Discord’s Voice Chat Function Finally Coming To Xbox Consoles

Discord has announced that local and cross-platform voice chat is finally coming to Microsoft gaming consoles, namely the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. Though not widely rolled out just yet, the feature is now available to testers under the Xbox Insiders program.

At its current state, the platform only offers limited functionalities on Xbox consoles – with its key feature, voice chats, missing entirely. One way to remedy this is by initiating or joining calls via the Discord app on your smartphone, but that also means you’ll be relying on multiple audio sources for the session – one for game audio and another for tuning in to voice chats, which is doable but not too practical.

The upcoming Discord voice call functionality that’s coming to the console, however, is not as straightforward as most users would’ve hoped. The long and short of it, this new ability is somewhat an improvement to the solution we’ve mentioned above, sans the need for an extra audio source for the experience. You are required to have the Xbox mobile app installed on your smartphone though, as it will be the platform that bridges Discord’s voice chat to your Xbox console.

First, you need to connect your Discord and Xbox accounts on both the former and latter’s apps. Even if you’ve already done so in the past, Discord notes that you’ll have to relink them again when this new feature is available. Once that’s done, initiate or join a call via the Discord app and tap “transfer to Xbox.” Activating this will then automatically bring up the Xbox app, where you’re required to confirm the process.

From here, both input and output for voice chats are handled directly by your Xbox console, provided that the device and your smartphone are connected to the internet. The platform adds that you can transfer calls from desktop or web clients to your Xbox console as well.

“While you are playing on your console, you will be able to see who is on the call and speaking,” explains Xbox principal program manager Eric Voreis via an official news release. “You’ll also be able to adjust the sound, and switch between Discord Voice and Xbox game chat.”

Both Microsoft and Discord say the new voice chat feature will expand to more testers in the coming weeks. Seeing that the former’s testing period often spans a couple of weeks to even months, it might take a while for it to be widely available to all Xbox users.

Cooler Master Unveils StreamEnjin All-In-One Livestream Mixer: Coming To Malaysia Soon

Marking its first foray into the streamers market, Cooler Master has unveiled an all-in-one live broadcast solution called StreamEnjin. In case you are wondering whether there was a typo in the name, no, that is exactly what the company is calling its new streamer mixer which will be released in Malaysia soon.

Through the new StreamEnjin, Cooler Master said that it aims to provide a simplified livestreaming setup especially for those who are new to the activity. Equipped with dedicated HDMI input ports for 4K and Full HD videos, users can utilise the all-in-one solution to livestream up to two streaming platforms simultaneously at Full HD resolution.

Working together with the onboard physical control panel, all editing, transitions, queuing, and previews can be done directly through the proprietary iPad app that Cooler Master has created for StreamEnjin which also comes with up to 8 preset scenes. Unfortunately, the device can’t be used with other operating systems at the moment although Cooler Master did say that the support for selected Android tablets is currently in the works.

At the same time, the price tag for StreamEnjin is rather hefty despite it being targeted at newcomers. While Cooler Master did note that the pricing has yet to be finalised, we were informed that the StreamEnjin is expected to cost RM 3,999 once it arrives here in Malaysia sometime in September.

Beats Studio Buds Now Official: Coming To Malaysia For RM 629

Given all the attention and popularity of AirPods audio devices, some may think Beats are on the way out. Well, that is not the case just yet as the subsidiary of Apple has just unveiled a new product called the Beats Studio Buds.

Even though they technically came from Apple, many out there would be glad to see that the new Beats Studio Buds still looks distinctively different from the AirPods or AirPods Pro.  The company didn’t provide in-depth details regarding the audio drivers that they used for Studio Buds but they apparently featured a two-piece diaphragm and designed specifically for Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

As you may expect, Studio Buds also comes with Transparency mode that allows users to hear sounds from their surroundings.  Alongside its dual beam-foaming microphones, the IPX4-rated earbuds are also able to deliver up to 8 hours of listening time which can go further up to 24 hours with its charging case.

They also support Fast Fuel quick charge tech which enables them to provide up to 1 hour of playback with just 5 minutes of charging time. Interesting enough, the Studio Buds are able to support both Apple’s quick pairing tech on iOS as well as Google Fast Pair for Android devices.

Available in Beats Red, White, and Black, the new Beats Studio Buds have been listed on Apple Malaysia’s website for RM 629. However, they are still yet to be available for purchase through the site at the moment though.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water Is Coming To Other Platforms

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water was the last game in the series. And for those who didn’t own a Nintendo Wii U, they probably never got to play it either. But that time will come soon, as Koei Tecmo has announced that it is remastering the game for effectively on all platforms.

