cores that the Kaby Lake’s i7 can operate at about
That‘s a 19% increase when compared to the using the tool SpeedFan. The speed at which 20% increased clock speeds without much
normal clock speed of the i7-7700K, which is 4.2 the temperature would change was very effort or issues. In practice, you could achieve
GHz. Incidentally, 4.2 GHz is the upper limit if noticeable during our test. From under 25⁰ slightly lower levels without risking the CPU’s
stock/standard cooling solutions are used. This Celsius without load, it could jump to the warranty. To achieve that and a permanent
results in similar numbers in performance maximum value in less than a second as soon as Turbo-level speeds on a processor like the one
increase, including 18.3% for Cinebench R15, a a stress test like Prime95 maxes out the CPU’s we used, all you’d need is to splurge a bit to
programme that measures the pure computing capacity. At the end of the CPU load, the get a powerful cooler (if possible, water
performance by rendering graphical objects. temperature would then immediately return to cooling system) and a motherboard with an
Improvements are less impressive in areas like its initial value. The increase in the temperatures automatic overclocking function.
video encoding; the conversion of "Big Buck was dependent on the clock speed and the type
Bunny“ with the tool Handbrake, from 4K to of load. While 80⁰ Celsius was not a problem for
720p resolution (profile “iPad”), worked about 4.5 GHz, the processor quickly reached the
10% faster with the overclocked CPU. temperature limit of 90⁰ Celsius at 5.0 GHz.
The increase, however, is less when When that happened, some cores started to
compared to the scores we get with the CPU thermal throttle to prevent overheating. To
in Turbo mode, which is permanently active reach even higher frequencies, you’d have to
with water cooling - when used with our sample resort to riskier methods (see below). For
A lot more power - but with high risk

The overclocking settings of the processor chip and the heatspreader
motherboard are often roughly (the metallic casing on which the Photos: Caseking
categorised and cover a relatively cooling plate of the cooler is pressed).
secure area. In the manual fine Thus, you could delid a CPU, lift the
settings, many of them are named heatspreader from the processor,
oddly and have badly documented remove the residual adhesive, then
parameters. Experts also need replace the heat conducting paste
experiment to find the right way to do with higher quality liquid metal,
things. One way or the other, every before sticking the heatspreader back
cooling system has its limits which is on again. Sounds risky and it can be,
determined by the heat conductivity since it voids the warranty and could
of the CPU. potentially damage the chip if done
>Delidding denotes the process of improperly. But depending on the
removing a CPU’s casing. Intel does CPU, it cools core temperatures by a
not use any special high-quality heat few degrees and thus allows higher During delidding, the heat
conducting paste between the clocking rates. transfer paste in the CPU
body is changed.

feature
Windows 10 Tamed
Lock screen ads, mandatory updates and hardly any data protection. Microsoft’s latest OS calls for
the need of strict control
By Andreas Th. Fischer

feature
Switch to a local account so that

Windows 10 will not synchronise any Cortana off, data security on
private data with Microsoft servers
Stop the voice assistant Cortana from sending your
search queries to Microsoft for evaluation 1 and
review all the settings in the ‘‘Privacy” options 2 of
A
ggressive - this is the term which
Windows 10
Windows 10 would use to describe the
system. This began from the update
with the annoying upgrade requests.
Meanwhile, the chief of marketing at Microsoft, your own privacy settings in Windows 10 is
Chris Capossela, has acknowledged that the found under ‘‘Start | Settings | Privacy”. Under
company has advanced forcefully to bring the ‘‘General”, you will find options to ban the use
new system quickly to the people. A billion PCs of Advertising ID and prevent Windows 10
in a maximum of three years is the target and from sending any information about your
all this was ‘for the benefit of the users’. ‘‘We internet browsing behaviour to Microsoft. The
want maximum number of users to use various diagnostic tools. They do not disclose smart screen filter found there, however, is
Windows 10 for security reasons,” he claimed. their findings. If you have a pre-configured PC meant for protection against malicious
But data security does not come under or were not observant during the installation websites and should not be deactivated.
security. Windows 10 digs deeper into privacy of Windows 10, you should definitely take a
than any other older Windows version and it look at the data security settings. Freeware Do not use voice calls at home
also provides many users with complete facts. tools like ShutUp10 also disclose many Subsequently, click on all entries in the list
Data is collected via a default setting that settings tied to the privacy of Windows 10. under ‘‘General” and adjust the settings
automatically runs updates without asking Before you do that, we recommend manually individually. You should select ‘‘Never” as a
and advertisements are displayed on the lock changing the most important settings first. feedback option under ‘‘Feedback and
screen. Microsoft bets on the fact that many This way, you will get to know Windows 10 Diagnosis” and then select ‘‘Basic” further
users are happy with Windows 10, since there better and know where to find particular below. In this manner, Windows will transfer
are no alternatives. Are you? For some, maybe, setting. less information to Microsoft in case of errors,
but we think Windows 10 should be even more for example, a device code, the Windows
user-friendly. In this article, we’ll show you Avoid online accounts version and data about the hardware used.
how you can tame the operating system so The first step in limiting the data flow is Under ‘‘Location”, you can determine whether
that your privacy is safeguarded. switching to a local account. Many users use Windows 10 is allowed to detect the location
an online account without thinking during the and pass it on to other apps. You should
installation. Thus, Windows 10 can deactivate this option and also delete the
Snoop-Free synchronise specific settings and passwords ‘‘Location history” further below. The voice
between different devices - the resulting data assistant Cortana appears to be useful at first,
From Microsoft is exchanged via the Microsoft server. An but it can only function when the user inputs
online account is also needed when you wish go to the Microsoft server where they are
Services to buy apps from the Microsoft store. evaluated. If you do not want this to happen,
Microsoft wants to know which specific errors Fortunately, you can switch over to a local then click on ‘‘Start | Cortana”. Go to the
occur frequently and it does this by heavily account later. To do this, go to the Windows gearwheel icon and set all options to ‘‘Off” in
monitoring its customers. According to online icon on the bottom left and go to ‘‘Settings” order to shut it down. The personalised
FAQs, it is not about ‘‘identifying or contacting” then click on ‘‘Accounts”. Next, click ‘‘Sign in advertisement of the companies can be
individual users or to ‘‘display specific with a local account instead”. Here, you will deactivated in the browser. Go to the page
advertisements”. The pre-installed standard also be able to change the synchronisation http://choice.microsoft.com/en-UK/opt-out
settings allow the Microsoft employees to configuration. Just go to ‘‘Synchronise and click on the button ‘‘On” under
directly connect with the home PC in order to settings” and set the first switch to ‘‘Off”. ‘‘Personalised ads in this browser”. It will thus
search for causes for a reported error using The central starting point for the control of change to ‘‘Off”. By default, Windows 10 will

feature
Full update control

Shut off the update service 1
to postpone updates. Also
Many settings can be changed better manually and disable uploading the updates
ShutUp10 can show you whether your changes worked to other users 2
and set the switch to ‘‘Off” under ‘‘Update apps

also automatically connect to ‘‘suggested open you do not wish to be disturbed by it then you automatically”.
hotspots”. But if you prefer to control the can deactivate it. To do that, click on the
connectivity of your computer to wireless Windows icon on the bottom left and select Restrain system updates
networks, then you should disable this option. ‘‘Settings”. Go to ‘‘System” and then It is a bit cumbersome to restrict the
You will find it under ‘‘Start | Settings | ‘‘Notifications and actions”. Here, you can automated operating system updates. Still,
Network and Internet | Wi-Fi”. Deactivate the disable all of the notifications at one go by there are three options here: Delay the
option under ‘‘Wi-Fi Optimisation”. On some toggling ‘‘Get notifications from apps and other updates, restrict them or completely disable
systems, there is also an option to senders” to ‘‘Off”, or do it individually for every them. The most effective and, at the same
automatically exchange Wi-Fi data with app and sender at the section further down. time, most radical solution is the deactivation
‘‘Contacts”, which you should disable for When it comes to updates, Microsoft has of the service that takes care of Windows
security reasons. another tactic up its sleeve with Windows 10. updates. First, press [Windows] + [R] and type
The most important settings are not all found ‘‘services.msc”. Then sort the list according to
easily. Most users can’t control when Windows ‘‘Name” and right-click on ‘‘Windows update”.
Pacify The 10 updates itself, for it does it as and when Here, select ‘‘Properties” and change the
Microsoft wants. As a result, users of the ‘‘Startup type” to ‘‘Disabled”. Save the change
Operating Home version do not have any direct option to
postpone or prevent the installation of new
by clicking on OK. Windows 10 will now no
longer install updates, but note that this
System patches. Automatic and increasingly annoying includes security patches as well. Therefore,
The new notification centre of Windows 10 updates for apps can be disabled via the you should check this setting from time to
collects news, tips and other messages of apps Windows Store. Here, click on your profile time and reactivate the service again
on your computer and always displays them. If image on the top right side. Select ‘‘Settings” temporarily.
Prevent automatic restarts

Windows 10 Home restarts after the After that, Windows 10 will restart even if
installation of updates without considering you don’t want it to. This is too short a
any data losses, all in order to achieve the period for computers that run for long
fastest possible installation of updates. If periods.
you’re unlucky, you could end up losing >The RebootBlocker developed by the
changes that are not yet saved in a Word programmer Ulrich Decker installs a
document. Windows service which keeps on pushing
> Microsoft has a feature where you can this time window forward. Unwanted
define “Active times” when the operating restarting of Windows 10 thus become a
will not restart automatically. However, this thing of the past. You will find the
time window is a maximum of 12 hours RebootBlocker for free at www.udse.de/
The Windows service RebootBlocker prevents
long. en/windows-10-reboot-blocker. restarting of Windows 10 without your permission

feature
1
Explorer
tricks
A change in the
Explorer shows
you the free space
1 while Classic
Shell extends the
Explorer by useful
icons 2
The freeware Classic Shell provides many Start menu variants which, among others,
reminds us of Windows 7
It should be noted that the distribution of one, but the constant changing of contents of access the folder options faster, or allow you
updates costs bandwidth and money. To other live tiles soon gets on your nerves. You to send files via Email. In earlier versions of
reduced its own burden, Microsoft has moved can stop this nuisance with a right-click on the Windows, the File Manager gave an overview
a part of this load to the users of Windows 10 respective tile and the selectin ‘‘More | Disable of drives installed in the PC. On the other hand,
who - often without knowing - offer other Live tiles”. Tiles that you no longer need can be Windows 10 shows previously used files
users the updates for downloading. This may completely removed by right-clicking and then instead. This can be configured under ‘‘View |
lead to your internet connection slowing down selecting ‘‘Uninstall”. Many Windows fans are Options”. In the tab ‘‘General”, change the
for the duration of the updates. Fortunately, also finding it difficult to get used to the new entry behind ‘‘Open File Explorer for” in ‘‘This
this can be avoided. Go to ‘‘Start | Settings | Start menu and want it gone. No problem, the PC”. Another characteristic of Windows 10 that
Update and Security”. Here, click on ‘‘Advanced freeware Classic Shell allows you to use a has driven users up the wall is how the OS
options” and ‘‘Select transfer of updates” to customisable Start menu which reminds us of sporadically shows advertisements on the lock
stop it. earlier Windows versions. You can download screen. Luckily, this can also be disabled. To do
the tool at www.classicshell.net. When you so, go to ‘‘Start | Settings” and click on
click on the Start button after the installation, ‘‘Personalisation”. Then switch to ‘‘Lockscreen”
Interface and you will be requested to select a layout for and select the option ‘‘Image” for
yourself (see above). ‘‘Background”. Now scroll a bit down and set
Explorer the switch to ‘‘Off” for ‘‘Get fun facts, tips and
New functions for the Explorer more from Windows and Cortana on your lock
Customised Besides that, Classic Shell can add some useful screen”.
The weather prediction live tile is a popular icons in Windows Explorer that help you
Re-install without data loss

There are situations where only a complete Tool. It not only does a fresh installation for
reinstallation is the only remedy to get Windows, but it also keeps the personal
control of Windows. The good thing is that data intact during the system refurbishing
this process is a lot easier in Win10 than process.
older Windows versions. >We recommend you to make a backup of
>A fresh start may be necessary if Windows all your important data on an external drive
10 does not work as you want it to, if the in advance. Then, download the program
system is corrupted, or a new computer has from http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Lin
a lot of pre-installed software which you do kId=808750 and launch it. Next, select
The Refresh tool from Microsoft installs Windows 10
not need at all. For this, Microsoft has “Keep personal files only” and click on
completely anew. The personal data is retained in this
developed the free Windows 10 Refresh “Install” to restart your PC. process

feature
feature
The Best Wireless

Network Tips
There are many benefits when you tune up your home network, such as more bandwidth, a more
stable network and secure connections. We did some research and tried out the best tips
By Markus Mandau, Fabian von Keudell and Robert di Marcoberardino
I
n the old days, the grey PC was the only and monitors emit radiation passively that parameters. For example, you could increase
device that could access the internet and it similar affect the performance of other WiFi the measurement duration to get an even
had to use a cable. Today, WiFi networks networks. In addition, monitors exert a more precise result. It would make sense to
are dominating the scenario. According to a disruptive influence in the higher-frequency take multiple measurements at different
survey, there are about 21 million internet channels lying between 11 and 13, while locations, in order to find out where the
users in Malaysia alone. Furthermore, each microwaves affect channels 9 and 10. You wireless network reception is particularly
home network contains an ever-increasing can run a speed test on the internet goo. This would make it possible for you to
number of devices that are transmitting via connection to find out whether a disruptive find an optimal location for the router, such
radio, such as TVs, notebooks, tablets and source in a wireless network is powerful as the top of a shelf or cabinet.
smartphones. Some households even use enough to put the brakes on it. A more
NAS, radios, speakers and devices like precise value for the quality of the home Adjusting the radio channel
Google’s Chromecast. The number of devices network is delivered by the open-source manually
is set to rise even further in the future, with JPerf software. In some cases, the poor reception quality
Smart homes beginning to integrate lamps, isn’t caused by poor location, but by the
heaters, cameras and refrigerators into the channel on which the wireless network is
home network.
All wireless data traffic is controlled from
Measuring And transmitting its data. In such a situation, you
should switch over to a channel that is not
a router. Its capacities, configuration and
location exert a massive influence on the
Optimising used too frequently by other home networks
in the area. Software like the Acrylic WiFi
network quality, such that home wireless
networks can also be impaired by
The Network Home can identify the channel assignment
pattern at a location with poor reception.
neighbouring wireless networks and other
sources of signals. After all, the radio
Quality After launching the programme, go to the
The JPerf programme takes precise upper right section of the screen and click
frequencies essentially have to deal with a measurements for the data throughput the bar symbol to switch the programme
jostling crowd. Along with the optimisation between two computers that are connected over to the ‘‘Advanced Mode”. Now, the
of network quality, this article also considers via LAN or WiFi. All you have to do is use the ‘‘2.4GHz APs Channels” tab at the bottom of
other important factors related to a good LAN to connect the PC to the router and set the screen will identify the channels that are
Illustration: iStockphoto/DrAfter123 (Wiederholungen auf den Folgeseiten)
wireless network, including range and up JPerf as a server. Download JPerf and being used by the different home networks
security. We’re also taking a look at the extract the ZIP archive, then double-click the in your area. The neighbouring tab displays
optimisation of router functions and giving ‘‘JPerf.bat” file to launch JPerf. Note that you the assignment in the 5GHz range. The
you tips that will make it possible for you to will need Java Runtime Environment height of the curve indicates the degree to
upgrade your smart home. installed for it to work. Now, activate the which the channels are being utilised. The
‘‘Server” mode under ‘‘Choose iPerf Mode”. ‘‘Wifi Analyzer Android app’’ (which can be
Identifying disturbance sources If you’re using a notebook that is only obtained from Google’s Play Store) provides
If you use Windows or your smartphone to connected to the internet through WiFi, you the same information on a mobile device.
take a look at the available wireless should set up JPerf as a ‘‘Client”. Enter the IP This will make it possible for you to get into
networks, you might be in for quite a address of the JPerf server under ‘‘Server every last corner of the home.
surprise, especially if you’re in an urban area. address”; you can find this IP address using Now, your own router might be
Chances are you’ll see as many as 15 visible the router, or by using the ‘‘ipconfig /all’ transmitting on a heavily-used channel.
WiFi networks. All of these WiFi networks command-line command on the PC. Now, After all, it orients itself towards its own
transmit in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency start the measurement process by clicking location when it selects a channel
bands; the 2.4GHz band alone (between ‘‘Run iPerf!”. The programme will send data automatically and does not consider the
2,412 and 2,472 MHz) is divided into 14 from the client to the server for ten seconds, client’s location at all. In such a case, you
channels. However, the 2.4GHz band is also after which it will display the result in a should switch over from the automatic
used by other devices, while satellite cables graphical form. You can also change various channel selection facility to the manual one.

feature
The free WiFi

Analyzer app
shows you
which
frequency
channels are
occupied and
how strong
your signal is
JPerf measures the data throughput in the WiFi between
two computers, which function as a server or a client.
Their IP addresses must be entered manually
Go to the wireless network settings on your

router and change the selection from
limited from 40 MHz to 20 MHz, which would
cut the maximum data rate in half. This
Optimising The
automatic to a specific channel. There should
be a drop-down menu for you to choose the
happens automatically when several
wireless networks get in each other’s way.
Network
suitable channel.
We recommend using channel 1, 5, 9 or
Although you can get rid of this restriction
by deactivating a few options, it doesn’t
Performance
Even if you have used measurement
13, because they do not overlap with always make sense to do so. If several data
programmes to find the best spot for your
neighbouring channels. If another channel packets are lost due to disruptions while the
router, you might not be able to get a good
has been set, it slows down your reception, 40MHz channel width is being used, the data
reception in at all corners of your home. In
as well as that of neighbouring wireless packets in question will have to be sent
that case, you might want to source for a
networks. You should also check whether again. This can be slower than the process of
wireless repeater, which can absorb and
channels 12 and 13 have been activated at sending the data through a stable 20MHz
relay a router’s WiFi signal.
all. channel. You can use JPerf to check whether
Don’t be stingy when you’re hunting for a
this is indeed the case.
repeater. Devices that can only transmit in
Adjusting The Channel
the 2.4GHz band have to receive data on the
Bandwidth
same band and redirect it to their end
With some routers, the bandwidth could be
MU-MIMO in the home network

