Facebook, Google To Build New Undersea Cables That Link Singapore, Indonesia, And US

Facebook announced that it plans to build two new undersea cables connecting Singapore, Indonesia, and North America. The social media company will work with Google and regional telcos on the project, which is set to dramatically increase internet connection capacity between these regions.

One of them is called Echo which is slated to complete by 2023. According to the report from Reuters, Kevin Salvadori, Facebook’s Vice President of Network Investments stated that Echo would be built in partnership with Google and Indonesian telco XL Axiata who is a subsidiary of Malaysia’s Axiata Group that also owns and operates Celcom.

This is not the first time that Facebook and Google have collaborated together to build an undersea cable system. Before this, they have worked on the Pacific Light Cable Network since 2016 that supposedly links the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the U.S but have decided to drop the Hong Kong portion from the original plan after it was opposed by the U.S government due to security concerns.

Redmi Gaming Phone Tipped To Feature Physical Shoulder Buttons, 5000mAh battery

Earlier in January, Redmi general manager Lu Weibing revealed that the brand will release its first ever gaming smartphone later this year, which will be equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset. While its other specifications are still kept under wraps at this time, leakster Digital Chat Station (via MyDrivers) claims to have additional information regarding the mysterious device.

According to the reliable industry insider, the yet-to-be-named Redmi gaming phone will feature a flat E4 OLED panel by Samsung, with a tiny punch-hole cutout for its front-facing camera. Its battery is said to come with a capacity of 5,000mAh and would also feature support for 65W fast charging, which is able to fully top-up the phone’s energy from zero to 100% in just 30 minutes. The latter isn’t particularly new and has been featured in recent smartphones from Xiaomi (Redmi’s parent company), as well as other brands such as Realme and OPPO.

Most interestingly, Digital Chat Station suggests that the new device would also be equipped with physical shoulder buttons – a feature that is much appreciated by users, especially on smartphones under the gaming variety. Unlike its fellow Xiaomi subsidiary Black Shark, it is quite unlikely that Redmi would equip its own gaming smartphone with mechanical shoulder buttons – especially considering the brand’s usual focus on offering products at affordable price points.

Speaking of which, the leakster noted that Redmi’s upcoming device may be priced around RMB 2,000 to RMB 2,500 (~RM 1,262 to ~RM  1,578) at launch. If proven accurate, this would make it one of the cheapest gaming smartphones available on the market. However, despite the attractive price range, some users might not find its featured Dimensity 1200 chipset all that appealing.

Redmi has yet to announce when it is planning to officially unveil its first ever gaming handset.

Someone Gave The PS5 A Brass Makeover

We have seen two companies making gold PS5 consoles already. But gold is prohibitively expensive. If you wanted a similar-looking console, brass makes for a much more affordable alternative. And that’s exactly what the YouTube channel DIY Perks has done.

Brass is also chosen because in addition to affordability, it is also relatively easy to handle. That being said, it’s definitely no simple process. You’ll obviously need to know what you’re doing on the DIY front. And the PS5 comes with a lot of curves. And the plates are especially tricky, since they curve in different directions from one end to another. But at any rate, DIY Perks shows the entire process in recording.

The end result, plus some polish, is a very fancy looking PS5 console that isn’t too dissimilar to the gold ones. And it works just like the regular version, with one important exception. And that’s the WiFi, as brass, like most other metals, don’t work very well with wireless tech. The workaround here is to leave one of the WiFi antennas outside the console at the back.

Of course, DIY projects are hard work, and require a lot of skill. Making this custom PS5 out of brass, especially so. All that being said, the most difficult part is probably getting an actual PS5 in the first place, since you still need the electronics inside.

US-UK Survey Finds That 30% Of WFH Workers Wore Pyjamas In Online Meetings

Nearly one-third (30%) of people working from home have worn pyjamas during online meetings, the Evening Standard said citing a YouGov survey which polled both US and UK workers. One in ten (11%) didn’t even bother to wear pants.

