Friday, November 23, 2018

Gundam Factory Yokohama Is Making A Life-Sized Moving Gundam; To Be Completed In 2020

If you’re a fan of Gundam, then you’ve probably heard of – or even been to – the Gundam Base in Odaiba, Tokyo. It had the first life-sized Gundam statue, which was replaced in 2017 with the Unicorn Gundam. Now, you’ll probably want to add Yokohama to your bucket list, as a life-sized, moving Gundam will be unveiled there, at the Yamashita Pier.

The moving statue will be made under the “Gundam Factory Yokohama” project, with the final unveiling happening in Summer 2020. This also happens to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The moving Gundam statue will measure about 18 meters tall. Beyond that, no details on the actual movement was shared. Based on the promotional image, it will probably be able to walk, and maybe strike a few poses in slow motion.
The original Gundam statue in Odaiba had very limited head movement, with the cockpit opening to reveal a screen inside. The statue of Unicorn Gundam that replaced it was not much better – it transformed between its Unicorn mode and Destroy mode, which includes a lot of panels sliding around and lighting up in the latter.

Pokemon Tamagotchi Confirmed; Features Eevee and Coming In January 2019

The name Tamagotchi may be one that you find nostalgic, but it is still a name that many of us have not heard in quite a while. The name Eevee, on the other hand, is a name that you might be more familiar these days, likely through Pokemon Go. These two will be coming together in January, as Bandai is putting the Pokémon into its Tamagotchi virtual pet.

The Japanese Tamagotchi website shows two version of the Eevee Tamagotchi. One is roughly translated as “I Love You, Eevee” while the other is simply “Colourful Friends.”

Whichever your preferred colour, you’ll be able to raise your Eevee as you would a Tamagotchi. This involves feeding them, washing after them, and it will eventually evolve into one of the eight possible Eeveelutions.
The Eevee Tamagotchi is slated to be released in Japan on 26 January 2019, and for JPY2300 (~RM85). So far, there’s nothing about a release outside of Japan, but if there is we’ll probably hear about it.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Instagram Rolls Out “Time On Instagram” Dashboard To Showcase Your Addiction Level

Back in June, there were reports that Facebook was developing an in-app tool to help users monitor the amount of time they spent on it. Now it looks like Instagram is getting in on it first, as The Verge reports that it has begun rolling out its “Your Activity” feature.

The feature shows you the amount of time you spend on the app, as well as lets you set daily time limits and temporarily mute notifications.

In practice, it’s a lot like the feature that’s on YouTube, or Android 9 Pie‘s Digital Wellbeing in general. The underlying message that Instagram is trying to deliver, however, is while it’s fine to spend long hours on the app, it shouldn’t be done too often.
All that said, the feature hasn’t appeared for us at the time of writing. No idea as to when it will actually show up, but since it’s being rolled out already, maybe we’ll get in over the course of the week.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

WhatsApp Stickers Could Be Getting A Dedicated Search Function Soon

As many of you may have already noticed, WhatsApp’s stickers have been out since last month. Including several sets that are familiar to the ones first seen on Facebook Messenger (unsurprising, considering who the parent company is). As if that weren’t good enough, there’s now talk that the feature could soon be getting a dedicated search feature.

News of the upcoming feature was first posted by WABetaInfo via its Twitter account. The tweet says that at the current moment, WhatsApp is currently working on bringing the stickers search function to the Android OS first. Sadly, WhatsApp did specify when the feature will be made available to iOS.

By default, WhatsApp feature a total of 12 sticker sets by default, all of which can be downloaded in-app. There is also the option to download third-party sticker packs through the Google Play Store.

Apple T2 Chip Will Indeed Stop Unauthorized Repairs On Certain Components

The recently launched Apple MacBook Air 2018 comes with a new chip onboard alongside the Intel processor that powers the laptop, in the form of Apple’s T2 SoC which powers the Touch ID for biometric security. As it turns out, it will also block unauthorized third-party repair from being done on the new device.

