PC.com-March_2015

Urban Android WearLG moves into stylish wearable spaceJ ust as Mobile World Congress kicks-off in early March, LG strap, giving it a more classic look. Those features make it the perfect smartwatch decided to share its plans to unveil who prefer a more streamlined feel can to complement our G Watch and G Watch swap the strap out for any 22mm wide- R,” says Juno Cho, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communicationsits up and coming smartwatch - band to suit the wearer’s mood. Display- Company.the LG Watch Urbane. Designed for the wise, the Watch Urbane borrows thesophisticated and cosmopolitan wearer, P-OLED display present on its brother,this smartwatch is pitched to be the the LG Watch R. The touch-based userperfect device for wearers looking to add interface is stated to be intuitiveboth style and high-tech flare to their and is compatible with anyeveryday lives. smartphones runningBoasting a stainless steel body that is Android 4.3 and above.available in polished silver or gold finish, Other notable featuresthis smartwatch is further complemented of the Watch Urbane iswith a beautifully stitched natural leather the presence of a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 512MB of LPDDR2 RAM and a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, otherwise known as a heart rate sensor. “The LG Watch Urbane’s classic design and smart

WIRE (Third from left) Chris Yi, Asia Regional Representative, LG Electronics, with the senior management of the company at LG InnoFest 2015. Life Is by sia zhen ning Innovative LG heads east to kickstart its roadshow L G Electronics has officially kick- company's expanded its ULTRA HD TV Chris Yi, Asia Regional Representative, LG Electronics, started its annual Innovation line-up, including the new ColorPrime posing with the new LG TWIN Wash System. Festival (InnoFest) Roadshow in series, as it moved to introduce to visitors. Kota Kinabalu with the theme, TVs aside, LG has also demonstrated its been on display as LG showcased its ‘Innovation for a Better Life’. Held new Music Flow Wi-Fi Series line-up, latest Double Door-in-Door refrigerators, annually since 2013, LG InnoFest is an including two Wi-Fi Sound Bars, and the which has two independent Door-in-Door opportunity for the company to showcase portable Wi-Fi Speaker. compartments, giving users the ultimate its innovative technologies and solutions in convenience with better organisation integrated in their consumer electronics As appliances are also part of LG's and easy access. Other appliances that and home appliances for regional partners. market, the company has brought some of are present at the year’s InnoFest include its latest to the InnoFest as well. One of the the CordZero series of premium cordless Highlights of this year's InnoFest newest innovation that had been shown vacuum cleaners, which come with LG's are LG's 4K OLED TV line-up including off at the roadshow is LG's revolutionary own Smart Inverter Motor and PowerPack 55-, 65- and 77in models with curved TWIN Wash System. This first of a kind technologies, as well as the Styler, LG's and flat displays, ensuring a superb system allows users to wash two loads at own advance clothing management viewing experience with perfect blacks, once with the second load being washed system that refreshes hard-to-maintain exceptionally vivid colours, as well as in the mini-washer located underneath clothes and provides smart features such an infinite contrast ratio levels. The the main washer. Refrigerators had also as Easy Pants Crease Care.46MAR 2015



WIRE Code D Gaming ILLEGEAR reveals its latest series of gaming laptops L ocal custom gaming notebook limitations of typical notebooks, allowing ranging from Full HD to 4K displays. While brand ILLEGEAR has recently it to outperform them in both gaming the D7 does not have any 4K displays pulled back the curtains on their and working software applications. The available for selection, it comes with Full newest series of gaming notebook. graphics department has NVIDIA's line HD screens that have either anti-glare or Labelled the D series, these gaming of high-end graphics card, ranging from super glossy display, featuring up to 90% platforms come in two sizes - the 15.6in D5 the GTX 970M, the GTX 980M, and three NTSC colour gamut. and 17.3in D7. different configurations of the NVIDIA Quattro series. Other cool parts of this new gaming Built for overwhelming power, notebook include a fully illuminated the D series features Intel's own Z97 When it comes to graphics renders, the keyboard, up to 32GB of Dual Channel chipset, LGA 1150 socket and comes D series provide incredibly vivid colours RAM, and is capable of supporting with overclock-able Intel CPU that is and dramatically wider viewing angles for four storage devices with its default typically found in desktop computers. the ultimate viewing experience. For the configuration being two 2.5in SATA drives These processors exceed the power D5, there are three screen options available and two M.2 PCIe SSD drives.48MAR 2015

The Future Carlton: By 2018, organisations will invest less than 20% of their timeof Business and energy on technology architecture. by sia zhen ningGartner predicts the trends of business for 2015 to negotiate new partner contracts to share risk and liability. With data security2 015 looks to be the year where 2017, 70% of successful digital business being relied on more frequently, he expects companies and enterprises take models will rely on deliberately unstable 50% of business ethics violations will occur the next big step into the world of processes designed to shift according to through as a result of improper use of Big Data analytics. Digital Business. Anticipating this the customers' needs. Carlton also expects This ongoing disruption that is nowshift to bring about some major disruptions 25% of enterprise software vendors to taking place will also fundamentally change the way business is conducted.in traditional business models, Gartner reorganise in response to market demand For instance, Carlton predicts that at least 15% of industry-leading companies willshared its Top 10 predictions for Asia for for consumer-grade user experiences. Due inadvertently provide digital knowledge to ‘IT Vendors’ and likely use it to competethe next few years. to this radical change, Carlton believes against them. Present at the media briefing is Darryl that by 2018, organisations will invest Noting the rise of Cloud technology,Carlton, Research Director for Gartner, who less than 20% of their time and energy on Carlton expects the most transformational digital workplace productivity technologieswent about listing off the 10 predictions technology architecture. for both personal and group use will only be available via the Cloud in 2018.that is expected to happen in 2015. Data security is also a big factor thanks This ties into the rising number of new connections for IoT devices, somethingFor starters, Carlton predicts that by to the prominence of Digital Business. Due that is set to exceed all new connections for interoperability and integrated systems to this increase, Carlton predicts that by by 2018 as well. 2017, 30% of threat intelligence services 49 will include vertical market security MAR 2015 intelligence systems from the Internet of Things (IoT). Furthermore, over 30% of digital government projects will treat any data as open data by 2018. By 2020, Carlton believes that supply chain security failures will force 50% of digital businesses

WIREMalaysia Legitimises bymatthewyapeSports Official eSports organisation forms in Malaysia R ejoice, Malaysian gamers as there’s now an official governing “By focusing on the Five Key skills and unearth the best pro-gamer in body in our country! Malaysia Strategic Areas - namely welfare of various categories around the country. is only the second country to gamers, standardisation, education, Besides that, eSM also aims to have its recognise electronic sports (eSports) as games development, and international own city-to-city tour to promote eSports it launched eSports Malaysia (eSM) at recognition, we are confident that eSports through its very own ‘Jelajah eSports Dewan Perdana FELDA recently. eSM will move in the right direction and will Malaysia’ events. Last but not least, for is registered under our country’s Sports turn Malaysia into one of the world’s those who aspire to be a pro-gamer or Commissioner in December 2014 and capital for eSports. With the support of wants to be part of the eSports industry in has the one goal to regulate and elevate gamers in Malaysia, the government, and playing the role of event organisers, team eSports in Malaysia. the private sector, we believe it’s just a managers, shout casters and any similar matter of time before our Jalur Gemilang activities, eSM will create its own eSports Last year, an eSports tournament in the will be seen all over the world,” says Dato Academy to educate and produce world US called The International 4 rewarded Latt Shariman Abdullah, President of eSM, class talents late this year. competitors with RM33 million as prize who goes by the gaming handle, ‘paktehh’. money, attracting more than 20 million Stay tuned by following eSM’s spectators online. With the gaming For 2015, eSM plans to launch the Facebook Page www.facebook. industry attracting billions of dollars in country's first ever National eSports com/persatuansukanelektronik or @ revenue every year, based on various League to allow gamers to harness their esportsmalaysia on Twitter. industry regulator reports like IDC and Gartner, it is the right time for eSM to spearhead the development of the eSports industry to help create a new kind of economy and market segment that can thrive on its own. The new regulator’s mission, essentially, is to promote, develop, and regulate the eSports industry to allow anyone and everyone to be part of this new world phenomenon. As it is, this new trend is regarded as the sports of the future.50MAR 2015



WIRECannes Lions Awards bymatthewyapSY Lau Tencent President is Media Person of the Year 2015 S Y Lau, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and swath of companies he leads in China’s to Tencent’s success in the media President of its Online Media online communications, social, and business. After the announcement in a Group (OMG) has been named entertainment spaces. press conference in Beijing, Malaysian- Cannes Lions 2015 Media Person of the born SY Lau expressed his thanks for Year at the recent Cannes Lion Awards Cannes Lions Awards exist to recognise the award and insists that he believes in Beijing. creative brilliance and innovation. Held the award should have been given to his annually, the Cannes Lions International team instead. He adds, “This award not This award has been given to other Festival of Creativity sees thousands of only demonstrates the success of Tencent leaders before in industry-leading participants from all over the world vying OMG but also highlights the rise of China companies such as Google’s Executive for the coveted awards. This year, Cannes as a global force for online innovation, Chairman, Eric Schmidt; Founder of Lion has elected SY Lau for the award creativity, and the highest quality content Facebook, Mark Zuckerbery; CEO thanks to his leading of Tencent’s OMG to we produced.” of HBO, Richard Plepler; and CEO of become China’s single largest integrated YouTube, Salar Kamangar among others. media service platform. The group now Tencent OMG owns some of China’s As the first executive in a Chinese- uses its various offerings to deliver the leading Internet service platforms today, based company to win the award, it best in content and products for all to use. which includes video streaming and other reflects SY Lau’s renowned leadership of Web services on its qq.com portal. As it Tencent’s Online Media Group and the His efforts and the team that supports is, these services are available for both PC him have created a new way for the people and mobile devices.52 of China to consume content, contributingMAR 2015



WIREDiGi’sNewLookRefreshed brand looksto strong service andcustomer focuses by victor yap (From left) Haroon Bhatti, Chief Human Resource Officer; Christian Thrane, Chief Marketing Officer; Norling; Albern Murty, Chief Operating Officer; and Karl-Erik Broten, Chief Financial Officer unveiling the new logo. R ight of the bat, DiGI Telecommunications Sdn Bhd “We have been accelerating adoption entertainment content (video, music and (DiGi) kicked off 2015 with the and driving consumption of the Internet games), and differentiated product bundles announcement of its refreshed among more Malaysians nationwide • DiGi Value: Always offering better brand identity. Part of the change includes and this mirrors the steady growth for value-for-money voice and Internet plans, the enablement of digital inspiration for our mobile Internet customers, year-on- and enabling affordable mobile access at a customers, reinforced commitment to year. Thus, we will continue to do this wide range of price points. service excellence, and reiterating the while taking a deeper customer-focused • DiGi Easy: Promise of consistent and telco’s solid performance and innovation approach and commitment to service seamless customer experience and best track record. excellence,” adds Norling. self-serve channels. All calls to customer service careline are free. Key to the revamp is the change of the Part of the refresh sees DiGi introducing • Best for Internet: Improved network current logo as it now sports elements from four distinct propositions as the bedrock of guarantees most consistent Internet the Telenor Group, the parent company for its brand promise: experience with the best social media and DiGi. The philosophy, ‘Let’s Inspire’ it uses • DiGi Live: To be at the forefront of content platform engagement. builds on the solid data-focused operations bringing the latest and most inspiring that the telco has established over the last four years. “The refreshed DiGi brand expresses the Internet-inspired life that we want to enable for our customers. Our aim is to be an integral source of inspiration and act as the enabling platform for users to connect to a melting pot of enriching content. We hope in doing so, it’d encourages them to inspire others and be inspired themselves. We will bring together fun and uplifting Web content to constantly deliver inspiring moments and experiences to our customers who are always on the move,” says Lars Norling, the former CEO for DiGi, who left weeks after this announcement. Critical to this brand refresh is having the entire company be reengineered to deliver on its promise to customers in bringing out the ‘Internet For All’. This comes on the back of the recent extensive modernisation of DiGi’s network, IT and go-to-market infrastructures.54MAR 2015