The survey, which was commissioned by AI-powered transcription app Otter.ai, also found that, during meetings, 23% of remote workers had shopped online, and 15% had played computer games.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a good deal of resistance against returning to traditional in-office work. Only 14% wanted to return to the office full-time when it’s safe to do so. A full 20% don’t want to return to the office – ever.

But a good plurality prefers a middle ground. 45% want to work between one and three days per week in the office once it becomes safe to do so. Why? It’s obvious. 43% of remote workers miss office conversations and chatter – the top item picked by people when asked what they missed about the office.

As for the top reasons why people want to continue working from home at least part-time, 51% picked to avoid the commute to the office and 34% flexible working hours. 26% said they were more productive working from home.

Conducted in January this year, the survey had 2,027 respondents roughly split between US and UK remote workers. In Malaysia, the government is proposing legal changes to support the work from home culture and promote flexible working arrangements, The Star said.

NVIDIA Quietly Rebadges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GA102-250 GPU To GA102-300 For RTX 3090

It appears that NVIDIA is quietly rebadging its GA102-250 GPU that was originally intended for the upcoming GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, to a GA102-300. Not only that, but the GPU is also reportedly now being repurposed to its RTX 3090 graphics card.

The discovery was picked up by German-site HardwareLuxx, who discovered the rebadging of the GA102-250. As a quick primer, the GA102-250 was supposed to offer specs that are nearly identical to the RTX 3090; its CUDA core count was rated at 10240, which is just 256 cores shy from what NVIDIA’s top-tier card has. To that end, plans for the GPU has been pushed aside and the GPU maker already has a GA102-225 GPU for the RTX 3080 Ti instead.

Further proof of NVIDIA’s rebadging was also provided by a HardwareLuxx member, who showed off a picture of the GPU attached to a Founders Edition RTX 3090. As you can see from the image, the GA102-250 has been struck off, with the GA102-300 GPU code having been etched just below it.

Production of the RTX 3080 Ti has been in development limbo; the halfway-point GPU was initially slated for an April launch, but has since been reportedly pushed back to May. Moreover, it is still unclear if the card will ship out with 12GB or 20GB GDDR6X graphics memory, the latter having been leaked by a product listing by ASUS earlier this year.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro Rugged Fitness Watch Coming To Malaysia For RM 659

Amazfit has recently unveiled a new model called T-Rex Pro which is built upon the foundation of its T-Rex watch that the well-known wearable company launched at CES 2020. At a glance, the new watch may even look almost similar to its 2020 sibling but it appears to be even more durable.

According to Amazfit, the new T-Rex Pro has passed 15 military-grade endurance tests which are three more than last year’s T-Rex. Even the company didn’t clearly list down the exact tests that the watch has gone through, T-Rex Pro is apparently able to withstand 70C to -40C and has humidity as well as salt spray resistance level of 240 hours and 96 hours, respectively.

Equipped with a 1.3-inch AMOLED display, the T-Rex Pro also offers a water-resistance rating of 10 ATM which means that it can withstand a water depth of up to 100 meters. In addition to having a heart rate sensor, the watch also comes with plenty of other sensors including blood oxygen (SpO2), accelerometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic (compass), ambient light, and barometric altimeter.

Amazfit also said that the T-Rex Pro can support four satellite navigation services including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo. In terms of workout tracking, the watch which works in hand with the analytical algorithm from the world-famous FirstBeat is apparently able to cover more than 100 types of workouts while the company’s own ExerSense algorithm can also detect and record eight types of workout automatically including running, walking, and swimming.

Another major attraction of the T-Rex Pro is its long-lasting battery life which can go up to 18 days as well as 40 hours of continuous GPS usage. In terms of availability, the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is now already available for pre-order in Malaysia through the company’s official Shopee store for RM 659.

Apple May Have A Rugged Watch In The Works

The Apple Watch sort of has sports editions, but these rarely differ from the base model beyond a sportier strap. But it looks like the iPhone maker may be considering a rugged watch for the outdoorsy folk. More specifically, it will be one with a rugged enough case to survive extreme environments.