The formula of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is pretty much the same as it has been for the rest of the series. You make use of the Camera Obscura to exorcise spirits, but you have to do so at the very last moment. The setting of this particular game is a fictional Mount Hikami.

Being a remaster, you can expect better graphics to fit the machines of today. There’s even an additional photo mode, which sounds a little redundant. But it could be useful if you like seeing the distance between a hostile spirit and you when the Camera Obscura is able to banish them.

As mentioned, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water will be available on basically all platforms when it comes out. Specifically, it will be on PC via Steam, both generations of both brands of consoles, and the Nintendo Switch. But there’s no specific date as to when it will be out beyond the very vague 2021.

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.

Next Battlefield Release Within Q4 2021; Announcement Coming In June

EA has the next Battlefield game locked for release within the last quarter of this year. This release window lines up with the release window of previous entries in the series. And it falls in the ever popular year-end holiday period.

In a set of presentation slides that accompanied its earnings report, EA has highlighted the games it plans to release for its financial year of 2022. In this, the company notes that a Battlefield game will be released in Q3 of its fiscal year. This lines up with Q4 of the calendar year of 2021. You can find this on page 13 of the slides, linked below.

The game will be developed by four studios. The company named EA DICE, DICE LA, Crterion and EA Gothenburg as contributing studios in its earnings call. In the same call, the publisher said that the game will be released for both previous- and current-gen consoles, as well as PC.

As for the game’s reveal to consumers, EA has the announcement for the next Battlefield game lined up next month. The company teased this via the official  Battlefield Twitter account, with no details as to the specific date that it will happen on.

Last month, the publisher announced a mobile Battlefield title is in development, bound for 2022. Considering the release schedule, it doesn’t look like it will show up until at least Q2 of next year.

Sega: Lost Judgment Not Coming To PC At This Time

Lost Judgment was announced just recently, and PC was not listed among its launch platforms. Not entirely surprising, since the first game didn’t make its way to PC either. But publisher Sega has confirmed that it won’t be available on PC, at least not for awhile.

Yakuza fan site Tojo Dojo spotted code in the Sega Japan website that suggested that the game was planned to some extent to be on Steam. At the very least, the mention of the Steam logo was found in the page’s code.

But whatever the initial plan was, it looks like it has been changed. In a statement to PC Gamer, a Sega representative said that the company “has no plans to bring Lost Judgment to PC at this time”. And that “at this time’ bit is a bit cruel to fans of the spin-off series.

While it took awhile, but the mainline Yakuza series finally has a strong PC presence. Even the latest entry, Like a Dragon, launched simultaneously on PC and consoles. So it’s a little strange that Judgment series isn’t getting the same treatment. But for whatever it’s worth, Sega did say “at this time”, so things may change in the coming years.

ASUS Zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 Flip Now Official: Coming To Malaysia By End of May

You may have heard of its existence within the past few weeks but wonder no more: the ASUS Zenfone 8 Series is now official. Available in two different models, both of them are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor.

Let’s start with the Zenfone 8 first which is designed for those who wanted a compact flagship-class device as ASUS claimed that this model is made for one-handed usage. Equipped with a 5.9-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that the company has sourced from Samsung and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, the screen also has a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, maximum brightness level of 1100nits, and DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 112%.

Available with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, the Zenfone 8 can be obtained with UFS 3.1-based storage of up to 256GB although ASUS has opted for a UFS 2.1-based storage for the 64GB model. One also need to note that this phone doesn’t come with microSD support, so plan your choice accordingly.

In terms of photography, the Zenfone 8 relies on its 64MP main camera which features the Sony IMX686 sensor alongside a 12MP ultra-wide camera which contains a Sony IMX363 sensor. As for its selfie camera, it is equipped with a 12MP Sony IMX663 sensor and autofocus capability just like the phone two rear cameras.

The 169g phone also has a 4000mAH battery that supports Quick Charge 4.0 and USB PD standards. Price-wise, the Zenfone 8 will be released in Europe for EUR 599 (~RM 3,000) although we expect it to be made available in Malaysia with a much lower price tag.

Meanwhile, there is also the Zenfone 8 Flip which as you might able to guess from its name, comes with a flip-up camera. The tri-camera module is motorized and users are able to utilize it as a selfie camera too.