WIREIDC's Crystal BallExpected IT trends of 2015 by sia zhen ning Sailor: IoT will make baby steps in Malaysia as well. mentality is needed in order to smoothly as the Analytics market in Malaysia is implement Third Platform tools such set to reach US$36 million in 2015, a 25% A new year marks a new as Cloud Computing and Big Data into increase from the previous year with a five beginning for many in the ICT the company. year compound annual growth (CAGR) of industry. From the penetration around 30%. This growth is expected to of Chinese smartphones Progressive elements reach US$80 million by 2018,” he adds. into the Malaysian market, to digital CIOs aren't the only ones that will help business being key to the development move the company into the realm of With data comes security concerns of enterprises, 2015 is poised to be a year digital business, as IDC further predicts as it has now become more valuable. where disruption takes centrestage in that the CMOs will also be adopting Thus, the defensive measures required Malaysia. This sentiment is something digital channels to meet KPIs that are to protect it needs to be augmented as most analysts at the International Data increasingly measured by customer well. IDC believes that with the Third Corporation (IDC) share, as its predictions outcomes. While traditional marketers are Platform on the rise, outsourcing such all involve a dramatic shift in the still dependent on manual processes and operations to managed security services current paradigm. have not yet embarked on automation, providers (MSSPs) would be more viable IDC has estimated that over 30% of CMOs than building and managing in-house In the enterprise-side of things, IDC will start identifying new and disruptive capabilities IT security teams. Enterprise predicts many changes in the way that technologies that will aid in creating a mobility will also be affected, as IDC companies conduct their businesses. competitive edge for businesses. foresees how customers' mentality will Key for 2015 is how CIOs will play a very gradually shift from a device-centric style significant part of a company. Besides the According to Jim Sailor, Managing of management to a more content and CIO's knowledge of the technical side of Director, ASEAN, IDC Asia Pacific, the application-centric concept. business, IDC anticipates that CIOs will Internet of Things (IoT) is also included soon need to be more business savvy as in the study as IDC foresees that IoT will mobility Focus well as commanding strong leadership make baby steps in Malaysia as well. Other aspects that had also been touched skills. These next-gen CIOs will be vital on are the telco market. First off, the to breaking down the ‘Cost is King’ “While researchers don’t expect a steady growth in fixed line telco services mentality and replace it with the ‘Saving spike in demand for IoT solutions in 2015, is expected to continue in 2015 to RM9.8 to Innovate’ mentality. This change in they do expect to see more organisations billion with a year-on-year increase of across industries to experiment with it in 7%. Sailor believes that there will be an56 order to assess the potential returns on additional RM8 billion generated in the investments. Big Data is also a part of thisMAR 2015

IT-centric addressable market for fixed lineservice providers in 2015 thanks to theincrease in bandwidth demand. “Primarily driving this is heavy Cloudadoption among enterprise users,”he adds. The smartphone market is anothermajor area of concern as IDC predictsthat the smartphone market will befocused on drive-differentiation and pricecompetitiveness in 2015. This is mostlydue to the spike in cost of living and theimplementation of the upcoming GST. Lastly, IDC expects the implementationof the ASEAN Economic Community(ACE), which is scheduled to happen inDecember 2015, to be a critical factor ofinfluence as well. While it is currentlyuncertain if ASEAN would be able to crossall of the necessary hurdles required forestablishing a truly free market, Sailornotes that, “there are many elements ofintegration in place and more is expectedto come into effect in 2015.” 57 MAR 2015

WIRE (Second from left) Datuk Abdul Wahab Abdullah, President and CEO, MIMOS; Yasmin; and Dr Suhazimah Dzazali, Deputy Director General, MAMPU signing the first MoU between their respective organisaitons. Ramped Big Data Analytics MDeC accelerates deployment through by victor yap national initiative B ig Data analytics (BDA) is set to BDA ecosystem that will impact all sectors Yasmin: These MoUs will see the national BDA be a colossal deal for the Malaysia of the economy,. initiative fire up interest as we move to launch ICT industry and the Multimedia multiple BDA CoEs in different industries. Development Corporation The first two MDeC signings are with (MDeC) has positioned itself to lead the Fusionex International and Teradata interest as we move to launch multiple charge for accelerated adoption among Corporation Sdn Bhd, while the third is BDA CoEs in different industries. This, businesses. It will achieve this through the between the Malaysian Administrative I believe, will catalyse the widespread launch of the National Big Data Analytics Modernisation and Management Planning adoption of BDA across Malaysia and Innovation Network. Unit (MAMPU) and MIMOS Bhd. Among enable many businesses to leverage on its the major initiatives included in this progressive benefits,” Yasmin shares. According to Dato’ Yasmin Mahnood, collaborative partnerships is the creation CEO, MDeC, the establishment of such of a BDA Digital Government (DG) Lab. With the establishment of two new a platform is crucial in realising MDeC’s Various MDeC industry partners like Dell, platforms, Yasmin expects to see the vision to make Malaysia a BDA hub for the SAP, IBM, TM, Microsoft, Oracle, HP, and sustainability of a healthy BDA ecosystem ASEAN region. SAS were present when the partnerships that breeds innovation from within and had been signed, showing their full a spike for interest in data science and Kicking off the launch of the support as members of the National BDA analytical up-skilling. Up and coming CoEs comprehensively advanced network are Innovation Network. that will be built based on these MoUs the three Memorandum of Understandings will be the ones driving the demand for (MoUs) that MDeC undertook with leading “It has been proven on many levels that such skill-sets as they carry out research industry and key government partners. no single player can drive the adoption data work that are gathered from a variety The signings will see the establishment of technology trends in Malaysia. Thus, of sources to apply predictive/simulative of a BDA Innovation Centre of Excellence public and private sector partnerships capabilities on a variety of projects. (CoE) - a platform that will work to drive are essential in accelerating the adoption the adoption of BDA, cultivate innovation of BDA on a national scale. These MoUs among potential BDA services, and build a will see the national BDA initiative fire up58MAR 2015

ContestF-Secure SAFE SecuritySolution GiveawayWhen it comes to protecting your smart device, 1. F-Secure SAFE is able to keep childrenthere are many ways to go about it. What if you Web-browsing activities safe viahave more than one device then? How would you Parental Control. True or false?deploy the same comprehensive solution quicklyand seamlessly on all your smart devices or those 2. F-Secure offers what sort of easy controlof your family’s? system to manage the security for all your devices? Simply put, you’d need a multi-deviceprotection service that is able to be rolled out 3. Browsing on the Web is now saferonto a variety of platforms and, yet, still provide thanks to F-Secure SAFE. Besidesthe same level of security controls that many Parental Control, name the otherhave come to expect from such services. protection services that this security solution offers. Ever considered the award-winning F-SecureSAFE platform? The latest protective offering NOTE: WINNERS WILL BE PICKED ON Afrom F-Secure, it is developed to fully secure FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS!your devices against all known malware atevery level. Beyond providing comprehensive Name:data and identity protective measures, this IC Number:advance security system is made scalable and Address:easy to manage, ensuring its pro-active securityfunctions are kept manageable for all. Email: Contact Number: If you want to switch to F-Secure SAFE, you’rein luck! This month, we are giving away ahandful of one-year subscription SAFE cards. Justanswer the following questions below and youstand a chance to win a copy.TIP: THIS REQUIRES SOME RESEARCH ON THE F-SECURE WEBSITE.Prizes MAIL YOUR ANSWERS BY 30 APRIL 2015 TO:30 to 50x F-Secure SAFE F-Secure/PC.com Contest:(1-Year Subscription) Cards Reach Publishing, 15-3, Block F1, Dataran Prima, Jalan PJU 1/42, 47301, Petaling Jaya OR EMAIL US AT: [email protected]. Rules and Regulations: Participants may only send in one entry per name* Reach Publishing Sdn Bhd and F-Secure Malaysia employees and their immediate families are not eligible for this contest* Any decision about the winners is final* All prizes must be collected in person or by representatives* Participants must be 18 and above* Changes on the number of prizes given out are left to the discretion of Reach Publishing and will be altered without warning Closing Date: 30 April 2015

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01 CellSCope 1202 Bluetooth Gramophone03 VoiCe reCoGnition 02 13 paSSword Journal04 uSB heated air huG pillow05 Storm eleCtriC Bike06 toShiBa enCrypted uSB FlaSh driVe07 humpinG doG uSB CaBle08 Glow headphoneS09 kai taBle10 Video SCreen miCroSCope11 kiitaG 212 anti-ColliSion rear-end Car laSer13 oCtoFire 8 port uSB 3.0 huB with rapid CharGinG14 Belkin mini diSplayport to hdmi & VGa adapter15 luna mattreSS CoVer radioShaCk portaBle16 10,400mah power Bank + 4 CoVerS17 eleCtroniCS learninG laB kit18 auVio limited edition wood earBudS + miC19 radioShaCk wallet ninJa Flat multitool20 radioShaCk 58-pieCe preCiSion SCrewdriVer Set 61 MAR 2015

GADGETS 01 02 CELLSCOPE BLUETOOTH GRAMOPHONE Ever had your ear ache for no discernible reason? Are speakers too mainstream for you? Why not get a Then the CellScope is here to help. This ear probe Gramophone instead. These old school ‘speakers’ of attaches with your smartphone and records footage sorts has a modern makeover by way of being Bluetooth of the inside of your ear with an app, allowing you to compatible, allowing you to play music directly from your have a vague idea of what is wrong with your health. smartphone without the need of getting a vinyl player. TAKE NOTE: it is not an alternative to a doctor’s visit US$399.99, gramovox.com so it’s a good idea not to rely on it too much. Home (OTO Home): US$79, Pro (OTO Pro): US$299, cellscope.com 03 VOICE RECOGNITION PASSWORD JOURNAL If you’re still one of the few who keep a handwritten journal and are extremely paranoid about someone peeking at it, the Voice Recognition Password Journal is for you. As the name implies, the journal can only be unlocked via your own voice, truly allowing you to keep your thoughts to yourself. £24.95, prezzybox.com62MAR 2015

