Last Stretch Of 2017 E
Managing Director Noor Azman Head of Department YK Cheah
very year, there’s enough tech events at fixed intervals to keep people hyped. Perhaps it’s intentional too, since it works for many of us. Of course, the big event in September is the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA), where new products were revealed to the world. We took a look at what’s exciting and compiled it in a cover story for you readers, so check that out in page 58 to 67. On the local front, Nikon finally came back from hiatus with the launch of its D850 DSLR, while Samsung chipped in on the excitement value with its Note 8 phablet. ASUS also launched its new Zephyrus gaming notebook, a product that many have been excited to see. There’s more, but you’ll have to read our Local News section to find out. Among others, we also an interesting article for PC enthusiasts this month, one that explains how you can extend the life and maintain performance of your NVMe SSDs. Read all about that in page 42 to 45. As for reviews, we got our hands on AMD’s Radeon RX Vega 56 and ASUS ROG-made Zenith Extreme motherboard that powers the new Threadripper CPU - all drool-worthy for PC enthusiasts. We also got our hands on a few interesting picks, so don’t miss out on our test lab pages. The year is quickly coming to an end, but the last quarter is usually when some major reveals are made. Of course, we intend to keep you updated on them all. But until then, happy reading!
Matthew Yap Deputy Editor
EDITORIAL Deputy Editor Matthew Yap Writer Nixon Ng Writer Rikco Shim Contributors Markus Mandau, Christoph Schmidt, Fabian von Keudell, Heiko Bauer, Robert di Marcoberardino, Patrick Hannemann, Gunnar Troitsch, Artur Hoffman, Simon Kirsch Design & Layout Halijah Ismail Cover Design Halijah Ismail SALES & MARKETING Senior Manager YK Cheah Account Manager Connor Tan Consultant Muffadzlee Dato’ Sufian ADMINISTRATION Admin Manager WP Lim ONLINE www.chip.com.my @CHIPMY CHIP Malaysia PUBLISHER Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. A-5-07 Block A, Neo Damansara Bandar Damansara Perdana, Jalan PJU 8/1 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: (03) 7727 6554 Fax: (03) 7727 3554
PRINTED BY Unipress Printer Sdn. Bhd. 117-G, Jalan Tiaj 1/4, Taman Industri Alam Jaya, 42300 Bandar Punchak Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: (03) 6038 5578 Fax: (03) 6038 3944
DISTRIBUTED BY MPH Distributors Sdn. Bhd. Ground Floor Warehouse, Lot 2, Bangunan TH, No. 5, Jalana Bersatu, Section 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tel: (03) 7958 1688 Fax: (03) 7956 5995 © This edition of CHIP is a publication of Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. licensed by Vögel Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich, Germany. © Copyright of the trademark ‘‘CHIP by Vögel Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich, Germany. No part of CHIP magazine / shall be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. All views expressed in the magazine are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of CHIP magazine / the publisher. All information in the magazine is provided ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ and CHIP magazine / the publisher makes no representations and gives no warranty of any kind, implied, express or statutory as to the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, non-infringement of 3rd party rights, title, merchantability and / or suitability / fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the said information. Under no circumstances whatsoever shall the CHIP magazine / the publisher be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages whether in contract or in tort arising out of or in connection with the use of the information made available in CHIP magazine. All prices, product versions and URLs’ are correct at the time of printing.
International Members of the
Family
China
Czech Republic
Germany
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Italy
Netherlands Poland
Romania
Russia
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
contents
058
COVER STORY NEWS & TRENDS
006
038
058 IFA 2017 It’s Berlin’s turn to host its annual technology event and there’s some interesting reveals. Check them out here 006 Local News Coverage of the latest news and events right on our shores