The main camera within the module is equipped with a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor and f/1.8 lens while there’s also an ultra-wide camera with a 12MP Sony IMX363 sensor as well as an 8MP telephoto camera that has 3x optical zoom and 12x total zoom. ASUS has also provided an extra protection layer on the module by putting a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top of the three cameras.

Other than that, the Zenfone 8 Flip carries a larger 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that has also been sourced from Samsung. Covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 6, the screen has lower refresh and touch sampling rates than Zenfone 8 at 90Hz and 200Hz, respectively alongside a slightly lower peak brightness level of 1000 nits.

The Zenfone 8 Flip somehow only has just one memory and storage option with 8GB and 256GB, respectively. However, the phone also comes with a triple card slot that allows it to support a microSD card with a capacity of up to 2TB – something that is not available with the standard Zenfone 8.

Completing its general specifications is a 5000mAh battery that also supports Quick Charge 4.0 and USB PD standards just like Zenfone 8. When it comes to pricing, the Zenfone 8 will be released in Europe for EUR 799 (~RM 4,002).

For now, ASUS has yet to reveal much regarding the Zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 Flip’s release plan for Malaysia. However, the company did say that it is currently looking to bring them to our market by the end of May.

Malaysia Airlines To Retire Its Airbus A380 Fleet In The Coming Months

Malaysia Airlines will be retiring its Airbus A380 fleet in the coming months, according to a report by Reuters. In a statement by Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) CEO Captain Izham Ismail, the group’s management is convinced that the aircraft “doesn’t fit” with its newly announced Long Term Business Plan 2.0 (LTBP 2.0) – a five-year plan (2021 – 2025) that is set to transform MAG into Asia’s leading travel and aviation services company.

“We are cognizant of the challenges to sell this aeroplane, but we are still looking at ways and means to dispose of our 380 fleet,” he commented. Aside from opting to sell all six of MAG’s A380 double decker jumbo jets, Izham initially assigned them to the group’s subsidiary brand Amal. For those unfamiliar, Amal offers scheduled and charter services to Jeddah and Madinah from Kuala Lumpur for both Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

Airlines retiring Airbus’ A380 models isn’t something uncommon. This is mainly due to the aircraft being a VLA (very large aircraft) that aptly supports a large passenger capacity – a niche that has been rarely utilised by airline companies even before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, ever since the mid-2010s, its role was already effectively taken over by newer widebody twin jets such as the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350, which offer similar range and greater fuel efficiency.

Aside from Emirates and a handful of others, most airlines have opted to ground their Airbus A380 aircrafts. According to website Simple Flying, some of these planes were flown to a long term storage facility in Teruel, Spain. The publication added that only three A380s have been fully dismantled for parts and other resources.

That being said, the fate of Malaysia Airlines’ six A380 jumbo jets are not known at this time. Prior to the announcement, at least one aircraft from the fleet was converted to transport air freight under its sister company MASkargo.

Meanwhile, Captain Izham Ismail also noted in the same Reuters report that the group will accept fully updated Boeing 737 MAX deliveries from 2024 or possibility earlier. MAG is expected to have 83 aircrafts in total by 2025, in line with its LTBP 2.0 plan – with hopes of breaking-even financially and be cash productive by 2023.

Apple AirTag Finally Official: Coming To Malaysia For RM 149

Its existence has been rumoured for quite some time but it was only revealed today during the Spring Loaded event that Apple has decided to unveil the AirTag which is a new accessory that had utilised the company’s Find My platform.

Designed to meet the IP67 standard, the round-shaped device with stainless steel body features a removable cover that allows users to replace the CR2032 battery inside the AirTag themselves. Apple stated that the battery should last for more than a year under daily usages.

Internally, the AirTag is powered by the Apple U1 chip which allows it to utilise the Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology. When used together with UWB-enabled iPhones such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, users can then locate AirTag through a feature called Precision Finding that provides visualised directional guidance complete with sound and haptic feedbacks.

Apple has also noted that when someone discovered a lost AirTag, they can contact the owner using details shown on a website that would be shown to them when they tap their iPhone or other NFC-capable devices on the AirTag. Of course, the AirTag’s owner has to willingly provide their phone number for this purpose.

 The company also pointed out that users will be notified if an unknown AirTag has been detected travelling with them over a certain period of time, as iOS devices will be given the ability to detect an AirTag that is not with its owner. Users can easily identify such AirTag anyway since the device will play a sound if it got separated from the owner long enough and users can obtain the instructions to disable an unknown AirTag by tapping their iPhone or NFC-enabled device on it.