05 STORM ELECTRIC BIKE Occupying the space between a bicycle and a motorcycle, the Storm Electric Bike is a bicycle made for those that don’t have the stamina to pedal long distances. Designed mainly for daily commute instead of off-day biking, this electric bicycle is able to cover 50-80km in a single charge. US$1,299 (Retail), indiegogo.com - stormelectricbike 04USB HEATED AIRHUG PILLOWWhile this thing may have limited applications inour own country (as we don’t have winter), it isnovel enough to be introduced on PC.com Gadgets.Essentially, this pillow heats up to 36°C when pluggedinto a USB port. Also, it is a full length dakimakura(hug pillow), so those who know what they are canprobably imagine the given possibilities.US$56, japantrendshop.com 63 MAR 2015

GADGETS 06 TOSHIBA ENCRYPTED USB FLASH DRIVE Do you have data inside your USB drive that are for your eyes only? Then you might want to consider the Toshiba Encrypted USB Flash Drive. This USB drive encrypts all files stored into it and it can only be decrypted when the password is entered via the USB drives own numeral keypad. Comes in 16GB or 32GB variants. US$120 (16GB), toshiba.com 07 08 HUMPING DOG USB CABLE GLOW HEADPHONES We here at PC.com are not above immature jokes and Headphones with lights on them aren’t anything new. gadgets. Case in point, the Humping Dog USB cable. Headphones with lights that comes with dual audio This USB and microUSB cable comes with a small drivers as well as Android Wear support though - now little dog on top of the plug itself. When connected to that is intriguing. Meet the Glow Headphones, a pair a device, the dog would begin making sweet, sweet of headphones that is illuminated by laser light, comes love to your electronic device of your choice. equipped with a heart-rate sensor, and is Android US$23, japantrendshop.com Wear ready. If you’re more of an Apple fan, don’t worry, the Glow supports iDevices as well. North of US$200, glowheadphones.com64MAR 2015

09KAI TABLEIt may look like a pretty standard table, but take acloser look and you can see there are lines runningthroughout the table. As it turns out, this table isfull of compartments, allowing you to stow away allmanner of books, remote controls and other objectsin its many storage slots. Keeping your table tidy hasnever been easier.US$7,517, japantrendshop.com 10 VIDEO SCREEN MICROSCOPE A slightly more modern take on the traditional microscope, the Video Screen Microscope, as the name implies, comes with a videoscreen where the eyepiece used to be. Now, everybody can look at what’s under the microscope without having to take turns. US$399.95, hammacher.com 65 MAR 2015

GADGETS 11 12 KIITAG 2 ANTI-COLLISION REAR-END CAR LASER This device is a digital variant of the Swiss Knife. How so? Well, it has as many functions like a Because some of us are...less than adapt at judging standard Swiss Army Knife does. It can be used distances when parking our car, the Anti-Collision as a powerbank, a USB flash drive, and even as Rear-End Car Laser is here to help. When set up a flashlight. All of these features and more are properly, this device will project a triangular shaped consolidated into one small rectangular piece grid just above the floor, allowing you to gauge the of hardware. distance between your car and the wall easily. US$79.99 (8GB), US$89.99 (16GB), US$10.99, banggood.com kickstarter.com - kiitag266MAR 2015

13 14OCTOFIRE 8 PORT USB 3.0 BELKIN MINI DISPLAYPORTHUB WITH RAPID CHARGING TO HDMI & VGA ADAPTERA USB hub is almost essential these days as more and more If your notebook comes with a Mini DisplayPortdevices use them as a recharging port. If you’re looking for and you feel like hooking it up to a big screen TVa hub with numerous slots, why not go for the OctoFire? or monitor, then either of these adapters would beAs per name ‘octo’, it perfectly reflects the eight USB ports, perfect for you. Belkin’s own Mini DisplayPort adapterallowing you to connect that many devices to it. Best of all, comes in HDMI and VGA flavours, allowing you toit outputs at 2.4A per port, allowing for rapid recharging for choose whichever cable that suits your needs.the devices that are plugged in. US$34.99, belkin.comTBC, kickstarter.com - octofire8 15 LUNA MATTRESS COVER We have smartphones, smartwatches, smart glasses, and even smart homes. What’s next? Well, how about your bed?! The Luna Mattress Cover comes with sensors that is able to monitor your sleep phase, heart rate, and breathing. Wrap this thing over your mattress, and voila, you have a smart bed ready! US$249.00 onwards, lunasleep.com 67 MAR 2015

GADGETS You can find these products and more 16 in RadioShack outlets at: • Mid Valley Megamall RADIOSHACK PORTABLE 104, 00MAH • Berjaya Times Square POWER BANK + 4 COVERS • Bangsar Shopping Centre • Hartamas Shopping Centre Never worry about a low battery levels again when you have this • Pavilion KL RadioShack 10,400mAh Power Bank on hand. With it, you can power • Sunway Pyramid up your smartphones and tablets at the same time. For looks, it • IOI City Mall includes four free silicone skins (black, white, coral and blue) for • Gardens added customisation. (shop-in-shop inside Borders) 17 • The Curve ELECTRONICS LEARNING (shop-in-shop inside Borders) LAB KIT • Tropicana City Mall Want to build your own electronic circuits? Now (shop-in-shop inside Borders) you can with the Electronics Learning Lab as it has • Queens Bay Mall Penang over 200 projects that teach you about transistors, diodes, capacitors, oscillators, electronic circuits, (shop-in-shop inside Borders) and schematic symbols. It even has light-emitting • Gurney Plaza Penang diodes, an LED display, and an analogue panel metre, all of which provide more visual options for68 you to employ when building projects.MAR 2015

19 RADIOSHACK WALLET NINJA FLAT MULTITOOL The Wallet Ninja Flat Multitool includes 18 everyday tools that can fit in your wallet so that it will always be available for those MacGuyver moments. Its TSA approved for carry on during flights, meaning TSA will not confiscate. Made from 4x heat-treated steel, it will never rust, bend, or go dull. Tools include: six Hex Wrenches, a can opener along with fruit peeler, bottle opener, ruler (standard and metric), letter opener, box opener, phone-stand, and eyeglasses. Of course, Phillips and flathead screwdrivers are a must. 18 20AUVIO LIMITED EDITION RADIOSHACK 58-PIECEWOOD EARBUDS + MIC PRECISION SCREWDRIVER SETEnjoy the lush sound and feel of premium wood withthese AUVIO Limited Edition Earbuds as it packs RadioShack’s 58-Piece Precision Screwdriver Set includeswalnut enclosures and 8mm drivers. Together, they an ergonomically tapered handle, a 7in flexible extension,deliver warmly rich sound reproduction with crisp a 4in bit extension and 55 bits. This makes it the onlyhighs and powerful bass. When plugged into your screwdriver you’ll ever need for most electronics, hobby,smartphone, the in-line mic lets you receive calls with and household projects.the push of a button. 69 MAR 2015

TesTed REVIEWS BY matthew yap, sia zhen ning, victor yap, din, daryl tan, boris, lord of the acorns, magnus edward mass86 HP OMEN70MAR 2015

WORKBENCH PLaTInUM GoLd sILVeR The hows and whys:The PC.com eXCeLLenCe ChoICe ReCoMMended MeThod To The Madnessworkbench is awaRdwhere all the awaRd awaRd Dozens of the latest (and quite possiblygadgets, gear, greatest) gadgets, devices and stolen alienand gizmos go to eXCeLLenCe: ChoICe awaRd: ReCoMMended: technology arrive at our front door everyfor our extensive month. We make it our mission to givetesting. It is the 9.5Minimum score 8.5Minimum score 7.5Minimum score you the most balanced opinion on justplay area where about every last one of them. It’s only fairwe abuse... Each month, This is only for Given to gear that to both you - our dear esteemed readers,erm...put the only one device devices that are rise above the as well as the manufacturers who send usdevices through shall receive this outstanding in average but yet still these awesome wonders. To ensure wethe wringer. award. It’s the performance, deserve recognition. mean business, we established a strictAt the end of best of the best, features, and methodology to determine the final scoresit all, the best the one and only, design. for each product category. Benchmarkingof the best will and the chosen software, from both FutureMark andreceive the ever one all wrapped PassMark, are our weapon of choicecoveted PC.com into a neat for putting computers to the test, whileExcellence, package. Quadrant Standard Edition is used toChoice, and provide an objective score for mobileRecommended devices. For everything else, we hand it toawards. Read up our writers to determine the best qualitiesto gear up! of whatever it is that fall into our hands.79 84HTC Re Sharp LC-Camera 60LE660X 60in Full HD LED TV 98 ASUS GTX980 STRIX OC V P F D UVaLUe PeRFoRManCe FeaTURes desIGn UsaBILITyExpensive does A measure of how The best Aesthetics are In the end, we just wantnot always well the product gimmicks and important. The our gadgets to work.mean good. stands up to our flashy parts get nicer it looks, So those that are best testing. the top score the more points for day-to-day tasks are it gets. valued higher. 71 MAR 2015

TESTEDSmall Wonder RM5,149Dell XPS 13 by sia zhen ning Prior to the official release of the new XPS eDge to eDge noteworthy mentions inside the XPS 13 13, Dell made a rather cheeky ad where As this notebook is called the XPS 13, are the 8GB DDR3 RAM as well as the it compared the size of the XPS 13 to an many would be wondering how an 11in 256GB SSD storage system. The graphics apple. Witty as it may be, if you’re going chassis would be able to fit a 13in screen. department is handled by Intel’s own HD to market your product at the expense The answer is having used the whole Graphics 5500. of another company, you best be able to real estate of the top lid. The screen on deliver. Of course, it does as the XPS 13 the XPS 13 is designed to be right at the oN tHe move packs a powerful punch for such a small edge, meaning that there is little to no Now that we’ve got the formalities out of frame. empty space available for the display the way, it’s time to talk about usability. bezel. Almost every single available square The XPS 13 performs like a dream as Notebook Dwarfism inch of it is the screen. Besides fully it handles productivity tasks without The first thing anybody would tell you utilising the given space, the screen on breaking a sweat. In fact, multitasking about the XPS 13 is how small it is - and the XPS 13 (for this review at least) has a with it is a non-factor since it handles that that’s exactly what I’m going to tell you resolution of 3200 x 1800. Oh and it is also with great gusto. Video playback? Barely right off the bat: the Dell XPS 13 is tinier a touchscreen to. even fazes it. Gaming? Ah, no gaming than Tiny Tim! The notebook itself is built on this one unless it’s a low requirement around an 11in chassis that allows it to broaDwell Has arriveD indie game or an oldie. If you want a occupy minimal real estate on your desk. Housed inside the tiny little frame of productivity machine, the XPS 13 is going It is also incredibly thin and light, making the XPS 13 is a highly anticipated Intel to make you really happy. this highly portable. Simply put, this CPU with a spanking new architecture. machine is smaller than the 13in version of Yes, a Broadwell Core i5 processor (or i7, variable lifespaN the Macbook Air as well as being just a bit depending on configuration) is sitting If you had been following the XPS 13 thinner than its predecessor. inside and powering this Ultrabook. Other closely prior to its launch, you would have72MAR 2015