Bloomberg reports that Apple is considering releasing a rugged watch either in late 2021 or some time in 2022. The ruggedness will come in the form of an impact resistant shell. This will be similar to what you’ll find on Casio G-Shock watches. The rubber shell will allow it to survive more extreme mishaps than the current metal materials. And it might be something that would appeal to those into more extreme activities like hiking.

Though this isn’t the first time the company has thought of making such a watch. And like the previous times, sources to Bloomberg say Apple may ultimately decide against it one more time. After all, the current version is already pretty popular with athletes.

The rugged version of the Apple Watch is known internally as the Explorer Edition. And should the company decide to actually release it, it will be another option in addition to the base and SE models.

Samsung Galaxy A Series 2021 Trade-Up Program Offers Extra RM 100 On Top Of Trade In Value

In conjunction with the recent release of Galaxy A32, Galaxy A32 5G, Galaxy A52, and Galaxy A72 in Malaysia, Samsung has also launched the Trade-Up program for them. The company has set up a similar program in the past but it was usually for its flagship series such as Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold2, and Galaxy Note20.

So, it is rather interesting to see that there is also one for a mid-range release such as the Galaxy A Series. Not only that, the list of devices that the program accepts seemed to follow the theme as well since it consists of previous Galaxy A and Galaxy J devices.

Leading the list is Galaxy A21S which made its debut in Malaysia back in early June 2020 and has a trade-in value of RM 495 according to the list. Other high-value models in the list include Galaxy A51 (RM 430 – RM 485), Galaxy A71 (RM345 – RM 450), and Galaxy A70 8GB/128GB (RM 420).

At the same time, Samsung is also offering up to RM 100 of additional discount on top of the trade in value. The program which is being held through cooperation with CompAsia does accept other devices that are not listed on the site too, so it seems possible for one to obtain substantial discounts for their new Galaxy A Series 2021 device through this Trade-Up program.

But of course, the final trade in value not only depends on the model of your device but also its condition. For more details, you may want to visit the nearest Samsung Experience Store or participating authorised retailers but don’t take too long though as the program will conclude on 30 April 2021.

realme Buds Air 2 with ANC Coming To Malaysia This April For RM 199

realme has recently announced its plan to launch the new Buds Air 2 in Malaysia next month. Based on the specs stated on realme Malaysia’s website, the new true wireless earbuds (TWEs) seemed to offer plenty of upgrades over their predecessor while being made available at a much lower price point.

In many ways, the Buds Air 2 seemed to carry on the torch from the Buds Air Pro rather than the original Buds Air. Powered by the brand-new R2 chip, the second generation model adopts the in-ear design and also features active noise cancellation (ANC) although at up to 25db, the effective range is not as high as the Buds Air Pro that can go up to 35db.

Equipped with a pair of 10mm drivers which realme claimed have been covered with carbon coating to make them more durable, the Buds Air 2 also features a mode called Bass Boost+ that apparently was co-created by the well-known EDM duo, The Chainsmokers. The new TWEs have also been designed to meet the IPX5 standard which means that they should be able to withstand sweats during your workout.

In terms of battery life, the TWEs can run for up to 4 to 5 hours depending on whether the ANC is on or off while the total operational hours can go up to 25 hours when you add Buds Air 2’s charging case into the picture. There is also a fast charge feature that allows users to obtain 2 hours of playback with 10 minutes of charging time.

Price-wise, the new realme Buds Air 2 goes for RM 199 when it is made available in our shores at realme Brand Store and authorised dealers nationwide on 3 April 2021. For those who prefer to purchase the TWEs online, they can do so starting from 8 April via realme’s official store at Lazada.

Battlefield 6 Survey Hints At Free-To-Play Mode, Battle Pass

If there was any indication of what we can expect in Battlefield 6, this may very well be a list of them. Leaker Tom Henderson has said on Twitter that publisher Electronic Arts has sent out surveys to players. And these ask if they are keen on seeing a number of features in the next Battlefield game.

Among the items in the list include things like “a F2P element” and Battle Passes. While we already see these in other games, it looks like Battlefield 6 will be embracing them as well. These are among other items like evolving maps and weapon blueprints, as well as a clan system.