This is sort of a known fact given that this very behaviour happened to the previously released MacBook Pro and iMac Pros which contained the same chip. However, it was only recently that the existence of this particular security check was officially confirmed by Apple.

According to the confirmation that the company made to The Verge, this security check is applied to repairs made on some components including logic board and Touch ID sensor. However, the company didn’t reveal the full list of parts or specific Mac models that are subjected to the new policy.
Nevertheless, Apple pointed out that most repairs can be done without the need of custom tool called “Apple Service Toolkit 2 System Configuration Suite” which is used for the security check and only accessible by Apple Stores as well as Authorized Apple Service Providers.
It is understandable why Apple decided to implement the security check though as the T2 chip can help unscrupulous codes to be run from infected third-party components. It also helps to ensure only genuine parts certified by Apple to be installed on customers’ device during a service.
However, some might be concerned this might make self-repair or self-upgrade on Macs much harder than before. It is not known whether this might impact the service charges too but in a price-sensitive market like Malaysia, this is definitely a valid concern as well.

The Malaysian-Made Xplore X7 Android Satellite Phone Costs More Than RM 4000

Back in August, a local company called AdvanceTC Group (ATC) has launched a new smartphone called Magic Xplore X7. Complete with a launch event that was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, it was touted as one of world’s first Android-based satellite phone which is a title that was also claimed by Thuraya X5-Touch.

If you somehow don’t remember about the phone anymore, we don’t blame you. Since the launch event back in August, the company didn’t provide any updates regarding the phone since then but as it turns out, ATC has actually begun to take pre-orders for Xplore X7.

It is not known when exactly the company opened the pre-order for the phone but based on the pre-order’s website address, it might have started back in mid-September. As part of the pre-order package as stated in the screenshot above, customers will receive a Magic X6L which is ATC’s previous smartphone alongside their Xplore X7.
What is rather shocking is the price of the phone. According to the site, Xplore X7 carries a price tag of RM 4128 and that is after it was slashed from RM 8260. This is definitely quite different from what was mentioned by Herve Jego, the Project Director for Satellite at ATC who has previously stated that the price of Xplore X7 should be “comparable” to existing mid-range to high-end devices.
Meanwhile, it also turns out that ATC has launched a crowdfunding campaign for Xplore X7 on Indiegogo back in September (shown above) as well. With 5 more days left before the campaign closes, it aims to raise USD 800,000 (about RM 3.35 million) of funding which is rather ambitious, but it didn’t receive any backers at all even though the phone is being offered much lower there at RM 3343 through the campaign.
While we might have seen the phone in action ourselves during the launch event back in August, the sketchy looking pre-order site and Indiegogo campaign which mind you, copied a huge chunk of our report and used it as part of its product description, seems to point to one thing: we might be looking at a vaporware right here.
We are now reaching out to ATC to seek further clarifications regarding the current status of its Xplore X7 Android satellite phone. So, stay tuned.

Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS Service Now Available On Android And iOS

Cloudflare, the internet security company that launched its 1.1.1.1 DNS service earlier in the year, will be bringing the same service over to both iOS and Android. After a successful beta testing period for its desktop versions.

According to The Verge, the mobile version of the DNS service will come with its own VPN support. Designed to push to your mobile traffic towards Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 DNS servers, thus providing improvements over your speeds.
Also as mentioned in our earlier report, one of the primary distinctions of Cloudflare’s DNS service from its competitors (i.e. Google) is the emphasis it places on user privacy. Specifically, any IP address query is never logged for more than a period of 24 hours. In other words, the service cleans out all of its logs from its directory.
Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 app is already available for download. As usual, Android users can search for it on the Google Play Store, while iOS users will find it on the Apple App store.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Samsung W2019 Is A Premium Snapdragon 845 Flip Phone That Costs More Than Galaxy Note 9

Samsung might not offer such device in Malaysia at the moment but in some markets such as China, consumers still able to obtain flip phones from the company. While some might consider the form factor as too “old school”, the hardware that Samsung has fitted into its latest flip phone for the Chinese market, the W2019, are quite up to date.