026 World Wired Web All the latest tech happenings around the world
024 Security Reports Monthly dose of security news
FEATURES
038 Assistance Via AI There’s nothing quite like ordering a computer to do things for you. But what does it entail?
044 Cool Your SSDs Your NVMe SSDs don’t always stay at peak performance. We tell you how to make it so
050 Fix Your Windows Woes We use Windows PCs all the time, but there’s a lot of annoyance that plague many. Here’s how to solve most of them
102
104
114
contents
044
TEST LAB
050 063 Test Lab: The Tools Test Labs’ tools of the trade
064 Test Lab Contents Take a pick and get started!
072 Reviews Professionally conducted reviews following our stringent tests and benchmarks
LITE & LEISURE
96 Final Fantasy 7
PRACTICE
112 Make Space On Your NAS
REGULARS 078
A steampunk rendition and one of the most popular titles in the Final Fantasy series is this issue’s Blast of the Past
102 E-Sports Express What’s the latest gossip in the e-sports world? Having a NAS can sometimes mean duplicated files. Here’s how you can clean it up
001 Welcome Note 116 Tips and Tricks
096
contents chip download
CHIP Downloads October 2017 We’re back with our monthly dose of interesting, free and handy tools for you to enhance your PC experience. If you want to know how you can get these files, follow the instructions below: 1. Head on our website @ www.chip.com.my and right at the top, click on the ‘‘Downloads” tab 2. After that, click on the respective month’s post. You will then be prompted for a password. The password can be found on this page monthly. 3. Navigate using the tabs and pick the categories you want to download the files from. Once you find the file you want, just click on it and you’re good to go! And it’s as easy as that! PASSWORD FOR OCTOBER2017 - berlintechmarch
Featured Tools Fleep Fleep is the only messenger that works in perfect synergy with email, and is perfect for your teams and projects. Unlike other team messengers, Fleep is an open network which means users can communicate with any Fleep user.
eM Client eM client is a full featured e-mail client with a modern and easy to use interface, allowing you to import your data from most of the other e-mail clients like Outlook, Thunderbird and more.
Cacti Cacti is a complete network graphing solution that provides a fast poller, advanced graph templating, multiple data acquisition methods, and user management features out of the box. All of this is wrapped in an intuitive, easy to use interface that makes sense for LANsized installations up to complex networks.
Essentials
Our list of essentials consists of programs and software such as graphics drivers, browsers, compression software and even Cloud storage software that will improve a PC user’s experience. The links on our website won’t provide you with the files, instead it will lead you to the developers’ official website, where you can find the right file for you. 004
october 17
chip malaysia
contents chip download
The Monthly Downloads FlexiPDF Operating system: Win Vista 7, 8, 10 With FlexiPDF you’ll gain full control over your PDFs, including editing them. You can write comments, add shapes and other highlights as well. If you want to extract certain excerpts from PDF files, FlexiPDF also allows you save them as a separate file or even add them to another PDF.
Artweaver Operating system: Win Vista, 7, 8,10 Built similarly to Adobe Photoshop, Artweaver focuses on the drawing and painting of images instead of editing. Artweaver makes many tools like charcoal and colour pens or oil brushes available to you, which are easily customisable.
Babylon Operating system: Win Vista, 7, 8, 10 If Google Translate isn’t working out for you, why not give Babylon a try? Using Babylon, you can quickly translate languages you don’t understand. It also teaches you along the way by letting you know how the terms are used in the right context and sentences.
Switch Hitter Operating system: Win Vista, 7, 8,10 Think that there’s some keys not working on your keyboard? With Switch Hitter you can check whether all the keys are working, simply hit the keys while the program is open and it’ll light up green on the interface.
DesktopOK Operating system: Win Vista, 7, 8,10 A portable software that doesn’t require installation, DesktopOK saves the current arrangement of your desktop. In the future if somehow your shortcuts and folders are arranged differently, you can use DesktopOK to return it back to the way you like it.
Cloudevo Operating system: Win Vista, 7, 8,10 Cloudevo combines various cloud services into a single program allowing you to save time from the process of logging in. The software also provides additional encryption, administration, and synchronisation of data in the cloud.
ManicTime Operating system: Win Vista, 7, 8,10 ManicTime records the usage time of individual programs on your computer, this will help you keep track exactly how much you spend on certain programs and software. This could help you control the time you spend gaming or when to take a break from work.