SCORE GOLD cHOIce AWARD 9.2heard Dell announce that the XPS 13 has Remember how the screen occupies SpecSa 15 hour battery life. This is where things almost the entirely of the top half? Well, Weight 1.18 kgstart to get a tad bit confusing. Let’s start that need for space affected the placement Dimensions 15 x 304 x 200 mmoff with the truth first, the 3200 x 1800 of the webcam, which is now located all processor 5th Generation Intelresolution touchscreen version of the XPS the way at the lower left of the top half. Core i7-5500U Processor13 comes nowhere near the much vaunted This isn’t a big issue for those who rarely Memory 8GB Dual Channellength of battery use. The most I’ve use it. For those who do though, it's going DDR3L-RS 1600Mhz managed to squeeze out of it was roughly to feel very unusual and you might want to Graphics Intel HD Graphics 5500seven to eight hours - that’s with dimming take some time to get used to it. Display 13.3-inch UltraSharpdown the screen and putting it on energy QHD+ (3200 x 1800) infinity touchsaving mode. I’ve heard stories that the Buy FIRST, THInk LATeR display1920 x 1080 resolution, no touch screen Niggles aside, the new XPS 13 is an Audio Stereo speakersversion of the XPS 13 being able to survive incredible Ultrabook. It performs extremely professionally tuned with Wavesfor up to 15 hours but since I did not get to well and is so light that you can bring it MaxxAudio® Pro 1W x 2go hands on for that version, I can neither with you anywhere. If you’re on the fence Storage 256GB Solid State Driveconfirm nor deny if the claim is valid. about this machine, don’t be as you won’t connectivity DW 1560 + BT4.0 regret purchasing this wonderfully stellar [802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0, DualWHy ARe yOu THeRe? Ultrabook; unless you decide to do so when Band 2.4&5 GHz, 2x2]One minor curiosity about the XPS April rolls around and GST hits - in which ports 2x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI v1.4b,13 is where the webcam is placed at. case that is all on you. 1x Mic-in/Headphone-out pcMark 8 Home 2171 pcMark 8 creative 2450 pcMark 8 Office 2468 VeRDIcT The finest XPS available for purchase right now. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 73 MAR 2015

TESTED SCOREMy First HP Stream 13 SIlVeRNotebook bysiazhenning RecOMMenDeD aWaRD 7.8 RM1,199 Does anybody remember the Chromebook? BUDGeT peRFORMance SpecS Those had been inexpensive mobile Powering the Stream is a selection of Weight 1.55 kg platforms that are designed to be used hardware that is pretty par for the course Dimensions 33.32 x 22.9 x 1.95 online to ‘harness’ the power of the Cloud. for notebooks of this pricing and level. It mm While the HP Stream isn’t exactly a features a 2.16GHz Intel Celeron N2480 cpU Intel® Celeron® N2840 (2.16 Chromebook as it doesn’t use Chrome OS, processor and 2GB DDR3L RAM. The GHz, 1 MB cache, 2 cores) the system itself is designed in line with storage is handled by a 32GB eMMC SSD. Memory 2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3L the philosophy behind a Chromebook. Of course, you’ll probably only have about SDRAM  20GB to work with as Windows and other Graphics Intel HD Graphics FUll TecHnIcOlOUR programs are pre-installed with it. This Storage 32 GB eMMC The first thing you’ll noticed about the HP is where the ‘power of the Cloud’ comes Operating System Windows 8.1 Stream is the colour it sports. Unlike other into play as the machine itself comes with Display 13.3\" diagonal HD anti- notebooks and their boring 10 shades a free year of OneDrive storage as well as glare WLED-backlit (1366 x 768) of grey and black, the Stream is brightly Office 365. connectivity HP hs3110 HSPA+ coloured in either blue or pink (technically Mobile Broadband 802.11b/g/n magenta), truly a breath of fresh air when One FOR THe KIDS (1x1) and Bluetooth® 4.0 combo compared to the dreary palette of other Seeing as the HP Stream is an entry-level mobile PCs. The colour scheme continues notebook in every sense of the word, you’d pcMark 8 Home 1196 when you flip it open as the colours slowly wonder which demographic this notebook pcMark 8 creative 935 turn into a lighter hue of the primary colour is trying to aim at. My personal opinion - it pcMark 8 Work 1716 used for the external design. This can be is targeted for kids who require a system seen at the centre of the keyboard as the to use for whatever reason. Thanks to VeRDIcT shade moves all the way to the bottom. its low asking price and bright colours, I can see this laptop as a good choice for An introductory notebook for a lIGHTWeIGHT MacHIne those looking to give their kids a notebook small fee. When it comes to size, the Stream 13 without breaking the bank. If you don’t is a pretty decently sized ultraportable have kids, it is good if you need to crank 10 notebook. Granted, it is not the thinnest out a few word documents on the go. Just 9 nor smallest ultraportable available but it’s don’t expect anything else beyond that. 8 still relatively small and light, making it 7 rather easy to carry around. 6 574 4 3MAR 2015 2 1 0

SCOREVirtual Surround GolDSound Kingston HyperX Cloud II cHoIce aWaRD by sia zhen ning 8.8Kingston’s original HyperX Cloud had RM379been widely touted to be one of the bettergaming headphones out in the marketaccording to pro-gamers. Now whether ornot that statement is true is not somethingI can answer as I’ve never tried it onmyself. However, what I can tell you ishow its successor, the HyperX Cloud II,performs. So does it live up to the hype itspredecessor has?MoDeRaTely SIzeDRight out of the box, the Cloud II issmaller than I imagined it to be. It’snot exactly compact sized but it’s notgargantuan either. The ear-cups are bigenough to accommodate anyone and iscomfortable enough that I’m able to useit for an extended period of time. Theclamp for the cans is tight enough toprevent any sound leakage while not beinguncomfortably painful.SeVen poInT one SpecSPaired with the headphones is the USB- Weight 320gpowered audio control box that comes Drivers 53mm Neodymiumwith a built-in Digital Sound Processer magnet(DSP) system. This audio control box Frequency responseis in stark contrast to the ASUS STRIX 15 – 25000 Hzheadphone’s DSP that I’ve reviewed earlier Sensitivity 98 dBas it is comparatively smaller. This little Impedance 20 ohmgadget is where you’ll activate the 7.1 connectivity 1m + 2m extension,feature of the headphones. single mini stereo jack plugnoISe aMplIFIeD VeRDIcTOne thing to note is that this headphoneisn’t a true 7.1 surround sound system. A great pair of gaming headphonesIt is a virtual solution and as far as with great 7.1 emulation.performance goes, it works incredibly well.The output from the headphones when 10the 7.1 setting is toggled on superbly 9augments music, movies, and most 8games. Simply put, if you aren’t picky with 7the way the Cloud II handles 7.1, you’ll find 6plenty to like here. 5 4 3 2 1 0 75 MAR 2015

TESTEDEdge OutSamsung GALAXY Note Edge by matthew yapRM2,999 level of oxygen in your blood, a nice feature for those who are health conscious. Also, if you prefer additional security on your devices, the Note Edge also has a fingerprint sensor that’s integrated into the Home button. The speaker is also at the back of the device, something I believe that many have shared their dislike. It can get muffled sometimes like when you try to watch a video with it flat on a table. Always attempting to stay ahead of the new Curves CuttIng edge pack, Samsung continues to release It goes without saying that the Note Now it’s time to see what sets the Note quality smartphones that appeal to the Edge’s main hook is its new curved edge Edge apart from its other siblings - the mass market. Now with the competition - but more on that later. The Note Edge Edge Screen. Since it’s a Samsung device, ramping up, it needs a differentiator. Thus, is nearly identical to the Note 4 and that the user interface (UI) loaded within is in comes the Samsung GALAXY Note means an aluminium frame, which can obviously the TouchWiz Nature UX 3.0. Edge - a device that truly fits its moniker be seen around the edges of the phone. This improved version sports a unique by being the first to use Samsung’s Even with the presence of metal, it is side-panel that can be customised to innovative ‘Edge Screen’. It’s clearly a somewhat smaller and weighs less than display different things such as your proof of concept but will it be anything its predecessor. Volume rocker is on the favourite apps, or other third party ones for more than that? left, which is fine, but I didn’t like how the quick and easy access. One of the things power button is placed at the top. For a you can do with the Edge Screen is only In-box smartphone of this size, it’s hard to reach waking the Edge Screen by swiping up Note 4 users will find the packaging similar at times. What’s nice are that both set of and down, which is useful if you just want to the Note Edge’s. While the inclusion buttons are metal too. to check the time or your notifications. of earphones inside isn’t special, the When it’s awake, swiping left or right lets Adaptive Quick Charging adapter is a nice PunChy baCk you swap through the different panels touch. On the topic of chargers, the device On the back, you’ll find the large 16MP that you’ve activated. The Edge Screen will also support Samsung’s Qi wireless rear-facing camera centred at the top, is still a new idea and it will be awhile charging system as well. Unfortunately, I with an LED flash below it. Both sit right before the world would see an extensive couldn’t test that since it wasn’t available next to a heartbeat sensor. This sensor library of panels ready to be downloaded. for me to try. can be used to measure the saturation Should this take off, it could become76MAR 2015

SCORE GOlD cHOIce AWARD 9.0the definitive selling point for Samsung utilising extra on-screen space. It’s also SpecSdevices - or at least for its premium range hard to take a snapshot with one hand due Dimensionsof smartphones. to the device’s size. Aside from that, it’s a 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3 mm true quality photography tool. Photos look Weight 174 geXcepTIOnAl DISplAy crisp with acceptable noise levels and the chipset Snapdragon 805The Korean manufacturer opted to put Auto White Balance is quite accurate. If cpU Quad-core 2.7 GHz Krait 450a Quad HD Super AMOLED on the Note you just need it for casual photography or Graphics Adreno 420Edge, giving it crisp details and excellent like using your phone to take pictures of Memory 3GB RAMviewing angles. The contrast is amazing your meal, well, this is about as good as it Display 5.6 inches Superas well, just what you would expect from gets. Those who belong to the cult of selfie AMOLED, 1600 x 2560 pixelsa Super AMOLED display, though it’s also will be glad to know that the heartbeat camerawhy the brightness is only average. You sensor can also be used as a button for 16 MP rear-facing (OIS, autofocus,could turn it up to maximum and it should taking those front-facing shots. LED flash), 3.7 MP front-facinglook fine but it won’t look very clear under Storagedirect sunlight. However, the colours are FAST cHARGe 32 GB, expandable by microSDsuperbly vivid, making it another plus Though only using a 3,000mAh battery, the Operating Systempoint for OLED devices. If the saturation Note Edge does relatively well in battery Android 4.4.2 Kitkatlevels are too high for you, the colour life, lasting through a day. This is a rough Battery 3,000mAhbalance can be adjusted in the settings estimate as I’m only testing by regularmenu. All in all, the Note Edge’s display use of Google Maps with the GPS on, web Benchmarkwins big just like the Note 4 uses. browsing, checking emails, Whatsapp, and 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited most of what you’d do on a daily basis. 19263GReAT SnAppeR If you game a lot, then you’re going to Antutu 46640Unlike the norm, when the camera app is need to charge it by noon. Thankfully, the Basemark X High Quality 18814used you will see the options and buttons Adaptive Fast Charger helps juice up the Anomaly 2 High Quality 361183on the Edge Screen. There’s no real use Note Edge by 50% in approximately 30 GFXBench Manhattanfor that, except for having the novelty of minutes. Very fast, indeed. 625 (10 fps) GFXBench Manhattan 1080p 1134 (18 fps) GFXBench T-Rex 679.6 (12 fps) GFXBench T-Rex 1080p Offscreen 1037 (19 fps) VeRDIcT Samsung really threw us an interesting curve ball. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 77 MAR 2015