In fact, the W2019 is a flagship-class device that is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor alongside 6GB of RAM. It also features two 4.2-inch Full HD Super AMOLED displays and up to 256GB of internal storage.
Camera-wise, the W2019 is equipped with a dual rear camera setup that is similar to Galaxy Note 9. That means you are looking at a 12MP camera with variable f/1.5 – f/2.4 lens alongside another 12MP camera that comes with 2x optical zoom.
Once again, the W2019 also carries an 8MP front camera just like the Galaxy Note 9 but with a smaller aperture at f/2.0 instead of latter’s f/1.7. Completing the phone’s general specifications is a 3070mAh battery.
According to the pre-order listing on JD, the 128GB version of the phone is priced at CNY 18,999which roughly equivalent to RM 11,420. A flip phone that costs more than three Galaxy Note 9 combined…who would have thought, right?

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Planet Computer Announces The Cosmo Communicator; Comes With Dual Displays And Cameras



Since the success of the original Gemini, Planet Computer is not resting on its laurels. A second generation device has been announced – and this time it comes with two screens and two lenses. It is called the Cosmo Communicator and it features a QWERTY keyboard and flagship-level internals.
The design takes inspiration from older PDA QWERTY devices such as the Nokia Communicator and Psion 5 PDA. Like the Gemini, the Cosmo is a clamshell device. It features an octa-core MediaTek P70 processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory. Storage can be expanded via a microSD card. It is also a connected device, featuring dual SIM slots that support 4G LTE connectivity.
The Cosmo also comes with two-day battery, alongside some upgrades compared to the Gemini. This includes a second screen on the top half for notifications and quick app access; a fingerprint-scanner-cum-button; and a 24MP external camera. Additionally, the device also supports NFC and makes calls like any other smartphone. Software-wise, the Cosmo runs Android 8.0 out of the box and and uses a USB Type-C port for charging and data.
The Cosmo Communicator is currently wrapping up its Indiegogo campaign, which can be accessed here. The device can be pre-ordered with an early-bird price of US$549 (~RM2,284). Once the campaign is over, though, the price of the Cosmo will then be raised to US$799 (~RM3,324).

Razer Game Store Malaysia Now Opens For Business; Supports Offline and Installment Payment

Earlier this year, Razer has launched its own digital game store in what seems to be another move to expand its gaming empire. Originally, the Razer Game Store was only available in four countries, but the company has revealed not long after the launch that it has planned to open similar stores in Southeast Asia.

While the company missed its original launch schedule of Q2 2018, the Razer Game Store is now opened to consumers in Malaysia. As our previous report, Razer took a different approach when it comes to its Game Store in Southeast Asia since the company decide to establish the store on Lazada instead of hosting it through Razer’s own website as per Western countries.
Hence, this means that gamers not able to obtain Razer zSilver for their purchase at Razer Game Store Malaysia. At the same time, they also not able to utilize their Razer zSilver or zGold over there as well although Razer has informed us that the company is already working to address these shortcomings.
That being said, the advantage that local gamers have is that they able to pay using the methods supported by Lazada. This including offline payment at 7-Eleven outlets nationwide as well as through installment via Maybank for selected titles.
Additionally, signature Lazada promotions will appear on the store from time to time as well such as Surprise Boxes, and Mega Flash Sales. In fact, Razer Store Malaysia will be participating in the upcoming 11.11 shopping festival as well. To learn more, just head on to the store right here.

China Xinhua News Agency Debuts AI Anchor; Created Via Machine Learning

China’s state-run press agency, Xinhua, recently unveiled its new “AI Anchor”. A digital entity created from multiple footage of real-life human hosts that reads news with a synthetic voice.