Some of the latest routers are system strengthens the transmission
MU-MIMO only works if
compatible with the Multi-User MIMO signal and increases its range. It all
both the router and client (MU-MIMO) technology. This special sounds good, but there is a catch - the
support the technology multiple-aerial technique comes in receiving unit also has to be
handy if many active devices are compatible with MU-MIMO.
present in the wireless network, and if > Only MU-MIMO clients can receive
all of them are sucking up data the directed signal and benefit directly
simultaneously. from the arrangement. All other units
> A MU-MIMO router opens up to four will function in the usual way. You can
parallel streams, in order to serve find out whether a smartphone
multiple clients at the same time. already supports MU-MIMO by taking
Unlike normal wireless network a look at the installed chip. Qualcomm
transmissions, these streams are sent offers a downloadable PDF overview
to the clients in a spatially-directed at qualcomm.com/documents/vive-
manner. This form of directional radio mu-mimo-device-list.
feature
Some WiFi repeaters

transmit on the
2.4GHz and 5GHz
bands. Typically, it
will have an LED
indicator to show
whether it is
receiving a strong
router signal
The JPerf tool determines the exact strength of the signal between the router and
the repeater
devices at the same time, which halves the its IP address to a browser’s address bar. between the two devices, so that the bar
bandwidth. Once you have signed in, scroll to the graph will be as robust as possible. Let JPerf
The most effective solution would involve ‘‘Throughput measurements” point and tick run as a client on the notebook as described
a combination of a dual-band router and a the ‘‘Activate measuring point for an iPerf above, and note down the result. Now,
dual-band repeater, so that both devices will client in home network” option. The router change the location of the repeater and take
be able to transmit data on both the 2.4GHz will now play the role of an iPerf server – a new measurement, so that you will be able
and 5GHz bands. That way, the full with iPerf as the engine, and JPerf as the to compare it to the earlier one.
bandwidth would be retained in the software’s user interface. Now, carry a You will want to take multiple
repeater’s sub-network. For example, the notebook into the poorly-supplied corner of measurements to find the optimal location
device could be connected to the router on the home network that the repeater is for the repeater.
the 5GHz band and would transmit data supposed to serve. Place the repeater
within its own sub-network using the
2.4GHz band. If both devices come from the
same manufacturer, this tends to work
without a hitch so you won’t even have to
make any major adjustments. Because of
Switching between 2.4
that, it’s highly recommended to do so. and 5GHz
There are routers that are compatible with
Determining The Repeater’s both ‘ac’ and ‘n’ WiFi. These devices
Location transmit on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
It can be a bit difficult to find the optimal
If the client devices also support the 5GHz
location for repeaters. For one, it’s required
band, you can take advantage of this to
to connect the parts of the home network
obtain better performance.
that previously had spotty reception.
> The frequency bands can be deactivated
Secondly, the connection with the router
individually in most routers. Look for WiFi
needs to be solid as well, because it also
settings of your router for a button to
pre-determines the maximum data rate for
disable or enable the WiFi Bands. The 5GHz
the client in the repeater’s sub-network. If In the repeater, assign a separate SSID for each
band allows a higher speed, but it also has
the repeater’s UI has bar graphs for frequency band
a shorter range. The 2.4GHz band is busier,
monitoring purposes, even better. It will help
but the signal has better reach. recognition. Once done, you should see two
give you an initial idea of how well the router
> You can follow a similar procedure to find repeater sub-networks.
signal is reaching the repeater.
out how a dual-band repeater is The data will be transmitted through
The performance can be measured in an
transmitting data in its sub-network. the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band depending on
even more precise manner using the JPerf
Photo: Hersteller
Access the repeater’s user interface and which SSID a client uses to establish a
tool.
look for the same setting, then make sure connection. The repeater-router
All you have to do is use something like a
they have separate SSIDs for easier connection then adapts automatically.
notebook to connect to the router and key in

feature
1
Upgrading And
Making The
Most Of The
Router
Routers that are particularly inexpensive can
only be configured to a limited extent, since
the manufacturers only activate the
necessary functions in the standard
firmware versions. Alternative open-source
variants allow you to make a lot more
adjustments and activate hidden functions.
However, even when it comes to the 2
standard variants, you can definitely save
money by using the right configuration.
Installing Alternative Firmware With dd-wrt you can do things like setup
The dd-wrt (dd-wrt.com) firmware is quite a DLNA media server 1 , or In case of the
popular. On the website, you’ll find the app 2 , you will have to make sure you’re
adjusted variants for most routers. You can using the right port
install the firmware with the help of the
update function in your router’s web
interface. For example, the new firmware
There are some routers that allow you to do
allows you to create multiple wireless
this by setting a ‘sleep’ mode for the WiFi
networks or set up your own media server.
SSIDs. Depending on your router, you can
When it comes to dd-wrt, the smartphone
even specify different periods of time for
linking feature is also particularly handy.
each day of the week.
With the app (which is available in Apple’s
However, there are also some routers
App Store and the Google Play Store) you can
that might only allow you to specify a fix
wake devices that are idle. This can be
period of time (e.g. night) daily. Installing an
particularly useful if the devices are being
alternative firmware will provide you with
used as media servers. Another application
additional setting options.
involves anonymisation on the internet. You
Apart from this, high-end routers have
can use dd-wrt to ensure that web
Quality of Service features that apply LAN
connections go through Tor by default.
ports, limiting the speed and bandwidth
transferred. This can save even more power, most out of a router by upgrading to newer
Activating Energy-Saving
but the benefits are barely noticeable in models when necessary. Ideally, you should
Measures
practice. However, when it comes to devices also save your current set of settings, so
With the right settings, you can drastically
that do not need a high bandwidth (e.g. IoT that you won’t have to painstakingly re-
reduce your router’s energy consumption.
bridges), you can slow down the port without enter your configurations.
The wireless network function consumes the
suffering any loss in performance. You can then install them for the new
largest amount of electricity. You should
However, you will be able to have the model. If you’re using a router of the same
deactivate this function if you’re not using it.
Free Router Selection: This Is How You Can Find The Right Access Code
The option to operate a separate router in It can get tricky with ISPs that rely on procedure varies depending on the
conjunction with an internet connection is cable network access. In that case, you connection. With some ISPs, the web
available in some countries, but the setup have to give the provider the MAC address access data is all you need. If your ISP is
procedure isn’t simple. of your cable router, which can be found like that, then you don’t need any special
> Obtaining access data You can obtain on the bottom side of the device. The login logins for VoIP. However, when it comes to
the username and the password for web procedure also makes use of this a few providers in some countries,
access from your ISP, something that you information. especially the ones that use cable
will have to do on your own; this > VoIP access You receive special access connections, you might also have to enter
information is rarely sent automatically. data for telephony function. The setup the VoIP data in the configuration.
feature
F-Secure’s router-check facility checks whether

your router’s DNS settings have been manipulated
Only those wireless

brand as your previous one, there should be devices whose MAC
a back-up function for this purpose, which addresses have
already been
you can then upload the new one so that the approved by you
new router will immediately be ready for should be allowed to
use. access your network
Protecting The logged on to the internet, you should restrict You should run a DNS check to find out
Home Network access to your wireless network. This can be whether your router’s web traffic has already
done most easily with the help of MAC- been attacked. This can be done with the
Against Hackers filtering. help of the website https://
A few simple adjustments will protect your This ensures that only those devices that campaigns.f-secure.com/router-checker/
home network against hackers, while have been authorised by you will be able to en_global/. You should also check your
simultaneously making it possible for you to access the network. The function can be router for open ports, with sites like http://
surf securely in open wireless networks. found under the wireless or security settings www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/.
tab in routers.
Sealing Off Wireless Network Some routers also allow you to create a Using A Free VPN Service
Access ‘guest’ network, which is handy for more If you’re on the move, you should always use
After your wireless network devices have public spaces like an office a VPN connection for better protection of
Child Protection With The Help Of A Router

Most of the latest routers allow you > Set time restriction Now that you’ve
to use the web interface to specify added a client device to restrict, click
which devices are allowed to access on the edit icon to set up the time
which data. For example, let’s take an when which the user actually gets to
ASUS router’s Parental Control access the internet. A grid will then
feature. appear, showing you the days and
> Create access profiles Right off the hours of the week. Next, select the
bat, look for the menu that provides hours of the day you want to allow;
you with user profiling, or in this case, other unchecked hours are hours they
direct user restriction via Parental aren’t allowed to. Incidentally, there
Control. With an ASUS router, first are also some routers that can
you toggle the switch for Parental restrict specific websites at specific
Control to ‘On’. Next, select the client periods of time, which could be more
device and click ‘‘Add”. useful for certain users. Basic time-based access control is
available to many routers

feature
Although web cameras like Voice Controls For

the Netatmo Welcome
provide more security, they The Smart Home
can turn into gateways for
hackers in the absence of The ability to use voice commands to
password protection control smart home systems is nothing
new, but Amazon Echo and Google’s Home
have, for the first time ever, provided
inexpensive control centres that are
universally usable.
> Alexa is everywhere Amazon’s Echo and
Echo Dot speakers are now available.
Featuring the AI-based Alexa voice
assistant, these devices can be used in a
smart home system in a variety of ways. If
Echo is connected to the router, Alexa can
control various smart home systems,
including Philips Hue, Qivicon, Tado,
Samsung, IFTTT and Nest. The devices are
registered with Echo via a mobile or web
app. Amazon’s Echo was also the big hit at
this year’s CES at the beginning of the year,
where many smart home providers
data traffic when you’re connecting to an Qnap devices, this can be done using the introduced support for Alexa. Furthermore,
insecure WiFi network. Some routers have ‘‘Control panel | Network service” and ‘‘FTP” Lenovo presented its own version of the
access to free VPN servers (depends on or ‘‘Service detection” options. If necessary, Echo speaker.
brand), but if yours doesn’t have it then you get rid of the corresponding tick marks. The
> Google Home will soon be launched With
can use services like TunnelBear (https:// ‘‘Network access protection” facility (which
Home, Google is offering a similar system
www.tunnelbear.com). However, this does prevents brute-force attacks) should also be
featuring a voice assistant. Home currently
involve a bandwidth limitation, which is only active.
only supports a handful of systems (like
removed upon paying a monthly fee.
Philips Hue), but this is expected to
Webcam: Change Password change.
NAS: Deactivate Services Thousands of unprotected web video
Network-attached storage (NAS) devices are streams can be viewed on the internet.
both useful and popular. Many devices (like There are even forums that only post the IP
those manufactured by Qnap or Synology) addresses of unprotected webcams and
can be expanded to include apps that webcams associated with standard
provide handy smart-home-related services passwords. This often happens because the
(e.g. Domotz). However, while these devices manufacturers allow the camera to log on
can provide extensive services, they are also even if the user has not assigned a
major gateways for hackers. In addition to password. For safety, you should change the
stealing data, hackers also distribute password and deactivate the admin account
ransomware and integrate the NAS devices and use another user account.
into zombie networks. Consequently, NAS
systems should be maintained and
configured properly. Smart Tools For
Those who are using NAS devices should
ensure that the latest firmware has been The Smart
installed, because that’s the only way to plug
as many of the known vulnerabilities as Home
possible. Furthermore, you should also Along with computers, residential WiFi
deactivate the standard admin account after networks also encompass an ever-
the setup procedure has been completed, increasing number of smart home devices.
then create a new master account with a This includes everything from light control
separate name and a strong password. systems to intelligent heating units. Smart
Deactivate all the services that you do not web services like IFTTT or Conrad Connect
need, such as FTP, especially if you’re not facilitate useful applications associated with
planning to get FTP-access from the outside. smart home systems. IFTTT stands for the
Also, if you are not going to connect to coding concept ‘‘If This Then That”; it creates
UPNP-capable devices like television sets, automation formulas based on the principle
you should deactivate it as well. In case of of ‘‘If x occurs, then trigger y”.
60 >
feature
Nest’s Protect smoke detector

can be connected directly to the
router via WiFi; no elaborate
base station is needed
IFTTT applets allow you to automate smart home

tasks and put your own ideas into practice
IFTTT can be used in a variety of ways Smoke Detectors Connected The US-based start-up Roost offers the
and the website (ifttt.com) provides so- Directly Via WIFI Smart Battery, a 9-volt battery that contains
called applets, which combine different Things have to be sped up when a WiFi chip and can fit into all current smoke
services. For example, if you are using a something’s on fire. Consequently, detectors. The module is supposed to last
BMW featuring the ConnectedDrive service, intelligent wireless smoke detectors for five years and it can be connected to the
you can activate an applet that automatically network with each other and sound the router using an app (Android, iOS) by using
opens the intelligent garage door when you alarm in the entire house. In addition, WPA2. Once connected, the smoke detector
turn into the driveway. However, the residents can be notified via app or SMS, can then be controlled through the app.
strength of the system lies in the fact that even if no one is at home. Depending on Roost can be purchased only through its
you’re not restricted to the standard applets; which country you’re from, it might be good own website (http://www.getroost.com/
you can also create your own. For example, to have something like that. But systems product-battery), or sites like eBay and
we might want the outside lighting to stay like that, which also come with a wireless Amazon, for a price of 34.99 US Dollars (or
on all day long every Christmas. To do so, base station of sorts, are not exactly cheap. approximately RM155).
you would go to ‘‘New Applet” and click the Smoke detectors that feature direct WiFi
blue ‘‘This” option. Now, use the ‘‘Date/Time” connectivity to a router are few and far in
and ‘‘Every year on” options, then enter the between, with the Nest Protect being one of
date ‘24 December’, and set the time for the few models that support this feature.
‘0600’ hours. Now click the ‘‘That” option to The manufacturer provides the WiFi
select the lamp, connect it and set its detector, an extensive app and an audio
desired status (‘‘on”) and the holiday applet response for the alarm for a price of about
Photo: Hersteller
is now ready. 120 euros (approx. RM576).
Homee’s base
station can be
expanded to include
additional modules
for Z-Wave, EnOcean
or ZigBee
Expandable base stations
With ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, DECT, and Best of all, additional wireless systems like
etc... There’s definitely no shortage of smart Z-Wave can be retrofitted using a dongle
home standards on the market. Those who thanks to its two USB ports.
are setting up their smart homes are always > Little specialist The Cubes offered by the
confronted with various systems, which are start-up Homee constitute a flexible station
rarely compatible with each other. This that can be expanded like adding on Lego
problem can be solved by expandable base bricks. However, the system isn’t cheap. The
stations. base costs about 130 euros (approx. RM621),
> Universal and flexible Qivicon is one of the while add-ons for Z-Wave, ZigBee or
world’s largest in smart home EnOcean cost about 100 euros (approx.
manufacturing and operating. Its Home RM478) each. There’s also Mediola’s
Base 2.0 product is a base station that is Gateway base station, which offers multiple
compatible with the HomeMatic, ZigBee and wireless standards, along with the extensive
DECT ULE standards at right out of the box. Aio control app.

cover story
Mobile World
Congress 2017
The second major trade show of the year, it showcases the latest products and
technologies for the mobile sector
By CHIP Team
W
hen it comes to the consumer while some can and don’t mind going about 2017 was held in Barcelona last month,
market, there’s no doubt that the their daily lives without a PC, few can say many were paying attention to what would
mobile sector has grown so much the same for a mobile device. be coming out. Here's a roundup of the best
that it may seem to overshadow PCs. Indeed, So, when the Mobile World Congress on show.

cover story
BlackBerry KeyOne
Going back to the days when you had a keypad on
your phone, the BlackBerry KeyOne has just that with
it and a 4.5-inch LCD with a resolution of 1620 x
1080. Although a BlackBerry device, the KeyOne will
run on Android instead of the BlackBerry OS. But the
main feature of the KeyOne is its touch-sensitive
keyboard. You can scroll up and down without using
the touchscreen, assign shortcuts to apps to
different keys, and much more. It is also set to come
with a 3505mAh battery and a 12MP camera that
uses a Sony sensor.
Huawei P10 Plus

The Huawei P10 Plus features the first ever Leica front camera to complement its
Leica dual-rear camera, giving users a complete photography experience to create
professional grade images with a Leica signature style finish. Undergoing hours of
careful craftsmanship, the P10 Plus presents itself with an exquisite, high-quality
design, which features an ultra slim body and a minimalistic form with rounded
curves.
Huawei Watch 2
The all new Huawei Watch 2 is prepared to give you freedom from your smartphone, sporting 4G connectivity, allowing you
to make calls directly from your Huawei Watch 2. It makes its debut in sports and classic watch styles that will suit the latest
fashion trends. It’ll be your new best friend when you’re out and about, and while working out, with offline music, live GPS
mapping, and heart rate monitoring. Not only that, it sports Android Wear 2.0 giving you access to a variety of apps, as well as
support for NFC mobile payments.

cover story
Lenovo IdeaPad
Miix 320
Flexibility meets productivity with the Miix 320. The device
effortlessly transforms from one mode to another, based
on your needs. One minute it’s a laptop with a keyboard,
the next it’s an interactive, multimedia-rich tablet. With
its streamlined design, clean lines, and tasteful accents, the
Miix 320 is conveniently light - the perfect travel
companion. With a single charge, the Miix 320 gives you 10
hours of battery life, easily lasting the day on a single
charge, all thanks to the great performance and energy
efficiency of its Intel Atom processor.
Lenovo
Yoga 720
The Lenovo Yoga 720 is available in both
13-inches and 15.6-inches sporting IPS
touchscreens with resolutions of up to
3840x2160. With an almost non-existent
bezel, the frame goes around the display
seamlessly. The Yoga 720 comes with a
seventh generation Intel Core i7
processor and its 15.6-inch variant
gives you the option to upgrade to
an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
graphic card for added gaming
capability. Just throw in a
keyboard and a mouse, rotate the
screen, and you’ll be able to use the Yoga
720 as though it was a portable desktop.

cover story
Lenovo Tab 4
The Lenovo Tab 4 comes in both an 8-inch
and 10-inch variation, with the addition
of "Plus" versions for each size. The
standard versions come with a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 425 processor and 2GB of
RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of storage.
On the other hand, the Plus versions
come with a much more powerful
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor,
either 3GB RAM on its 16GB variant and
4GB RAM on its 64GB variant. The Lenovo
Tab 4 can also be combined with optional
Kid’s and Productivity Packs, with the
Productivity Pack transforming the tablet
into a 2-in-1 device.
Moto G5 and
Moto G5 Plus
Lenovo announced that they will be releasing new
devices within their Moto G-Series, the Moto G5 and
Moto G5 Plus. The Moto G5 is running on a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 430 Octa-Core, with an Adreno 505 GPU.
With a choice of 2GB or 3GB RAM, and 16GB of ROM,
the G5 is powered by a 2,800mAh battery. In addition,
it comes with a 5-inch IPS display. As for the G5 Plus,
a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 and Adreno 506 GPU is
slapped onto the device. Moreover, it has 3GB RAM
and 32GB of internal storage, as well as a 3,000mAh
battery.

cover story
LG X Power2
LG revealed its LG X Power2, a device aimed at
gamers or heavy multimedia users. Featuring a
4,500mAh battery that LG claims could last an
entire weekend without charging, or video
playback of up to 15 hours, GPS usage of up to 14
hours, and web surfing of up to 18 hours. High-
speed charging is included as well, with a quoted
50 percent charge in just one hour. With a 5.50-inch
HD display, and running on a Mediatek MT6740
Octa-core, this phone could just be the choice for
gamers.
LG G6
LG also announced their predecessor in the
G-series, the G6. Ditching the modular nature of
the G5 for less bezels on the G6, the G6 is fitted
with a 5.7-inch IPS LCD and featuring an 18:9,
1440x2880 resolution, which helps with multi-
tasking on the phone. Under the hood, the phone
is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 with
a Quad-core processor, an Adreno 530, and a
3,300mAh battery to keep it running smoothly in
Android 6.0.
Nokia 3310
Nokia is back with the phone that doubled as a brick, now with a
new and improved look - the Nokia 3310 is set to take the world by
storm again. It features a 1,200mAh removable battery that is
quoted to have up to 22 hours of talk time, 31 days of standby time,
51 hours of MP3 playback time, and 39 hours of radio playback,
smartphones of this day and age could hardly compare. The 3310
would also come with a 2.4-inch QVGA display. However, the 3310's
internal memory is a measly 16MB internal memory. Fortunately, it
can support a 32GB MicroSD card. At this moment, no pricing or
actual release dates are mentioned.

cover story
Samsung
Galaxy Book
Another tablet from Samsung, the Galaxy Book is a 2-in-1
tablet that comes in both a 10.6-inch and 12-inch
variation. The 10.6-inch variant has an Intel Core m3
processor, while the larger 12-inch variant is powered by
an Intel Core i5 processor. Other differences include a TFT
Full HD LCD display with a resolution of 1920x1280 on the
10.6-inch whilst the 12-inch has a Super AMOLED display
with a resolution of 2160x1440. The tablet comes together
with a Pogo keyboard which the tablet docks into, and also
the S Pen stylus. If you prefer Windows over Android for
your tablets, then you’re in luck as both tablets run on
Windows 10.
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S3
For the first time ever, enjoy the sleekness of a smartphone in
the form of a tablet. Benefiting from the performance and
functionality of a tablet, while sporting a premium look with its
glossy glass back. Featuring a 9.7-inch QXGA AMOLED display,
the Galaxy Tab S3’s screen provides bright and colourful
images. With HDR video playback capabilities, you’ll get true-
to-life viewing that pulls you into the content. It also houses a
powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 so it is ensured that users
will have a smooth experience, which will last long with its
6,000mAh battery. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 will provide
long hours of great entertainment to everyone.
Samsung Gear VR
Building on the success of their Gear VR, Samsung
refreshes the kit to now include a VR controller. Aimed
to provide users with convenience while interacting
with the user interface in VR apps and games with the
help of the headset. The Gear VR offers 42mm lenses
with a FOV of 101-degrees, and an advanced
distortion technology, to help minimise motion
sickness in a user. The new Samsung Gear VR
supports both micro-USB and USB Type-C, and is
compatible with Galaxy S7, S7 edge, Note 5, Galaxy S6
and Galaxy S6 edge and edge+ smartphones.

cover story
Xperia Touch
Transform your table into an interactive screen with the help of Sony’s
Xperia Touch Unlike any other projector, you can interact with the
projection, with up to 10-point multi-touch inputs. Running on Android 7.0
and 3GB of DDR3 RAM, the Xperia Touch can reportedly run smoothly for
one hour on continuous video playback mode. The Xperia Touch can
project a 23-inch HD screen, features two-way stereo speakers and is also
Playstation 4 Remote Play enabled. The Xperia Touch is Sony’s realised
product from their projector concept from last year's MWC.
Xperia XZ Premium
Sony’s latest offering in the Xperia series, the Xperia XZ Premium will feature a
premium quality build, as noted in its name. It's built in with 4GB of RAM, 64GB
of storage, and running on Android 7.1, coupled with a Qualcomm Snapdragon
835 processor – all powered with a 3,230mAh battery working with Sony’s Smart
Stamina that works behind-the-scenes to keep you powered up throughout the
day. The Xperia XZ Premium will come with a 5.5-inch 4K HDR Display, with
Sony’s TRILUMINOS Display. With the addition of a 19-megapixel MotionEye
Camera, the phone screams premium. PS4 remote play is also enabled on the
device, as well as Sony’s High-Resolution Audio technology.
Wiko U Pulse
Wiko announced the latest in their U series, the Upulse. Changing to a
build with premium quality, the Upulse is built with a brushed metal
design. It features a 5.5-inch IPS HD display, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of
storage, all powered with a MediaTek MT6737. The Upulse also features
3,000mAh battery, and runs on Android 7.0. Topped off with a 13MP
smart rear camera, images you take – with a click of a button – can be
transformed into a 52MP ultra-high definition image.

cover story
ZTE Gigabit
Although seemingly a concept when
first revealed, ZTE assured many
that its Gigabit phone is very real.
Finding anything but a concept
image is hard, but the prototype
made an appearance at MWC 2017
and showed a speed test of over
900Mb/s. ZTE said that the Gigabit
will be able to support 360-degree
VR, 4K video, and cloud storage on
the go. Of course, such a product
wouldn’t be available anytime soon -
not when 5G is nowhere on the
horizon.
ZTE Blade V8 Pro