Gaia Sky Operating system: Win Vista, 7, 8,10 Gaia Sky sends you into space through a detailed simulation of the universe, perfect for those who want to see the vast unknown. Using the Free Cam mode in Gaia, you can travel freely through space and visit random celestial bodies.
OptiKey Operating system: Win 7, 8, 10 OptiKey gives users an alternative way to input keyboard commands. Using a screen keyboard OptiKey lets you input commands through mouse clicks, voice command and even eye tracking. It even has a Swipe function like mobile devices.
chip malaysia
october 17
005
news
The L6190 with ink bottles
Second from the left: Mr. Daisuke Hori (Managing Director of Epson Malaysia and Mr. Danny Lee (General Manager for Sales and Marketing of Epson Malaysia) flanked by models, posing with the new WF-C20590
Epson Launches New Printers
Epson is trying to perfect everything, down into the details
I
n September, Epson unveiled some brandspanking new printers for big companies or SOHO (Small Office Home Office) with their Epson WorkForce Enterprise (WF-C20590), Epson WorkForce Pro (WF-C869R) and new L-series printers with integrated ink tank. The WF-C20590 is a state-of-the-art Inkjet printer that is capable of printing up to 100 pages per minute with coloured and black printing, making it one of the fastest printers in the market now. The print head of the printer is fixed and non-moving, and measures at 43mm wide and contains approximately 33,500 nozzles. When printing duplex (double-sided) documents, it is also capable of printing 100 pages per minute. The new printing mechanism consists of an electrostatic transport belt to ensure that the paper stays flat and stable for paper printing. You can also print on a wide range of paper types ranging from long banners to textured papers. With 75% less power consumption compared to a laser printer, Epson is helping their customer to reduce cost while maintaining a high-quality print. The ink cartridges on the printer are also easily
006
september 17
chip malaysia
removable and don’t require you to have a masters in engineering. They can yield up to 100,000 pages in black and 50,000 pages in colour printing before you need to replace them. With DURAbrite Pro inks, your prints will last longer since it is fade-resistant, water-resistant and is also fast-drying. For the WF-C869R, it comes with Epson’s unique Replaceable Ink Packs (RIPS) that can be easily swapped with another pack and can print up to 22,500 pages in black and 22,000 pages of colour with its regular ink packs. You can also purchase Large ink packs, which can print up to 86,000 in black and 84,000 pages in colour. Besides the above, the WF-C869R is equipped with Epson’s PrecisionCore technology for print speeds of up to 35 pages per minute. You can also start printing from start-up as fast as 6 seconds, since PrecisionCore doesn’t require heat to print. Additionally, it can print different types of paper ranging from 64 to 256 gsm. Along with Epson Connect, you can print documents via smart devices. Lastly, they unveiled several new printers in their L-series that offers customers lowered
The WF-C869R
overall printing costs. The printers are small and can fit on most workstations. Its ink tanks can handle up to 7,500 black prints and 6,000 colour prints before requiring a top up. Epson also makes it easy for you to check your ink levels and top up your ink tanks with its front facing integrated ink tanks. Also equipped with PrecisionCore printheads, it can achieve up to 15 ipm for standard black print and 33 ppm for draft printing. Each variation of the L-series printers come with different features, to tailor to the desire and needs of the buyer. The new integrated ink tank printers consist of L4150, L4160, L6160, L6170 and L6190 models. As for the pricing, the new printers within the L-series retails at RM968 for the barebones version and will cost more depending on the variation you choose. The replacement inks will also cost roughly RM42 for the black ink, and RM27 for colour inks. Now that’s an affordable price! For WF-C869R, it retails at RM12,500. Finally, for the WF-C20590, its price will be relayed to you from Epson when you inform them of your desire to purchase the heavy-duty machine, as it is not a printer that you can get from any stores, so the price will vary depending on the specifications that you require along with the add-ons that you want. www.epson.com.my
news
ASUS Is Coffee Ready ASUS is quickly off the line with Z370 motherboards to provide for the masses, enthusiasts et al
W