TESTED SCORE GOLD cHOIce AWARD 8.6Midrange Star SpecS Dimensions 419 x 280 x 29 mmMSI GE72 2QE Apache by matthew yap Weight 2.7 kg chipset Intel HM87 ‘Electronic Sports’ (eSports) is becoming a keyboard, and a lot of I/O ports like audio cpU Intel Core i7-4710HQ big thing and with our government setting jacks, as well as a Gigabit LAN and a GpU Nvidia GeForce 2GB GDDR5 up a body to regulate it, there’s belief DisplayPort. What's more, there’s a button GTX 965M that the industry will gain traction. While for the Cooler Boost 3 feature to improve RAM 16GB traditional PC gamers prefer more powerful thermal reduction and one for Shift mode. Display 17in, 1920 x 1080 gaming notebooks, those who enjoy If you shift to ‘Sports’ mode, you’ll likely Anti-Glare Display eSports titles can play their usual games need the fan boost too since it’s basically Storage Up to 768GB Super RAID with any decent one. That’s where MSI’s toggling the overclock for CPU and GPU. It 2 + 1TB HDD 7200rpm GE72 Apache will shine. takes awhile for the fans to kick in and the connectivity Killer Gigabit LAN, hum does become more noticeable. Thus, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LAN BUDDy you might want to put on headsets when I/O HDMI, SD card reader, Like many MSI notebooks, this one has that happens. USB 2.0 x 1, USB 3.0 x 3, that brush black aluminium frame with the mini-DisplayPort, mic-in, audio out MSI Red Dragon logo etched on the lid. If Up TO pAR that’s not enough style for you, it also has The GE72 features NVIDIA’s new GTX Benchmarks a multi-colour backlit keyboard. Carrying 965M GPU under the hood. It's not as pcMark 8 Home 3694 it wherever you go is easy, since the GE72 impressive as the GTX 970M (check the pcMark 8 creative 4491 is really light for a 17in and only weighs in benchmarks) but even so, it’s more than pcMark 8 Work 4820 at 2.7 kg. However, build quality seems to enough for titles like CounterStrike and 3DMark Fire Storm 4809 have suffered a bit as it doesn’t feel very DotA 2, or regular PC games on lower 3DMark Sky Diver 14398 solid. Of course, that’s a common trade-off settings. Unfortunately, battery life seems in most mid-range gaming laptops. to be a weakness as it lasted just a little VeRDIcT over three and half hours on a full charge. SHIFTING GeARS This could be attributed to the brightness Solid performer that is also stylish. There’s enough to keep the casual gamer level needed to enjoy videos and games happy. From a non-reflective 17in Full on the screen. When gaming, it’s better to 10 HD screen that is great for videos and have a power source and the AC adapter 9 games, to the full-sized Chiclet Steelseries on hand. 8 778 6 5MAR 2015 4 3 2 1 0

SCORE goLD cHoIce aWaRD 9.4The ProAlternativeHTC Re Camera by victor yapWhen one mentions HTC, the first thing LaRge SnappeR SpecSthat comes to mind is the HTC ONE Once turned on, you can let the HTC Re Dimensions (H x D)flagship. Well, that used to be the case Camera pair with the bundled app and 97.7 x 26.5mmuntil the Taiwanese brand introduced a start shooting away. Thanks to its wide- Weight 66.5gnew product category that breaks out from angle 146-degree 16MP lens, you don’t camera Sensors 16MP 1/2.3inthe usual smart device mould. With the need to think so much about framing the Sony CMOS SensorHTC Re Camera, that is what HTC did and shot. So long as you know you’re in front camera Functions 1080p 30fpssuffice to say, it’s been making waves. of the camera, for selfies, or have a general Full HD Video, 720p, 4x Slow look of the visual you want to capture be in Motion Video, 146-degrees super-peRIScope-LIke front of the lens, then just press the sliver wide angle lens with f/2.18At one glance, anyone could easily guess knob that is located behind the lens to expandable microSD, up to 32GBthe HTC Re Camera took its inspiration start snapping. connectivity BLE Bluetooth v4.0,from the submarine periscope. With its Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Wi-Fi Direct,slick cylindrical build tapering off to form aDVanceD USage 5-Pin MicroUSB, MicroSD Carda curved module where the 16MP lens The HTC Re Camera sports a tonne of Slot, Tripod Capableresides in, there is no doubt that it feels user experience enhancements. From Battery 820mAhlike a spying glass. the rugged protection it offers against water, to the two button only operation - a VeRDIcTMaDe SMaRT big one for engaging shutter and firingWhat makes the HTC Re Camera stand up video recording, plus a smaller one Gives a new perspective on howout further is the intuitive system that is underneath the lens that is used to engage camera's are seen.incorporated into the entire chassis. When time-lapse recording - and the ultra-fastgripping the camera body, which hides the charging of its battery, all that gives the 10touch-enabled sensor that lets the device camera new levels of user controls. Paired 9know you wanted to use it, the HTC Re with the fun accessories as well as the 8Camera will turn on automatically for you intuitive app it ties into, makes for a really 7and quickly sync to the HTC Re app that is fun user experience with an interesting 6on your smartphone. camera that truly breaks the mould. 5 4 3 2 1 0 79 MAR 2015

TESTEDFully AccountedFor HIS Radeon R9 290 IceQ X2 by din While everyone wants the best for their heavy Duty Slim PickingS machine, sometimes, there may be that The GPU itself is very large, though the The large and long heatpipes used allows situation where one just doesn’t have majority of the bulk and heft comes from HIS to keep the HIS R9 290 IceQ X2 slim the financial means to do so. Hence why the five-pipe operated IceQ X2 cooler. So and, as such, it does not take more than manufacturers gives end-users choices large is the cooler that it’s measures a tad two slots. The long length brings up one of what they can buy. Some of these longer than the R9 290 PCB. As the X2 major issue - the graphics card might choices tend to fall in the ‘value for money’ moniker suggests, the cooler uses two bend under its own weight. Of course, category, quickly becoming fan favourites large fans to cool it down. The five pipes to prevent that from happening is the for many. In terms of graphic chips for and the large displacement combo makes aluminium bracket that is used on top of Radeon, that is the R9 290 card. The GPU sure that the heat generated is properly the card. HIS has kept the default Radeon might have been introduced for a while dissipated. HIS also takes a different output jacks - one dual DVI, a single HDMI, but it still has a lot of life in it. What I have approach from other manufacturers as it and a DisplayPort. Note that for people in my hands this month is a solution by gives the heatshroud a golden hue instead that are looking to use this graphics to Taiwanese manufacturer HIS. Coming in a of jet black. It gives the card a rather classy put together a triple monitor gaming classy design that plays up the bling, let’s look and it does help to look different setup, one of your monitors must be able see if it can live up to the ‘jiggy’ as well. than others. to support DisplayPort or you have to use Snow white Unlike other manufacturers that love using black boxes (I blame the minimalist movement), HIS is proud of its high performing cooler. So much so that the box the graphics card comes in is done up in white with snowflakes decoration adorning it. It’s a refreshing change in comparison to competing brand designs elsewhere. A large IceQ logo adorns the middle of the box. It’s kind of expected not to see any extras bundled in as the HIS Radeon R9 290 IceQ X2 only packs a driver DVD, manual booklet, and a HIS sticker alongside the GPU.80MAR 2015

SCORE golD choIce AWARD 9.4an active DisplayPort to DVI converter.To power this massive card, it needs two8-Pin GPU power connectors. The carduses a 16x PCI-e 3.0 slot to work but it canalso run on a 2.0 slot. Doing the latter will,definitely, result in slower readings.MeMoRy MADneSS KeepIng cool SpecSIn lieu of the recent controversy over a The HIS Radeon IceQ X2 performs very chipset AMD Radeon R9 290Xbudget card that touts 4GB of graphic nicely indeed. The IceQ X2 cooler does Memory 4GB GDDR5memory, when it can only use 3.5GB, AMD it job well, keeping the card cool under coe clock Up to 1040MHzhas clarified that the R9 290 can and will extreme stress and it’s not that noisy Memory clock 5.4Gbpsuse all 4GB of its equipped memory. So no either. The cooler’s performance also mean Memory Interface 512 bitissues about that here. The high VRAM that you can still manually overclock the ApI DirectX 11.2 (12 upcoming),count also means that you can safely use card yourself, eking every last ounce of Mantle, OpenGL 4.3this card to game on large, 4K monitors. performance this GPU is able to muster.To make sure that you’re getting high VeRDIcTperformance from all four RAM banks, The pRIce IS RIghTHIS has set the graphic memory to run Many manufacturers claim that their Classy looks meets high-poweredon 5.4Gbps. products are the best value for money performance. but for HIS, with its take on the AMDexTReMe peRfoRMAnce Radeon R9 290, the truth seems close 10If you think that one HIS Radeon R9 290 enough. I have thrown some of my highest 9IceQ X2 is not enough, then you can pair performing games onto the GPU in a vain 8up to three of these babies in CrossfireX attempt to take it down and each time the 7mode to get unparalleled performance. HIS GPU manages to handle everything. 6The best part of this is that due to the Battlefield 4? Battlefield Hardline? Titanfall? 5new optimisation and design AMD has It eats them up for breakfast. With the 4recently introduced for its GPUs, you no advent of Mantle/DirectX 12, you will also 3longer need cables to pull off CrossFire/ get a future proof graphics platform that, 2CrossFireX. Yes folks, no more messy in theory, will have more performance 1cables in your casing. AMD’s elegant unlocked once Windows 10 is released. I 0solution also means that you don’t cannot wait for that.need to restart and affix the cable to the 81graphics card if you have forgotten to doso beforehand - an act that I have done MAR 2015many times. The slim design also allowsyou to not worry about the upper GPUoverheating the lower GPUs as there willbe ample space between them.

