Samsung To Showcase S-Foldable Smartphone And Other Prototypes During SID Display Week 2021

Samsung Display announced that it will be showcasing several prototype products during the Society for Information Display (SID) Display Week 2021 event, which starts today from 17 until 21 May 2021. Most interestingly, one of the confirmed demonstrations will be a smartphone concept known as the “S-Foldable” which features a tri-folding display (pictured above).

The S-Foldable sports a flexible display that transforms back and forth from phone to tablet mode via two hinges – with the process itself resembling an “S” shape, hence the device’s namesake. From the image provided by Samsung, the phone features what appears to be a triple camera setup on its left side, while on the right is a transparent material which serves as a cover for its display in smartphone mode. The latter might function as a notifications bar when viewed from the back of the S-Foldable in its folded form.

Other than the concept smartphone, Samsung noted that it will feature three other prototypes during the event. These include a tablet/laptop hybrid with a 17-inch foldable display, a smartphone concept known as the “Slideable” which features, well, a slidable display, and a laptop that comes equipped with its Under Panel Camera (UPC) technology. 

As we are aware by now, the innovations featured in the aforementioned products above are not particularly new. Slideable or rollable displays have been showcased before by rival smartphone maker OPPO and fellow South Korean company LG, while the UPC has already debuted by ZTE via its Axon 20 5G smartphone that was released last year.

It is also worth noting that Samsung had also teased these two technologies prior to this when they were still in the early stages of development. That being said, the SID Display Week 2021 event is the company’s best opportunity to demonstrate the latest evolution for its display-based innovations which could possibly see a commercial release in the very near future.

Corsair Gives A Taste Of DDR5 RAM Running At 6400MHz; Has Nearly Double The Bandwidth Than DDR4

As the DDR4 memory standard begins to enter its sundown years, many of us are patiently awaiting the arrival of the next-generation DDR5 standard. And while there have been reports about the upcoming memory modules being made by Chinese brands, it appears Corsair has beaten them to the punch by giving the world a glimpse of the memory’s performance.

According to Corsair’s official blog post, its DDR5 memory modules were tested while running at considerably higher frequencies of 6400MHz. In addition to the higher speeds, its module also had a maximum bandwidth output of 51GB/s. For comparison’s sake, that’s nearly double the bandwidth output of your average DDR4 memory module, running at 3200MHz.

In addition to achieving nearly double the bandwidth, Corsair says that its DDR5 can achieve that while consuming less power at 1.1V. Further, and unlike DDR4, it is possible for the future memory standard to ship out with as much as 128GB in a single stick, versus 32GB for DDR4.

As to when we can expect DDR5, the answer is more or less the same as before; while there is no definitive launch date, the word is that we could see the new memory standard launch at the end of this year, at its earliest. Moreover, rumours are also suggesting that it could make its appearance alongside Intel’s own 12th generation Alder Lake-S desktop CPU lineup, which is also expected to make its debut within the same timeline.

Alleged MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, RTX 3070 Ti SUPRIM Details Leak

Slides with details pertaining to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti graphics cards have supposedly made their way online. To be precise, the details seem to have come from a set of slides that were clearly made for an official MSI product briefing, with the cards themselves being part of the brand’s SUPRIM series.

As per earlier reports, the slides seem to confirm that the RTX 3080 Ti’s 12GB GDDR6X memory, while the RTX 3070 Ti (possibly) has 8GB GDDR6X. Because these cards are a part of MSI’s premium, high-end SUPRIM series, both SKUs are kitted out with the brand’s Tri Frozr 2S cooling technology, along with its TORX 4.0 fan design. In addition, the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti are also fitted with metal backplates, the latter utilising a flow-through design.

This isn’t the first time MSI’s RTX 3080 Ti SUPRIM has made an appearance. More than a week ago, we reported that the card was being sold openly in Dubai. Way ahead of its supposed end of May announcement date.

Sadly, however, the list doesn’t provide any specifications detail about both cards meaning that we’re still pretty much in the dark about the number of CUDA cores, ROPs and TMUs, as well as what sort of boost clocks each card can achieve. Guess we’ll have to wait until the end of this month to find out more.

Instagram Reportedly Testing Image Uploads On Desktop

Instagram has allowed users on desktop to peruse their feed via its official website for a long while now. Activities such as posting images to the platform, however, are still exclusive to its app on mobile devices. But according to a recent discovery by developer and leakster Alessandro Paluzzi, this limitation could change in the near future.