According to The Verge, the specific technology Xinhua used to create its AI Anchor is still unclear. What is certain is that machine learning research is clearly a major keystone in its development.
The digital news anchor itself is also based off a real life news Xinhua news anchor named Zhang Zhao. Unlike Zhao, however, the AI Anchor’s speech pattern is driven by the synthetic voice we mentioned earlier. Along with the relevant news text that gets typed into its system.
So far, there are a few benefits that Xinhua can gain using such technology. One such benefit is around the clock new reporting; because the AI Anchor is real or human, Xinhua says that the anchor can work “24 hours a day on its official website and various social media platforms, reducing production costs and improving efficiency”.
That isn’t to say the technology isn’t without its own caveats towards realism. Pay close attention to the AI Anchor, you’ll notice that its face has a limited range for facial expressions. That, and the obviously non-human and robotic voice that sounds very much like a Chinese version of the male voice heard on Google Translate.
Virtual characters are nothing new in the industry, and prior to this was considered nothing short of a novelty. However, due to the rising popularity of machine and deep learning technology in the digital sphere, it’s clear that the line between AI and a real human is being blurred at an exponential rate.

Xiaomi Launches Mi AirDots Youth Edition; Wireless Earbuds For Just RM120

While other manufacturers are charging high prices for wireless ear-buds style audio, Xiaomi is (as always) taking the affordable route. The new Xiaomi Mi AirDots Youth Edition costs only 200 Yuan or about RM120, and is the brand’s first wireless earphones.

The Mi AirDots Youth Edition features 7.2-mm drivers and each earbud weighs in at only 4.2 grams. Controls are done via a touch-sensitive area on one of the earbuds. This feature extends accessibility to calls, volume and also a voice assistant.

For connectivity, the Mi AirDots Youth Edition uses Bluetooth 5.0 technology. In stereo mode, the earbuds last for a maximum period of four hours. Charging is conducted via its included case, which carries approximately three charges worth or approximately 12 hours worth of listening time.

At the time of writing, the Mi AirDots Youth Edition are only currently available in China via the brand’s Mi Store.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro and Mi 8 Lite Price In Malaysia Confirmed; Starts From RM 999

Ahead of their launch in Malaysia tomorrowXiaomi has officially revealed the price of their two latest smartphones for our market, the Mi 8 Pro and Mi 8 Lite. The two new phones will become the latest addition to the Mi 8 family here alongside the titular model which was launched in Malaysia back in August.

As per our report, the Mi 8 Pro is indeed the Mi 8 Explorer Edition that was launched in China on May this year as opposed to this similarly named variant that was released in China a few months later. Hence, we are looking at not only a Mi 8 with a transparent body but also with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

The new phone will be made available for RM 2399 at Authorized Mi Store throughout Malaysia starting from tomorrow onwards. As a comparison, the standard Mi 8 with 6GB of RAM is priced at RM 1599 for 64GB model while the 128GB can be obtained for RM 1899.
As for Mi 8 Lite, the 4GB/64GB variant will be made available for RM 999 through Mi Official Store on Shopee starting from 10 November. However, the Xiaomi Flagship Store on Lazada will begin offering it on 11 November instead.
On another hand, the 6GB/128 variant of the phone will be made available exclusively at the physical Mi Authorized Stores for RM 1299 on 10 November. To learn more, head on to Xiaomi Malaysia’s official website.

Where to find this job, Oldie but goodie


Are you seeing this?

Wow

Just a minute.

Haha no worry this is not a sex related is the uncle job is working for haha... cheers Friday

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Samsung Unveils Foldable Smartphone With Infinity Flex Display; Transforms Into 7.3-Inch Tablet

The wait is over. After several weeks of teasing the world, Samsung officially lifted the veil off its much anticipated foldable smartphone during its Developer Conference in San Francisco today.

The device was introduced on stage by Justin Denison, SVP of mobile product marketing, Samsung. Where he took out a device no bigger than a regular smartphone, and then proceeded to unfold it into a tablet with a display measuring in at 7.3-inches.