ith the arrival of the 8th Generation Intel Core processors, ASUS announced their Z370 boards in style with motherboards from their ROG Maximus, Prime and TUF Gaming series. TUF is known for their toughness, lasting lifespan and quality – which is now expanded to the gaming community to provide gamers with more toughness in their builds. Now there is a board to suit all tastes, ranging from the prosumer who’s trying to get a board for work and play, the enthusiast over-clocker, or the gamer on a budget. ASUS mentions that there will be at least 15 models that will cater to every need. For the ROG Maximus series, specifically the ROG Maximus X Formula, comes with new features such as the LiveDash OLED, which was previously seen on X299 motherboards. It can be used to display a
The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X APEX
008
september 17
chip malaysia
GIF of your choice, or you can use it to monitor CPU temperature or fan speeds. A PC built with the ASUS TUF Z370 PRO GAMING The Maximus boards are also can be overclocked to DD4-4000 speeds, equipped with an M.2 heatsink, which is a and even up to DRR4-4333 and higher! As dedicated heatsink that can be used to help per usual with ASUS, the boards will all be with heat dissipation. equipped with RGB capabilities, and with Another feature present on most of the Aura Sync, you can sync all your ASUS Aura boards is the ASUS OptiMem, which routes RGB enabled components together. memory traces and vias through multiple At the moment, no pricing or availability PCB layers, to ensure top signal integrity. have been made public yet, so we will just Using that along with the T-Topology layout have to keep our wallets closed for now. which equalises the trace length for the asus.com/my four-DIMM configs, the DDR4-2666 memory
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO
news
A Noteworthy8 Challenger Has Arrived
The Samsung Galaxy Note8 is finally available now in Malaysia, along with special guest, Song Ji-Hyo
O
n the 21st of September, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 8 in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur. However, this is not an ordinary launch as Samsung decided to make a huge showing by bringing in Song Ji-Hyo – actress, model and a member of the main cast for Running Man. Fans were waiting for her arrival in Pavilion since 7 a.m., prior to the mall opening. Mr. Liew Kian Meng, the Head of IT and Mobile Business for Samsung Malaysia Electronics introduced the features of the Note 8 to the impatient and roaring crowd. After his opening speech, Mr. Julian Thean, the Head of Product Marketing, IT and Mobile Business for Samsung Malaysia Electronics then delved deeper into the specs of the device. The Galaxy Note 8 comes with a gigantic 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display, powered with a 64bit 10nm processor, 6GB of RAM, a choice of 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of
internal storage, dual-sim capabilities, and a 3,300 mAh battery equipped with Fast Charging as well as Wireless Charging. As for the camera, it is equipped with dual rear cameras consisting of a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera. For the front camera, it sports an 8-megapixel shooter. The Note 8 is also IP68 rated, so you can safely take your device in the rain. You can even make notes on the device while it is wet! Despite the 3,300 mAh battery, the device is still one that people should look forward to, simply due to the S Pen. The Note 8 comes with new and useful features such as the Screen Off Memo and Live Message to encourage people to increase the usage of the S Pen more. With Screen Off Memo, simply remove the pen and you can jot down your notes on the screen without waking the device. You can draft up to 100 pages of notes or scribbles if you want to. When Miss Song Ji-Hyo made her way to
the stage, a roar from the crowd was heard all over the mall. She talked about her habit of taking notes, how important the feature was to her and how much easier it is to take notes with the S Pen now as it is natural as taking notes on a notebook. Some lucky fans even managed to snag a picture with her during the presentation. With adoring fans all over Pavilion, she managed to woo the hearts of ladies and men in Malaysia. The first 100 pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 even managed to get a phone cover signed by her. With that said, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is available to purchase now from Samsung distributors and authorised sellers and will retail at RM3,999. It comes in three colour options – Midnight Black, Orchid Gray and Maple Gold. www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxyNote 8
The front of the Galaxy Note8, so little bezels!