Despite being a survey for what players want to see in Battlefield 6, chances are players won’t actually get much of a choice. Henderson also says that it’s most likely that the listed features have already been developed. Instead, interest in the items will determine which are marketed more actively. Unpopular items may get announced later, rather than immediately when the game gets announced.

It’s an odd way to do things, but at the same time it makes some sense. VGC reports that Battlefield 6 may be due for a reveal in as early as May 2021. If that’s the case, it seems way too late to ask about which features to be implemented into the game. While it may be announced early, it will likely be available during its usual year-end window.

PDRM Launches CCID Scam Response Centre To Cut Down Phone Scams

Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) recently announced the establishment of a one-stop centre under the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) in order to address the increasing amount of phone scam cases in Malaysia.

Based on the statement released by the Director of CCID, CP Zainuddin Yaacob, 6,003 phone scam cases have been reported in 2020 and up till 24 March 2021, PDRM has already received 1,392 phone scam reports which involve a total loss of over RM 38,000. The authorities saw this as a very worrying trend and believe that it is something that needs to be handled swiftly.

For those who aren’t familiar with phone scams which authorities love to refer to as the Macau Scams, the perpetrators would usually trick their victims by making them believe that the scammers were officers from the PDRM, Royal Malaysian Customs, Bank Negara Malaysia, and other related government agencies as well as financial institutions. They would then trick the victims to transfer money for various reasons including fake summons, outstanding loans, and courts cases.

In operation since 15 February 2021, the new CCID Scam Response Centre allows the public to seek clarification regarding phone scams cases directly from the department. This includes obtaining verification whether the call that they have received really came from related authorities, government agencies, and financial institutions.

Members of the public are also welcome to provide relevant information regarding scam attempts that they may have experienced themselves including phone numbers or bank accounts that have been provided by the perpetrators. Opens daily from 8:00 AM till 8:00 PM, you can reach out to CCID Scam Response Centre by calling 03-2610 1559 or 03-2610 1599.

Overclocker Successfully Pushes Intel Core i9-11900K CPU To Run At 7GHz

Intel’s flagship 11th generation CPU, the Core i9-11900K, is set to launch next week but, unsurprisingly, some overclockers are already in possession of some sample units to poke and prod. In the case of one overclocker, they managed to push the CPU to a whopping 7GHz.

The overclocker, who goes by the name “Rog-Fisher”, posted their achievement on the CPU-Z Validation site, which they clearly and successfully achieved via the use of liquid nitrogen. Specifically, they managed to push the 11900K’s boost clock from 5.3GHz (with Intel’s TVB) to 7047.88MHz or 7GHz as a round-off. To get to that point, Rog-Fisher also had to bump up the voltage to an eye-watering 1.873V.

Additional details show that Rog-Fisher used an ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Apex motherboard, 8GB DDR4 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

It comes as no surprise that Rog-Fisher isn’t the only one attempting to claim the overclocker’s throne for the 11900K; an Indian YouTube channel, PC Wale, recently posted a video of their own overclocking, but instead of 7GHz. They capped out at 6.5GHz and at a slightly lower voltage of 1.678V. What is interesting to note is that the PC Wale overclockers were using a custom XOC BIOS, which is also used by a prominent South Korean overclocker called SafeDisk.

Unfortunately, because the 11900K was supplied to PC Wale by Intel, they were unable to provide or show any benchmark results along with the LN2-attained frequencies. Guess we’ll just have to wait until 30 March to find out.

Razer Greenlights Production Of Its Project Hazel Face Mask

When Razer first revealed that it had converted some of its manufacturing lines to produce face masks last year to help fight the on-going pandemic, fans joked that it wouldn’t be long until we see a branded mask with RGB lighting. Lo and behold, the gaming firm did just that and revealed its Project Hazel face mask concept during CES 2021.

Fast forward back to present time, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has recently revealed during an interview with Yahoo! News that the company will begin production for its N95-rated RGB face mask. “You still have to be masked up because there is still the risk factor that even if you’re vaccinated, you still need to be incredibly careful,” said Tan. “So with that in mind, we are going to go ahead and solve the sustainable aspect of the mask which is one of the big things for us. Project Hazel is going to be a reality.”