The leakster shared a set of images on Twitter, demonstrating the allegedly upcoming upload-from-desktop ability. Paluzzi explained that he discovered the feature while doing some reverse engineering on Instagram’s website.

Upon selecting “New Post”, users will be prompted to a pop-up where they can either drag-and-drop an image or click the “browse from computer” button to select a specific photo from their computer. After uploading, they’ll be greeted to several familiar Instagram menus such as selecting the desired aspect ratio (square, portrait or landscape) and then the different types of filters they wish to apply, as well as the option to manually edit their photos. Lastly, users will arrive at a screen where they can enter a caption, tag people, add location and so on.

Enabling users to upload their images from PC (or Macs) would greatly benefit photographers who rely on digital or mirrorless cameras, and especially those who edit their work via software such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. The discovery of Instagram’s supposedly upcoming feature is somewhat timely as Twitter had also updated its platform to allow high resolution photos to be uploaded and viewed by its users. In that regard, it is not known if images uploaded from desktop on Instagram’s website will retain their original resolution or end up being compressed.

As for when this new feature will be made available, Paluzzi noted that it might take a while as it is still currently being tested internally.

Sony Bravia XR TVs Now In Malaysia: Price Starts From RM 5,399

First introduced to the world back in January, Sony has recently announced the arrival of Bravia XR TVs in Malaysia. What’s interesting about the Bravia XR is that it is not a specific series of TV per se but instead, it is a group of TVs across several different panel and backlight methods that feature the company’s new technology called Cognitive Processor XR.

Sony claimed that the technology mimics how humans perceive the world which is by processing information from our eyes and ears at the same time. Cognitive Processor XR apparently divided the screen into hundreds of zones and then cross-analysed elements within the pictures including focal points to provide the best outcome to viewers.

Each Bravia XR TVs have also been pre-installed with Google TV user interface on top of their Android TV operating system. They also come with several platform-specific display presets including Netflix Calibrated Mode and IMAX Enhanced alongside support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos contents.

All Bravia XR TVs are also Carman Ready which means content creators can easily calibrate them with Calman colour calibration software. These TVs also come with HDMI 2.1 as standard which allows gamers to enjoy 4K gaming with frame rates of up to 120fps alongside access to features such as Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode, and eARC.

In our market, the Bravia XR TVs are available in five models for the time being. Leading the list is the 65-inch variant of the Master Series A90J 4K OLED TV (shown above) which costs RM 17,999 while there is also the 65 and 55-inch version of the A80J 4K OLED TV that cost RM 14,999 and RM 9,199, respectively.

Aside from that, there is also the X90J 4K Full Array LED TV that can be obtained with a 65-inch screen for RM 7,599 or the smaller 55-inch variant that goes for RM 5,399. Sony has also noted that three are more Bravia XR models that are coming to Malaysia at a later date including the 85-inch Master Series Z9J 8K Full Array LED TV, a 77-inch option for A80J, and the 75-inch variant of X90J.

IBM Boss Says Chip Shortage Could Continue For A Few Years

IBM President Jim Whitehurst said it could be a “few years” before the global chip shortage eases. His remarks put him in general agreement with other industry players, who also believe that the crisis won’t be ending any time soon.

Speaking to BBC World Business News, Whitehurst pointed to the time gaps between when a “technology” is developed, when a chip factory is constructed, and when the chips finally come out.

“So frankly, we are looking at couple of years… before we get enough incremental capacity online to alleviate all aspects of the chip shortage,” he said.

Taiwanese manufacturing giants TSMC and Foxconn both see the chip shortage possibly extending into 2022. The crisis has already caused havoc across tech industries. Apple has warned of iPad and Mac shortages, while Sony doesn’t expect to keep pace with the spectacular demand for its Playstation 5 through next year.

The COVID-19 pandemic crippled worldwide chip production and also coincided with a breakdown in US-China relations, leading to chip-hoarding by China and a growing chip-making race between the two countries.

Elon Musk’s Tesla Reverses Decision To Accept Vehicle Purchases By Bitcoin

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced by tweet that the company will not be accepting payment for its vehicles by bitcoin (at least for now), reversing a high-profile company policy announced in March.

Musk, a prominent crypocurrency enthusiast, further tweeted, “To be clear, I strongly believe in crypto, but it can’t drive a massive increase in fossil fuel use, especially coal.” Bitcoin mining has often been criticised for its staggeringly high energy costs, which in turn generate more carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

Musk himself tweeted a chart of bitcoin’s electricity consumption:

Many have highlighted the billionaire entrepreneur’s apparently contradictory support for both environmental causes and cryptocurrency. One recent study warned that the immense scale of bitcoin mining in China could cause the country to miss its carbon emission reduction goals.