TESTEDCool Story Bro ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark S by din ASUS’ armoured line of motherboards, AKA The Ultimate Force (TUF), started off as a weird idea that quickly took grasp of reality and became a proper product range that actually works. The TUF line of motherboards uses a shroud/armour like protection that works to keep the motherboard’s temperature under control as well as provide additional protection for the sensitive electronics. This allows for a lot of overclocking potential as the mainboard will remain stable even under high-power loads. As weird as it is, it works and works well. The TUF board is highly sought after by top-level overclockers that have plans for massive clock speed boost projects. Snow white Snow Armour taken out and you can put the included The ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark S is a Design wise, the motherboard is one fine fans in - for better cooling performance. limited edition, white camo painted TUF looking specimen. While you’re likely You can also better manage the flow of armoured motherboard. First introduced to think that ASUS had just put a white the air with two vent controls on the at Computex Taiwan last year, it had been TUF armour on a normal board, then you motherboard. Having the shroud armour initially named ‘Sabranco’, a combination are wrong. The PCB is also totally white, means the motherboard is expected to be of Saber and ‘Branco’ (Portugese for white). something that you rarely see. Since 90% heavier, thus a totally white aluminium Due to its striking colour scheme, it had a of the PCB has TUF armour protection, you backplate has been attached to the rear lot of visitors wanting to get their hands won’t even notice the cool colour scheme to make sure the PCB won’t bend or flex on it. Hence the limited edition production unless you intend to look at it. It’s a nice under its own weight. Also since the model offering that ASUS came up with. touch by ASUS as it gives this limited white camo looks like a white tiger, the edition motherboard a more premium feel characters ‘Tiger Spirit’ in Chinese is white roSe to it. At the top left corner, you will find etched on the back. While it can’t be seen As for the motherboard itself, the ASUS the limited edition serial number for this once the motherboard has been installed Sabertooth Z97 Mark S also comes in powered system offering. in your casing, it’s still one cool looking a pure white colour scheme. Sitting in piece of design. the not so big box doesn’t mean it’s a Stone Cold! Stone Cold! lightweight. On the contrary, the package Stone Cold! white FAng is really heavy. While most of the heft On the middle and top left of the shroud, This motherboard is certainly an OCD comes from the motherboard, some of it you will find a square piece that can be person's fantasy. Using ASUS’ Thermal are due to the variety of extra parts that unscrewed. This armour piece can be Radar 2, you can check the temperature ASUS has included with this limited edition system. As with other members of the TUF, all, and I mean ALL openings - from the PCI-e slot, RAM clips, and even the USB jumper headers are given some kind of protective enclosure to make sure that no dust would go in. Hence you’ll find a bag containing all of these enclosed plastic plugs. Also included are SLi ribbons, SATA cables, an I/O backplate, driver DVD, as well as two small fans.82MAR 2015

SCORE pLAtINuM eXceLLeNce AWArD 10.0 SpecS Dimensions (W x h)for each and every part of the board, you’re looking to use the onboard Intel 305 x 244mmincluding the individual slots! From here HD graphics, a HDMI and Display Port chipset Intel Z97also you can manage your fans - and you output is also included. Should you want cpu Intel Socket 1150 for the 5th/guessed it, each and every individual fan something more powerful though, the New 4th/4th Generation Core i7/can be controlled to be as slow or fast three PCI-e 16x graphic ports supports Core i5/Core i3/Pentium/Celeronas you like. Don’t feel like doing all this either two way SLi or three way Crossfire Processorstedious stuff? Don’t worry! The board for maximum gaming performance. Memory 4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB,comes with a TUF ICe microchip that Interestingly there is no M.2 SATA DDR3 1866/1600/1333 MHz Non-would do the job for you. It will monitor connector included, eventhough the Z97 ECC, Un-buffered Memoryand control the temperature intelligently system provides native support. The Dual Channel Memory Architectureand make sure your motherboard is decision not to include the connector Graphicat the optimum temperature. This, might be due to the fact that it would be Intel HD Graphics, Multi-VGAcombined with Japanese made metallic hard to use with all the armour onboard. output support : HDMI/DisplayPortcapacitors and new alloy chokes, means portsthe limited edition white-camo ASUS Z97 WhIte hot - Supports HDMI with max.should last a for a pretty long time, even So how did the motherboard perform? Way resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz /with overclocking. beyond my expectations! The thermal 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz armour does its job well, as all ASUS TUF - Supports DisplayPort with max.Never Let It Go has done. It might be the new design or resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz /As the name suggest, the ASUS Z97 the white colour - perhaps both, but I feel 3840 x 2160 @ 60 HzSabertooth Mark S is based off the new that it performs better than the old TUF expansion 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16Intel Z97 chipset. This means it will accept entries that I tested before. Overclocking (Single at x16, dual at x8/x8), 1any LGA1150 Haswell processor from Intel. can be done either from the BIOS or using x PCIe 2.0 x16 (max at x4 mode,Note that due to the rather large Thermal ASUS’ software directly in Windows. black), 3 x PCIe x1Armor, you might have trouble using third- Either way, it’s very straightforward, Storage 1 x SATA Express portparty fan coolers for your processor. It’s though you do need to have a basic idea with 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports, 4recommended for you to use water cooling on what you’re doing. Performance wise, x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), 2 x SATAas the pump head is usually much smaller this is one of the best Z97 motherboards 6Gb/s port(s) (on ASMediaand should fit easier. On the right of the that I had the opportunity to review ASM1061 Controller)CPU socket, four banks of DDR3 RAM slots and knowing what ASUS has done to LAN 1x Gigabit LAN (Intel I218V),can be found - with both pairs being able it, the whole experience shouldn’t be a 1x Gigabit LAN (Realtek 8111GR),to support dual channel RAM at a max surprise. Above all, I loved it because Dual Gigabit LAN controllers oncount of 32GB on 1333MHz. it looks absolutely freaking cool. The 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet white motherboard, when placed inside I/o 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, 2xSub Zero a black casing, looks contrasting but is LAN (RJ45) port(s), 4x USB 3.0At the rear, two Gigabit Ethernet ports certainly not out of place. I’d honestly (blue), 4x USB 2.0 (one port can beare included as well as four USB 2.0 slots buy the motherboard just for the visual switched to USB BIOS Flashback),and four high-speed USB 3.0 ports. If awesomeness alone. 1x Optical S/PDIF out, 5x Audio jack(s), 1x USB BIOS Flashback Button(s) pc Mark 8 (home) 4351 pc Mark 8 (creative) 4662 verDIct Awesome in every way! This is the perfect re-definition of the Intel Z97 chipset. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 83 MAR 2015

TESTED All in the Heart Sharp LC-60LE660X 60in Full HD LED TV by victor yap Sharp ended 2014 with a bang when it Sharp Android-powered TV, and Sharp that quickly becomes a necessity for all kicked off its mega-sized TV launch in AQUOS Pro platform, I knew I had to put users. What are the three support features late 2014. While there was a lot to see, them through a review run. Of course, exactly? Interestingly enough, they are the TVs, as usual, were the highlights of priority would fall on the Cocoro Eye for me auto-brightness control based on natural the show. Of the many panels that are on since an automated TV assistant seemed ambient lighting changes, smart display the set, and besides the 4K units, there very unlike Sharp - or in this case, very switch-off when users are no longer was one particular panel that caught my exclusive to Sharp. present, and assistive lighting when user eye. Believe it or not, it’s one of Sharp’s movement is detected in the dark. All gimmicky platform that intrigued me to no smarT sensor three, throughout my review, are now end - the Cocoro Eye LED TV. What Sharp did with its new LED panel personal needs that I have learnt to live is to incorporate an intuitive detection without. Essentially, that is how important UniqUe TwisT system to provide three critical assistive they have become. It is known that Sharp is not one to functions. Called the Cocoro Eye, a change panel designs for every release. combination of Japanese naming flair and VisUal Prowess In fact, beyond the ever narrowing bezel practicality, it comprises a camera system Before moving into the review proper on and improved colour performance, there that is paired with a straightforward user the features of Cocoro Eye, let’s take a really is not a lot to see. This is why when assistant platform. Pack that all up into step back and consider the basics of TV Sharp said it had three new platforms out a slick looking chassis, stick it under the performance - sound and visual. Just like in the market, namely the Cocoro Eye, TV bezel, and you got a user function its predecessors, the Sharp LC-60LE660X84MAR 2015

SCORE GOlD cHOIce aWaRD 9.2Full HD LED TV is one of those display make the user experience even better. Or SpecSpanels that reinforces why Sharp is one of at least I like to think so. Sharp, of course, Dimensions (W x H x D)the few TV vendors at the forefront of vivid believes otherwise since it has equipped 1355 x 835 x 350mm (with stand)colour rendering. The full LED backlight this TV with a Cocoro Eye system. Does Weight 27kg (with stand)array ensures blacks and whites remain it really work well? Based on the time I Display 60in LED X-GEN Full HDdeep and rich respectively, ensuring the had with it, I can safely say it works like 1080/24P Panelprimary colours (RGB) stand out. During a charm. Having been the sort who loves Refresh engine AquoMotionLitethe visual demos, there are some points to calibrate TV brightness based on the 400/800when the whites look too saturated, time of day and leaving the amp on while Refresh Rate 100Hz/120Hz Finemaking high contrast elements look fake. the TV is off, the very basis of having such Motion AdvancedOther times, but rarely, the greys also TV functions being automated seemed Speakers 2x 10W Stereo withlost some level of contrast. However, on like a dream come true. Throughout the SRS TruSurround HD and Bassthe overall, it doesn’t affect the display day, the Cocoro Eye ensured I experienced Enhancerperformance too much as the AQUOS optimum brightness at all times and Smart Features USB VideoLED panel makes up for any image losses save even more energy by turning off the Player, Photo Viewer, Musicthat occur. screen. The Assist Light function is just Player, Photo Frame Mode, Alarm as useful as it has saved me twice from Timer (Sleep), Wireless LAN,DecenT SOunD bumping into things when I turn down for Web Browser, Video StreamingJust like most Sharp LED-powered TVs, the night. App, SNS (Facebook/Twitterthe sound system it uses is the straight- via AQUOS.NET), MHL, Opticalup basics that the Japanese brand is Real puRpOSe Picture Control, Active Backlightknown to use. A powered pair of 10W main Having these three functions may seem cocoro eye Functionsspeakers are the primary soundstage for novel but Sharp has a real reason behind Move Sensor, Smart Power Control,the Sharp LC-60LE660X Full HD LED TV, including them on the Sharp LC-60LE660X Assist Light, RGB Sensor, Autoproviding an enriched audio field that most Full HD LED TV - energy saving practices. Colour Adjustmenthave come to expect from Sharp. As per The brightness adjustment and powered I/O 2x Video-in, 1x Component-intheir down-firing/rear-angled positions on down display functions are to specifically (Shared with Video-in), 5x HDMI,the display panel, the sound produced has reduce energy consumption. As for the 1x RS-232C, 1x PC Input (D-Suba seemingly surround sound feel due to Assist Light, it only turns on when the 15), 1x Optical, 1x Analogue Audio-the presence of the SRS TruSurround HD Cocoro Eye system detects my movement in, 2x USB, 1x Ethernet LANsystem it uses. It’s good that the Cocoro in the dark, ensuring I need turn onEye loaded TV has a Bass Enhancer any room lights to quietly traverse the VeRDIcTas well, ensuring a nice boom comes darkened living space.through to complement the well-produced Cocoro Eye made me see the light!high/mids. all In If you ask me whether this TV entry is 10empaTHy DRIVen worth purchasing, I’d say go for it based 9For a Full HD TV that offers pretty good on only two things - the audio/visual 8sound and visual performance, there is performance is pretty good as it lives up 7really nothing else one would need to to the Sharp reputation of producing well 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 performing TV panels; and having these alternative smart functions. The latter especially are the ones - the little things - that makes the TV user experience so much better for all. 85 MAR 2015