Besides featuring the brand’s signature Chroma RGB lighting, Razer’s Project Hazel mask is also equipped with quality-of-life and health-related tech enhancements. Its front portion is mostly transparent which allows others to still see your mouth move when you speak. Meanwhile, on its sides are ventilators that not only purify air, but also come with microphones that pick up your voice and output it externally via amplifiers.

Surrounding the back is a silicon guard that prevents outside air from entering between your face and the mask itself. Its ear loops are also fully adjustable, ensuring for a perfect and comfortable fit for all users.

Unfortunately, Tan did not reveal when the production version of Project Hazel is expected to be released, and the same can be said for its pricing as well. It’s very likely that the hi-tech Razer mask will not be cheap, given that both the brand’s cloth-based face mask sold for RM99 locally. That being said, there’s also a chance that the upcoming mask would also be sold out in mere hours, so do keep that in mind just in case you’re planning on procuring a unit for yourself.

Oh, just in case you missed it. Razer also recently unveiled its own reusable and collapsible stainless steel straw, which you can purchase now via its official website for only RM99. Unlike the Project Hazel mask, however, the straw does not feature RGB lighting. Bummer.

Revenue Monster Partners With Alipay To Expand Reach of Local F&B Businesses

Malaysian fintech company Revenue Monster is integrating its core service and hence its F&B merchants into the Alipay platform through a so-called mini program. This means more reach and more potential revenue for the merchants as well as a greater array of choices for Alipay users.

Through the mini program, Revenue Monster’s core service – called à la carte – will be  integrated directly into the Alipay app. à la carte essentially helps businesses set up their own online store that’s capable of handling contactless in-store ordering, delivery, comprehensive payments (like e-wallets) and more.

In short, it’s a digitalisation tool. à la carte was apparently launched in early 2020 during the first MCO and serves prominent merchants such as Sushi King, Kenny Rogers Roasters and Dragon-I.

“With the Alipay mini program, we hope to increase our merchant base whilst also bringing more value to more than 6,000 merchants on the Revenue Monster platform by extending their digital reach to new customer segments,” said Revenue Monster CEO Amanda Chin.

The company claims to offer the “lowest platform fees” at 18% for merchants who join the mini program. As an additional benefit to merchants, from now until 31 May 2021, the company said that merchants who sign up for a minimum of one year will also receive one payment terminal for free.

In addition to its participation in the Alipay mini program, Revenue Monster said it plans to further expand its base and bring its service to other platforms this year.

Intel Confirms Specs For Xe DG2 GPU; Will Have Up To 16GB GDDR6 And 512EU

Intel recently confirmed the specifications of its Xe DG2 GPUs by furnishing its official, repository website with new details about its discrete graphics for laptops. According to Videocardz, details from the repository is usually restricted to individuals and entities that are under NDA, yet for some reason, the information was easily found online.

That aside, the repository initially lists down a total of five SKUs for the Xe DG2. Firstly, the variants will come with 512 Execution Units (EU), 384EU, and 128EU. Each EU will have eight shading units, so the total number of shaders for the 512EU comes up to 4096 shading units, or ALUs. The odd thing is that the same source also lists down two other EU variants, which are 256EU and 96EU.

Additionally, there is reason to believe that Intel is preparing four memory configurations for the Xe DG2: 4GB, 6GB, 8GB, and 16GB, the latter obviously being the flagship SKU. Moreover, the laptop GPUs are expected to support memory speeds between 14Gbps and 18Gbps, which is also running on the GDDR6 memory format. As promised earlier by Intel.

A lot of this information seems to align with earlier reports of the Xe DG2; back in January this year, leaks suggested that one of Intel’s upcoming Xe-based laptop GPU would come with 8GB GDDR6 graphics memory, as well as 512EU. Moreover, the GPU was supposed to be paired with Intel’s Tiger Lake-H series, which is the chipmaker’s high performance lineup of mobile CPUs.