As of April last year, over 70% of the world’s bitcoin mining took place in China. While the country boasts cheaper electricity rates, it’s also known to be reliant on coal power.

Despite warnings about bitcoin’s impact on the environment, Tesla went ahead and bought US$1.5 billion (~RM6.2 billion) worth of bitcoin in February. The following month, it announced it would begin accepting payment for cars made with bitcoin. It’s unclear why Musk (and Tesla management in general) changed their minds now.

Tesla said that it would use bitcoin for transactions “as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy.” Earlier this week, Musk celebrated SpaceX’s involvement in a mission to the moon that is fully funded with dogecoin, another cryptocurrency.

Steam Hinted To Port Games Over To Consoles Later This Year

 

There’s a chance that Steam, Valve’s popular digital storefront on PC, might be porting its exclusives to video game consoles later in 2021. This was hinted, albeit vaguely, by none other than the company’s president Gabe Newell a few days back during a talk at Sancta Maria College in Auckland, New Zealand.

“You will have a better idea of that by the end of this year,” Newell replied when asked by a student if Steam would be porting games to consoles. Seeing that the PlayStation 4 being the only console to feature virtual reality capabilities via its PSVR peripheral, it could be possible for Valve to port Half-Life: Alyx over to it. That, or to the PS5 since Sony had recently teased the next iteration of its virtual reality system for the new console.

It’s also worth noting that earlier in January, Newell revealed that several newer games are currently being worked on by his company. Although no further details were shared in regards to this, he did mention that Valve will announce them eventually. That being said, Newell’s response to the student’s question could be referring to these upcoming yet unannounced games, which may see a multi-platform release.

There’s also a long-shot speculation from others who believe that Valve might also bring its Steam digital storefront to consoles. However, such a move is quite unlikely and wouldn’t make sense as video game consoles feature their own closed stores such as Nintendo sShop, PlayStation Store, and the Microsoft Store on Xbox consoles.

Regardless, we’ll only find out what Valve actually has in store for home video game consoles in late 2021.

DualSense Controllers To Come With Two New Colours Next Month

Rumours about the DualSense controllers getting new colourways have been swirling around for the past week. But now, Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed that the rumours are true. The company also said that they will be available starting next month.

The announcement comes via the official PlayStation blog. The two new colourways are called Midnight Black and Cosmic Red. The former is basically an all-black version of the DualSense controller. As for the latter, the white half is swapped with burgundy red. Beyond that, it doesn’t look like there are any other differences. The PlayStation logo is still in all black, and the face buttons are still in grey.

In the blog post, SIE clarified that while both new colours for the DualSense will be available next month, exact dates will vary by location. This sometimes may mean that they won’t even show up in certain markets. We saw this happening with the DualShock 4 back buttons accessory. But with the official PlayStation Asia Facebook page sharing the two new DualSense colours, and the new colours showing up on the Malaysian page of the PlayStation website, the possibility of them arriving here is ever so slightly higher.

Of course, there’s no mention of price anywhere just yet. Ideally we’d like to see them being priced similarly to the standard white DualSense controller. That being said, it’s more likely that the different colours will see a slight premium added, like the way it is for the DualShock 4 controllers.

Toshiba Investigating Alleged Cyberattack On European Business

Toshiba is currently looking into what it has deemed to be a potential cyberattack on its European business. Moreover, it appears that the attack came just as the Japanese corporation announced that it would undergo a strategic review after it dismissed a US$20 billion (~RM82.5 billion) buyout.

The actors in the cyberattack are members of DarkSide. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it is the same group that hacked into the digital infrastructure of the US Colonial Pipeline, to which the company running it paid a ransom of approximately US$5 million (~RM20.6 million) in cryptocurrency. On that note, DarkSide has already released a statement on the Dark Web, claiming full responsibility for the attack.

It is believed that the DarkSide collective is based somewhere in Eastern Europe, with some experts fingering Russia as the country of origin. Oddly enough, the hacker group seems to target English-speaking countries and never seems to target any of the Slavic countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.

That said, it is believed that DarkSide does seem to have some code of ethics; unlike other hacker groups, the collective doesn’t seem to target certain infrastructures, including hospitals, schools, or government agencies.