Getting into the specifics, Samsung’s new display is known as the Infinity Flex Display. In its folded state, it transforms into what the brands calls a Cover Display. Denison explains that, thanks to its display size, the foldable device will be able to run up to three apps simultaneously. Versus the maximum two apps that can be run on mobile devices today.
Now, before we get all excited, it should be noted that the device shown is still in its prototype phase, but Denison did say that his company would be able to start mass production of the Infinity Flex Display in just a “matter of months”. Although, he fell short of actually mentioning when a fully functioning device would even be available to the general consumer.
Beyond that, not much was talked about in regards to the Infinity Flex Display. You can see the phone being unveiled for yourself in the embedded video. It’s pretty lengthy, so if you just want to skip ahead, the unveiling occurs around the hour 24 minute mark.

Oracle 'net-watcher agrees, China Telecom is a repeat offender for misdirecting traffic



Oracle has backed claims that China Telecom Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) announcements regularly take internet traffic on an unwanted tour of the Middle Kingdom.

At the end of October, a Naval War College paper by Chris Demchak and Yuval Shavit documented what the pair said were "unusual and systematic hijacking patterns associated with China Telecom" (PDF).

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Now that report has received a degree of corroboration from Oracle Internet Intelligence (OII).

While declining to comment on possible motivations, OII's Director of Internet Analysis Doug Madory blogged today that he "expended a great deal of effort" to end traffic misdirection by China Telecom in 2017.

As evidence, Madory described a leak lasting "less than a minute" from 2015, when an announcement from China Telecom's AS4134 resulted in transit customer South Korea Broadband (AS9318) sending traffic to China via Verizon APAC (AS703).

That event illustrated how far an error can reach and how long it could persist: 18 months later, traffic starting out in a Telia router in London, and destined for Australia's Department of Defence, was sent to Verizon APAC via China Telecom. Madory provided a traceroute as proof:

Doug Madory's traceroute
The long way home ... London to Sydney via China 
(Image: Oracle Internet Intelligence)

In other words, having let their systems accept the route announcements, network admins failed to correct the error for up to two-and-a-half years.

Madory told The Register: "BGP routes from Verizon APAC were partially routed through China Telecom beginning in December 2015 and going until April 2018 (~2.5 years). Those routes should never have gone through China Telecom for anywhere except in China."


Verizon APAC errors had a knock-on effect, he explained: "Verizon APAC ... were announcing [routes] to the internet on behalf of their customers. A couple of AS hops away, China Telecom was mishandling them - announcing them in a manner that would cause internet traffic destined for those IP address ranges to flow back through China Telecom's network."

Verizon APAC was involved in another erroneous announcement, and in his blog post, Madory wrote: "When these routes were in circulation, networks peering with China Telecom (including those in the US) accepted AS701 routes via AS4134, sending US-to-US traffic via mainland China. One of our affected clients was a major US internet infrastructure company."

While path monitoring can help prevent leaks, it's not a complete solution because leaks can occur "multiple hops from the origin".


"Verizon APAC (AS703) likely established a settlement-free peering relationship with SK Broadband (AS9318), unaware that AS9318 would then send Verizon’s routes exclusively on to China Telecom and who would in turn send them on to the global internet," Madory said.

Networks also need to watch the announcements they receive from their peers, which Madory noted is rare, and he directed his readers to the Internet Society's MANRS project. ®

Google Chrome Update 71 Will Start Blocking Consistently Deceptive Popup Ads

Google Chrome’s Update 71 is coming next month, and it comes with a feature that will be very welcome indeed. The feature in question is an ad blocker that essentially blocks all ads on websites that use suspicious popup ads.

The small catch here is that Google won’t be putting the roadblocks on right away. Once Google has identified a problematic site that’s rife with these kinds of ads, the aforementioned  site will have 30 days to get rid of them.

You do have the option to turn this off, but this is one of the few times when you’d ask “why would I want to do that?”
Popup ads are the bane of the internet, as its creator has attested to. And many of them are not what they seem – clicking on the “close” button opens up another popup, or leads you to a phishing site. That said, this implementation also mean that sites that run both shady and clean ads will have everything blocked.