From Left to Right: Julian Thean (Head of Product Marketing, IT & Mobile Business, Samsung Malaysia Electronics), Hosea Heen (Sales Head of IT & Mobile Business, Samsung Malaysia Electronics), Liew Kian Meng (Head of IT & Mobile Business, Samsung Malaysia Electronics), Elaine Soh (Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Malaysia Electronics) and Yoo Jin Hyun (Business Manager, IT & Mobile Business, Samsung Malaysia Electronics)
010
september 17
chip malaysia
news
From the Left: Mr. Jason Lam (Channel Specialist, Sony Mobile Malaysia) flanking models with the new devices along with Mr. Andrew Cheong (Country Director of Sony Mobile Malaysia)
Experience Xperia XZ1 & XA1 Plus
Presenting Malaysia with brand new devices from Sony that was announced during IFA
I
n mid September, we were invited to Sony’s launch of two new devices, the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XA1 Plus. The Xperia XZ1 is a smartphone that comes with real-time 3D capture, the first of its kind on smartphones. As usual with Sony devices, they feature top of the line camera technologies. Case in point, the XZ1 comes with a 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera that’s equipped with a 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor. In addition, it can be your own creative platform thanks to 3D capture. Simply record/scan the object or person and, once scanned, it can be exported to different apps that turn it into an avatar or just simply make it breakdance. You can even fully scan a person’s head and have it 3D print. Move over Animoji, 3D is now in vogue. Aside from its 3D capabilities, the XZ1 sports a 13-megapixel front camera for your selfie desires. It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64 GB
012
september 17
chip malaysia
8-megapixel front camera. Processor wise, it features a MediaTek Helio P20 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, which can also be upgraded with a 256GB microSD. For the battery, it has a whopping 3,430 mAh battery with Quick Charging and Stamina Mode capabilities. But let’s not forget the most important spec of all: Pricing. The Xperia XZ1 is priced at RM2,999 and is available in four colours – Moonlit Blue, Black, Warm Silver and Venus Pink. As for the Xperia XA1 Plus, it retails at a low RM1,499 and has three colour options, Gold, Blue and Black. As for the availability of both devices, the XZ1 will be available at the end of September, while the XA1 is expected to arrive when October rolls over. www.sonymobile.com/my
of internal storage, which can be upgraded with a 256GB microSD. The device is topped with a 5.2-inch Full HD HDR Display, which is similar to the Sony BRAVIA line of TV, so consuming media on your smartphone can be an immersive experience. With a 2,700 mAh battery, your device will be able to last you a day or even more with Smart Stamina 3.0. Not to be left behind, it even supports Quick Charge. It will also run on Android O when it releases. The other device, the Xperia XA1 Plus is a larger device compared to the XZ1 and comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a 23-megapixel rear camera and an The XZ1 and XA1 Plus, with XZ1 looking slightly smaller
news
ASUS Launches The ROG Zephyrus And More
Say hi to the world’s slimmest gaming laptop with NVIDIA GTX1080, as well as other gaming products
A
SUS ROG Malaysia was at 1 Utama Shopping Mall to launch their latest gaming products as well as the ROG Masters 2017 gaming tournament. The star of the show was definitely the ROG Zephyrus GX501 gaming notebook, the world’s slimmest gaming notebook powered by a Kaby Lake processor and NVIDIA’s GTX 1080 graphics card. ASUS ROG also launched a duo of gaming desktops - the ROG GT51CH and ROG StrixGD30CI. Starting with the main character, the ROG Zephyrus it comes with a 15.6-inch 120Hz display in FHD resolution. Backed by the GTX 1080 the notebook, it has massive graphical capabilities whether it comes to hardcore gaming or watching 4K videos. The notebook will also house an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, a massive 24GB’s of RAM and an M.2 PCIe SSD with an amazing 1TB of space. One of, if not the slimmest high-end gaming notebook in
