Intel-Powered Macs Reportedly Will Not Be Getting Live Text And Other Monterey Features

If you watched Apple’s WWDC 2021 keynote, you’ll know that the fruit company’s newly announced macOS Monterey comes with a ton of new and exciting features. Sadly, it seems that not all of the OS’ new features will be available for its Intel-based Mac machines, as some features will be exclusive to Macs running on the new M1 Apple Silicon chip.

If you’re running an Intel-powered Mac and don’t plan on upgrading anytime soon, here are some of the features that you’ll be missing out on:

• FaceTime Portrait Mode
• Live Text, which lets you interact with text in photos (e.g. being able to copy and paste an address on a sign)
• Interactive globe in Maps
• Detailed new city experience in Maps
• Neural text-to-speech voice in more languages for Siri, including in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish
• On-device keyboard dictation without a time limit (dictation was previously limited to 60 seconds)

As a quick recap, M1-powered Macs officially hit the market back in November last year. However, when the company from Cupertino announced its transition to its own silicon chips last June, they said that it would “continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come.”

Obviously, this bit of news runs contrary to the company’s initial promise, so little wonder that some Mac users have taken to social media, accusing Apple of planned obsolescence.

Facebook Announces Clubhouse Clone Live Audio Rooms, Set To Launch Mid-Year

Facebook announced a new feature called Live Audio Rooms that mimics much of what popular audio-based app Clubhouse does. It is expected to launch by summer – that’s mid-2021 for the rest of us who don’t live in the Northern Hemisphere.

Rumours have swirled around the development of Facebook’s Clubhouse clone. Facebook has already been beta testing Hotline, a Q&A-based app that’s quite similar to Clubhouse, but Live Audio Rooms seems to be a separate feature that’s fully integrated within the existing Facebook ecosystem.

Before launch, Facebook said it intends to test Live Audio Rooms in Groups, making it available globally for Group users and their communities. Public figures will also have access to the feature, allowing them to host conversations with other public figures, experts, and fans.

Live Audio Rooms will also be available on Messenger at launch – which comports with rumours last month that the social media giant was working to build a broadcasting feature into Messenger. Unlike Clubhouse though, content creators have the options of turning a live conversation into a podcast for later listening, and sharing audio excerpts from a session in the form of Soundbites (also a new feature). In contrast, Clubhouse’s philosophy emphasises privacy and the app generally doesn’t allow recordings – an attribute that made it initially popular in China before it was banned there.

Facebook is taking a different route probably based on commercial considerations – it wants to make things easier for creators, attracting a large pool of them. While unveiling Live Audio Rooms, the social media giant also pointed to creator monetisation opportunities through its Star feature, and announced an upcoming ability to charge access to a Live Audio Room through a single purchase or a subscription.

Earlier this month, Clubhouse itself announced its first monetisation feature called “Payments”, which enables direct payments to creators.

Facebook Announces Clubhouse Clone Live Audio Rooms, Set To Launch Mid-Year

Facebook announced a new feature called Live Audio Rooms that mimics much of what popular audio-based app Clubhouse does. It is expected to launch by summer – that’s mid-2021 for the rest of us who don’t live in the Northern Hemisphere.

Rumours have swirled around the development of Facebook’s Clubhouse clone. Facebook has already been beta testing Hotline, a Q&A-based app that’s quite similar to Clubhouse, but Live Audio Rooms seems to be a separate feature that’s fully integrated within the existing Facebook ecosystem.

Before launch, Facebook said it intends to test Live Audio Rooms in Groups, making it available globally for Group users and their communities. Public figures will also have access to the feature, allowing them to host conversations with other public figures, experts, and fans.

Live Audio Rooms will also be available on Messenger at launch – which comports with rumours last month that the social media giant was working to build a broadcasting feature into Messenger. Unlike Clubhouse though, content creators have the options of turning a live conversation into a podcast for later listening, and sharing audio excerpts from a session in the form of Soundbites (also a new feature). In contrast, Clubhouse’s philosophy emphasises privacy and the app generally doesn’t allow recordings – an attribute that made it initially popular in China before it was banned there.

Facebook is taking a different route probably based on commercial considerations – it wants to make things easier for creators, attracting a large pool of them. While unveiling Live Audio Rooms, the social media giant also pointed to creator monetisation opportunities through its Star feature, and announced an upcoming ability to charge access to a Live Audio Room through a single purchase or a subscription.

Earlier this month, Clubhouse itself announced its first monetisation feature called “Payments”, which enables direct payments to creators.

Samsung Galaxy Watch3, Active Watch2, and Buds Live Receive Price Cut In Malaysia

Samsung has recently announced the new pricing for selected Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds models in Malaysia. Leading the list is the Galaxy Watch3 which the company announced during last August’s Unpacked event which also included the launch of Galaxy Note20 Series and Galaxy Z Fold2.