How To Make The Most Out of Your unifi Turbo Upgrade

With the ability to deliver Internet speed of up to 800Mbps, TM has recently begun the pilot phase of unifi Turbo speed upgrade for a selected group of existing customers. Some of you may have already gotten it, even.
The phased rollout was done in order for TM to reach technical readiness in serving higher speed Intenet services to its customers. At the same time, it is also being done to ensure that the company is able to deliver optimum unifi experience to customers before it begins the mass rollout very soon.
While unifi Turbo will provide an exponential speed upgrade, there are a few steps you can take to make sure that you’re making the most of the experience provided by the upgrade. That being said, most of these tips below will be applicable to everyone, regardless of their unifi plan.
First of all, you’ll need to decide between wired and Wi-Fi connections, and which works best for you. If you need speed and consistency, then nothing beats a wired connection because it physically links your device directly to the network and provides higher throughput than Wi-Fi connection.
You’ll have to be tethered to the router, but as mentioned earlier, its speed and consistency are why it is the preferred connection among gamers. This should also be your connection of choice if you are downloading large files or transferring them from one device to another within the same network.
Sure, Wi-Fi connection is quite convenient, and it’s more than enough for your use if all you’re doing is streaming on a mobile device and moving around the house. That said, it is prone to obstruction and interference.
Being too far away from the router, having objects like walls and especially metals between the device and router, and even wireless signals from other devices will disrupt the Wi-Fi signal from the router, impeding it from optimally sending data to your device.
If you decide to use a wired connection, then you have to make sure that your desktop PC or notebook has a Gigabit network adapter since such adapter is able to support network speed of up to 1000Mbps (1Gbps). If your device is equipped with a Fast Ethernet adapter instead, then the connection speed will be maxed out at 100Mbps even though you have access to unifi 300Mbps, 500Mbps, or 800Mbps plans.
Similarly, you also have to check if your network cable is of Category 5e (CAT 5e) which able to support transfer speed of up to 1Gbps. CAT 5 cable on another hand only supports speeds of up to 100Mbps. To check which cable you’re using, they’re usually printed along the body of the cable.
Here is the connection speed that you can expect from your unifi Turbo service according to TM:
Meanwhile, if you choose to utilize a wireless connection instead, you also have to check the capability of the Wi-Fi adapter in your device as well as the router in your home. Most of the newer devices and routers these days are able to support the 802.11ac or 802.11n standard which allows them to connect using the 5GHz frequency band.
This is due to the fact that 5GHz frequency band able to deliver faster speed but has a shorter effective range and doesn’t penetrate solid objects as good as 2.4GHz signals. While 2.4GHz network might have wider coverage, it not able to carry as much data as 5GHz signal and is more susceptible to interference since there are so many products are also using 2.4GHz frequency band.
Another reason why the newer 802.11n and 802.11ac Wi-Fi standards are able to deliver higher network speed than their predecessors is due to the support of MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antennas. This particular feature allows multiple data transmission simultaneously as opposed to the older 802.11a/b/g standards that only support one data stream at a time which equals to slower network speed.
Do note that both device and router need to support the same Wi-Fi standards in order to achieve the best result. If your device is only able to support 802.11a/b/g standard, your maximum connection speed will still be limited to the older standards even though you are using an 802.11ac router such as those that are being supplied by TM to current unifi customers.
In other words, the connection speed that you able to achieve from your Wi-Fi network depends on how optimized the condition of the network and surrounding environment. If it is good enough, then you should be able to see these speed according to TM:
If you need assistance to further improve the condition of your Wi-Fi network, TM WiFi Optimiser Tool which was first released to consumers last year might be able to assist you. Available for Android and iOS devices, it able to scan, analyze, and rate your network in less than a minute.
In conclusion, the unifi Turbo speed upgrade might be able to elevate your internet experience to a newer level but it can only be fully enjoyed by having the proper set of equipment and optimal network condition. To learn more, visit unifi’s official website.

The 'Fatty' Chinese Zodiac Forecast in 2024 (Iverson Lee)

Interesting topic for 2024 years that you have on your bazi chart that you have it you will be surprised that you will become the fatty anim...