TESTED SCOREModest Omen siLVer recoMMeNdedHP OMEN by sia zhen ning aWard 8.0RM6,999 I’ve never had much experience with the centre, making it really unique in its dimmer depending on the volume output. HP as a notebook vendor. However, own right. The other part that’s cool? The If you like gaming in the dark, the speakers I have used a HP desktop before and hinges! Now normally, I don’t pay much can provide a pretty cool light show. the experience had been…rather attention to the hinge mechanisms, but for Just in case red isn’t your thing, you can disappointing to put it kindly. So when I’ve this case, the blue tint at the ends of each customise the colours with the OMEN received the HP OMEN for review, I went of the hinges looks incredibly hot! Control software that comes pre-installed in without much expectations for it. To my into the machine. surprise however, the HP OMEN is a really BrighT LighTs good mobile gaming platform, albeit with Apart from the outside, the inside is very Juiced up flaws of its own. pleasing to the eyes as well, especially Now if the review of the OMEN is based when the OMEN is powered on. The solely on looks, it would have scored full Trapezoid BaBy! 15.6in touchscreen (yes, a touchscreen!), marks. Alas it isn’t, and performance When it comes to design, the OMEN is bright and vibrant. Much like most also need to be taken into consideration. is unlike anything I’ve seen before. For notebook keyboards these days, the For the most part, the OMEN has some starters, it’s shaped like a trapezoid - now OMEN comes with a backlit keyboard that serious hardware powering it. With a this is pretty cool to me. The sides of the glows crimson by default. Also illuminated 4th Generation Intel Core i7 processor notebook and the front slant down towards are the speakers which gets brighter or and 16GB RAM, this thing is a powerful86MAR 2015

beast in its own right. However, what’s as all the ports are located at the back of SpecSless powerful is the graphics card located the OMEN. Yes, all the ports. From HDMI Weight 2.12 kginside the machine. Now don’t get me to USB and even the power adapter jack Dimensionswrong, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M is located at the back. While this makes 382.9 x 247.5 x 19.9 mmis by no means a lousy card. However, the OMEN look all tidy and stuff without cpU 4th Generation Intel Corewhen the price tag of the machine is at wires running all over the place, it also has i7-4710HQ Processorthe RM7K mark, I’d expect something a bit the unfortunate side effect of making it a (2.5GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)more than a slightly outdated mid-range chore to plug your cables in as you’d need Memory On-board 16GB 1600MHzcard. Personally, I had been hoping that to stand up to do so and, simultaneously, DDR3L SDRAMit might have either a GTX 960 or a GTX made the back of the gaming powerhouse Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX970 in it. Sadly, the former hadn’t been out look like a complete mess. The other 860M Graphics with 4096MB ofwhen the machine debuted and I guess annoyance I have with it is the keyboard. dedicated video memorythe latter would push the price point The positioning of the macro keys caused Storage 512GB Solid-State Driveeven higher. the entire keyboard to be shifted slightly Operating System Windows 8.1 to the right. It may not seem like much Display 15.6in diagonal RadianceKeepInG pace but it does take some getting used to as I Full HD Infinity LED-Backlit IPSPerformance-wise, the OMEN performs constantly hammered on the Macro P6 key, Display (1920x1080) Touchscreenjust as well as you’d expect from a expecting it to be the Ctrl key. ports 4x SuperSpeed USB 3.0,midrange gaming notebook. All the games HDMI, RJ-45, Headphone-out/I tested on it run fine at High settings. LOOKS OR peRFORMance Microphone-in Combo JackSome older games (think Starcraft II) So here’s where I stand with the OMEN pcMark 8 Home 2936can be pushed to Ultra settings without - there is no doubt in my mind that the pcMark 8 creative 3176much issues. However, if you want to play OMEN is one of the most attractive looking pcMark 8 Work 3206recently released games on Ultra settings, gaming notebooks I’ve seen on the market. 3DMark Sky Diver 11370you might want to abandon that thought However, the RM6,999 asking price for 3DMark Fire Strike 3567as, again, the GTX 860M just isn’t capable what appears to be a mid-range mobile 3DMark Fire Strike extremeof that. gaming system is just way too steep for 1766 my tastes. If you want a great lookingeVeRyTHInG aT THe BacK powerhouse notebook that you can bring VeRDIcTThe unorthodox design of the OMEN also around and don’t mind the high price taglead to odd placement of all the ports on too much, then the OMEN is second to A beautifully crafted mid-rangeits chassis design. If you’re looking to none. If you value performance over looks, gaming notebook with a hugeplug your USB devices at the side of the the OMEN is probably not what you’re asking price.notebook, you’re not going to be able to looking for. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 87 MAR 2015

TESTED SCORE GOLD CHOICE AWARD 9.0On the Tab RM1,699 SpECS Ip68 certified - dust tight andSony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact water resistant over 1 meter and 30 minutesby matthew yap Dimensions 213.4 x 123.6 x 6.4 mm We all know the Sony Xperia Z line is the angles are great, so watch out for people Weight 270g flagship range that Sony has decided to trying to sneak a peek from the sides Chipset Snapdragon 801 focus on, going forward. Released late because they will be able to see what’s on CpU Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 last year, it’s time to say hello to the Sony your screen. Graphics Adreno 330 Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. Memory 3GB RAM FEATURE pACkED Display SUpER SLIM The most, in my opinion, used feature of TFT LCD, 8in, 1200 x 1920 pixels So what’s the greatest design point of the this tablet is the PlayStation 4 (PS4) remote Camera 8.1 MP rear-facing Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact? Obviously, play. With connectivity for a Dual Shock (autofocus), 2.2MP front-facing the thin and amazingly light build of this 4 controller, you can turn the Z3 Tablet Storage device - a surprising feat for a product of Compact into a screen for your PS4. Of 16 GB, expandable by microSD its size. Like its smartphone counterpart, course, you could even play Android-based Operating System this tablet is waterproof and dustproof to games too. There is also the ever handy Android 4.4.2 Kitkat an extent so you don’t have to worry about Glove Mode. To improve interactivity in Battery 4500 mAh spilled coffee. In fact, you could use this moments when you are wearing gloves, while soaking in the tub. this mode raises the sensitivity of the Benchmark tablet and makes it possible for you to use 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited COLOUR EnRICHED it while the mitts are on. 16832 At its screen size, which runs on Antutu 43040 1200x1920 resolution, the device’s display LOnG LASTInG Basemark X High Quality 12544 is really good as it produces pretty sharp The 4500mAh battery combined with Anomaly 2 High Quality 568285 visuals. Images turn out vivid, though it Sony’s power management settings make GFXBench Manhattan does feel a little on the blue side of the this device a long lasting one. Unless the 426.4 (6.9 fps) colour spectrum. That’s not a problem screen is constantly on with the brightness GFXBench Manhattan though since Sony included slider controls set to max, it’ll easily last a full day of 1080p 705 (11 fps) for RGB colour balance. Sweet! Viewing power use - all on a single charge. GFXBench T-Rex 1095 (20 fps) GFXBench T-Rex 1080p88 Offscreen 1523 (27 fps)MAR 2015 VERDICT It’s an awesome tablet version of the Xperia Z3 - need I say more? 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Triple Action SCORELinksys AC3200 Tri-Band Smart Wi-Fi Router SILVeR RecOMMeNDeD by matthew yap AWARD 8.4For many of us, the router is just you may find useful (or not depending on SpecSsomething you turn on along with the your needs). Setting up and configuring Wirelessmodem when you get home. Or if you the router, or even flashing the firmware, is 802.11ac (up to 1300 Mbps for 5use one of those 4G wireless data plans, easy by connecting it to your PC. You can GHz†), 802.11n (up to 600 Mbpsyou’re even less likely to deal with one. also connect external storage devices via for 2.4 GHz/up to 450 Mbps for 5But what if you run a Small Office, Home USB to the router, therefore turning it into GHz†), 802.11g (up to 54 Mbps†),Office (SOHO) setup or have a big house? a NAS. Another useful feature is Media 802.11a (up to 54 Mbps†), 802.11bIn that case, a low-end router might not Prioritisation, AKA Quality of Service (up to 11 Mbps†)be enough. That’s when you’d need a controls. With this feature, you can control Bands Tri-Band 2.4 GHz, 5 GHzbeast of a router, like the Linksys EA9200 the bandwidth priority of connected and 5 GHzTri-Band Router. devices/apps on the network. processor 1 GHz dual-core Antennas 3x external antennas,3X pOWeR gOINg fAR 3x internal antennasYou’ll be hard pressed not to notice this Using distances of 5, 10 and 15m, I ports 4 x Gigabit, 1x Internet, 1 xdevice as the EA9200 certainly stands measured reliability and transfer speeds USB 3.0out. Using three antennas to support the using the LAN Speed Test tool with the Storage File System Support FAT,tri-band WiFi - a combination of 2.4GHz use of 1MB and 100MB data packets. If you NTFS, HFS+and 5GHz - for higher wireless speeds, look at the scores, you can see that it does VpN Support IPSec, PPTP, L2TPthis router should be able to cover a radius better with larger chunks of files. Linksys passthroughdistance of about 20m. There are two USB might optimise the performance further Ipv6 support Yesports (one USB 3.0) for network attached with firmware updates, but I can’t tell if Media Specifications DLNAstorage (NAS), four LAN ports, and there will be a significant improvement. media serverbuttons to disable the Wi-Fi and for Wi-Fi Note that the scores are not true OS compatibility Windows, MacProtected Setup. benchmark representations as everyone’s setup could be different. Test scores 100MBeASy cONfIg 1MB 353MbpsCertainly not the average wireless router, 334Mbpsthe EA9200 has a bunch of features that 5 metres 312Mbps 297Mbps 10 metres 283Mbps 15 metres 242Mbps VeRDIcT Great throughput but a tad expensive. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 89 MAR 2015

TESTED External Solution MSI GS30 Shadow with GamingDock by sia zhen ning External graphics solutions for notebooks Tiny Powerhouse Baseline! Baseline! aren't exactly new. Long before gaming Before I jump into the GamingDock Seeing as the GS30 packs some serious manufacturers decided to build their own though, let's take a look at the GS30 hardware, I've decided to run some external graphics docks, there are other Ultrabook. On its own, this gaming wonder tests on it before slapping it onto the ways to augment a notebook’s graphical is technically an Ultrabook by design, GamingDock. For starters, the GS30 runs capabilities via the use of a desktop-grade which makes it a breeze to carry around circles around productivity tasks. If you GPU. One option is to import a ViDock thanks to its lighter weight and smaller only intend to do word processing or into the country, while the other involves size. From a look and feel standpoint, the Photoshop, rest assured that this Ultrabook a fair bit of DIY using a PE4H PCIe Card GS30 isn't the most attractive looking is more than capable of handling it. On Extender Adapter. Now though, MSI has platform around but it is, by no means, the gaming side of things, the GS30 can decided to remove the middle-man in this ugly either. Under the hood though, the do some light gaming. I managed to run never ending chase for superior graphics GS30 packs some really impressive stuff. Starcraft II on it at medium settings, and introduced the GamingDock alongside Featuring an Intel 4th Generation Intel i7 giving me relatively smooth performance. its newest gaming ultrabook, the GS30 processor, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200, However, games like Battlefield 4 are a no Shadow. Suffice to say, the results are and 16GB of DDR3L RAM, this Ultrabook is go zone - a notion that is to be expected. pretty interesting. no pushover. Docking Bay oPen Now, let's take a look at the other half of the GS30 package - the GamingDock. First things first, the GamingDock itself is rather huge. The size of this thing reminds me of the custom-build HTPCs a few years back. At the front and centre of the GamingDock are 2 speakers and a subwoofer, both of which are meant to replace the GS30's smaller speakers. Opening up the GamingDock reveals a single PCIe x16 slot as well as a 3.5in drive mount for those looking to increase the storage space of the GS30. Do The Fusion Dance Once you're done installing your GPU card of choice, you are ready to dock the GS30 to the GamingDock. All you need to90MAR 2015