As for when we can expect to see this GPUs, it is rumoured that we could see them sometime during the second quarter of this year. Intel has yet to make an official announcement, though, so take this bit of news with a grain of salt.

Razer Now Has A Reusable Straw That Costs RM99

Gaming peripheral brand Razer has made some strange things before. These range from its own gaming chair to RGB clear masks. Now the company is taking things further with a reusable straw.

So what’s special about this Razer Reusable Straw? Well, it depends on if you really want to go into the details. So let’s do that. First is that the stainless steel straw uses a telescopic design. When collapsed, it measures 100mm in length, which extends to 230mm when fully extended. This allows for easy storage when not in use.

The Razer Reusable Straw also comes with a distinct neon green silicon tip. Primarily, it prevents the scalding of lips when you leave it in hot drinks for a long time. But of course it also adds to the visual appeal of the thing. There’s a carrying case to hold it and a cleaning brush.

It’s no doubt a fancy straw, much more so than most other reusable straws. But it remains to be seen if it suffers from the same problem of making all your drinks taste like metal. Razer making a reusable straw is another step in the company’s recent environmental push. But for something that costs RM99, you should be allowed to feel disappointed that it doesn’t come with the usual RGB lighting, as impractical as it will be on a straw.

Fundraising For Southeast Asia Tech Startups Steady Despite Pandemic

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, fundraising for Southeast Asian tech startups remained steady in 2020, Bloomberg said citing a report by venture capital firm Cento Ventures. Big winners include Grab, Go-Jek and Go-Pay, Bukalapak, and Traveloka – together they received over half of all investment last year.

Tech startups in Southeast Asia raised a total of US$8.2 billion (~RM34 billion) in 2020 – just a 3% drop compared to 2019. Most of that capital (70%) headed to Indonesia, while Malaysia just received a paltry 5% of the total investment volume.

To be fair, Thailand and Vietnam got 5% and 4% respectively. And there’s an obvious reason why Indonesia is such hot real estate – its 270 million plus population.

The bigger picture is that the raging pandemic has barely dampened investment appetite, which is why Grab’s fintech unit raised US$300 million (~RM 1.21 billion) in January. Grab is also mulling a US IPO later this year.

Furthermore, any skittishness about the pandemic-stricken economy is quickly counteracted by the massive demand for e-commerce and contactless payment. Unsurprisingly, over half of tech investment in the region went to super-app companies and online retailers – reaching over US$4 billion (~RM16.6 billion) last year.

And you wonder why everyone and their mother talks about super-apps these days. If anything, the pandemic has made them invaluable to our daily lives.

“2020 offered a harsh reason to reassess how technology can be harnessed to maintain vital function of the society,” said Dmitry Levit, a partner at Cento Ventures, told Bloomberg.

Twitter CEO Called Out For Tweeting During US Congressional Hearing

US Congressional hearings are far from being the most exciting thing a tech giant looks forward to, nor do they enjoy the questions that are asked in-session. For Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, the man may have indirectly compounded those uneasy feelings when he sent out a tweet, while still in the middle of his own hearing.

Dorsey’s tweet was picked up by the Democratic New York Representative, Kathleen Rice, who was sitting in on Dorsey’s Congressional hearing on disinformation and extremism. Where a panel of lawmakers dealt hard-hitting questions towards Dorsey – along with the CEOs of Facebook and Alphabet – over whether their social media platforms held any responsibility during the 6 January insurrection that led to deadly riots and storming of the US Capitol.

Dorsey’s tweet was a poll with the subject simply being a “?”, with the choices being Yes or No. While the message itself is cryptic, it’s likely Dorsey venting his frustration with regards to the format of the hearing; US lawmakers typically present either a loaded or unnecessarily complicated question to the subject, but demand that the latter reply with a simple “Yes” or “No” answer.

As you can imagine, Representative Rice was less than amused with Dorsey’s tweet and even brought it up during the five-hour session, asking the CEO which poll answer was leading. Dorsey’s answer was a monotonous “Yes”. At the time of writing, Yes currently leads at 65.4%, while No is at 34.6%.