A more realistic product release from ZTE is its new
Blade V8 Pro smartphone. This 5.2-inch phone is a
midrange device that’s powered by a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 625 System on Chip and 3GB of RAM.
What’s interesting here is its dual 13-megapixel rear
camera system, which also has dual LED flash, for fast
shutter speeds and greater depth of field. It also has a
1080p IPS display and a HiFi audio chipset, so
multimedia entertainment will be one of its strong
points.
Qualcomm
Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm chips have always been considered
among the top ones on the market, particularly in
the high-end segment. This year, the company
already has its latest Snapdragon 835 in a few
models at MWC 2017 itself, such as Sony’s Xperia
XZ. Built on a smaller 10nm process, Snapdragon
835 is smaller and uses less power than its
previous chip. It’ll be able to deliver longer battery
life, support for VR and AR, as well as gigabit
wireless speeds when those become available.

cover story
5G announcements
While not exactly a service that’s
available yet, there were some 5G
announcements at this year’s MWC.
At the keynote titled “Mobile: The
Next Element”, industry experts
were there to talk about any 5G
trials or projects they will be
undertaking in the next few years.
5G is expected to reach transfer
speeds of 10Gb/s and truly open up
the doors for technology like fully
wireless VR and self-driving cars.
Foldable
phone
As if curved screens aren’t
enough, display makers want to
bend it all the way with foldable
screens. The concept first
appeared in last year’s MWC and
now it’s reappeared this year
with Samsung. The Korean tech
giant showcased its prototype at
MWC 2017 and are reportedly
planning to launch two foldable
devices this year.
PSNR VMAF
Netflix
As a company that makes money from
streaming videos online to its users,
Netflix has a vested interest in 35.9% 35.8%
BD-rate savings (%)
reducing the amount of data it has to

stream. The company is looking to
30%
make viewing on mobile devices are
more pleasant experience, by reducing
the amount of data to buffer yet
20%
provide high quality. This was done
with the development of a new 19.0%
compression engine, which compresses 15.3%
a video file by individual scenes or
10%
shots. Consequently, users can expect
to stream on high quality in the future
even on slower connections, without
wasting too much data. 0%
AVCHi-Mobile vs AVCMain VP9-Mobile vs AVCMain

cover story
Google Assistant
Initially available only on the Google Pixel, Google now
plans to roll out its Google Assistant to other devices.
The Google Assistant is Google’s answer to Siri and
Cortana, an AI helper that aims to further enrich the
Android user experience with more voice operations.
Google will enable the update for it to a few Android
Nougat and Marshmallow-based devices in the coming
weeks to a few countries, while the rest of the world will
have to wait for it to slowly roll out.
OPPO's 5x
Dual-Camera Zoom
We didn’t see any product reveal from OPPO this
year, but the company did show everyone its new ‘5x
Dual-Camera Zoom’, a camera system that can
deliver 5x zoom without losing image clarity. It relies
on wide-angle and telephoto lenses, with a housing
design that emulates a periscope, to achieve the 5x
zoom. At the same time, this new design ensured
that the smartphone wouldn’t have to be thicker
than necessary.
Ford's Autolivery
For decades, vans or trucks have been the typical mode of
transport for delivery services. But Ford wants to automate it
with its ‘Autolivery’ concept. The idea is to have self-driven
vans that can help deliver items to people. Should the van
arrive at a location where parking is unavailable or the
delivery location requires it, like a tall building, drones will be
dispatched from the vehicle to do the final leg of the delivery.

test lab
TEST LAB: The Tools

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

Motherboards Graphics Motherboards Graphics
Intel DZ77GA-70K Processing Unit ASUS Crosshair V Processing Unit
MSI Z87 MPower MSI GeForce GTX 980 ASUS A88X-Pro ASUS Radeon R9 290X
GAMING 4G
Processors Processors CPU Cooler
Intel Core i7-3770K CPU Cooler Cooler AMD FX-8150 Cooler Master Hyper 212
Intel Core i7-4770K Master X6 AMD A8-3850 EVO
PSU, Storage & RAM Benchmark Software

Power Supply Memory Operating Industry
Cooler Master Silent Pro Kingston HyperX System Standard
Hybrid (1300W) KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX Windows 7 Ultimate Benchmark Tools
Kingston HyperX FURY (64-bit) AIDA64
Storage HX318C10FWK2/8 SiSoftware SANDRA
Western Digital Black² Dual Kingston HyperX Predator Futuremark Speccy
Drive HX430C15PBK4/16 PCMark 8 Unigine Heaven
Western Digital My Book 3DMark
Live Duo

test lab
8
TEST LAB 1
13
18
11
14
16
17 7
2 15
12

test lab
CONTENTS
5
1 LG SUPER UHD 4K TV UH770T 084
2 HTC Desire 10 Pro 085
3 Acer Spin 5 086
4 AMD Ryzen 1700X 087
5 ASUS ROG Centurion 088
6 Lenovo Yoga Book 089
7 MSI B250M MORTAR 090
8 AOC G2460PG 091
9 Wacom Intuos 3D 092
10
10 D-Link DHP-P701AV Powerline AV2
2000 093
11 Samsung CFG70 Curved Gaming
Monitor 094
12 Moto Z Play 095
13 Thermaltake Smart Pro RGB 650W
Bronze 096
4
14 Philips BDM4037UW 097
15 Honor 6X 098
16 MSI B350 Tomahawk 099
17 ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR VI HERO 100
18 HP Spectre x360 101
CHIP Awards Ratings

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

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

first looks
Sleep Better, With FitBit Alta HR

With a focus on fitness bands, Fitbit has released the Fitbit Alta HR, a
successor to the Alta, with several upgrades. Featuring continuous heart
rate tracking and PurePulse (Fitbit’s heart rate technology) to provide info
on Sleep Stages and Sleep Insight, which will take precise estimation of
light, deep and REM sleep stages, then guides you on how to improve
your sleep. Compatible with several different accessories, ranging from
trackers to bands, the Alta HR will be available early April for RM730 –
with variable pricing depending on editions.
Fitbit Alta HR
Contact: Ingram Micro Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-7952 8188
Info: www.fitbit.com/my
Feel The Titanium Power

MSI’s latest motherboard, the MSI Z270 MPOWER GAMING
TITANIUM, features a unique silver metallic colouring on the PCB
design, as well as on the heavy plated heatsinks and covers, giving
a full titanium look. Sporting 3x Turbo M.2 shield and armor, which
supports NVMe SSDs, a user-friendly BIOS function (M.2 Genie),
and the latest Audio Boost 4 PRO technology, the Z270 MPOWER
GAMING TITANIUM is sure to please gamers’ ears. It is also has
VR Ready and VR Boost chip installed. With DDR4 Boost ready,
overclocking for gamers couldn’t be easier.
MSI Z270 MPOWER GAMING TITANIUM

Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn Bhd, Mediaforte (Malaysia) Sdn
Bhd
Phone: (03)-2148 1307, (03)-7960 6868
Info: https://my.msi.com
Infinity Starts With A Zero

Recently released in Malaysia, the Infinix Zero 4 Plus
comes with a MediaTek 6797M Deca-Core CPU that’s
with an ARM Mali-T880. That’s 10 Cores! Plus, it has
4GB of RAM and an internal storage of 32GB that’s
expandable with microSD. The Zero 4 Plus also features
a 4,000mAh battery that’s just enough for your day to
day activities. As for the OS, the Zero 4 Plus is running
on Infinix’s XOS, which is based on Android 6.0, with 7.0
upgrades coming in June. The Zero 4 Plus is adorned with
a 5.98-inch FullHD display.
Infinix Zero 4 Plus

Contact: Thorus Technology Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-2287 6333
Info: www.infinixmobility.com

first looks
Shooting With A Mark

The Canon PowerShot G9X Mark II is one of Canon’s latest compact
cameras that is available locally. Updated with an all new powerful
DIGIC 7 Image Processor, the PowerShot G9X Mark II is capable of
precise tracking performance with its continuous 8.1 fps shooting.
It’s also topped with dual sensing image stabilisation capable of 3.5
stops of image stabilisation, along with a tiny 1-inch sensor and a
3x zoom lens. With an improved battery life from its predecessor,
the Canon PowerShot G9X Mark II is light, but can’t be taken lightly.
Canon PowerShot G9X Mark II

Contact: Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-7884 6000
Info: www.canon.com.my
Keeping An Omna Eye On Things

Need perspective on things? The D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD will provide just
that. Designed with modern insprations, the Omna delivers a 180-degree view
that’s capable of Full HD for detailed video. It has features such as motion
detection to automatically capture events and to send alerts, IR LED to see
up to 192-inches in complete darkness, a built in microphone and speaker
for easy communications without external devices, and is has up to 128GB
microSD storage for backup purposes. You could even remotely control the
Omna to keep an eye on your pets or your home, use it with an AppleTV, or
playback videos on the OmnaApp on Apple devices.
D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD (DSH-C310)

Contact: D-Link Malaysia
Info: www.dlink.com.my
Data’s Not A Problem

ADATA’s latest external SSD is the first gaming styled SSD that’s IP68
certified – completely dust-tight and highly waterproof for those who like
to take their SSD to wherever they go. With storage up to 1TB and built
with quality 3D NAND plus DRAM cache and SLC mode, the SD700X can
reach up to 440MB/s of read and write speeds, four times faster than
internal console drives, all for a smoother and faster gameplay experience.
The SD700X is also PC and Android compatible. It will be available in red
colour and with a warranty period of three years, this is a SSD that you
wouldn’t want to miss if you like to take your games and console saves
on-the-go. The SD700X only weighs a 100g.
ADATA XPG SD700X

Contact: Achieva Technology Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-7955 1768
Info: www.adata.com

first looks
A Gladius That Doesn’t Stab (Technically)

ASUS is swinging into the computer gaming mouse market with their
latest offering in the Gladius series, the ASUS ROG Gladius II. With the
ability to be used ergonomically by all grip types. The ROG Gladius II is
miles ahead of its predecessor with several upgrades, namely from a
measly 6,400dpi to a whopping 12,000 dpi sensor, and upgraded with
an Omron switch that’s capable of 50 million clicks. Taking the stage is
ASUS’ Aura Sync which lights the mouse with different effects, giving
you the spotlight at LAN events. Another feature of the ROG Gladius
II is the presence of a DPI target button, which can lower your DPI for
precision sniping, or raise your DPI for 180 degree turns.
ASUS ROG Gladius II

Contact: ASUSTek Computer Malaysia
Phone: (03)-2131 6650
Info: www.asus.com/my
One Plus Three Equals T

The One Plus brand is a rare sight in Malaysia. But the One Plus 3T, the
successor to the One Plus 3 that was released last year, has now been
officially made available in Malaysia. The One Plus 3T is a sizable phone
with its 5.5-inch Full HD display. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Quad-Core and an Adreno 530, coupled with a 6GB RAM, as well as two
internal storage options of 64GB and 128GB, all-powered by a 3,400mAh
battery that’s capable of Dash Charge (5V, 4A). The camera on One Plus 3T is
a 16-megapixel Sony IMX298 sensor rear camera, with a 16-megapixel front
camera fitted with a Samsung 3P8SP sensor.
One Plus 3T
Contact: Brightstar Distribution Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 300 88 2744
Info: https://oneplus.net/global/3t
Awaken The Cool Dragon Within You

Cooler Master partnered up with MSI to bring us the Cooler Master
MasterBox 5 MSI Dragon Edition. This version of the MasterBox comes
with an MSI Dragon design on the front and the right-side panel. This
compact mid-tower case is made for enthusiasts that like to tinker with
their builds, with added support for large components – such as custom
liquid-cooling setups and E-ATX sized motherboards. The MasterBox 5
MSI Dragon Edition also features removable SSD brackets and HDD bays
for the added personal configuration, especially with the six routing holes
available on the motherboard tray, your build can be your own.
Cooler Master MasterBox 5 MSI Dragon Edition

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

first looks
Do You Have The G.SKILL?

G.SKILL announced two new series of DDR4 RAM, dubbed
the Flare X and FORTIS series, which were designed and built
around the brand new AMD Ryzen platform. The new Flare X
marks the return of the G.SKILL Flare series designed for epic
performance during its DDR3 generation. The Flare X comes in
several frequencies, namely all in DDR4 – 2,133MHz, 2,400MHz,
3,200MHz, and 3,466MHz. The Flare X series will have varying
capacity configurations, ranging from 16GB to 64GB. The
G.SKILL Flare X series is available now at selected distribution
partners.
G.SKILL Flare X Series DDR4 RAM

Contact: G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd.
Phone: 886-2-2766-7889
Info: www.gskill.com
The Green Life

The latest Cooler Master PSU comes with a greener view on
things. Dubbed the Cooler Master MasterWatt Lite 230V, this
PSU looks simple but is built to last, all with an affordable
price point. This PSU measures 150x140x86mm in size and
comes fitted with a Silent 120mm HDB fan. There are four
power options for different needs too, with it arriving in 400W,
500W, 600W and 700W variants. The MasterWatt Lite is also
built with Full Protection (OCP,OVP,SCP,OPP) with built-in Over
Temperature Protection (OTP) – for that extra peace in mind
when it comes to minimizing the risk of damages from
power outages.
Cooler Master MasterWatt Lite 230V

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

Lenovo’s latest laptop, the Lenovo Legion Y720 is finally available
in Malaysia. The Lenovo Legion Y720 comes with an Intel Core
i7-7700HQ processor, with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and fitted with
a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU with 6GB of VRAM. This aptly
named laptop would be able to tackle most of the games you throw
at it with relative ease, without breaking a sweat. The keyboard on
the Legion Y720 is backlit with RGB lighting. At the same time, it
is also one of the first laptops to feature Dolby Atmos audio for
that immersive feel. The Legion Y720 also has an optional 1TB PCI-
Express SSD Storage for silent and lightning fast loads and boots.
Lenovo Legion Y720

Contact: Lenovo Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 80 8575
Info: www.lenovo.com/my/en

first looks
STRIX While You Can

ASUS is striking while the iron is hot. With an added entry into
the 1080 Ti market, the ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
O11G GAMING. The ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080 Ti O11G
GAMING is jam-packed with multiple technologies from ASUS,
one of them is the all-new MaxContact Technology that provides
two times more contact for improved thermal transfer. Patented
Wing-Blade IP5X certified fans for added airflow, and ASUS’ Aura
Sync RGB LED sync for RGB lighting, and VR-friendly HDMI ports
are also included in the GPU. ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX
1080 Ti O11G GAMING is reportedly 6% faster than the Founders
Edition, all while keeping your game cool and the GPU silent.
ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080 Ti O11G GAMING

Phone: (03)-2131 6650
Be Blue With Orion

Logitech’s latest mechanical keyboard, the Logitech G610 Orion
features Cherry MX Blue switches on the keyboard, with additional
backlight on the switches. The G610 Orion is a full-size mechanical
keyboard with additional media control buttons to control your music
without leaving the game. All of the components on the G610 Orion
are precisely engineered, from its fingerprint-masking matte texture,
to its LED key backlighting. Cherry MX Blue switches have tactile
and audible feedback, so it helps when gaming or for typing. Utilising
Logitech Gaming Software, you are then able to personalise brightness
for each key, or to display patterns on the backlight. You are also able
to customise the macros for your games with the F1 to F12 keys.
Logitech G610 Orion Blue Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

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
OUKITEL-ing U
OUKITEL’s U20 Plus is one of the few devices that are coming to
Malaysia. Featuring a body made of solid polycarbonate with curved
edges and a 2.5D glass panel, the U20 Plus is fitted with a 5.5-inch
Full HD IPS display that is made by Sharp. It is also powered by a
MT6737T Quad-Core SoC, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal
storage that is expandable by microSD. All this runs on Android
6.0 and a 3,300mAh battery. The U20 Plus’ main selling point is the
camera – a 13-megapixel rear camera with Sony’s IMX135, while the
5-megapixel front camera is sweet icing on the cake. The U20 Plus is
available now, at a low RRP of RM639.
OUKITEL U20 Plus

Contact: Comsat Mobile Communications Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-9281 5949
Info: www.oukitel.my

first looks
Be A Star With BIOSTAR’s M.2 SSD

BIOSTAR announced their latest from the M200 series, the M200
M.2 SSD. Designed with a low-profile look for notebooks and
HTPCs while still delivering high performance, the M200 M.2
SSD is available in two different capacities – 120GB and 240GB.
The M200 M.2 SSD also has the added benefit of zero noise, low
heat output and low power draw performance. In addition, it is
capable of reading up to 530MB/s and writing of up to 410MB/s
depending on capacity. The M200 M.2 SSD only requires 3.3V to
operate.
Biostar M200 M.2 SSD

Contact: Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-7955 3699
Info: http://www.biostar.com.tw
Gaming Superiority
One of MSI’s motherboard aimed at gamers, the MSI Z270 GAMING M6 AC is
definitely a pleasure to look at. Among its main features is its solid heatsink
with RGB LED, which can be customised to your liking. Other than that, the
motherboard boasts an almost all-black look, aside from its Steel Armor on
the PCI-E, M.2 slots and four DDR4 slots that can support up to 64GB. The
MSI Z270 GAMING M6 AC also support one HDMI port and one Display port,
as well as a Killer E2500 Gigabit LAN controller. With the MSI Z270 GAMING
M6 AC, you will experience superiority on the battlefield.
MSI Z270 GAMING M6 AC

Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn Bhd, Mediaforte (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-2148 1307, (03)-7960 6868
Be Aspired
The Acer Aspire GX781 is a powerful prebuilt desktop that’s
stylish and powerful at the same time. It is equipped with
an i5-7700 Quad-Core 3.6GHz processor, 8GB of DDR4 RAM,
and a powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card
with 4K2K capabilities. Also, inside the GX781 is a 1TB HDD
and 128GB SSD for all your storage needs. The GX781 has
a HDMI port, with three USB 3.0 Ports and four USB 2.0
Ports at the back. In addition, it comes with Windows 10
preinstalled. The GX781 measures 396 x 175 x 463 mm in
size, making it a standard tower chassis.
Acer Aspire GX781

Contact: Acer Sales and Services Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 88 1288
Info: www.acer.com.my

test lab
LG SUPER UHD
4K TV UH770T
Price: RM7,999
Contact: LG Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1800-822-822
Info: http://www.lg.com/my/
Display Size: 55-inch

Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Connectivity: 1x LAN, 1x Composite, 1x Optical, 1x
Audio out 3.5mm, 3x HDMI 2.0a, 3x USB Input
Refresh Rate: 200Hz
Dimensions: 1239x772x263mm
Weight: 18.8kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Real
Entertainment
Experience
By Nixon Ng
If you’re thinking of starting off your home theatre setup,

the UH770T looks like the missing piece of a puzzle
The TV allows you to improve video quality even further
on supported media
P
icking a TV is definitely a hard choice to Luminance is the key, as it channels balance
make, especially when there’s so many energy from black parts of media to other
competing brands out there. From LEDs colours, allowing colours to appear more vivid.
to LCDs to IPS and OLED TVs, there’s a whole Audio wise the UH770T packs a punch, you
world out there to confuse the living daylights won’t need additional speakers in a medium
out of you. So, we’ll give you a hand with this sized living room and it provides great audio
review of the LG SUPER UHD 4K TV UH770T, or quality as well. But if you have a separate pair
just UH770T for short. Sounds good? of speakers, you have the ability to split the
The UH770T comes in two variants, one with video and audio streams. Choosing to output
a 55-inch display while the other has a 65-inch video through HDMI and audio through Optical
display. We were able to review the 55-inch is an example. The UH770T also features the
variant which this review will be based on. unique Magic Sound Tuning, which works
This TV sports a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and together with LG’s Magic Remote to detect your
The magic remote acts as a pointer mouse and a lot
upscales non-UHD content using a 6-step UHD surroundings and create the best sound profile more
Upscaler Engine. The upscaling works pretty that is tailored to suit your environment.
well on FHD (1080p) videos and looks great, One of the reasons this TV won CES’s
but we don’t recommend going any lower than Accessible Tech award is due to webOS 3.0.
1080p even on any other upscaler. The webOS allows you to easily connect to all Dolby Vision
With Dolby Vision, ULTRA Luminance, and different kinds of media, ranging from YouTube + WebOS
Magic Sound Tuning
None
an IPS 4K Quantum Display working hand to Netflix and more. webOS is easy to navigate
in hand, the UH770T is capable of producing with the Magic Remote and has interesting CHIP CONCLUDES
beautiful colours. Colours stand out well and features like the Channel Advisor ,which The UH770T is not just a great television
exudes vibrancy, with contrasts between black analyses your preferences and predicts what with beautiful colours, it also has its own
and other colours being excellent. ULTRA you’ll want to see in upcoming time slots. ecosystem.

test lab
HTC Desire 10 Pro

Price: RM1,699
Contact: HTC Careline
Phone: 1 800 88 9855
Info: www.htc.com/sea
Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow

System on Chip: Mediatek MT6755
CPU: Quad-Core 1.8 GHz and Quad-Core 1.0 GHz,
Cortex-A53
GPU: ARM Mali-T860MP2
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB eMMC Flash expandable with microSD
Display: 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 IPS
Camera: 20MP (rear), 13MP (front)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 + A2DP + LE, 802.11n,
WiFi-Direct
Dimensions: 156.5 x 76 x 7.9 mm
Weight: 165g
Antutu: 55,492 points

PCMark for Android: 3,358 points
3DMark Slingshot Extreme: 430 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Pro Shot
By Matthew Yap
HTC definitely knows how to make good looking phones, but

this device still left some to be desired
I
n an increasingly competitive market, HTC programs at the same time relatively well. As
has seen its star fall. But the Taiwanese it is, we experienced little lag while using this
smartphone manufacturer still has much to device
offer, one of it being the HTC Desire 10 Pro. Of course, the main draw of this device is its
Although poised as a midrange device, the cameras. Its rear camera’s laser sensor helps
Desire 10 Pro has flagship class looks. It has the camera autofocus really fast, allowing for
bronze gold accents running the length of the us to quickly take shots. We found its low-light A two-tone flash and laser sensor for low-light shots
and fast autofocusing
device and its back is a matte black finish that’s performance good, as it can deliver pictures
fine to the touch, while providing excellent grip. with good detail. The front 13-megapixel
You’ll find the three standard capacitive shooter can take some good shots in the
touch buttons at the bottom, volume rocker dark with its retina flash too, but is otherwise
and power button on the right, as well as the unspectacular.
ejectable tray for the dual SIM slots. The second Another thing to note is that the Desire 10
SIM slot also doubles as the slot for a microSD, Pro’s autofocus doesn’t play well with close
allowing you expanded storage on top of the ups. However, switching to Pro mode enables Downfiring speakers are great, since they are less likely
to get muffled during general use
existing 64GB. At the back is the 20-megapixel the ability to snap macro shots, shoot in RAW
rear camera at the top corner, which is paired format, and provides a greater degree of
with a dual-LED flash and a laser autofocus control, so if you like to take your time to frame
sensor, as well as fingerprint reader in the the perfect shot then this is the mode you’ll be
middle. There’s also a set of downfiring using often. Camera
speakers, which is definitely where we prefer You can also use this device for multimedia + Large storage
capacity
Slightly expensive
having it placed. entertainment. The speakers may lean on the

The Desire 10 Pro comes with an octa-core higher pitch side and lack bass, but are decent CHIP CONCLUDES
CPU. While it lacks the raw horsepower that overall and loud enough. The 1080p display is Looks great and has overall a good
more powerful processors have, its higher core also sharp and has good colour accuracy too, camera phone, but it’s a bit letdown by the
count makes it better able at running multiple providing adequate video quality. comparatively heftier price tag.

test lab
Acer Spin 5
Price: RM2,299
Contact: Acer Sales and Services Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 88 1288
Info: www.acer.com.my
Operating System: Windows 10 Home

Processor: Intel Core i3-6100U
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 520
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 1TB HDD
Connectivity: Gigabit LAN, 802.11ac WiFi
Dimensions: 496.7 x 338.5 x 8 mm
Weight: 2kg
PCMark Home: 2,380 points

PCMark Creative: 2,323 points
PCMark Work: 2,623 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Surprise Twist
Hybrid notebooks are highly versatile and Acer has deemed
it a good idea to introduce an affordable version
H
ybrid notebooks are not just limited to need of an adapter.
the premium segment of the notebook Like all hybrids, the Spin 5 has a 360° hinge
market these days. There are people that enables the device to be used not only like
who want affordable ones and Acer’s Spin 5 a normal notebook. It can also be used in tent
might just be an ideal option. form for multimedia entertainment, laid flat
Despite its name, the Acer Spin 5 isn’t going like a tablet, or in a ‘presentation’ mode that is
to turn heads with its design. But the pure useful for video chat using the webcam.
black plastic body with neat brushed texture In addition, the Spin 5’s IPS screen is decent The area around the arrow keys is very cramped
and glossy lid are by no means ugly. Under for videos, since it at least looks sharp and
the lid of the 13.3-inch notebook is a standard vibrant enough. Coupled with an average-
keyboard without a numpad, a 1080p IPS performing speaker, you could definitely use it
display and a HD webcam. It’s not the smallest for multimedia entertainment.
notebook around, but it’s lightweight thanks Overall, performance is on the lower-end
to its mostly plastic construction and it’s well- as expected. While it can handle productivity
built. The Acer Spin has little flex to its main software or multimedia playback, it’s mere
body or display, while its dual-torque hinge is 4GB of RAM means you’ll run into memory
rock solid with no signs of wobbling. issues quickly. Even multi-tab browsing could
At the sides are a good number of ports, cause slowdowns, with Google Chrome having
While it’s not a premium product, the overall built
which premium hybrids tend to lose in favour to reload pages whenever you tab away for quality here is excellent
of slimmer bodies. On the left is a HDMI port, some time. However, this just means you can’t
along with three USB ports (one 3.0), and go all-in with multitasking and isn’t a deal
an audio-out/line-in audio jack. The other breaker.
side houses the charging port, Kensington
lock, power and volume buttons, as well as a
The keyboard here is basic, but the keys
are spaced out well and have good key travel,
+ Versatile use
Affordable
Lacks RAM
microSD card slot. A microSD card slot instead so typing on it was comfortable enough. It
of the more common SD card slot is unusual, does feel cramped where the arrow keys are, CHIP CONCLUDES
but can be useful if you want to easily transfer however, which caused us to accidentally press An affordable option for those looking to get
files from a smartphone’s card without the the Page Up or Page Down button too often. a hybrid device for basic computing needs

test lab
AMD Ryzen
1700X
Price: RM1,899
Contact: AMD Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 8316 3512
Info: www.amd.com
Architecture: Zen
Process: 14nm
Base Clock: 3.4GHz
Boost Clock: 3.8GHz
XFR: 3.9GHz
PCMark 8 (Home): 4,389 points

PCMark 8 (Creative): 5,325 points
PCMark 8 (Work): 3,613 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Not Another
Ryzen Pun
By Nixon Ng
AMD is kicking up a storm with their Ryzen processors

finally taking the stage to compete against Intel
I
s AMD finally back in the game with their XFR with our initial tests, so we’ll keep on
Ryzen CPUs? With us in our test lab at CHIP trying to get it to kick in with more time. It
is the AMD Ryzen 1700X, surrounded by is noted at the time of writing, AMD has a Definitely a chip you’ll want to get for gaming
gizmos, gadgets, and hardware prepared to temperature offset of 20° Celsius when it
test its mettle. The CPU, like its brethren, is comes to temperature detection.
built upon the Zen microarchitecture, providing This means that 20° Celsius is ‘added’ on
greater performance and efficiency than its top of the temperature reading. This is said to
predecessors. allow the chip to keep a consistent fan policy
The Ryzen 1700X is one heck of a for cooling purposes. But we’ll probably see
processor, it starts off with a base clock of monitoring software adapt and update to
3.4GHz and is capable of a boost clock of this offset soon, if not already. On the topic
3.8GHz. Together with AMD’s new Ryzen of temperature, while overclocked to a stable
Master software, all unlocked Ryzen chips 3.9GHz at 1.4v, idle temp stayed around
are made easy to overclock with just a bit of 30-33° Celsius, but it can go up to 70° Celsius
knowledge. Within a few minutes we were during benchmarks and stress tests. Regular
able to achieve a stable clock of 3.8GHz across benchmarks and stress tests kept us at about The wraith cooler is just so easy to mount
all 8 cores. Getting it to hit 3.9GHz took a 60-65° Celsius on air-cooling, but we believe
bit more time with us messing around with lower temperatures are definitely possible on
voltages until we hit 1.4v. water-cooling.
On paper the 1700X is supposed to hit
3.9GHz with XFR (eXtended Frequency Range),
Performance wise, Cinebench gave scores
of average 1650 when clocked at 3.8GHz and
+ Performance
Easy overclocking
None
what XFR does is it increases processor 1685 at 3.9GHz. We detected no bottleneck or

voltage and clock speeds even higher if it throttling that would stem from the processor, CHIP CONCLUDES
detects that there is enough “heat head- having tested it with games like Witcher 3, A great processor to get for gaming and/or to
room”. We weren’t able to push it into using Overwatch, and Rainbow Six Siege. start your journey into overclocking.

test lab
ASUS ROG
Centurion
Price: RM1,479
Phone: (03) 2131 6650
Driver size: Front 40mm, Subwoofer 40mm, Centre 30mm,

Side 20mm, Rear 20mm
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Frequency range: 20 ~ 20,000 Hz
Connectivity: USB, additional HDMI to 3.5mm speaker
splitter cable
Others: Headset stand
Weight: 0.785kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
The New Times

New Roman
By Rikco Shim
ASUS is kicking competitors down with its 7.1 surround

gaming headset
A
SUS’ latest headset can be summed up levels are: FPS Gunfire, FPS Footsteps, Action
in a few words – heavy and powerful. and Racing. Each serve a different listening
The not so tiny USB Audio Station will take up some
Just like a centurion, the ASUS ROG experience. desk space
Centurion takes the fight to the opponents in a During our testing in Counter Strike:
brave and loud fashion. Built with 7.1 surround Global Offensive, we found that FPS Footstep
sound, you can hear your enemies from every spectrum boosts clarity for footsteps. With
direction with the help of its 10 drivers. everything else lowered aside from that, we
The ROG Centurion is also equipped are able to better triangulate our opponent’s
with a noise-cancelling unidirectional digital position. After getting used to FPS Footstep
microphone for clear communication – by mode, we couldn’t switch stop using it due to
optimising sound-processing algorithm its clear advantage.
to deliver optimum clarity that analogue As for the headset itself, even though it
microphones couldn’t do. You can also adjust is a little heavier than we are accustomed to,
the microphone’s position to your liking due comfort is still a plus. Included in the box, we The flexible microphone on the ROG Centurion
to its flexible design. Aside from the headset’s have two earcups to choose from, as well as a
mic, the Centurion’s USB audio station includes fabric mesh and protein leather. The headband
a built-in microphone that actively detects also helps reduce the uncomfortable clamping
7.1 Surround Sound
and counters more than 90% of environmental force. However, as comfortable as it is, weight
noise (ENC technology), so others would not be still plays a factor with the headset and the + Gaming spectrum
modes
Headset stand
Bulky and heavy
Weighty cables
distracted by noises around you. weighty cables. This can be a huge drawback,
And speaking of the USB audio station, especially during prolonged gaming sessions,
it has dedicated volume controls for each but experience may differ with each user.
channel and the microphone, to configure Also, included in the box is a headset stand,
CHIP CONCLUDES
Great 7.1 surround sound headset, with
sound settings on-the-fly. Aside from tweaking which saves you time and money to look for spectrum modes to give you an extra
volume levels, the audio station has four one that would hold the weight. Coupled with advantage in certain games. But it’s on the
game-audio spectrum profiles for you to switch, ASUS’s Sonic Studio, you can tweak the audio heavier and pricey side. But if you can afford
depending on your requirements. The four however you like. it, it is an amazing headset.

test lab
Lenovo
Yoga Book
Price: RM2,599
Contact: Lenovo Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 80 8575
Operating System: Windows 10 Home/Android 6.0

Display: 10.1-inch Full HD IPS
Processor: Intel Atom x5-Z8550 Quad-Core 2.4GHz
Connectivity: WiFi & Bluetooth
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, expandable 128GB microSD
Battery: 8,500 mAH
Dimensions: 256.6 x 9.6 x 170.8 mm
Weight: 690 grams
PCMark 8 Home: 1,204 points

PCMark 8 Creative: 1,210 points
PCMark 8 Work: 1,532 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
The Book That

Does Yoga
By Rikco Shim
Lenovo’s Yoga Book that wows

Halo Keyboard on the Yoga Book all lit up
L
enovo launched the Lenovo Yoga Book Yoga Book sports a 10.1-inch Full HD IPS
on December 2016 and we finally got display, with capacitive touch ability on both
our hands on it recently. This 2-in-1 the screen and the pad. Another interesting
convertible tablet allows you to switch from feature of the pad is that it is built with a haptic
tablet to laptop mode with relative ease. feedback-enabled Halo Keyboard – that can
With a myriad of features built into this appear or disappear with a touch of a button.
thin and sleek device, it is a sight to behold and Running on an Intel Atom x5-Z8550 Processor
brilliant to hold. The Lenovo Yoga Book lives up on either Windows 10 Home or Android, it also
to its name by being able to operate the device has 4 GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera
in multiple positions and it’s as light as a book that’s located on the pad, and a 2-megapixel
as well, weighing only 690 grams. front camera located on the screen. The Yoga
The Real Pen that is included in the box
One of the features that separate it from Book also features a 64GB internal storage,
regular 2-in-1 tablets is the ability to take notes upgradeable with a microSD of up to 128GB.
with the Real Pen Stylus on a Book Pad. While All of this is powered by an 8,500mAh battery
jotting down on papers clipped on the Book that could last up to 13 hours. A few Microsoft
Pad, your notes will be magically digitised onto Office programs come preinstalled as well,
the screen before your very eyes. namely Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Microsoft Halo Keyboard with
Upon testing the Book Pad, we found that OneNote. haptic feedback
it does so well enough. While there was a few Overall, we feel that the Lenovo Yoga Book + Digitising hand
written notes to
Performance
additional lines here and there from erratic is a great convertible tablet that can act as a screen
movement, most of them were accurate to laptop, or be used to browsed the internet and
what we wrote. We feel that this feature is as an entertainment device. However, if you
CHIP CONCLUDES
quite interesting for those who still prefer to need to connect more peripherals, you would Great 2-in-1 tablet that can tackle most
write or draw on paper. either need a microUSB hub or Bluetooth needs, with a niche hand-writing-to-screen
On the specification side of things, the capable devices. digitisation feature.

test lab
MSI B250M
MORTAR
Price: TBA
Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn Bhd,
Mediaforte (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 2148 1307, (03) 7960 6868
Socket: 1151
Chipset: Intel B250 Chipset
RAM Slots: 4 DIMMs
RAM: DDR 4, 2400/2133 MHz
Connectivity: 1x DisplayPort, 1x DVI-D, 1x HDMI
Ports: 2(Gen1, Type A) Front USB 3.1,
3(Gen1, Type A) 1(Gen1, Type C) Rear USB 3.1
6 USB 2.0
Size: Micro-ATX
PCMark 8 Home: 4,420 points

PCMark 8 Creative: 4,736 points
PCMark 8 Work: 3,764 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Mortar Your
Enemies
By Rikco Shim
MSI’s B250M MORTAR, for the gaming businessman

The I/O ports at the back
E
ven with hundreds of motherboards lights around the board, giving off a red aura
on the market now, MSI continues around the board, which works for people
to target every consumer market who has a clear case.
segment, all to gain total dominance over With looks aside, the B250M MORTAR
the motherboard market with their recent has the standard down on lock, with two
offerings. One of their latest, the MSI B250M PCI-Ex16 slots, two PCI-EX1 slots, up to six
MORTAR, recently made its way to our office. SATA III ports, and six audio ports located at
The B250M MORTAR at first glance, the back I/O. In addition, this motherboard
sports a look akin to zebras. Its black and supports CrossFire. For a Micro-ATX board,
grey colour scheme is prevalent throughout it sure ticks a lot of boxes. However, it can
the whole aesthetic of the motherboard, only support up to 64GB, so those who need
aside from a few splashes of red here and more would need to look elsewhere. But
there, especially on the black heatsink. The would you really need more than 64GB RAM? The black heatsinks, with red accents
B250M MORTAR also features RGB Mystic That’s up to you to decide.

Light Sync for you to change your lighting Despite being a B series motherboard
easily with just a click. Included on the that’s mostly targeted for more mainstream
B250M MORTAR is MSI’s Steel Armor on usage, MSI slapped gaming features all
important parts of the board, namely the over the motherboard. Included with the
PCI-E, and the Turbo M.2 Slot. The Turbo M.2 B250M MORTAR is MSI’s GAMING LAN, + Sleek looks
Plentiful ports
None
has NVMe support, with bandwidth of up to which improves online gaming experience by
32 GB/s using PCI-Express Gen3 x 4. prioritising games over other applications.
The B250M MORTAR also features This motherboard could be aimed at people CHIP CONCLUDES
EZ DEBUG LED lighting, to ease your who work from home, who games every now A great looking motherboard, with a myriad
of features that could be worth a purchase
troubleshooting bother. Other than that, it and then during their work breaks. We do
for anyone that’s looking for a motherboard.
is also surrounded with red LED ambient not encourage gaming at work though!

test lab
AOC G2460PG
Price: RM1,988
Contact: Adventure Multi Devices Sdn Bhd, Eternal Asia
(M) Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7955 7788, (03) 5569 2200
Info: http://www.aocmonitorap.com/
Panel Type: TN Panel

Resolution: 1920x1080
Connectivity: 1 Display Port, 4x USB 2.0 / USB 3.0
Refresh Rate: 144Hz
Response Time: 1 ms
Viewing Angle: 170/160
Dimensions: 551 x 400 x 221 mm (with stand)
Weight: 6.54 kg (without packaging)
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
AOC’s 24-incher
That’s PG Rated
By Rikco Shim
One of AOC’s monitors that is built with gamers in mind
A
OC is a veteran in the monitor market, Ultimately, it is your choice.
with monitors that have glowing reviews The G2460PG also has a Kensington Security
and awards. And among those monitors Lock slot attached to its back, for that extra
is the AOC G2460PG, which is filled to the brim safety feature if you are someone who lugs
with features. the monitor around for LAN Events. Lastly, the
The G2460PG has a standard 24-inch G2460PG also has a swivel and tilt stand that
display, a resolution of 1920x1080 and a refresh comes boxed with it, allowing you to position it
rate of up to 144Hz. Sadly, the only input however you like, even in portrait mode.
available is a single Display port. If you wish to Another nifty feature available to the The swivel of the G2460PG
plug other devices into the monitor, you would G2460PG is found in the OSD Setup of the
require a display switcher box. That aside, monitor itself. You can turn on Break Reminder
the G2460PG is a brilliant monitor to use for to remind you to have a quick break to stretch
gaming, especially with its fast 1ms response your legs, take a toilet break, or top up on water
time. It also comes with AOC’s very own Flicker for those long work or game sessions. The
Free Technology to balance brightness without G2460PG also has a USB Hub built in, which
flickering, allowing for pleasant viewing. allows you to plug in up to two USB, which
During our tests, the AOC performed well, enables the four USB slots on the monitor for
even with NVIDIA G-Sync and ULMB off. NVIDIA extra convenience. With the help of the hefty
G-Sync helps with gameplay by synchronising screen, the base of the monitor sticks to the
the refresh rates on your display to the GPU, table firmly. For extra peace of mind, AOC
thus removing screen tearing, stutter and includes three years of warranty starting from The back of the G2460PG, note the 4 USB slots
display lag. ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur) helps the original date of purchase.
with fighting motion blur, but it only works on Overall, the AOC G2460PG is a pleasant
a few refresh rates, namely the 85, 100, and monitor to use and is appealing to the eyes,
120Hz. ULMB also only works when G-Sync especially with an eye-catching green line at + Plentiful features
Only has one
display port
is turned off. Therefore, if there’s a choice the base of the monitor. Being a monitor with
between using G-Sync or ULMB, and at certain G-Sync and ULMB and at 144Hz with 1MS CHIP CONCLUDES
refresh rates, many would choose the 144Hz response time, its RM1,988 price tag is solid Amazing monitor, but could do with an extra
and G-Sync, rather than the 120Hz with ULMB. match with the features available to it. display option.

test lab
Wacom
Intuos 3D
Price: RM973
Contact: GrandTech Systems Sdn Bhd, Innovix Distribution
Phone: (03) 6201 0766, (03) 7883 3688
Info: http://www.wacom-asia.com/
Dimensions: 272 x 217 x 11 mm

Pen Active Area: 216 x 135 mm
Weight: ~480 grams
Pressure Sensitivity: 1,024
Resolution: 2,540 lpi (Lines Per Inch)
Wireless Support: Yes (sold separately)
Reading Speed (pen): 133 pps
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Intuitively Intous
By Rikco Shim
Wacom’s Latest Graphics Tablet for 3D
W
acom is one of the world’s most an easier way to navigate around certain
popular graphics tablet brand. With software that work specifically with the
countless creators, artists and tablet. Furthermore, the tablet can be used
designers that swear by their products, they ergonomically by right and left-hander with
are here to stay. For this issue, we were lucky ease, and is compatible with Windows and
to have gotten a chance to review the Wacom Mac OS. However, it is worth noting that USB
Intuos 3D, one of the few in the Intuos series, cable that is bundled with the Intuos 3D is fairly
which includes the Intuos Draw, Intuos Art, short. Fortunately, Wacom has thought of this
Intuos Comic, Intuos Photo, Intuos 3D. as well, since the Intuos 3D can also be used
The Intuos 3D is bundled with the with a Wireless Kit that’s available separately.
ZBrushCore software, an amazing program that Using the bundled software in the Intuos
allows artists to create, sculpt and paint in a 3D 3D, the ZbrushCore, we managed to create a The Creative Pen
space. Even professional jewellers can design mushroom using that software, to showcase
using this intricate software. our amazing 3D skills! With the help of up to
All the tablets in the Intuos series have 1,024 pen pressure points, you will have no
different sizes. With the Intuos 3D, it’s a problems with controlling the blending and
Medium Black model tablet that can be shades of your creations. While testing, we
used with a Wacom Creative Pen, supports did not notice any huge delays while using the
Multi-Touch enabled, and is only 275x217x11 pen. Once the input from the pen registers, it
mm large. This graphics tablet has a very slim is displayed on the PC rather instantaneously.
profile, even thinner than a book. However, we were not able to test how it would
Those are the basics of the Intuos 3D. Of perform wirelessly.
course, besides using it with the software, Overall, we feel that as a graphics tablet,
you can also use the tablet to create drawings the Intous 3D does what it is made to do. If you Our very own 3D Mushroom
on Microsoft Paint as well; the tablet is not wish, you could even browse the internet using
confined to only the software that was bundled the tablet’s with Multi-touch, turning it into
with it. a pseudo mouse. By bundling it with certain
Even though the tablet is slim, it still software that likely more expensive on its own, + Does its job
Not much input lag
None
manages to stay hefty, weighing at roughly the ZBrushCore bundled with the Intous 3D
480g. This means that the tablet will not makes it an even easier buy for those who are CHIP CONCLUDES
slide around while it is in use. There are four looking for a powerful and precise graphics A great graphics tablet from Wacom, worth
ExpressKeys on the tablet, allowing you tablet for 3D art. the purchase.