Given that Apple is a huge proponent of privacy, the company has once again highlighted that its Find My network utilised end-to-end encryption and is anonymous in nature which means that it can’t be used to identify individual users by anyone including Apple. Additionally, the Bluetooth signal identifiers on the AirTag itself also rotate frequently to avoid unwanted location tracking.

While the Malaysian release date for the AirTag has yet been revealed by Apple, the nifty tracker is priced at RM 149 per unit. We will keep you posted once it is available in our market, so do keep a look for further updates when the time comes.

Fitbit Luxe: A Fashion-Oriented Fitness Tracker, Coming To Malaysia This June For RM 648

Fitbit has recently unveiled the latest addition to its fitness tracker line-up in the form of Fitbit Luxe. In general, this particular model combines Fitbit’s digital health and wellbeing expertise with a fashion-oriented design which apparently is a first for the Google subsidiary.

Right off the bat, you may notice that the Luxe’s physical design is closer to a bracelet rather than a traditional wearable design. This was mainly done through gentler and softer design lines alongside fashionable watch bands.

With a battery life of up to 5 days, Fitbit also said that the Luxe is its first tracker that is equipped with an AMOLED colour touch screen and is two times brighter than any other Fitbit trackers. It is also water-resistant up to a depth of 50m and comes with Swim Mode that allows users to track their time in the swimming pool or out in the ocean.

In terms of functionalities,  the Luxe provides call & text notification together with heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), steps, distance, calories, sleep, stress, and menstrual health tracking. Since it doesn’t come with built-in GPS, users do have to connect Luxe to their phone if they want accurate data for their runs, hiking, and bicycle rides.

Priced at RM 648, the Fitbit Luxe will be made available in Malaysia this June at All IT Hypermarket, Best Denki, Flash Gadgets, Harvey Norman, Thunder Match, and Timekeeper as well as Fitbit’s official store on Lazada and Shopee. Each unit will be accompanied by a 6-month Fitbit Premium trial subscription.

Customers can also opt for the Fitbit Luxe Special Edition which features a gold-coloured stainless steel Parker Link Bracelet made by the jewellery brand gorjana. Available for RM 928 in the same month at select retailers, it is also being accompanied by an extra silicone-based Classic Band in peony colourway.

Samsung’s 110-inch MicroLED TV Coming To Malaysia This May For RM 599,999

Over the years, Samsung has been showcasing its microLED technology whenever and wherever it can through a massive installation called The Wall. Now, consumers can get a similar experience through the consumer-level microLED models which are heading to Malaysia very soon.

While the underlying technology is the same, the implementation between The Wall and the new consumer model is quite different. The Wall revolves around modular microLED panels which can be stacked to reach sizes of up to 292-inch while the consumer version comes in fixed sizes.

Additionally, the consumer microLED TVs have a smaller screen size but still generally larger than your average TV screen. In Malaysia, the 2021 Samsung microLED TVs will be made available in two sizes including the 110-inch variant which was launched in South Korea last December alongside another variant with a smaller 99-inch screen.

Interesting enough, we were told that the 110-inch model comes with 4K resolution just like in South Korea but the 99-inch variant features 8K resolution instead. Price-wise, the 110-inch option goes for RM 599,999 while the 99-inch model is listed at RM 519,999.

The new 2021 Samsung microLED TVs will be made available for purchase through Samsung Malaysia’s official website this coming May. However, do note that they are built-to-order and takes around 6 to 8 weeks for Samsung to get it into your living room.

Apple Independent Repair Provider Program Is Coming To Malaysia

Apple has announced that it is expanding the Independent Repair Provider (IRP) Program to more countries soon. Malaysia is listed in the first wave of the latest IRP expansion as the program’s registration for our market will be opened later this week.

In general, the IRP designation is meant for companies that are being authorised by Apple to repair out-of-warranty iPhone and Mac. On another hand, repair jobs for in-warranty devices can only be done by Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASP) who are also allowed to repair other Apple products such as iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and more.

Nevertheless, IRPs still have direct access to genuine diagnostics, tools, and spare parts as well as training, service guides, and other related resources to help them perform those repair jobs. Naturally, IRPs also need to have their technicians certified as well, which they can do so by passing the necessary Apple Certifications exams via Authorized Testing Centres.

Meanwhile, users can check whether their service provider is a verified IRP and AASP through this particular section of Apple’s website. For Malaysian companies that are interested to become an IRP, the registration link is not up yet though but you can keep a look out for further development right here.

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.