an incredibly slim 17.9mm chassis. Using the latest ROG Active Aerodynamics System, the Zephyrus is also capable of powerful cooling to keep the laptop from overheating. Next we have the ROG GT51CH, an ASUS ROG Zephyrus – RM15,999 extremely powerful gaming desktop featuring a 4.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700K processor, 2-way SLi ASUS ROG GT51CH – RM12,999 ASUS ROG Strix GD30CI – RM8,499 using dual GTX 1080’s, and a massive 64GB of rog.asus.com DDR4 RAM. Get your hands on the GT51CH and you won’t have to worry about 4K gaming, as we also spotted some watercooling hardware inside when we took a peek. The GT51CH also has an exclusive Aegis III 3-way overclocking technology built into it, enabling safer and easy overclocking across your processor, graphics card and memory. Still retaining its “Ironman” theme from its The ROG Strix GD30CI (left) and ROG GT51CH (right) predecessor, the GT51CH will keep
Leo Tseng, Country Manager, ASUS ROG Malaysia together at the launch of the ROG Zephyrus
014
september 17
chip malaysia
eyes glued to it instead of your screen. Finally, there’s the ROG Strix GD30CI - a gaming desktop we think would be perfect for those who are looking to excel in 1080p gaming. Sporting two colours of black and white, the desktop also has an interchangeable front panel for customisation purposes. Powered by an Intel Core i7-7700 and a GTX 1070, 1080p gaming is a breeze. Coupled with 16GB of RAM, 256GB of M.2 SSD storage and 1TB of HDD space, you can definitely look forward to smooth performance all day, every day. Like the GT51CH, the GD30CI also contains the Aegis III technology for easy overclocking to get the best performance out of the already insanely powerful desktop.
news
Fifth from the right is Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of vivo Malaysia together with the vivo V7+
vivo Launches Its Latest Selfie Shooter Capture your most memorable moments and perfect selfies with the vivo V7+
v
ivo has unveiled its latest flagship V7+ in Malaysia, the first selfie shooter with a 24MP front-facing camera that has LED flash and FullView Display. The V7+ is a selfiecentric smartphone that represents vivo’s mission of empowering self-expression for the next generation. It features the most advanced technologies in all aspects, particularly on the camera forefront from photo shooting to its gallery, all to help media-savvy consumers in capturing and sharing their most meaningful memories. The V7+ reinforces vivo’s leadership in selfies with its powerful 24MP front-facing camera, which produces sharper and crystal clear selfies. By keeping true-to-life colours and contrast as well as clear background at all times, V7+ ensures users’ precious memories remain as vivid and fresh. The Face Beauty 7.0 feature brightens up and creates even complexions in selfies despite being used in dimly lit environments, while the Portrait Mode adds background blurring for sharper contrast
016
september 17
chip malaysia
and visual appeal. The V7+ comes with a revolutionary 18:9 FullView Display on a 5.5-inch screen, which immerses users with its 84.4% screen-to-body ratio and 2.15mm thin bezels. The V7+ is also equipped with a Qualcomm octa-core CPU and 4GB of RAM, ensuring a smooth and seamless user experience. The V7+ is also upgraded with an AK3476A Hi-Fi audio chip for exceptional music playback. Its Funtouch 3.2 OS is also built with user-friendly features such as Smart Split 3.0 and Face Access. ‘‘As a heavy smartphone user myself, having the perfect smartphone is crucial in my life. With the new FullView Display and 24MP Front Camera, vivo V7+ gets the job done; not only does it capture my most memorable moments and perfect selfies, I get to view it again on an amazing screen,” said Janna Nick, Ambassador for the vivo V7+.
The V7+ will be available starting from 29 September 2017, and comes in two different colours (Crown Gold, Matte Black) at RM1,499 through vivo concept stores, partner stores and e-commerce marketplaces. www.vivo.com/my
A look at the 18-9 FullView 5.5-inch Display
The vivo V7+
news
The Z370 is unveiled!