test lab
D-Link DHP-P701AV
Powerline AV2 2000
Price: TBA
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
Ports: Ethernet
MIMO: Yes
Network Standard: IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3x,
IEEE 1901, HomePlugAV, HomePlug AV2
Dimensions: 118.8x60x37.6mm(2x)
Weight: 208g
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Instant Home
Networking
By Nixon Ng
A simple way to extend your home network without

wasting a power socket
H
ome networking has always been and plug it into a power outlet and connect An integrated pass through allows you still have an
the bane of home owners, especially your router to it, then grab the other and outlet even when used
those without any experience with place it anywhere in your office or house
routers and modems. Also, sometimes and connect it to your device. The adapters
getting a new router just won’t cut it if can be used interchangeably so it doesn’t
there’s too much signal interference. Thank matter which of it you connect to the router.
the genius who created the HomePlug, for it Once that’s done all you have to do is hit
uses your existing electrical wiring to create the Simple Connect button and wait for the
high-speed home networks. connection to start up and voila, instant
The D-Link DHP-P701AV is one such extension of your home network.
product, consisting of two DHP-P700AV You can also connect the other end of
Doesn’t matter which adapter you use, both can be
Powerline AV2 2000 Gigabit Adapters. Each the adapter to a router to create another used interchangeably
adapter comes with the latest AV2 MIMO wireless access point. It’s also good to know
technology and Gigabit connectivity. We that it has a pass through socket, so you
were able to stream all kinds of media over won’t be wasting a power socket for this.
the homeplugs, ranging from FHD files to It has a built-in noise filter that filters and
4K UHD files without breaking a sweat. With eliminates electrical signal noise for a stable
AV2 MIMO we were also able to transfer and powerful transmission of data even + Pass through
Easy setup
None
large amounts of data, over our network when it has an electrical device connected
from our server to our computers efficiently to it. When not in use, you can activate
CHIP CONCLUDES
and quickly. its Power Saving mode to reduce power Keep an eye out for this set of homeplugs if
You can do all this easily with the consumption up to 85%, a useful feature you want to extend your home network, they
DHP-P701AV, as setup is as simple as plug for those who are conscious about power work great and allows you to keep the usage
and play. Just grab one of the adapters usage. of your power socket while in use.

test lab
Samsung CFG70
Curved Gaming
Monitor
Price: RM1,699
Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 88 9999
Info: www.samsung.com.my
Panel Type: AVA

Connectivity: DisplayPort, HDMI
Refresh Rate: 144Hz
Response Time: 1ms
Viewing Angle: 178/178
Dimensions: 546x530.8x386mm
Weight: 4.98kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Find Solace In
Quantum Monitors
A monster of a monitor from Samsung that will appeal to
By Nixon Ng
gamers who want great colours, smooth graphics, and fast

response times
G
aming monitors were built to give Moving on to the display itself, the CFG70
gamers an edge over their opponents. uses the Quantum dot technology which
But, they also pull out a gamers true boasts sRGB 125 percent, for a wider range of
potential, allowing them to play at their colours. The panel itself is an Advanced Vertical Ergonomic dual-hinged design gives users a lot of
freedom to adjust their workspace
best with fast response times and smooth Alignment (AVA) panel, which boasts great
gameplay. Somehow the Samsung CFG70 colour and great contrasts. Playing games like
Curved Gaming Monitor found its way into our Witcher 3 and Overwatch makes us feel that
test bed, and we were estatic about getting to the monitor flatters the game. The games look
play with it. beautiful and with a refresh rate of 144Hz it
The first thing you’ll notice about the was so smooth we fell further in love with the
monitor is the natural curve it presents to the monitor. The colours stood out vibrantly and
user. At a curvature of 1,800R, it fits nicely into the contrast was great especially in dark areas. Everything on the CFG70 can be controlled by this small
joystick
our vision. The stand itself is heavy and durable, Jumping to CS:GO to better test the
which screams stability. response time, we were able to react quicker
The dual-hinge design of the monitor allows to enemies than we usually do when using 144Hz
for a wide variety of configurations, but the conventional monitors, especially compared to + AVA panel
Fast response time
None
issue that we had with the design was the IPS monitors with slower response times. As if
height adjustment. How the height adjustment it wasn’t enough, the CFG70 also supports AMD
works is when we increase the height, the FreeSync technology, allowing users to pull out CHIP CONCLUDES
monitor would rise up and back, while lowering the full potential of the monitor when paired The Samsung CFG70 is reasonably priced
and should be on the top of your list if you’re
the height will make it lean forward. But it isn’t with an AMD card to deliver stutter and tear
looking for a gaming monitor.
enough of a problem to be considered a con. free gaming.

test lab
Moto Z Play
Price: RM1,799
Contact: Lenovo Technologies Sdn.Bhd
Phone: 1 800 80 8575
Operating System: Android 6.0.1

System on Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
CPU: Octa-core 2.0 GHz, Cortex-A53
GPU: Adreno 506
Memory: 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Display: 5.5-inch
Camera: 16MP (rear), 5MP(front)
Connectivity:
Dimensions: 156.4 x 76.4 x 7mm
Weight: 165g

3DMark
Ice Storm Extreme: 8,146 points
Ice Storm Unlimited: 13,716 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
It’s Time To Play

By Nixon Ng
The Moto Z Play is not just a smartphone, it’s an all-in-one.
B
uying a new phone is always a big deal, sports 32GB of built-in storage with the option
there’s just so many choices out there to expand storage further with a microSD card
with different features, designs and up to 2TB’s. Treading upon what we said earlier
Moto Mods and Shells are attached using a magnet,
prices. Maybe you need a phone with a good about being able to last the whole day on a and can be easily peeled off
camera? Maybe one with a bigger battery, or single charge, the Moto Z Play’s battery has a
one that plays music loudly? What would you capacity of 3,510mAh.
say if we told you that there’s a phone that can When paired together with the Moto Z
do all of the above? With some additional costs, Play’s TurboPower technology, you’ll be able to
you can have a phone that does all of the above get up to 8 hours of power in just 15 minutes
and more. of charging, even if you forget to charge your
The phone we’re talking about is the Moto Z phone. The only downside we thought the
Play, one of the variations for Lenovo’s Moto Z phone had was it has a slight bulky feel to it.
The JBL SoundBoost Speaker on the Moto Z Play
line of modular smartphones. The Moto Z Play When compared to other devices of similar
sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 with 3GB sizes, its dimensions aren’t that thick, yet it still
of RAM that promises great performance, and has this sense of bulk to it. Not really a con, but
the Moto Z Play delivers. Right from the get more of an opinion on our side.
go the Moto Z Play performed great, delivered Finally of course, we have the Moto Mods.
smooth operation throughout our review period, As expected, the Moto Mods work flawlessly + Moto Mods
Overall performance None
and hit big scores on all of our benchmarks. with the Moto Z Play. The Moto Mods are
For the day-to-day usage the device covers securely attached magnetically, adding useful
CHIP CONCLUDES
all the bases, from taking pictures to lasting functions to the device. If you love photography
throughout the day on a single charge. Its 5.5- we recommend getting the Hasselblad If you’re looking for a phone that’s more than
inch Full HD display is clear and vibrant, making TrueZoom, and also the Insta-Share Projector just a single piece of hardware, the Moto Z
viewing pictures taken by the device’s 16MP so you’ll be able to show off your pictures and Play could be the glass slipper you’ve been
camera all the more enjoyable. Additionally, it videos right after you shoot them. looking for.

test lab
Thermaltake
Smart Pro RGB
650W Bronze
Price: RM499
Contact: AV Future Link Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7783 0011
Info: www.avf.com.my
Output Capacity: 650W

Dimensions: 150x86x170mm
80 PLUS Rating: Bronze
Modular: Fully modular
Weight: 2.2kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Be Smart With
Power
With RGB lighting now taking the stage, Thermaltake’s
By Nixon Ng
Smart Pro RGB 650W brings RGB to your power supply,

allowing for an even wider range of RGB lighting setups
Switches for cycling RGB lights and turning on
O
ne of the most important parts of for it doesn’t have an additional 4-pin CPU Thermaltake’s Smart Zero Fan
a rig or computer is definitely its PCI port for boards which require more
power supply. A power supply as power like the CROSSHAIR VI HERO.
the name states is the piece of hardware Inside the PSU you’ll find Thermaltake’s
which supplies power to the rest of your Ring 14 RGB Fan that features Concentrated
computer. With it playing such an important Compression Fan Blades designed for high
role in your computer, would you really want static pressure. The RGB fan is capable of
to get a "cap ayam” power supply for your cycling through different light modes using
expensive computer parts? People are prone a small button on the back, and close to the
to skimping on their power supply to save RGB button is also the Smart Zero Fan that
that extra bit of money, but that could put controls the PSU fan accordingly, depending
your computer at risk. on operating load.
It has just enough modular slots for all your hardware
So don’t take that chance, not because The PSU is definitely quiet by our
we said so, but because you want to have standards, with it barely making a sound
your computer last as long as possible. One while running benchmarks, and less sound
of your choices could be the Thermaltake if placed inside a case. Inside the PSU
Smart Pro RGB 650W that we received to you’ll find Japanese Rubycon capacitors
review this time around. With an output of
650W, the power supply should suffice for
which are known for their reliability. We did
benchmarks and stress tests over a span
+ Fully modular
Smart Zero Fan
None
any normal gaming rig, unless of you want of three days non-stop and have not met
to overclock, then we’d recommend you to any problems, and this is at the highest load
CHIP CONCLUDES
get something along the lines of 700-800Ws. we could muster. The icing on the cake for A fully modular power supply that houses
The power supply is also fully modular, this power supply is it’s 80 PLUS Bronze high-grade components, the Thermaltake
having enough ports and connectors for certification, which we feel should be the Smart Pro RGB 650W can be a great choice
almost any motherboard. Take note though, bare minimum anyone should aim for. for building a computer.

test lab
Philips
BDM4037UW
Price: RM2,699
Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7956 6300
Info: http://www.philips.com.my/c-m-pc/monitors
Panel Type: VA
Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort, 1x VGA, 2x USB 3.0
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Response Time: 4ms
Viewing Angle: 178°(H), 178° (V)
Weight: 16.42kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Centre Of
Entertainment
By Matthew Yap
A huge monitor with a huge heart that knows how to cater

to all users
W
ith gaming such a big thing now, Thanks to its large number of different I/O
people forget that monitors should ports, this monitor is ideally used as a display
Plenty of connectivity for most hardware, except for DVI
also be designed for entertainment. hub for multiple devices. Its HDML ports are
Philips’ new BDM4037UW does just that, at a MHL compatible, so you can also connect
size that turns more than a couple of heads. compatible devices to it. What makes it great
As a 40-inch display, the BDM4037UW is as a display hub is its Picture-in-Picture mode,
huge for a monitor. Its curved body has thin which allows it to output visuals for multiple
bezels, combining to deliver a greater sense devices at the same time. We tested this by
of viewing immersion. In addition, it has a running two PCs and a gaming console at the
smooth looking silver colour and a solid metal same time, managing to get them all to show
stand. up.
Despite its thin looking crescent-shaped Furthermore, the BDM4037UW is also
stand, the well-built monitor’s weight is easily excellent for multitasking for Windows 10
supported by it. However, it lacks of ergonomic PC users. With this monitor, you can have a
features, with only a small degree of tilt document file and a browser window open,
available. The good thing is that users can something that we often do when writing The stand is quite basic, but it’s well-built and can
remove the stand and VESA mount the display our articles. Able to deliver 4K resolutions at handle the massive monitor’s weight
instead. 60FPS at 4K, it’s can also be used for games
It’s weird to call this a monitor, considering and video playback.
that you can’t actually use it on a personal This monitor delivers good colour accuracy
desk and still have optimal viewing distance.
At its size, the BDM4037UW is better off being
and contrast ratio, as well as a loud enough
internal speaker, though they can sound a
+ Large screen
Connectivity
Lacks ergonomic
features
treated the way a TV does - a good 1-2 metres bit tinny at times. As a result, it can be used
away to avoid straining your eyes. It does have to cover for your multimedia entertainment, CHIP CONCLUDES
A versatile monitor with a huge screen size
features like flicker-free to reduce eye fatigue, productivity, and even gaming. Truly, a jack of
and an unbeatable price.
but it’s still better to keep an optimal distance. all trades.

test lab
Honor 6X
Price: RM1,199(32GB), RM1,399(64GB)
Contact: Huawei Malaysia Mobile Hotline
Phone: 1 800 22 0086
Info: www.vmall.my
Operating System: Android 6.0

CPU: Huawei Kirin 655 Octa-Core (4x2.1 GHz + 4x 1.7 GHz)
GPU: Mali-T830MP2
Memory: 3 GB
Storage: 32 GB / 64 GB
Display: 5.5-inch
Camera: 12-megapixel + 2-megapixel (rear-facing)
8-megapixel (front-facing)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi
Battery: 3,340mAh
Weight: 162g

3DMark Slingshot Extreme: 372 points
3DMark Slingshot: 553 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Bringing Honor
To The Series
Honor’s latest addition to the series, the Honor 6X
T
he Honor 6X is the latest in the Honor can support microSD cards of up to 256 GB.
series. Stapled with a myriad of features The device runs on Android 6.0 Huawei’s EMUI
on the Honor 6X, we put the device under 4.1, with potential updates to Android 7.0 soon.
the test to see how it fares against competition Fitted onto the 162g device is a 3,340 mAh
on the market. battery for good battery life.
Looking at it, the Honor 6X is a pretty phone EMUI 4.1 does well to provide users with
in our opinion. At the front the Honor logo a smooth experience. During our tests, we
is etched on the bezel at the bottom of the have not noticed delays, aside from slower
device and the 5.5-inch Full-HD display, while app launches, or slow downs once the storage
on the back, you have the dual camera setup - is filled with pictures, messages and apps.
The back view of the Honor 6X
12-megapixel + 2-megapixel – coupled with the But for its price, the ability to run the newest,
flash on the side, and a fingerprint sensor right graphically challenging games with relative
under the camera. ease proves that this device can play among
Included in the box is the SIM Tray Ejector the bigwigs. However, the phone does get hot
Does the job as a
Tool, a Micro USB charging cable and a wall
adaptor. Nothing out of the ordinary, but we
after a while, especially during gaming, but the
same applies to other devices with a metal
+ mid-priced
smartphone
Bland
did notice an exclusion of earphones, which is back. A fair trade-off for its premium looks.
negligible, considering the price of the phone. We do believe that the Honor 6X ticks most CHIP CONCLUDES
Now onto the meat of things, the Honor of the boxes for a powerhouse mid-priced Overall, worth the purchase if you’re looking
for a mid-priced phone. It comes with most
6X is operating on the Kirin 655 chipset with smartphone. Powerful, easy on the eyes, decent
things and has no unwelcome surprises.
an Octa-Core CPU, as well as 3GB of RAM and sized battery and a camera that can take nice
32GB or 64GB of storage space. In addition, it shots.

test lab
MSI B350
Tomahawk
Price: RM665
Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn. Bhd., Mediaforte
(Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 2148 1307, (03) 7960 6868
Info: my.msi.com
Slots: AM4
CPU: AMD B350
RAM Slots: 4
RAM Type: DDR4
Ports: 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DVI-D, 1x VGA, 2x USB 2.0, 1x
USB 3.1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.1 Type-A

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Missile Launch
Detected
By Nixon Ng
Put yourself on the cyber battlefield with the performance

packed B350 Tomahawk
M
SI has been really into the whole a 7th-gen A-series or Athlon processor, since
military themed gaming hardware, but the AM4 socket supports older processors.
that’s fine, because the designs are It’s a nice throwback to their fans in case they
actually really good. It also shows MSI’s drive want to keep their current processor while they The shield is a nice added detail, and Steel Armor is
to provide performance gaming for those who prepare to upgrade in the future. always nice to see
are on the cyber battlefield. With the launch of On the storage side you’ll see an M.2 port,
Ryzen, MSI takes the stage today with the B350 so if you got yourself an M.2 drive, it’ll work
Tomahawk motherboard, based off the titular together with MSI’s X-Boost to optimise
B350 chipset. your SSD. For SATA ports you’ll be able to
The base of the design on the motherboard find four SATA 6Gb/s ports, two of them are
strikes a resemblance to digital camouflage side-inserted while the other two are inserted
in our eyes. Spread across the board, the from the front. We preferred if all of the ports
camouflage theme is aesthetically pleasing, are side-inserted to make cable management Props to MSI for taking care of their old customers with
legacy outputs ports
and contrasts well with the heat-sinks. A nice cleaner and again were unsure why MSI
added detail was one of the heat-sinks that decided to place them as such.
is shaped like a shield. Next to it you’ll notice If you have already started your water-
MSI’s Steel Armor slot protection for the first cooling journey or are just starting out, you’ll be
PCIe 3.0 x16. There’s also two legacy PCI slots excited to know that the motherboard has six + Display outputs
Overall
None
that we’re not sure why MSI has included. fan headers to give you full control over your
Output wise, the motherboard definitely water-cooling system. The board is also built to
CHIP CONCLUDES
has its fair share, ranging from USB 2.0 ports support AIO coolers, for those who don’t want If you’re preparing yourself to upgrade to
for peripherals to USB 3.1 Type-C ports. You’ll the hassle of creating a custom loop, and has a a new AMD system from an older one, the
also find a HDMI, DVI and VGA port on the dedicated water pump PIN header to give you B350 Tomahawk is a great first step to
back, meant for you to use when you’re using full control of the water pump speed. prepare yourself for the future.

test lab
ASUS ROG
CROSSHAIR
VI HERO
Price: RM1,395
Phone: (03) 2131 6650
Slots: AM4
CPU: AMD X370
RAM Slots: 4
RAM Type: DDR4
Ports: 8x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x
USB 3.1 Type-C, 5x Audio jack, 1x Optical, 1x LAN

Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Crosshair From
The Red Camp
By Nixon Ng
Just look at all those USB ports, just look!!!
A killer DIY-friendly motherboard that’s a surefire win

amongst enthusiasts and case designers
W
ith Ryzen chips finally finding their 3,200MHz (overclocked) for Ryzen chips, and
way to Malaysian shores, everyone 2,133MHz to 2,400MHz for seventh generation
has been clamouring for their AMD processors. It also supports NVIDIA SLI
small piece of the red camp. Manufacturers and AMD CrossfireX for multi-GPU setups. The
have already launched a wide variety of PCI-e slots are protected by ROG’s SafeSlot,
motherboards to take advantage of the and reinforced slots is always a plus in our
performance of the Ryzen chips. books. In total, there are two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots,
What we have here is ASUS ROG’s flagship one PCIe 2.0 x16 slot and three PCIe 2.0 x1 Release your inner 3D printer and build what no builder
AM4 motherboard - the ROG CROSSHAIR slots. has built before
VI HERO. Out of the box you could tell it is a Overclocking is made easy on the
stylish motherboard, keeping a nice balance CROSSHAIR VI HERO with the board’s ‘‘5-Way
between black and grey. When hooked up, the Optimization” one-click overclocking feature. Overall performance
Aura RGB LED’s light up the board beautifully.
We were also amazed at the amount of USB
It does all the hard work and leaves you with
an increase in performance, even if you have
+ Massive amount of
USB ports
3D printing friendly
None
ports facing us - a whopping eight USB 3.0 no experience with overclocking. It also adjusts
ports! And if that wasn’t enough there’s an your performance and cooling in real-time to
additional four USB 2.0 ports, along with a ensure you have a stable overclock. Before CHIP CONCLUDES
Type-A and Type-C USB 3.1 port. we forget, for storage there is a single slot Whether you own an AM3 or AM4 chip, this
Putting the ports aside, the motherboard for M.2 SSD’s and eight SATA 6Gb/s ports, motherboard is ready for either one and
supports a maximum of 64GB of DDR4 RAM, you’ll definitely have a lot of space for storage comes with a power packed package pushing
with a frequency between 2,133MHz and options on this motherboard. the limits of performance.