SCORE gold choicE awaRd 8.6 SPEcS gS30 Shadowdo is to slot the Ultrabook at the top of the 980 is set to be obsolete, then all you SPEcificationSdock. After that, get a DVI cable or HDMI need to do is get another graphics card to weight 1.2kgcable or what-have-you and hook it up replace it! dimensions 320 x 227 x 19.8 mmto an external monitor. Yes, an external Processormonitor. If you're new to external graphics PaRticulaRly ExcEPtional 4th Generation Intel Core i7solutions, then you ought to know that So are there any drawbacks with the Memorytraditionally speaking, all external graphics whole set up in general? Aside from DDR3L, up to 1600 MHz, max 16GBsolutions require a separate display source the GamingDock requiring a separate graphicsas the graphics card does not output on monitor, there is very little reason to Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200the notebook screen itself. Also, the screen dislike it. If you're thinking of getting a displayon the GS30 itself won't work when it is GamingDock by itself, you should know 13.3 inch, FHD, Anti-Glaredocked. So yes, you might want to get a that currently, only the GS30 is compatible audio 2x 2W Speakers , Creativenew monitor if you do not have one around with the GamingDock, so even if you have Sound Blaster Cinema 2before buying this thing. other MSI gaming notebooks or mobile Storage platforms, then they won't be able to work Up to 512GB Super RAID SSDRunning Riot with it. MSI has revealed that they do connectivity Gb LAN, 802.1 ac,For this review, we used an NVIDIA have plans to create other notebooks that Bluetooth 4.0GeForce GTX 970 for the GamingDock, support the GamingDock and are already Ports 2x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI v1.4b,and the results are nothing short of actively figuring out a way so that the 1x Mic-in/Headphone-outawesome. This Ultrabook-external dock graphics card can directly output on thecombination manages to run almost all notebook’s screen itself. When all is said gaMingdockthe games at max settings without a hitch and done though, the GS30 Shadow and SPEcificationSand then some. If you're lucky enough to GamingDock show great potential for what weight 4.2 kg (w/o VGA, HDD)snag a GTX 980 for your GamingDock, it is. If this is the first step in MSI's attempt dimensionsrest assured that you would be in gaming at external graphics solutions, then I can't 364.4 x 209 x 197.7 mmheaven. The best part? Once the GTX wait to see the update for it. PciE PCIE x16 (Gen 3) Power 24 pin Storage Supports 3.5 inch SATA audio 2x 5W Speakers, 1x 5W Woofer connectivity Killer Gb LAN Ports 4x USB 3.0, 1x Mic-in/ Headphone-out gS30 Shadow Benchmarks PcMark 8 home 3511 PcMark 8 creative 3567 PcMark 8 office 3500 3dMark fire Strike 1134 3dMark Sky diver 4977 3dMark cloud gate 9281 VERdict A great first attempt at external graphics solutions. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 91 MAR 2015

TESTED SCORE goLD ChoiCe awarD 9.0 RM709Five Plus Four SPeCS DimensionsASUS ZenFone 5 LTE by sia zhen ning 148.2 x 72.8 x 10.34 mm weight 145 g ASUS’ ZenFone series has always been LTE as it utilises Snapdragon 400 instead. CPu Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 the more affordable one out of all their The other hardware difference is the MSM8926 1.2GHz Quad-Core other smartphones. In that series, the storage capacity as the ZenFone 5 LTE Processor ZenFone 5 has been the model that is has up to 16GB of internal storage when graphics Adreno 420 sandwiched between the more affordable compared to the original’s 8GB. Memory 2GB RAM but under-perfoming ZenFone 4 and the Display more powerful but higher priced ZenFone high anD MiD 5in 1280 x 720 HD IPS Screen 6. Oddly, for a mid-ranger, the original Using the ZenFone 5 LTE is rather fun. For Camera 8 MP rear-facing, 2 MP Zenfone 5 did not have support for 4G starters, the ZEN UI makes navigating the front-facing connectivity…until now that is, as the LTE device a real breeze. Performance is pretty Storage 16GB with 5GB ASUS- edition of the Zenfone 5 has arrived in the good while multitasking is not a problem Cloud Webstorage Free for Life PC.com Tested Labs. for this smartphone. Even videogames run operating System Android 4.4.2 fine most of the time with only intensive Kitkat with ZenUI Bright Cover moments slowing it down. The camera Battery First thing I noticed right off the bat when is pretty much standard and won’t be 2110 mAh Lithium-Polymer Battery it comes to the Zenfone 5 LTE is the winning any awards, while the battery life colour. The purple shell looks really sweet is average as well. One other thing to note 3DMark ice Storm unlimited for the chassis. While it is plastic based, is that the ZenFone 5 LTE runs on Android 4745 the backplate is smooth to the touch and 4.3. Now this is weird as the non-LTE antutu 19094 curves slightly at the sides. This not only version used Android 4.4 instead. anomaly 2 Medium Quality makes it look pretty but is also rather 235459 comfortable to hold in your hand. Four gee Basemark X Medium Quality So, is the ZenFone 5 LTE worth the 4283 Dragon Power purchase? I’d say yes. Overall, the Basemark X high Quality 1583 The original ZenFone 5 uses Intel Atom smartphone performs very well and is processor instead of the more common, yet incredibly user friendly. If you’re in the verDiCt popular, Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU that market for a relatively affordable 4G the rest of the smartphone market uses. smartphone, the ZenFone 5 LTE is a Classy, refined, powerful, and This did not continue with the ZenFone 5 great choice. affordable - would I need anything else?92 10MAR 2015 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

The right bridge SCORELeica V-Lux Typ 114 by matthew yap gOlD cHOIce AWARD 8.6Most of you are familiar with bridge Leica logo. On the back, there’s a 3in LCD SpecScameras - they’re not quite DSLRs but still monitor and the EVF, while the top plays Dimensions 137 x 99 x 131 mmmore superior to point-and-shoots. They’re host to a built-in flash and hot-shoe for Weight 830 g (with battery)also more affordable than owning high-end external flash. Imaging processor DIGIC 6professional shooters that come with a Resolutionvariety of lenses. Our only camera review lOOkS FAmIlIAR Approx. 20.1 megapixelsthis month is the one and only Leica V-Lux DSLR users should be able to learn how Shutter SpeedTyp 114. to use this camera quickly, thanks to its 60 - 1/4000 sec (mechanical) familiar look and feel. You can zoom or 1 - 16,000 sec (electronic)A DOppelgAngeR focus using the zoom ring on the lens Aperture f/2.8 (W) - 4.0 (T)This camera bears an uncanny barrel. Nifty but I didn’t really use it much ISO AUTO, ISO 100 - ISO 25000resemblance to the Panasonic FZ100 but since the autofocus is faster for quick Image Stabilisation Optical andthe lens is Leica’s own – a non-detachable shots. For composing, the LCD and EVF Mechanical25-400mm power zoom lens with a are both great in that regard as they both Additional Features Adobemaximum f/2.8 aperture. However, there update on-screen images fast whenever Photoshop Lightroom (Download),are some cosmetic differences such as Image Shuttle App for Smartthe handgrip’s texture, the button you make changes to the visual Deviceslayout, and that nice settings. I do lament the lack of touch-sensitivity though since VeRDIcT that feels like a waste of the articulating LCD screen. I Superb snapper, but expensive. suppose any more would make it more expensive 10 than it already is. Buttons 9 are fine, except the few 8 next to the mode dial; Leica 7 should make those stick out 6 more for easier access. 5 4 3 2 1 0 lux-uRIOuS SnAppeR I’ve been using the Leica V-Lux for some of my event assignments and it is a solid performer. It’s certainly a feature rich cam as it rocks a large 16x optical zoom and maximum ISO of 25,000. Due to the large 1in 20.1MP sensor, this snapper can produce quality images with great detail and very accurate colours. Software wise, it’s interesting to note that there’s a copy of Adobe Lightroom 5 bundled with this camera; useful since you can capture images in RAW format too. This could be Leica attempting to capture the market of beginners who are just getting into serious photography. 93 MAR 2015

TESTEDA MillionThanks!MSI GeForce GTX960 Gaming by din The relationship between MSI and NVIDIA looking for performance while on a budget. DouBle DraGon goes back a long way. So long in fact Hence many would not understood The card itself is nestled safely in a foam that MSI have manufactured nearly 100 why MSI and NVIDIA chose the GTX enclosure. If you like green, you WILL million graphic cards for NVIDIA. That’s 960 as one of the chips for this limited love this card. While mostly black, in a whole lot of cards, and to celebrate this edition range. keeping with the NVIDIA green theme, achievement, MSI and NVIDIA paired the card has green accent all over. The up to develop some new limited edition Black Death shrouds, most of the accent-edge on the graphic cards - the MSI-inspired NVIDIA This GPU comes in a black and green fan, and even the PCI-e, DVI, HDMI and GTX 960 and the GTX 970 100 Million box. In essence, the box looks just like DisplayPort protectors are all green. You Edition. What I have in my hands today any other MSI Gaming peripheral, with certainly won’t mistake this card from a is the GTX 960 variant of this collectible the green hue substituting the normal red rival manufacturer. Sadly (or thankfully) cards. How does it perform? Let’s find out. that you see. Inside, you will also find a the heatpipes are left alone in its natural Far Cry 4 mousepad, which is quite large copper colour. Green Power and decent to be honest, a separate box The graphics card is based on the containing a driver DVD, a 6-pin to 8-pin colD customer NVIDIA GTX 960 chipset, a low-powered GPU power cable converter, DVI to VGA Since this is an MSI Gaming based card, Maxwell architecture-based system. First converter, and a booklet that features the MSI GTX 960 Gaming 100 Limited introduced in the GTX 750, the platform the history of MSI Gaming. I’m honestly Edition uses the tried and tested MSI’s became a hit due to the low TDP rating but disappointed that MSI did not, in fact, Twin Frozr cooler. The fan-system and high performance and potential it offers. included the history of MSI and NVIDIA shroud combo is slim enough that it won’t While it might not be as powerful as the within. Quick fact check: they have been use more than two PCI-e slots. The two ones you might find on the higher-end working together since the RIVA TNT fans used within the block are the usual GTX 970 and GTX 980, the GM204 system days - an era filled with great tales of their large-type spinners that make sure lots on the GTX 960 is meant for those who are collaborative efforts. of air are displaced during cooling. As a94MAR 2015