Alienware X-Series Is The Brand’s Thinnest Gaming Laptop To Date; Coming Soon To Malaysia

Over the years, the gaming laptop industry has been trying to shed the typical bulky and thick image that is being associated with a gaming laptop. For Alienware, the brand managed to deliver that with its current generation of the M-Series releases to a certain extent but not at the level of the upcoming Alienware X-Series.

While Alienware has yet to reveal how thin its new X-Series laptop is going to be, the teaser images and videos that Alienware has published so far clearly backing up its claim that the new model is going to be the thinnest Alienware gaming laptop to date.

One of the initial details that the brand has released regarding its new X-Series laptop is that it will feature a new thermal interface material (TIM) called Element 31. Said to be made from a gallium-silicon matrix, the material apparently has a much higher thermal performance compared to other TIM that Alienware has used before.

Other than that, the X-Series laptop will also mark the debut of the patent-pending Alienware Quad Fan solution. Aside from featuring a noticeable amount of heat pipes, the solution also utilises two sets of evacuative and outlet fans to move heat out of the ultra-thin gaming laptop.

While this was not explicitly mentioned by Alienware in its teaser video, you should be able to notice the number “17” on its lid which signifies its screen size just like the existing M-Series laptops. In case it is not obvious enough, what you’re looking here is essentially the brand-new Alienware x17.

Other than that, we have also been informed by Dell that the company is planning to release the x17 into Malaysia by mid-June. The base model will carry an 11th-Gen Intel Core i7 H-Series chip, Full HD display, 16GB of RAM, 512GB solid state drive, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 as well as a rather hefty RM 10,999 price tag.

Meanwhile, expect to hear further updates regarding the new ultra-thin gaming laptop in a few weeks time as Alienware is planning to reveal more information regarding its new x17 ultra-thin gaming laptop on 1 June via its Twitch channel.

2021 iPad Pro M1 Now Available From Apple Malaysia; Price Maxed Out At RM 10,399

Following the release of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in purple colourway earlier this month, Malaysian consumers are now able to purchase yet another new product that was announced during Apple’s Spring Loaded event last month. This time around, it comes in the form of the 2021 iPad Pro tablets.

As you may have heard, one of the biggest attractions of the new iPad Pro is the fact that it is powered by Apple’s own M1 chip and Apple has chosen to utilise the variant with an 8-core GPU for the tablet. The 12.9-inch model is also equipped with the new Liquid Retina XDR display while the 11.9-inch variant still comes with a Liquid Retina display just like its predecessor.

In case you missed it, here is the full price list for the 2021 iPad Pro M1 in Malaysia:

11-inch 2021 iPad Pro M1

128GB: RM 3,499 (Wi-Fi) / RM 4,149 (5G)

256GB: RM 3,949 / RM 4,599

512GB: RM 4,849 / RM 5,499

1TB: RM 6,649 / RM 7,299

2TB: RM 8,449 / RM 9,099

12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro M1

128GB: RM 4,799 (Wi-Fi) / RM 5,449 (5G)

256GB: RM 5,249 / RM 5,899

512GB: RM 6,149 / RM 6,799

1TB: RM 7,949 / RM 8,599

2TB: RM 9,749 / RM 10,399

Aside from Apple Malaysia’s own online store, you can also order the 2021 iPad Pro M1 through local Apple Authorized Resellers such as Lazada, Machines, and Switch.

All three AAR have noted that the tablet will be making its way to Malaysia within the second half of this month in case you want to check them out in real life first but with the MCO 3.0 now in place, that may not be the best option for the time being.

ASUS Launches ROG Zephyrus M16 Laptop With Intel 11th Gen CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPU

ASUS officially revealed its latest ROG Zephyrus laptop lineup recently, which includes both new and refreshed models. Among the latest additions, one gaming laptop that stood out is a redesigned ROG Zephyrus M16.

Cutting to the chase, one of the highlights of the new M16 is its larger screen-to-body ratio display that measures 16-inches, and is crammed into a 15.6-inch body. Moreover, it offers a four-sided, narrow bezel panel that in turn provides a display ratio of 16:10. Adding on to that, the display has a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, plus a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz and 3ms GTG response time. Oh, it’s also Pantone Validated and has a maximum brightness level of 500 nits.

On a side note, the M16’s display also sports a super-slim 2MP webcam, which is nothing short of a feat, given how limited space already is on the panel.