test lab
HP Spectre
x360
Price: RM6,099
Contact: Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 22 6998
Info: www.hp.com/my
Operating System: Windows 10 Home

Processor: Intel Core i7-7500U
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620
Memory: 8GB DDR4
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Connectivity: 802.11ac WiFi
Dimensions: 307 x 218 x 13.9 mm
Weight: 1.32kg
PCMark Home: 2,833 points

PCMark Creative: 2,925 points
PCMark Work: 3,223 points
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Ghostly Excellence
By Matthew Yap
Hybrids are now becoming increasingly more common and

HP shows that it knows most of the right formulas
T
he standard laptop form factor isn’t mode, or as a tablet. Windows 10 does well
considered mobile-friendly anymore, to automatically switch it, allowing you to
with 2-in-1s or hybrids the way to go transition between modes without hiccups.
for many people. And HP’s new version of the You could also position the device in tent mode
Spectre x360 might just be one of the best. for multimedia entertainment, though the
Compared to 2015’s model, the Spectre speakers end up facing the rear in that case.
x360 has a body that’s slimmer, lighter, and Furthermore, multimedia is definitely an The Spectre x360 in tent form
with thinner bezels on the sides of the display. aspect this laptop can do well in. Although
Combined with the fact that it’s also more its IPS display is average, it delivers great
narrow, the size of this laptop is actually viewing angles and colour balance, as well as
closer to being a 12-inch device, making it very brightness and contrast. Speakers lack bass,
portable. despite tweaking it with the B&O EQ settings,
Form factor aside, the Spectre x360 isn’t but are also quite good for general use.
what we’d call an eye-catching laptop. But The new x360 features a standard keyboard
while it may lack the bling, its premium that omits the numpad. Typing on it is quite
aluminium chassis is no less elegant. The Bang comfortable, as it has adequate key travel and
& Olufsen designed speaker grill is also a nice are spaced out well to avoid users having to
touch. squash their fingers to type. Many hybrid laptops sacrifice USB ports in favour of
the ultimate slimness, so we’re thankful that the HP
We like how HP has decided to balance Powered by an Intel Kaby Lake CPU, this Spectre retains one
form factor with function for this hybrid laptop is more than enough for regular needs.
laptop. Not only does it have two USB Type-C It’s geared towards being a productivity
ports with Thunderbolt support, it also has a machine, with some multimedia playback
Excellent form factor
standard USB port. That’s useful for not only thrown in for good measure. We could
peripherals like a mouse, but also a SD card comfortably do both simultaneously without + Smooth user
experience
Very portable
Very warm when
charging
reader, which the x360 unfortunately does not major issues. It does have some noticeable
have. sound when on high load, which also causes
As mentioned, this is a hybrid laptop, which the machine to become warm to the touch, CHIP CONCLUDES
means it can be used in the standard laptop especially it’s charging. Great form factor, sufficient performance.

lite & leisure
PLAY
Blast From A Geek’s Past

Nostalgia can become a strong emotion when it comes to gaming, so join us as we travel
back in time to reminisce and play the games of days long past By Nixon Ng
Arc the Lad I

A
tactical role-playing game that has The scene then cuts to the hero of the a background imposed on it, and all objects
spawned multiple sequels with one of story, Arc, who senses something amiss, and and units move along grids. Melee combat
the best stories we’ve ever played, a decides to head to the Flame Cion. He then is pretty straightforward - you’ll have to
shame that it’s not well known. learned from this mother that his father had be in a square next to a monster, but not
Arc the Lad probably hasn’t met the actually gone missing years ago under the diagonally to hit the enemy. Whereas when
same amount of popularity as RPG’s like the same circumstances. On the way to the top it comes to casting spells you’ll be given an
Suikoden or Final Fantasy series. But in our he meets Kukuru and he promises her to "area of effect", some would be static and
opinion, Arc the Lad is a game that’s just relight the sacred flame, but is stopped by surrounding the caster, or targetable up
as good, and should be shared to everyone. the Ark Ghoul. As he is left for dead, he hears to a certain degree. Combat is simple and
The game starts with the heroine Kukuru, a voice calling out to him. The voice comes straightforward, you’ll be able to pick up the
who is born into a Sacred Clan and tasked to from a Guardian who brings Arc back to life gameplay very quickly.
protect the Flame Cion. Forced to marry the and gives Arc the strength to fight monsters. After taking out the monsters post
Crown Prince of Seirya, she decides to escape This is where we get our first instance of haste Arc re-ignites the flame causing an
her fate by extinguishing the sacred flame combat, Arc has to defeat all monsters on ambushing Ark Ghoul to be sealed once
on top of the mountain. When she does, a the map, which is typically how you complete again. The king of Seirya hears about Arc’s
monster called an Ark Ghoul appears as the the map. ability to defeat monsters and summons
surroundings get noticeably grim. Arc the Lad is a tactical RPG, the map has him to Palencia Castle where Arc’s journey

lite & leisure
truly begins. Joined by Kukuru and a new a map we could keep running to grind for After finishing the game you might find
friend Poco, he sets out on his journey to experience. that the game is quite short, but it was
find the “Ark” and to find out what happened So remember, you should distribute your meant to pave the way for the second game.
to his father. When you gain new characters experience equally so the same thing won’t The game is linear in the way that you won’t
it’s important to use them as much as happen to you. The music in Arc the Lad is be able to do anything other than grind on
possible and not just concentrate on the definitely something to look out for, with a a map, or proceed to the next part of the
main characters. At one point Poco was number of tracks being orchestrated pieces. story. Before we forget, if you’ve finished Arc
way behind in experience and would die in a The soundtrack of Arc the Lad will tickle your the Lad you’ll be able to carry over your save
single hit from enemies. We were lucky that nostalgia, bringing you back to the time of game over to the sequel, which includes all
right after we realised our blunder, there was Castlevania. your character stats, attributes and items.
Arc the Lad I

Genre: Tactical role-playing game
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment,
G-Craft
Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_
the_Lad_(video_game)
Platform: PlayStation, PC(Emulator),
PlayStation Network
+ Great storyline - Linear
Gameplay:
Sound:
Replayability:

lite & leisure
PLAY
The Dawn Of The Last Horizon

An open-world archer simulator that fulfils all your archery desires By Rikco Shim
Hiding from a Sawtooth
H
orizon Zero Dawn is a game that cast out from. from some scenarios, for example when we
takes place far into the future – so The game itself is a spectacle to behold, blew up multiple machines with bombs or
far into the future that the remains even on the basic Playstation 4. With traps at the same time – which then made
of civilizations are humans that worship the areas ranging from smooth flowing rivers their armour disperse onto the world while
All-Mother, a door that’s controlled by an with lush greenery, to mountains that are it was raining heavily. That was one of the
AI. You play as Aloy, a girl that was cast out covered with snow, to ruined cities that very few instances in our 40-hour total
from the Nora Tribe, a tribe that worships shows us the past civilizations that lived playthrough. We even snickered at some
and listens to commands by the All-Mother. there, and to labyrinths that are sprawled graphical glitches, like a floating carcass of a
You gain control of Aloy at certain parts with indistinguishable machinery hidden by machine. This game might just be the best
while growing up, but mostly you play her natural caves. On certain parts of the map, game that we’ve seen graphically. Topping
when she’s all grown up. Aloy's goal is to the weather changes dynamically, with Aloy the likes of Uncharted 4. The machines are
figure out why she was casted out at birth, talking about the melting snow, or heavy all intricately designed. Wires, cores, metal
to discover her origins. Then you are thrown rain. and everything combined into one without
right into the middle of everything, and it is During the playthrough, we have not them looking out of place. Most of the
your job to protect the tribe that you were noticed drastic drops in frame rate, aside machines are derivatives of actual animals.

lite & leisure
For example, the Grazers imitates the looks

and behaviours of a deer, or elk.
However, one important thing that we
must note on the graphics – is the faces of
people. Even in a bleak future, the people
still manage to keep their baby smooth skin,
especially Aloy – whom we trudged along
rivers, fighting oily machines, getting roasted
in fires, yet still manage to keep the silky-
smooth face that resembles a model on a
runway. This is glaringly noticeable when
we are interacting with NPCs in the wild, but
other than that it doesn’t really retract from
the experience of the game.
Onto the gameplay side of things,
the gameplay is smooth from the
get-go. Choosing your weapons of mass
destructions and navigating conversations
by using smart, caring or confronting
replies all with a circle-wheel menu, the
staple for RPGs. There are a few select
The remains of older civilizations in Horizon Zero Dawn
choices of weapons available to you. In the
bow section, we have a bow that shoots blow up into smithereens and damaging slow-motion, and ending the skirmish with a
moderately quick with either a fire arrow its allies on the other side of the river is spear into the machine.
or normal arrow, or a different bow that satisfying and safe. When all is said and done, we feel that
shoots slow but outputs higher damage. For For players who are not fond of Stealth the game is full of marvel and grandiosity.
slingshots, we have a sling that can offload segments, rejoice, for stealth is only We would offer Guerrilla Games a round
freeze grenades or electric grenades, or a mandatory in some story missions. We of applause if we could. They gave us a
different sling that throws highly damaging played most of the game in full-stealth, vast world to explore and play around – a
fire grenades. calculating our moves, tailing machines, collapsed civilization that’s taken over by
Elements play an important part in tagging them and highlighting their route, machines, a bleak look into a potential
this game – you can go up and whack an and took out everything from the shadows. future once AI takes over the world.
enemy with your spear, but you would most That was a fun way to tackle battle. We also Definitely worth the purchase, especially for
likely be grounded into mincemeat by the played parts of the game in full mounted archery connoisseurs, looking at you, Hanzo
machines. Elements help you in the pursuit archery mode and Rambo mode, fighting mains.
of destroying machines. Shooting a gas tank everything head on, unloading arrows into
with a fire arrow, then watching the machine machines, flinging grenades mid-air with
The Last
Horizon
Genre: Open-world Action RPG
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: Playstation 4 Exclusive
Info: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/
games/horizon-zero-dawn-ps4/
Expansive world
Material/
+ to explore
Breathtaking - Collectibles
Plastic faces
hunt
graphics
Gameplay:
Graphics:
Sound:
Replayability:
The relentless rain shrouding the view

lite & leisure
E-SPORTS NEWS
Blizzard
announces fifth
Hearthstone
expansion
E
xpansions are the lifeblood of card card called ‘Quests’ and the ‘Adapt’ mechanic. of conditions have been fulfilled, it’ll reward
games and Hearthstone is set to get its Quest cards will be made available to a the player with a powerful card. A pre-
fifth one in April. Titled ‘Journey to player’s starting hand and, when played, will purchase bundle of 50 cards for the expansion
Un’Goro’, it introduces a new type of legendary be connected to your hero portrait. Once a set is already available.
The International 7’s

Location Has Been Decided
A
lthough there were some
concerns before, Valve has
decided to continue hosting its
Dota 2 The International tournament in
Seattle. Back for the second year is the
cosplay competition as well, which will
have a prize of 15,000 USD (approx.
RM66,525) attached to it.
Starcraft’s Bladeform
Protoss Legacy
Probe Adds
Warps Into Juggernaut
The Nexus Arcana
B I
eginning to gain a reputation of n other Dota 2 news, Valve has finally
having the most unusual cast of announced the arcana for Juggernaut.
playable characters thanks to its It will be available in the shop for
various game IPs, Blizzard’s Heroes of the 34.99 USD (approx. RM155). The update
Storm will see another addition in Probius. arrives with patch 7.03, which will also
Basically the Protoss flying probe seen in add Monkey King to Captain’s Mode, as
Starcraft 2, Probius is a specialist with well as introduce the usual flurry of
nukes and damage over time skills. Find changes to the game. Check out the full
out more at http://us.battle.net/heroes/ patch log at http://www.dota2.com/
en/heroes/probius/. bladeformlegacy.

lite & leisure
MSI MGA Overwatch

Tournament
M
SI’s Overwatch MGA
tournament was recently
held in One Utama
Shopping Centre, hosted by The
GamePlan. The event saw players Echo Fox
from across Malaysia vying for a
total prize pool of RM9,000++ in
cash and prizes. It saw Team UE.
May Join
JPang taking the champion spot,
while Team M8 Echo took the
Overwatch
runner-up spot, and Team
T
Malaysian Battlefield Team finding eam Echo Fox, owned by ex-NBA
their spot as the second runner- player Rick Fox, is known mostly for
up. their console gaming roster. It was
recently said that Rick Fox had met up with
Blizzard for discussions. While the
Overwatch League is underway, Blizzard are
meeting up with organisations that may
have interest in investing or buying a spot in
the upcoming Overwatch League.
MSI MGA
DotA2
Tournament
ASUS ROG Sponsors
S
unway Velocity Mall was filled with
PSG eSports action-packed moments as players

duked it out on the cyber battlefield.
Fans and spectators cheered for their
A
SUS ROG has announced their sponsorship of Team Paris Saint-Germain eSports (PSG favourite teams while passer-by’s had the
eSports). PSG is an elite eSports team that plays League of Legends and FIFA opportunity to play VR games and much
tournaments. ROG will be the official sponsor of PSG eSports, and will be supporting PSG more. The tournament champion sport was
eSports players through the entire 2017 season. stolen away by the ROWDYRUFF BOYS,
"ROG and PSG eSports shares the same values, so it is the perfect partnership. ROG is taking home RM1,000 and prizes. In second
number one in the gaming PC market, and we are pleased to provide PSG eSports with the latest place was Team ANDYY grasping cash prizes
and most innovative high-performance gaming gear available. We can’t wait to see them in of RM500 and more, and in third place Team
action!" said Karim Ouahioune, ROG Marketing Manager. London taking home RM300 and more.
Doublelift Plays ADC

For Team Liquid
F
amous AD carry Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng joins Team Liquid as a temporary ADC replacement, while
Young-bin Jung drops into the substitute role for now. While Doublelift is still a part of Team Solo
Mid, he took time off from competitive play to regain his motivation for professional play. He has
decided to play for Team Liquid for only the duration of the Spring split, and will probably return to Team
Solo Mid during the Summer Split.

lite & leisure
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
uArm Swift
N
ow, pick and place, 3D printing, laser
engraving, writing, painting and more
could be finished in one robot.
The uArm Swift comes in two
versions, either the uArm Swift or
the uArm Swift Pro. Both are
Arduino-powered desktop 4-axis
parallel-mechanism robots. You would want
to get the uArm Swift Pro if you wish to do more
Titan Note advanced stuff like painting and drawing, laser

engravings and 3D printing. The uArm Swift Pro
comes with a stepper motor instead of a DC
T
itan Note is perfect for both students
and professionals. It records everything, motor, which makes the the control of the robot
and accurately converts it into text, so both smoother and more precise.
that you can now automatically have notes http://bit.ly/2kaCTlO
that are better than your own, changing the
way you take notes forever. All you have to do
is press the record buttons. Now, you can
truly listen during class while Titan Note
takes your notes for you. Simply place Titan
Note on your table during class or an
important meeting, and it will record
everything for you.
http://bit.ly/2my79ul
Foxshot
G
et your action shot anywhere you are with the Foxshot Portable Stickable Camera. Complete with durable gel and magnetic sheet, the camera
sticks to glass and marble as well as wood. Paired with the app on your device, the camera transforms the way you take photos and videos. It
can stick, re-stick, and stick time after time for a totally hands-free experience. In addition to the sticking ability, Foxshot offers stunning image
quality and hidden inside the water-resistant exterior is a full 1080p HD camera. Say goodbye to selfie sticks once and for all with the FoxShot.
http://kck.st/2n2v322

lite & leisure
SwapBots
I
f you’re looking for an innovative toy that
can keep kids occupied, you might want to
check out SwapBots, a collectible series of
toys tied to an augmented reality app.
SwapBots allows children to swap and fuse
different parts together to form characters
that can be scanned using the app, then
used as characters in mini games.
http://kck.st/2mLhGix
Volta
T
here’s nothing like commuting
with a bike that moves uphill
for you, especially if you’re not
exactly the exercising type. That’s
what Volta can help you do, if you
want. Volta is an electric bike
capable of travelling up to 64KM
before needing a recharge. It also
comes with integrated headlights
and taillights that activate
automatically in low light, which
helps keep you visible. A GPS
tracking system is thrown into the
mix so that you can trace it if it’s
ever stolen, neat!
http://kck.st/2m4rrLU
Gameband
S
martwatches have become commonplace, yet many might
not find them compelling enough to buy. But what if you
could play games on them? Enter the Gameband, a
smartwatch that does just that. This smartwatch comes with a
crisp looking display, a microSD port, great performance, and a
large battery, all at an affordable price. More importantly, it’ll allow
you to play classic Atari titles like Pong, or indie ones like Terraria.
http://kck.st/2lK2XnJ

lite & leisure
TOUCH
Gaming Apps Of The Month

These are the apps that we have currently installed on our mobile devices. We think
they should be on yours too By Rikco Shim
Run Mario, Run!

(Android, iOS FREE*)
On the 15th of December 2016, we rejoiced and requires a
groaned at the release of Mario Run on the iOS. constant
Mario fans were all over the moon when they internet
found out that the game is being released on the connection, in
mobile phone platform. But after the first week, an attempt to
the game’s hyped died down fairly quick, no stop piracy,
doubt due to the requirement of making it
microtransactions in the game. The first three impossible to
levels are free to play and replay endlessly, but play without
for you to play other levels, a one-time purchase data or wi-fi.
of the game is required. This could also
On the aspect of gameplay, the game itself is be one of the
an auto-runner, a reincarnation of the classic: reasons why people are turned off by the game. playable characters that offers a different
Super Mario Bros, but players are not able to Released on Android on the 23rd of March, playstyle.
control the direction that Mario runs. You are Android users are now able to enjoy the game, Overall, a game that hits you hard with
still able to jump and trample on Goombas but could it be too little too late for Nintendo nostalgia if you’ve not played any recent Mario
though. The main purpose of the game is to get now? With the release of Mario Run on Android, games, but be wary that a purchase of one-time
from point A to point B, collecting coins on the iOS users also received the 2.0 update of the transaction required if you wish to experience
way, to improve your score. game, which includes a new easy mode, a few the game fully.
Another downside to the game is that it gameplay tweaks here and there, and new *First 3 levels free, full game: RM39.90
Not Your Regular Post are in the game at the moment. Graphics
wise, the game features a cutesy look to
(Android, iOS FREE) everything, from the monsters to the
characters.
Postknight is a free to play RPG auto-runner, lets your run the whole route. On the Overall, the game is fun, aesthetically
which means that players have no horizontal gameplay side of things, the game has your pleasing to look at and full of fun. Do note
control of the character, aside from a few usual RPG elements with it. Completing that Kurechii is an independent game studio
skills. At level 10, we have only gotten three routes sometimes award you with from Malaysia. We recommend this game for
usable skills with timers – Charge, Shield and equipment, which is usually an upgrade. You casual gamers, especially if you do not mind
Potion. Charge allows you to power through also have stats that you can allocate when runner-games.
enemies and knock them back, which allows you level up – Strength, Agility,
you to move forward quicker. Shield on the Intelligence and Vitality. How you
other hand deflects projectiles shot at you, allocate it is up to you, as you can
cuts down on damage, and protects you play it however you like.
from being knocked back by enemies. Potion A dating mini-game is also
does what it does best, healing. Your skills present, where you can shower a
can be upgraded as the game progresses. certain character with gifts and
You play as a postknight, to deliver they will in turn repay you with
things from town to town by going through gifts of their own. Some
difficult routes. Routes as the game calls it microtransactions are also present
are basically levels. At the moment, we have in this game for you to heal faster
not found a way to replay a level that you or to purchase gems, but this
passed, but there is a full route mode that feature is optional from where we

lite & leisure
spend their hard-

earned money for
their favourite
character.
It is worth
noting that there are
currently two
versions of the
game, a Global and
Japanese version.
The benefit of the
Japanese version is
that the content is
farther ahead from
the Global version. In
the Japanese
version, you can
even summon Final
Fantasy 7’s main
character, Cloud –
who is not made
available in the Global version yet.
Combining RPG With Gacha Overall, we feel that the game reminds us
of the past Final Fantasy games. With
(Android, iOS FREE) characters from older titles such as Cecil and
Bartz, the developers are clearly tugging at our
heart-strings. For those who absolutely despise
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is a game that we’ve missions, the game sometimes offer events for
gacha games due to its RNG, this might not be
been playing for a while now, but wanted to you to go through. Events come in a few forms,
the game for you. The game receives updates,
give it a mention. Brave Exvius is a RPG game ranging from exploration event to raids, or time
events and new characters rather constantly,
with gacha and character collection elements specific events such as the Lunar New Year
so you will get a taste of something new every
built into it. Gacha requires you to spend a event that features monsters inspired by
month. If you are a fan of Final Fantasy, do give
certain collectible/asset to 'roll' for a character, Chinese New Year events.
this a try, just don’t come nagging at us when
which then allows you to build a team of your The fun and rage-inducing part of this
you can’t summon a Lightning!
own to tackle the story in the game. game comes down to the gacha. With
The game is set in a universe of its own, characters ranging from 3 Stars to 5 Stars that
with no ties to any other final fantasy games can be
other than characters that are called visions. summoned,
Brave Exvius' main character has the ability to most people
summon visions to aid them in their quest, would be
allowing you to call forth popular characters of aiming for 5
the FF franchise, ranging from Cecil, Firion, Stars.
Bartz, Zidane, Exdeath, Lightning and the like to Legendary
assist you in the game. characters such
The game plays like the old-school turn- as Noctis,
based Final Fantasy game coupled with abilities Lightning and
ranging from using espers to damage enemies, Gilgamesh are
magic, items and more to as commands for all 5 Star
your characters. However, aside from specific summons, with
maps and towns, you are not able to roam an estimated
freely in the world. By completing challenges 0.5% chance of
within a map, you gain Lapis. Lapis is a form of summoning
currency that is used to summon characters. them. This is no
Available in the game as well is an area doubt the
called the Vortex. In the Vortex, you can developer’s way
encounter epic fights with either bosses from of making sure
the series, or just nasty behemoths looking to that the players
destroy all your characters. Besides story will continue to