Depending on specific models, Samsung has taken off up to RM 500 from the original price tag:

Galaxy Watch3 45mm Titanium with Bluetooth: RM 2,299 (original price – RM 2,499)

Galaxy Watch3 45mm Stainless Steel with LTE: RM 1,699 (original price – RM 2,199)

Galaxy Watch3 41mm Stainless Steel with LTE: RM 1,599 (original price – RM 2,099)

Galaxy Watch3 45mm Stainless Steel with Bluetooth: RM 1,299 (original price – RM 1,799)

Galaxy Watch3 41mm Stainless Steel with Bluetooth: RM 1,199 (original price – RM 1,699)

Similarly, Samsung has reduced the price tag of 2019’s Galaxy Watch Active2 which is available in our market despite its age. From the ceiling price point of RM 1,399, you are now able to obtain the watch for as low as RM 799:

Galaxy Watch Active2 44mm Stainless Steel with Bluetooth: RM 1,099 (RM 1,399)

Galaxy Watch Active2 40mm Stainless Steel with Bluetooth: RM 999 (RM 1,299)

Galaxy Watch Active2 44mm Aluminium with LTE: RM 1,299 (RM 1,499)

Galaxy Watch Active2 40mm Aluminium with LTE: RM 1,199 (RM 1,399)

Galaxy Watch Active2 44mm Aluminium with Bluetooth: RM 899 (RM 1,099)

Galaxy Watch Active2 40mm Aluminium with Bluetooth: RM 799 (RM 999)

As for the Galaxy Buds Series, the price reduction has been applied to the Galaxy Buds Live in which you can now obtain for RM 549 instead of RM 699. Samsung has also cut down the price tag for Galaxy Buds+ from RM 599 to RM 449.

According to Samsung Malaysia, the newly reduced price tag for all four Galaxy wearable products that we mentioned above is effective immediately at Samsung Experience Stores and Authorized Partners nationwide as well as its online store. So, if you’re planning to purchase any of them, make sure that their pricing matches the list above or else, you could end up paying extra for them.

Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.2 Now Live; Addresses Hundreds Of Bugs And Glitches

CD Projekt Red (CDPR) has finally launched the long-awaited Patch 1.2 for Cyberpunk 2077 and it is massive. The patch is nearly 30GB in size and addresses hundreds of in-game bugs and glitches, literally.

As per the list on its official page, the patch fixes a myriad of issues that CDPR has thoughtfully divided up into different categories: Gameplay, Quests, the open world, Cinematic Design, Environment and Levels, UI, and its graphics, audio, and animation, to name a few.

One particular fix addresses how officers of the game’s Night City Police Department (NCPD) would suddenly appear out of thin air, whenever the player character, V. commits a criminal act. Now, a scout drone will appear in advance to give players the feeling that the local authorities are assessing the situation, before they start to swarm in.

Moving on, CDPR has also added a “Rocking/Rotating” feature for the game’s vehicle. This allows the players to cradle their in-game vehicles back and forth, should they find them stuck, beached, or flipped upside down.

If you already have Cyberpunk 2077 installed via Steam, Epic, or if you’ve got the DRM-free version of the game, you should’ve already received a prompt about the update. Once again, the list is incredibly long and detailed, so if you wish you check out all the fixes, you can do so by heading to the official page in the source below.

(Source: Cyberpunk 2077)

Tune Protect Cashless Medical Insurance Goes Live

With an eye on millennials, Tune Protect Malaysia just launched an online, cashless medical plan called PRO-Health Medical. It comes with an e-medical card for cashless admission at over 150 hospitals across Malaysia, and a zero-deductible feature, meaning that policyholders do not have to pay upfront before receiving treatment.

Like other medical insurance plans, PRO-Health Medical provides coverage for hospitalisation and surgical costs due to illness and accidents. But it also offers a year-long mental wellness program with Naluri for the first 1,000 customers and a lump-sum allowance for mosquito-borne diseases.

“The professional overall mental health and lifestyle coaching by Naluri is especially timely given the pressures of keeping up with the ‘new’ norm,” said William Foo, Tune Protect Malaysia CEO. Naluri is a digital platform that provides professional health and life coaching services.

Foo added, “If their goal is to lose that 3 kgs they gained while working from home, or to learn how to balance work-life pressures, our programme with Naluri will give them that added assurance and support.”

PRO-Health Medical has four plan types with Annual Limits ranging from RM30,000 to RM150,000. It’s available for Malaysians and non-Malaysians who legally reside in Malaysia, aged 18 to 45, and can be renewed up to the age of 65.

The online medical insurance can be purchased by downloading the Tune Protect app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. It can also be purchased from Tune Protect’s official website.

Disney+ Is Coming To Malaysia: Facebook and Instagram Pages Just Went Live (UPDATE)

UPDATE 2 (25 Jan – 4:30 PM): The Instagram page of Disney+ Hotstar MY is gone too. Scroll further if you see how the page looks like before it went offline.

UPDATE 1 (25 Jan – 8:45 AM): The Facebook page of Disney+ Hotstar MY has been taken down although the Instagram page is still online. More details below.

ORIGINAL STORY (24 Jan – 10:11 PM):

It has been more than a year since Disney+ made its debut but there is still no news from Disney regarding its availability for Malaysia. However, it seems that may change soon as two Malaysia-specific social media pages for the service have gone live recently.

These pages which are located on Facebook and Instagram have been verified by both platforms, as noted by the blue tick on their name. There is not much activity over there at the moment but both pages contain this particular post:

The “loading” post is identical to the one used by Disney+ Singapore’s Twitter page on 8 December 2020 which was just 3 days before the service revealed its official launch date on 11 December. However, these pages didn’t include the address for the official website for Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia and our attempt to hard guess it (hotstar.com/my and disneyplus.com/my, for example) remained futile.

For those who are not familiar with Hotstar, it was originally an on-demand streaming platform from India that has become part of Disney after it acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019. When Indonesia became the first Disney+ market in Southeast Asia last September, the service was launched there as Disney+ Hotstar Indonesia.

We are now reaching out to Disney to find out more information on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia but judging from the social media posts, it seems rather likely that the big announcement will come through soon.