Underneath the hood, the M16 is fitted with the latest 8-core Intel 11th generation Core i9-11900H CPU, a choice between an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or RTX 3070, up to 32GB DDR4 RAM, and up to 2TB of NVMe Gen4 storage. Powering it all up is a massive 90WHr, 4-cell battery.

As for heat dissipation, both the CPU and GPU are connected by six heat pipes, which are cooled by Arcflow fans. Each equipped with 84 blades and feature ASUS’ self-cleaning Anti-Dust 2.0 system. Last but not least, despite all that hardware, ASUS has managed to keep the weight of the laptop under 2kg. Specifically, it weighs in at 1.9kg.

As for how much the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 costs, the brand has yet to specify that detail. However, ASUS will be releasing two SKUs of it, one at the end of June, while the higher-tier SKU will be made available at the end of July.

Nike PG 5 PlayStation 5 Sneakers To Be Available In Malaysia For RM 465

Paul George’s love for PlayStation is pretty deep to the extent that it has been incorporated into some of his Nike signature shoes over the years. Things are no different for his latest signature model, as they have been given the PlayStation 5 colourway which will be making its way to Malaysia in just a few days time.

Currently playing for Los Angeles Clippers, it seems apt enough that the latest signature shoes for the professional basketball player are called the PG 5. Aside from featuring PS5’s white, blue, and black colour accents, there are also PlayStation logos on the tongue and insole of the right shoe.

Additionally, the four icons from the PlayStation DualSense controller can also be seen on the shoes’ forefoot and heel overlay. Completing the PlayStation extravaganza on these shoes is PG 5 heel tags that are written in PS5 font as well as a special PG x PS hangtag.

In Malaysia, the new PG 5 PS5 basketball shoes will be made available through Nike Malaysia’s official website on 14 May 2021 at 10:00 AM with a price tag of RM 465 which is similar to the standard PG 5 EP release. Since getting limited-edition releases through Nike’s website is notoriously hard, we hope that the odds will be in your favour if you’re planning to cop the PG 5 PS5 shoes.

Next AstraZeneca Registration Session Opens On 23 May; Only For Senior Citizens In Selected States

The coordinator of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the next registration session for AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine will take place this coming Sunday, 23 May. The registration opening is following the original session that took place earlier this month which involved 268,000 doses for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

While the vaccine coverage under the upcoming registration session will be expanded to more areas, it will not cover the whole country just yet as some might be hoping for. Instead, the 23 May session will only involve Penang, Johor, and Sarawak in addition to Klang Valley itself due to the high number of daily cases within these regions.

Furthermore, the registration session will only be opened to senior citizens aged 60 years and above. Those who are under the age of 60 will have to wait until 26 May to see if there are any leftovers and only then, will they be allowed to register.

The majority of the new AZ vaccine batch will be reserved for those who registered via the official website of The Special Committee for COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV). The authorities will also allocate some of them to the District Health Offices (PKD) in order for them to administer the vaccine via on-ground outreach programs in selected areas.

Minister Khairy has also said that some of the vaccines will also be delivered to elderly care homes. Aside from senior citizens, another group of people that will be given priority access to the upcoming batch of AZ vaccine are individuals that are still on the Waiting List from the 2 May registration session.

From what we understand, Minister Khairy’s remarks during today’s briefing and subsequent tweet, the appointments for these individuals will be provided to them through the existing method.

With that, make sure to note down the specific dates we mentioned above if you are planning to register yourself or your loved ones for the AZ vaccine. Not to forget, do get ready to face all sort of possibilities during the registration session including technical difficulties.

IBM Claims “World First” Title With Production Of 2nm Chips

IBM may have beaten the crowd today after claims that it has developed the world’s first 2nm chips. To state the obvious, the new chip is made with some relatively groundbreaking technology that won’t be found on the current 7nm process nodes.

IBM’s 2nm chip features exceptionally thin wiring – thinner and smaller than the width of a single strand of human DNA. To put in Axios’ words: the chip can also be fitted with up to 50 billion transistors in an area around the size of a fingernail.

While there are no official data and performance metrics of the chip yet, IBM says that its new chip could boast an improved performance of 45% over current 7nm offerings with the same power. Alternatively, the same chip could also be altered and tweaked, so that it may consume up to 75% less energy, but still maintain the same performance level as a 7nm.

While IBM may have taken the championship belt within the semiconductor industry, it is fair to say that that title will be challenged – most likely by TSMC – within a year or two. As for now, the world is still waiting on the arrival of 3nm chips, while the 5nm made its debut with Apple’s latest iPhone 12 series.