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practice
Repair shop or DIY?
Repair Like A For common issues, the diagnosis and

suggested repairs are listed in the table on the
next page. If none of those works at all - no
image, no running noise and no glowing LEDs
Professional - then the defect may be with the On-Off

switch, or the power supply (battery/power
jack) might be dead.
Depending on the cause, the problem could
either be resolved easily in the comforts of your
A broken notebook doesn’t have to be repaired at a repair shop. home or it might have to be sent to a repair
Our experts will tell you what kind of minor damages you can shop. In some cases, the user might have had
repair yourself and what you need to look out for when doing so an unfortunate coffee accident and need to get
By Christoph Schmidt the notebook back as soon as possible.
However, many service centres tend to be
too slow, and the conditions for a warranty
claim might also exclude your problem. "Hard
N
otebooks keep on outstripping manufacturers service centre, Some end up drives, displays, hinges as well as power jacks
conventional PCs, becoming so popular buying new notebooks instead of repairing their go kaput very often," said a repair shop owner
because they accommodate a computer current one. we talked too. On the flipside, some people
with all peripherals plus battery in a compact But a lot of problems can be fixed yourself come with laptops that are just as easily
body. But the high degree of integration without having to be at the mercy of a repaired the DIY way, like replacing the battery.
increases the susceptibility to errors and manufacturer’s service centre, or by visiting
complicates repairs. Furtheremore, the trend of third-party computer repair shops that Repair-friendly notebooks
thinner and lighter laptops aggravates the specialise in repairing notebooks. You could Notebooks differ from one another in terms of
situation. With more affordable ultrabooks, browse their website to look for customer their susceptibility to damages and ‘repair-
special components or components soldered reviews to see if they’re worthwhile. If they are, friendliness’. Some notebooks are more robust,
onto the motherboard are used, user-friendly you could send in your notebook for repair. are easy to repair and replacement parts are
Photo: Xyz 1234 / XYZ
screws replaced by adhesives and the weight- Getting professional help makes sense too, readily available. Then there are others that are
saving design is rarely the most robust one. especially at places that at least offer free too thin and susceptible to a variety of defects.
Therefore, many notebook owners do not dare diagnosis. Some repair shops ask for a fee to For the purpose of this practice article, we sent
to repair the notebooks themselves. In view of diagnose and subsequently repair the notebook, in a four-year-old notebook that, despite a
higher costs and long processing times by the so remember to ask before you send it in. steadily running fan, is getting slower and is

practice
Symptom Cause diagnosis Repairs Possible at home?
Battery:
Working without battery? Yes
Clean, replace contacts
Switch-on, Is the on/off switch working
Replace switches
nothing happens (shaky/stiff)? Send to repair shop (work required
Is the power jack ok? on the motherboard)
Replace jacks
(shaky, plug loose?)
1. Replace HDD Yes (send to shop if ultrabook SSDs)
Is running but OS Does a live Linux boot from the USB Connect as USB drive, use “Recuva”
does not start stick? If yes, HDD is defective 2. Data recovery from old HDD software (may need to send to
shop)
Always when a specific software is Update program and OS,
running? uninstall unnecessary ones
Crashes in Yes
Always when a specific hardware is Update drivers, or try other ports
operation active? (for USB)
Symptoms Under load / after a long operation? Clean CPU/GPU fans Best to get it fixed at a shop
and causes of Too loud/too soft
defects Check Task Manager.
Uninstall / Deactivate
Are background processes running?
In case of notebooks, it Battery life too
is often difficult to Recalibrate
short Has the battery worn out with age? (100% discharge and charge) Yes
determine the cause of
Replace battery
the damage, so you have
Battery does not Power adapter LED off? Power ad- Replacement (original or universal
to gradually isolate them apter defective notebook adapter)
charge
using various diagnostic Body: try using adhesive
measures. Whether Crash (body/display damage), Display: replace Display hinges:
Best to get it fixed at a shop
repairing it at home is Mechanical Display hinges worn out mostly broken from base plate =>
paste or a new base plate
possible depends on the damages
design and the model. Keyboard defective Procure and install a replacement
Yes (if need be go to a shop)
(keys not working) keyboard
crashing now and then when it comes to thermal paste, any reputable brand like head. When that happens, most experts will try
processing demanding tasks. Thermaltake or Cooler Master will do. various procedures like using a special turn-out
One reason why this could have happened tool, soldering a second screw head, or even
is a blocked fan, which would then require Proceed methodically drilling the screws. For smaller notebooks with
cleaning, so the internal components have to If you’re attempting to fix your notebook tiny screws, these methods are more tricky
be completely removed first and then re-placed yourself, then seek professionals for advice on than helpful. To avoid this, use a compatible
when done. the right sequence and procedure of screw driver and never use an electronic
dismantling the notebook, since they’re the screwdriver. Also, use a clamp to secure parts if
ones with the experience for the job. You’ll also you have to, but be careful with controlled
Every want to collect as much information about your
notebook as possible before the repair work.
torque.
Apart from the screws, notebook casings
Professional Besides consulting professionals, you could try

visiting YouTube to find out how to fix your
are often held together by clips as well. While
the experienced professional can quickly find
Started From notebook. You can easily find the relevant

video using search keywords like 'Model name'
out which of them must be loosened first and
how much force can they sustain without
Scratch and 'Teardown'. The best option is to keep a

computer or a tablet ready with the video
playing during the repair. If you can’t find any
breaking, the layman must proceed very slowly
and carefully. It is often helpful to insert solid
pieces of flat plastic, like cards, between the
When an expert goes to work on a PC, their instructions, then proceed cautiously. To case where you’ve made an opening, so that
work bench are tidy and well-organised. In a dismantle the body, you have to loosen they do not snap shut upon further opening.
sense, anyone can learn how to repair a components like the footplate and battery, as Depending on the notebook, the base plate can
notebook, given the right tools and experience. well as all visible screws that hold them be removed first, or the keyboard could be
And tools are definitely required, along with a together. It is recommended to place all removed with it. But removing the keyboard is
clean, dust-free work bench. Keep the area components with the respective screws risky. Once you’ve loosen the screws and the
well-lit and fabric cloths away, as the latter separately and noting down the sequence. You clips that hold a keyboard, be careful not to
could induce static-electricity that could can then proceed part by part while keeping remove the keyboard too quickly, or you risk
damage sensitive PC components. Make sure the other parts for re-assembling later aside. damaging the flat cable that connects it to the
to discharge any static by touching something This way, you’ll ensure that you have not motherboard.
that‘s grounded, like a power supply, before forgotten any screw or component. In other words, after the attachments of the
and during the repair work so that you do not keyboard are loosened, lift it carefully so that
get any static-shocks when you touch Open a notebook like a pro the cable is accessible and can be properly
electronic items. Apart from the suitable tool A common mistaken that many make is when removed from the jack. It should come with a
(Philips screwdriver in different sizes, a guitar unscrewing components. If the screwdriver is lock that either folds upwards from the cable,
plectrum or flat spatula made of plastic), you slightly bigger than the screw, it might rotate or must be removed from a connector along
will also need some thermal paste. For the easily but also cause damage to the screw the cable. You have to then pull the cable using

practice
Photo v. li.: Juliane Weber/CHIP Studios; CHIP (2); Juliane Weber/CHIP Studios (2); Zeklink
Care should be taken while removing the keyboard so that the sensitive
cable is not damaged
To open notebooks that arrive at the repair shop with damaged screw heads, the engineers
drill on a screw head with a dremel till it falls off. The remaining threads are then turned out
using tongs
flat tweezers from the jack. A similar process spread and cover the chip itself once you put
must be followed for the cabling of the the everything back where they should be.
touchpad.
The clip connections that hold the body together are
To reach the notebook’s fan, you have to
remove it from the motherboard. With some
notebooks, it is not found on the accessible
Eliminate sensitive and snap back easily
side of the motherboard, which is why you have

to dismantle it completely - flat cables and
Mechanical common cases include split displays or the
broken display hinges.
normal connectors included. The fan can then
be easily unscrewed and (carefully) lifted from Damage A defective panel can be replaced with
another one, which the repair personnel can
the CPU and GPU chips. To remove the old heat The other thing to look out for are hard drives. procure from eBay, online stores, or directly
conducting paste, use household items like a When it comes to notebooks, hard disk errors from Chinese manufacturers/wholesale dealers
cotton swab dabbed in cleaning alcohol. If the ranging from a few defective sectors to total on aliexpress.com. But that can be tricky as
fan is clogged with dust, bad enoughthat you damage due to head crash are the most well; the hard part is in finding the exact
can see dust fluffs stuck between the fan and frequent 'correctable' hardware defects. As long compatible panel. Chances of finding the right
the cooling fins, then you need to clean it by as the hard disk is somehow running, you could
removing it from the notebook‘s body. If the fan create an image of the drive to use as backup,
is screwed on, good for you. But if it’s riveted or by using an imaging software or something like
glued on, then you have to play it safe by Linux Clonzilla. It’s also a good idea to do so
removing the dust using tweezers, or use tools before undertaking any repairs on your own.
like compressed air cans and vacuum cleaners. In case of standard and business
Once done, you have to glue or bolt it back on notebooks, changing the hard disk is trivial
accordingly. since the disk mostly sits under a removable
If you have come this far, then assembling flap. In case of Ultrabooks, or Chromebooks
things back isn’t all that much different. Start with SSDs tailor-made for the body or soldered
putting the components back in, beginning with eMMC memory, you have to either get an
the inner parts and then moving your way out. original replacement part installed from the
After every step, ensure that there are no manufacturer or change the entire
missing screws or loose cable ends. Otherwise motherboard, which is usually not the most
you might have unpleasant surprises at the financially viable option.
end of the repair process. During the assembly
Fluid damages leave behind traces of corrosion
of the fan, spread some thermal paste, about Problematic damages: Breakages that can sometimes be removed in the repair
the size of a drop, on the CPU and GPU. It will Mechanical damages are a challenge. Most shop, depending on the material

practice
Even professionals use

Q-tips to remove the
heat transfer paste
one for business notebooks are easier and you

can also find the exact model numbers of the
parts, as well as instructions for replacement
For notebooks that are really old, the cooler will likely be caked in dust, especially if
via forums on fan websites for most brands. it was never cleaned out. Removed the dust using tweezers and compressed air
Generally speaking, working on notebook
displays is a delicate task since many parts
such as fixtures, cables, backlights and wireless especially important with hinges, since those audio, USB ports or hardware keys do not
network antennas are packed in a narrow space are made of metal and are unbreakable. But work, then it is a sign that they have not been
inside a thin cover. In particular, if the display is they can, and often will, break off from the base reconnected properly. If that happens,
behind a glass plate, then you must ensure that plate that they are attached, since it’s only held whether in the repair shop or at home, you
no dust enters that space or it would be really on by soft plastic and a few screws. Fixing will have to start everything from scratch. A
annoying later. While doing so, if the display’s these usually requires powerful two- final tip for DIY repairs from the professionals:
flat cable, that connects it to the motherboard, component adhesive to stick the screw threads If you don’t know or are too tired to proceed,
is damaged then most likely there’s no saving back onto the plastic, then followed by placing then leave the repair job aside and start the
it. This is because replacements for those the hinge on it and fixing everything else after next day again with a clear head.
cables are not readily available. Long story tightening the screws again.
short, send your notebook in to a repair shop if After a repair, reboot the computer and try
the display, or the hinge, is damaged. This is out all possible hardware. For example, if the
Case study: Display

The display is very sensitive with its borders since it is
very cramped in the lid 1 1 . Look out for the display
flat cable 2 and make sure it’s not damaged
Paste the display hinges

A display hinge which is broken from the plastic base plate, is glued back on at a repair
shop using a two-component adhesive

tips & tricks
Tips
Tricks
APRIL 2017
03
In this tab, you can determine how Word will rectify
and format texts during input
as per your requirements. The path to

the correction options differs slightly,
depending on the Office version. In Office
2016, open the "File”
WINDOWS & OFFICE menu, click on "Options”
Windows in the left column below
01 Delete non-executed print and navigate to the
commands from the printer memory entry "Proofing” in the
"Word Options” window.
It is already annoying enough when After clicking on the
Windows does not print a document but it, you will find the
it gets even worse when the print job "Autocorrect Options”
cannot be deleted. You can bring this issue right at the top. In
to order with some manual intervention. Office 2013, the path is
First, terminate the service "Print queue”. identical with clicking
Open the "Run” window using the shortcut "File” and selecting the
[Win] + [R] or via the Windows Start menu "Word Options” in the
and type "services.msc”. In the "Services” 02 2010 version. Under
windows, search for "Printer Queue”, right Internet access will start working again after a little intervention in your "Document check”, you
click on it and go to the command "End”. registry database will find the "Autocorrect
Subsequently, delete the file to be printed, options”. In Office
from the printer memory. Open the path help, then, as described in tip 1, open 2007, it is expected to click on the Office
"C:\ the "Run” window and type "regedit”. button on the top left and select the
Windows\system32\spool\PRINTERS” In the registry, navigate to the folder "Word Options” on the bottom right. On
and delete the files in this folder. "Parameters” via "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE the left in the menu, you will now find the
Thereafter, restart the "Print Queue” | SYSTEM | CurrentControlSet Services "Document check” under which you will see
service. For this, open the Windows | TCPIP”. Here, you can create a new the "Autocorrect” options. Finally, in Office
services as described above, where you "DWORD value (32 Bit)” via the context 2003, click in the menu on "Extras” above
type the command "services.msc” in the command "New” after a right-click on it. and select the option "Autocorrect options”.
"Run” window. Right-click again on the Type the name "IPAutoconfigurationEnable” In the "Autocorrect” window, you can
service "Print Queue" and click on "Start” in for the entry and enter the value "0” after now determine how Word will correct and
the context menu. double-clicking on it in the "Edit” window. format your text during input. If you do
After restarting the computer, the LAN or not wish to use autocorrect at all, then
Internet connection should start working you can remove all the check marks. If
Windows 10 properly again. you find some functions annoying, like the
02 Repair the failed Internet connection capitalisation of words at the start of the
in the Registry Word sentence or the conversion of punctuation
03 Individually configure Autocorrect marks to smileys, then you can remove the
Occasionally, you get the error message respective checkmarks. Finally, incorporate
under Windows 10 "Ethernet does not The autocorrect in Word should not be the settings by clicking on OK. In the same
have any valid IP configuration”. If trusted blindly. It is better to check the manner, you can configure the autocorrect
restarting the PC and router does not individual options and activate them

tips & tricks
in Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and other Windows 7 games.

Office programs. The nerve-stressing
bomb searches with
Minesweeper and the
Windows skillful movement of
04 Deactivate network throttling to cards in Solitaire was
speed up gaming very popular. However,
Microsoft has removed
these and other classics
from Windows 8. You
can get all these games
back for free with the
05 help of the tool Winaero
The printout of tables can be set under »Page Layout« for Windows 8 and 10.
Once done, you will find
switch to page view. For this, click on the them as usual in the
status row under the spreadsheet on the Start menu. Chess Titans, FreeCell, Hearts,
icon "Page Layout” in one of the tabs on Mahjong Titans, Minesweeper, Purble
top. If you see the print stretching over Place, Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Internet
several pages or breaking the images, Backgammon, Internet Checkers and
then go to the tab "Page Layout”. Here, by Internet Spades should be included. Right
04 default, "Automatic” is entered for width click on the zip folder and unpack it. After
The deactivation of network throttling prevents and height in the group under "Scale to double-clicking on the application, confirm
annoying lag spikes for online games fit”. If you wish to print one page, then with "Run”. Then, click on "Next" and select
select "1 page” under width and height. the games you want and click "Next" again.
Windows uses a throttling mechanism Excel will now scale your tables and As soon as Windows 10 completes this
that limits the network traffic to ten images so that they adjust to a page. process, you can get back to sweeping
packets per milliseconds as long as it does Nevertheless, it is logical to switch from mines in Windows 10.
not deal with multimedia data. Thereby, the portrait to landscape format. For this,
Microsoft wants to ensure that multimedia open the dialog window in the group
programs get priority access to CPU where you click on the small arrow in the Word
power. However, in case of online games, right lower corner of the group. If your 07 Enter mathematically correct
it is logical to disable this restriction to Excel sheet is too large for a page, then fractions and formulae
guarantee maximum throughput. adjust your specifications. In the dialog
This is recommended only for Gigabit- window "Page Setup”, you can switch Fraction printouts can be written very
LAN environments where you do not want between portrait and landscape format easily and in a mathematical correct form
to prioritise the rendering of multimedia. and determine other dimensions. In this in Word. In order to type a fraction, open
Open the registry by typing "regedit” in window, you can also check the results of the tab "Insert”. After double clicking on
the "Run” window and go to the path your settings by clicking on "Page View”. "Equation” under the "Symbols” tab in the
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ If you are satisfied with the same, then menu group, you will see many icons and
Microsoft\Window NT\CurrentVersion\ you can start printing by clicking on "Print” operations from the Mathematics domain
Multimedia\SystemProfile”. Here, you can after you have confirmed the settings by which will also include fractions. Your last
change the value for "Network Throttling clicking on OK. If you do not wish to print
Index” from "10” to "ffffffff”. Deactivating the entire spreadsheet but only a part of
the throttling generates exceedingly long it, then first select the section to print, in
response times (lag spikes), particularly for the normal view. Subsequently, open the
games like Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead or dropdown menu under "Print area” in the
Counter Strike: Source. tab "Page Layout” by clicking on the small
triangle and selecting the command "Set
print area”. In the print preview under "File
Excel | Print”, you will now see that Excel will
05 Prepare tables for printing print only the selected section of the table.
Some preliminary work is often needed Windows 10

while printing an Excel spreadsheet so 06 Install Solitaire etc. from Windows 7
that you will get proper results. Usually, to Windows 10 PC
you work in the normal view in Excel.
07
If you wish to see how Excel will print After the changeover to Windows 10,
For Mathematics fans, Word has a lot of fractions
your spreadsheet, then you have to first many users are missing the well-known and formulae

tips & tricks
cursor position will be the field where Windows will now show you the maximum Windows 10
the mathematical formula or computing available memory. You can now decide 10 Specifically uninstall individual
operation can be entered. how much space you wish to free up. system updates
Start the downsizing by pressing the
"Reduce” button. After completion of the Occasionally, there may be problems
Windows 10 shrinkage, the storage space released under Windows 10 after updates are
08 Extend small system partition using should appear as "Non-allocated”. You installed. In this case, uninstalling the
a tool or built-in tools can now enlarge the system partition by troublemakers would be helpful. This can
this space. Right-click on the partition C: be done by using Windows tools. Click on
Over time, Windows will need more and and go to the context command "Expand the Windows icon on the bottom left and
more space on the hard disk - for regular volume”. The maximum value is already open the "Settings”. Under "Update and
updates alone. If the system partition preset there too. Click on "Expand” and Security | Windows Update”, click on the
is gradually pushed to its limits, then Windows will start redesigning partition C: link "Update history” in the area "Update
you should extend it. This will work very status” on the right. Here, go to "Uninstall
comfortably with a program like the updates”. Finally, search for the update
EaseUs Partition Master. Start the tool PowerPoint in the list which is causing the problems.
and select the partition which you wish to 09 Insert a table of contents in a Right click on it and click on "Uninstall”.
reduce to free up space. Subsequently, click presentation
on the option "Move the partition whose
size is to be changed” on the left. You Since Office 2007, it is no longer
can now modify the size of the partition possible to create a table of
using the slider or by entering the desired contents from PowerPoint
values. After clicking on OK, the tool will slides. However, it does not
show you the new free space. Now select matter when it comes to
the system partition (mostly drive C:), click manual work. After you have
again on "Move the partition whose size prepared all the slides of your
is to be changed” on the left and add the presentation, the next in line is
new space using the slider. Subsequently, the table of contents. Open the
confirm your entry by clicking on OK and tab "View” and go to "Outline
click on the button with the check mark on view”. If you wish to incorporate 10
the top left to trigger changes. only the titles in the table of If individual updates create problems, then delete them from the
Control Panel
Partitions can also be redesigned using contents, then right-click the
built-in Windows tools. However, the free outline and select "Reduce
space under Windows cannot be moved, outline} Reduce all levels”. Now select Outlook
it must be present directly behind the and copy the outline on the left side and 11 Reset to standard settings and
partition to be expanded. Open the context create a "New Slide” via a right-click. You empty the cache
menu using the shortcut [Windows] + [X] can now insert your outline. You can also
and go the "Disk Management”. You have write the slide number at the end of the If Outlook is always creating problems,
to reduce another partition first so that line. Finally, decide on a title and move the then resetting to standard settings could
you can extend the system partition C:, in slide to the correct place. be the solution. Thus, you can avoid a
our example it is D:. Right click on partition complete re-installation. First delete
D: and go to the option "Reduce volume”. your Email profile. You will also find your
"Account Settings” under "File | Account
information”. After clicking on it, select
the account profile which you wish to
resolve and then click on "Delete”. Finally,
confirm the action with "Yes”. If you have
more than one profile which you want to
delete, repeat these steps. In older Outlook
versions, you have to open the tab "Extras”
to remove Email accounts.
While optimising your Outlook, you
can also delete the Cache at the same
time. Outlook will discard all the mail
attachments like images, Word or PDF
documents. However, this buffer is well-
hidden. To root it out, open the Outlook
08 09
Explorer using the shortcut [Windows] + [E]
If the system partition has less space, then expand A table of contents can be added to a presentation
the same using on-board Windows resources in PowerPoint anytime and click on the address line on top. Here,

tips & tricks
path and with the same name. By simply

double clicking on the ZIP archive, you can
easily access the folders, elements and
files in it. In the Explorer window, Windows
will display the compressed size of the
files also and the compression factor in
percentage.
Excel
13 Present data with a diagram more
clearly
11 14
By deleting the account profiles, you can reset In Edge, you can also integrate websites as tiles,
Outlook without reinstallation into the Start menu
type the path "C:\Users\XXX\AppData\ Windows 10. If you are using Edge as your
Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary browser, then just a mouse-click would
Internet Files\Content.Outlook”. Replace be enough. In Edge, open the website
the place holder "XXX” by your username. which you wish to integrate as a tile in the
You will now see a subfolder inside the 13 Start menu, click on the "More” icon (the
folder you are navigating. This subfolder Data in Excel can be processed visually using a icon with three horizontal dots) and go
multitude of diagram types
is named by Outlook with a randomly to the command "Pin this page to Start".
generated letter and numbers combination. Subsequently, you will find a separate tile
Here, the mail program has stored all your Excel data can be visualised better with for this webpage in the Start menu. You
cache data which can be now deleted. the help of a diagram than in a table form. can move and scale this tile as you like.
To create a diagram, select the relevant In case of Chrome, Firefox, etc. there
values of the table, open the tab "Insert” are no functions to directly integrate a
Windows and go to the group "Charts” in the menu website into the Start menu. But there
12 Compress files and folders in one ZIP group. Here, you will find a multitude of is a way that will help you emulate this.
archive diagram forms, such as pillars, pie charts, Open the desired website in your standard
balloons, ring or bar diagrams. Once you browser, click on the icon on the left
If you wish to bundle files and folders into have selected a diagram type, Excel will next to the URL and drag it on to the
one file to save space, then converting automatically display the selected values desktop, which creates a link. Now, using
them into a ZIP archive would do just that. as the diagram. the shortcut [Windows] + [E], open the
This works with one or several objects; the The graphics can be edited and added Windows Explorer, enter the command
process is always the same. For example, anytime. To add more data to the diagram, "shell:programs” in the address bar above
if you wish to compress a folder then click on the table, enlarge the blue and confirm by pressing the Enter key.
select it and right-click on it. In the context rectangle and extend the table by new Copy the link created in this path to add
menu, take the mouse over "Send to” and data. You can also modify the design of the Start menu programs as an app. Next,
click on "compressed(zipped) folder” in the table later. Clicking on the brush on open the Start menu and search for the
the expanded menu. After a few seconds, the right of the highlighted diagram, you link to the website copied under "All apps”.
Windows will create the ZIP archive for can, select another format template next Finally, right click on the link and go to
you. It is now present under the same to the image or change the colours of the the command "Pin to Start” in the context
bars. You can hide more menu.
elements like titles, lines
or add a legend. Word
15 Hide individual page numbers in the
document
Windows 10
14 Attach web pages It is not easy to hide individual page
as tiles to the Start numbers in Word as changes to the
menu page numbers always affect the entire
document. But this can be done with
Apart from apps and a small trick. To cancel the pagination,
programs, you can also you must classify the text as individual
12
add web pages as tiles sections. To hide pages, first open the
Files and folders can be quickly compressed in a ZIP archive using the
context command to the Start menu in tab "Insert” and then select position and

tips & tricks
16
PowerPoint slides can be easily accompanied with suitable music files
Headphones
18 Use an in-ear headset as a
Windows 10 microphone for the PC
17 Highlight program events with new
sound An In-Ear headset can also be used
15 as a microphone if you wish to record
If you are dividing Word text into sections, then you
You can readily change the start sound something or use voice detection.
can hide individual page numbers under Windows 10. However, you have Prerequisite: The headset should have
to first activate this option. Open the an integrated microphone. Under certain
appearance of the page numbers under registry by typing "regedit” in the "Run” conditions, you will need a jack adapter
"Insert”. Thereafter, click on the last window and go to the path "HKEY_ (jack that splits into two plugs).
position on page 2 to let the new section CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\EventLabels\ If your PC has only one port for the
begin on page 3. Go to the tab "Page headset and microphone, then
Layout” and select the option "Continuous” connect the headset directly
under "Breaks”. As soon you double-click to the PC. If only one input
on the footer, two fields with the name is provided for headset and
"Footer - Section 1-” and "Header - Section microphone, then use the
2 -” will appear on the left. Repeat these adapter. Connect the headset to
steps at the end of page 4 so that the the jack and then connect the
third section begins on page 5. Now select coloured connectors to your PC.
the page number on page 1, right click and If you wish to use the headset
select the option "Format page numbers”. not for sound playback but
17
Activate the option "Start with” below, exclusively as a microphone,
After activation, you can assign new sounds to events of
enter "1” in the field and confirm with Windows programs then you can connect it directly
OK. Now go to the footer of page 3 and to the microphone input.
deactivate the option "Link to previous” Subsequently, right click on the
above. You can now delete the page SystemExit” Here, right click on the key loudspeaker icon in the system tray on
numbers on pages 3 and 4. If this doesn't "ExcludeFromCPL” and go to "Modify”. Now the bottom right and open the "Recording
work, simply colour the page numbers in enter "0” as the value instead of "1” and devices” in the context menu. The "Sound”
white. close the window by clicking on OK. Repeat window will now appear where you have
this step for the "WindowsLogon” folder to double-click on the option "Microphone”.
and, if you want, for "WindowsLogOff” and In the "Properties of Microphone”, go to
Powerpoint 2010 "WindowsUnlock”. If there is no sound the tab "Levels”. Here, you can configure
16 Pep up PowerPoint presentations heard after the activation, then this may the microphone and microphone intensity.
with music be due to the quick start of Windows 10, Finally, in the "General” tab you should
because Windows 10 skips the start sound note that the option "Use (activate) device”
With a few bars of music, presentations during quick start. is selected.
can be mellowed down and have more In order to define a new musical
interesting designs. For this, open the accompaniment, go to the category
"Insert” tab, then navigate to "Media” "Hardware and Sound” in the Control
menu. Click on it to reveal the "Audio” Panel. Open the applet "Sound” there
button, which allows you to record or and click on the tab "Sounds”. Here, set a
add a file from your PC. Click "Audio on check mark for the option "Play Windows
my PC”, then search for a suitable song start sound”. You can now insert a new
and confirm it by clicking on the button sound in WAV format via "Search”. Use a
"Insert”. If the song has to be played at free Audio Converter tool to convert MP3
a specific point, then simply click on the and video files to WAV. Finally, restart the
Play button during the presentation. You computer and test the new sound.
can also start the music as soon as you
18
bring up the slide using the menu option
In the Properties window, you can configure the
"Animations”. microphone of your headphone connected to the PC

tips & tricks
Numeric Pad [/], [*], [-] and [+] (or [÷], [×], [+]) on the
19 Enter numbers and operators faster numeric pad using the same concept.
The numeric pad on a PC keyboard isn’t

always used. However, if you need to enter Powerbank
numbers more often and in a specific 20 Supply power again to a weak
quantity, then you can do this very fast powerbank
using it.
You can switch on/off the numeric pad
using the [Num Lock] key which is present
in the first row on the extreme left of the
numeric pad. You can take your time to
look at the layout and then memorise it
as much as possible. The best option is to 21
compose mnemonics for the keys of the An empty chewing gum box can be redesigned into
numeric pad. While doing so, start with the a smartphone stand in just a few minutes
numbers. First, you should note that the
numbers on the numeric pad get smaller cellphone depth and as deep as one-third
from top to bottom. Then try to memorise of the smartphone width. Now connect
the four number rows. This works best the two marks and cut the marking
using mnemonics, for example: completely. The chewing gum box now
789 is when the first Bremen Dom was 20 has a slit, in which you can insert your
inaugurated. Careful cleaning of the charging jack can recharge a smartphone. It is extremely important that
456 is the name of the extra-terrestrial defective powerbank you have the precise measurements and
species in the British Sci-Fi TV series cut so that it has a secure hold in the
"Doctor Who". If your powerbank is no longer charging, notch. To make your smartphone stand
1+2=3 stands for the third row of numbers then the cause may be that it is too old move back and forth as easily as possible,
The Zero and the Comma (or dot) in the or defective. In order to get the device fix a piece of cardboard or similar at the
last row of the numeric pads and can be charging again, first try using another USB bottom of the box.
remembered without a lot of problems. cable or another power adapter. Clean If you wish to tilt the stand, adjust the
You should practice a lot if you want to out dirt particles, which have collected in clasp of the chewing gum box, However,
memorise typing on the numeric pad. For the charging jack and caused charging always pay attention to the stability of the
example, make longer lists of numbers blockage. You can bend bend a paper clip design so that your phone does not fall. If
which you can type on it; this is the best and very carefully clean it. Discharging the the stand is too small for you, then simply
exercise. In the future, make it a habit to powerbank completely may also help in stick more chewing gum boxes on top of
use the numeric pad to type every number, this case. After you have consumed all the the other and remove them later if needed.
even in standard text. The best way is power, try to charge the powerbank fully.
not to use the normal number keys at
all so that you get used to the numeric Streaming-Stick
pad as quickly as possible. Once you have Mobile Stand 22 Integrate Fire TV stick everywhere in
memorised the numbers, you can also 21 Convert an empty chewing gum box the new wireless networks
memorise the mathematical operators into a stand
If you wish to integrate the streaming-
You can shoot amazing pictures even stick, Amazon Fire TV, into a new WiFi
with your cellphone camera. Using a small network then you only need to find the
stand in this case will ensure shake-free correct setting. The WiFi network function
pictures. The money to purchase such a itself is permanently active; you can
stand can be saved by making a stand for neither activate nor deactivate it. Start Fire
yourself using household items. All you TV and go to "Settings” in the menu on
need for this is an empty chewing gum the bottom left. You will find the option
box made of plastic, a scissor, a ruler, a "Network” above in the category "System”.
pen and a piece of cardboard. You can select the new wireless network
Take the ruler, measure your here and enter the relevant password. The
smartphone and note the depth and the Fire TV will then set up the connection
width. Then place the chewing gum box to the new WiFi network network via the
on its head and make two marks each at "Connect” button.
the underside of the box. They should be
19
exactly opposite to each other and show
If you know the key allocation by heart, then
entering numbers becomes much easier the following dimensions - as wide as the

tips & tricks
22 25
Wherever you are – integrate the streaming stick in The passport photo generator can create passport
new wireless networks in an instant photos in specifications required by authorities
Keyboard photographer for good passport photos. A

23 Revive stubborn USB keyboards
24
photo printer, photo paper and a software
like Passport Photo Maker can help you
Even such a simple thing like connecting When you move the slider from the middle to the create photos that the authorities will
left then the phone battery will last longer
a USB keyboard does not go smoothly accept. Open a portrait photo that appeals
sometimes. If the input device does not to you, using the program and now review
respond, then first try another USB port. first Super Mario game for smartphones. all the specifications with the help of the
If this also does not work, then restart Android users recently just got it. However, templates of the tool. The eyes and nose
your PC. For the next step, reinstall the battery of your smartphone will quickly area, the jaw line and the upper part of the
the keyboard. Go to the Control Panel discharge if you are addicted to Mario face are important. Position the photo so
and open the "Device Manager” in the games and play Super Mario Run a lot. that you meet all the requirements. On the
applet "Hardware and Sound” under Power-saving actions can extend gaming right, you will find all the buttons to adjust
"Devices and Printers”. If you see the USB fun in this case. the photo to the correct format and size.
keyboard there, then right-click on it and For iOS, the most effective method of It is also possible to rotate and zoom-in
go to the context command "Uninstall”. reducing the power consumption is by the photo, if necessary. You can also print
Subsequently, disconnect the USB keyboard dimming the display. The brighter the an entire page with passport photos. Once
and plug it in again. Windows will now screen, the heavier the load on the battery. you've printed the photos, cut them out
try to install the keyboard again. If this Touch the lower screen edge and pull it carefully using a tool for this.
approach also fails, then search for the upwards. In the menu, you can adjust the
keyboard in the Device Manager. Select brightness as you need. Under Android,
"View” in the menu bar and activate you will find the option when you swipe Firefox
"Display hidden devices”. from the upper screen edge downwards. 26 Repair the non-working print
If you have activated Bluetooth and do function of Firefox
not need it at the moment, then disable
this feature. And if you are on WiFi If the Mozilla browser refuses to print
connection, you can disable the cellular a webpage out of the blue, there are
network by going to Flight mode. On the many causes responsible for it. The initial
contrary, if you are travelling and surfing solution will be to update the browser
using the mobile network, just switch and the printer's driver. If this does not
off the WiFi. Every little tweak can help work, then open the Firefox menu via the
reduce the power consumption. All of 'Hamburger' icon (three horizontal bars on
23 these settings can be found under iOS and the top right), click on the button "Print”
Wherever you are – integrate the streaming stick in Android near the brightness slider. Carrying and check the configuration of the printer.
new wireless networks in an instant a fully charged powerbank can also ensure Here, check whether Firefox is using the
uninterrupted gaming fun while you are correct printer - the names of available
travelling. printers can be selected from a drop-down
list. Also, check the settings in the print
Smartphone Photography preview. The option "Reduce to page size”
24 Reduce power consumption for Super 25 Print official passport photos for "Scaling” and the alignment "Horizontal”
Mario Run yourself should be set to "Format” after pressing
the "Align page” button in the window with
Since mid-December 2016, iOS has the You do not need any professional the same name, under the tab "Format &

tips & tricks
"Exposure” to about "0.3”, then paint the may take some time depending on the size
area as you like. Press the letter [O] to of the playlists.
see the edited area as a reddish overlay.
You can display the screen in green, white
and black using the shortcut [Shift] + [O]. Web browser
If you press [O] again then you will hide 29 Delete cache of individual websites in
the colour. Reduce the selection with the Chrome and Firefox
help of the "Delete” brush if needed. You
can also reduce the value of "Exposure” If you see old contents on individual
to "-0.5” to further darken some places websites, then you need not delete the
and paint over it. Zones that you wish entire cache. Resetting the website data
to emphasize can be brightened, or you for this special site is often sufficient.
can also darken less important motifs In the Chrome browser, open "Settings”
26 - because our eyes naturally focus on via the icon with the three dots on the
With the help of configuration, you can reset the
brighter areas first. top right and extend the view by clicking
printer settings in Firefox on the link "Show advanced settings” at
the bottom. Open the "Content Settings”
Options”. In the tab "Margins & Header Smartphone in "Privacy” and click on the button "All
and Footer”, you should check whether 28 Free up space by moving Spotify cookies and website data” under "Cookies”
the page margins are correctly set. The playlists in the window with the same name. A
standard value here is "12.7” millimetres. view with all saved cookies will then
Finally, check the status of the option The internal memory of your smartphone appear. You can search for a specific
"Output to file” in the "Print” window. If website in the search field on the top
this is activated, remove the check mark. right. You can delete either all the data or
If the printing still does not work, the individual entries separately from the
then reset the printer settings. Type browser. Confirm the changes by clicking
"about:config” in the address bar and press on "Finished”.
the [Enter] Key. Then type "print_printer” In case of Firefox, click on the
in the search bar, right-click on the result 'hamburger' icon (the three horizontal bars
and select the context command "Reset” on the top right) to go to the menu and
before you restart Firefox. open the "History” by clicking on the icon.
Firefox will then show you all the saved
website data via "Show all history” button
Photoshop at the bottom. Search for a specific page
27 Optimise landscape photos through in the text field on the top right and you
brightness 28 can proceed to deleting a website's data
You can move the storage location for Spotify by right-clicking on its entry on the history
Individual image areas, for example, in downloads to an SD card list. You can delete all the data which
landscape photos, can be specifically this homepage had saved, via the context
improved using the "Correction Brush” can be quickly emptied where you can command "Forget entire website”.
in Photoshop Lightroom CC. To brighten, move your offline playlists from Spotify
choose a soft tip and set the value of to the SD card. For this, open the Spotify
app and tap on
"Library” to go into
the menu. Next, open
the settings where
you can tap on the
gearwheel on the
bottom right. Scroll
down to the point
"Other contents” and
tap on "Memory”.
Now change the
storage location of
your downloads to
the SD card. The
playlists will be
27 29
moved after you tap
With the help of the »Correction brush«, you can influence the By clearing the cache of specific sites, you will always get
attention of the viewer on OK. This process the latest contents

picture perfect
“So Robi, do
you have an 10/3/201
ything to sa 7
y to your fa
ns?”
1/3/2017
Ayda Jebat “sings” praises about the Oppo R9s Plus
15/3/2017 11/3/2017
Not only was there a DotA tournament, spectators were
r won’t be seen on the battlefield
MSI makes sure even your compute battling on the dance floor
10/3/2017
icate
Robi will gain sentience and erad
This is only the beginning…soon
23/3/2017 the human race
With all that Acer gaming gear around, no wonder they’re
glowing

picture perfect
2/3/2017
ous payloads from falling to the

Avengers were on-site to protect preci Pictures of you, pictur
8/3/2017
wrong hands for the world to see es of me, hung on Huawei’s wall
15/3/2017
15/3/2017 The Infinix girls stole the show with their smiles!
big
the ph ar aoh was a
s said that t?
t hieroglyph gh
The ancien ix, who would’ve thou
fan of Infin
With all that 21/3/2017

orange, OU
KITEL shou 15/3/2017
ld collabora
te with U M
obile
A gruelling one on one challenge with a famous gamer
definitely pulls a crowd

in the next issue
MAY
Double The Speed Of

Your Home
Learn how to speed up your home network using Link Aggregation, with the ever growing storage tech, soon you’ll find yourself
bottlenecked by the one thing you never thought would
How Hackable Are

The End Of An Era You?
Nowadays it’s easy to have your personal information stolen
The most popular Android alternative in the world
CyanogenMod is no more, find out who, what, how and why especially when your mobile device contains so much of your
next month! data, find out how to stay safe and learn more about cyber
security

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Ryzen Puns

Managing Director Noor Azman

Head of Department YK Cheah

No part of CHIP magazine / shall be reproduced without the publisher’s written

International Members of the Family

062 010 040

COVER 062 Mobile World Congress 2017

TRENDS 030 World Wired Web

FEATURES 040 Commuting For The Future

047 050 102

077 Test Lab: The Tools

108 E-Sports Express

LEISURE 104 Horizon Zero Dawn

PRACTICE 114 Repair Like The Professionals

REGULARS 001 Welcome Note

And it’s as easy as that!

PASSWORD FOR APRIL 2017 - springloaded

004 april 17 chip malaysia

The Monthly Downloads

Complete Internet Repair

Dual Monitor Tools

chip malaysia april 17 005

MSI Launches MSI

006 march 17 chip malaysia

Robi-ng His Way

08 march 17 chip malaysia

VIPs and models with the new devices

Sweet 10 For Huawei

010 march 17 chip malaysia

012 march 17 chip malaysia

To Infinix And Beyond of RAM, all on a gigantic 4,000mAh battery.

014 march 17 chip malaysia

Be Ace, Be Acer Vin (Chew Hoe Sheng), Malaysia’s very own

016 march 17 chip malaysia

CommunicAsia And EnterpriseIT

018 march 17 chip malaysia

020 march 17 chip malaysia

OPPO ambassadors posing with R9s Plus

022 march 17 chip malaysia

Ambil. Baca. Kongsi.

PERCUMA TERBIT SETIAP RABU

New Tales From

024 march 17 chip malaysia

KEF Launches First

Compacts lens that’s expandable to 16x with ZoomPlus.

chip malaysia march 17 025

Alta HR, Fitbit’s

026 march 17 chip malaysia

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chip malaysia march 17 027

33C3: I Hacker Fair

Data Theft Of The Month

028 april 17 chip malaysia

Chain Letters On WhatsApp

DDoS Critical Gap In

Flaw In Tor Browser

Danger Barometer Safety gaps of 2016

Number of the Month:

chip malaysia april 17 029

Streaming Is Getting Bigger

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Mega TV With OLED Display

Speed Charger Cheap