A Night To Remember New motherboard offerings from GIGABYTE to spice up your PC builds
B
ack for another session with Malaysian media, GIGABYTE invited us to attend their GIGABYTE AORUS Night. At the event, they premiered some of their newest motherboards and gave us some insight on the lifespan of their current line of products that are out on the shelves of their distributors. Anton Chiu, Specialist in Product Development Department under Motherboard Business Unit for GIGABYTE, was the man under the spotlight for the night as he talked about the new technologies that are added to the newer motherboards for the year 2017. The X399 motherboards, specifically the X399 AORUS Gaming 7, is built for the AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors. It comes equipped with RGB Fusion and Digital LED strip support, so you can line your casing with LED strips to breathe more life into it and to sync all your RGB together to create a symphony of light. Not only that, it has eight DIMM slots of up to 3,600MHz and more with overclocking, as well as Thermal Armor, Guards, and Gold Plated Connectors. This motherboard is built to last and is capable of handling most that you throw to it with no issues.
018
september 17
chip malaysia
Audio wise, an ALC 1220 Amp, Nichicon Audio Capacitors with WIMA Capacitors can be seen on the board to provide you with immersive and high quality audio without the need for an external amp or DAC. As for cooling, GIGABYTE opted for Smart Fan 5 to keep your computer cool, and can be configured to optimally cool wherever you set it to, or just keep it automatic to let your computer figure out where more cooling is required. It can even support up to 4-way CrossFire or SLI for all your graphic card needs. The X399 DESIGNARE EX was also mentioned, a motherboard that’s made for the graphic artists that require a powerhouse of a workstation. The motherboard is given a more unique styling with its almost all-white plating design. It also comes with the new features that GIGABYTE has announced such as RGB Fusion, Digital LED, Smart Fan 5, and much more. It can also support 4-way CrossFire/SLI. At the event, Anton even unveiled a very sneaky sneak-peek of GIGABYTE AORUS Z370 motherboard that’ll be premiering in the very near future. It features similar technologies on the board like the X399 AORUS Gaming 7,
but is made for Intel instead of AMD. It also sports Digital LED with RGB Fusion capabilities, but comes with varying features depending on which version you are purchasing. For audio enthusiasts, it will be equipped with an ALC1220 with WIMA capacitors as well as an ESS Sabre DAC, to further improve the audio quality. www.gigabyte.com
The X299 equipped with an LED Strip
news
Wiko Launches The View Collection
Wiko assured Malaysia that they’re here to bring quality smartphones at reasonable prices
F
rench smartphone manufacturer Wiko unveiled their new View Collection phones the View and View Prime recently. The sleek devices feature an elegant 5.7-inch display with subtle curves from its 2.5D glass and are showered in a classy metal finish. With the new 18:9 aspect ratio, both the View and View Prime have more than 80% screen-to-body ratio, allowing for a larger viewing experience. ‘‘Our View Collection allows the consumer to own a highly desirable and head-turning device without breaking the bank. View and View Prime are examples of curating the most current technology and offering it in a meticulous design at an affordable price point,” said Danny Chan, Sales Director, Wiko Mobile Malaysia. You can create selfie brilliance every time with vibrant clarity using the 16MP front-facing camera on the View, which also sports a large f/2.0 aperture lens and 5P lenses with soft-light flash allowing for bright and sharp pictures on both models.
430 with 64GB of storage space and 4GB of RAM. As for pricing, the View will cost you a modest RM899 and comes in three colours Black, Deep Bleen and Cherry Red. On the other hand, the View Prime is priced at RM1,199 and comes in only two colours Black and Deep Bleen. my-en.wikomobile.com
Then push the envelope further to get vivid pictures with AutoHDR or add that little “je ne sais quoi” with Live Portrait Blur. You can capture timeless moments with extra lively pictures on the View’s 13MP rear camera or the View Prime’s 16MP rear-end camera. It’s also possible to let the Auto-Scene detection adjust settings to The Wiko View Prime sports a 16MP rear camera whereas the View optimise shots in all conditions, so only has a 13MP camera that you don’t have to. Besides that, you can add a dash of creative flair with Live Portrait Blur, and continue to reproduce details and textures with Super Pixel Mode. The View is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage, while the View Prime The Wiko View has three different colour options to choose from has a Qualcomm Snapdragon
From left to right is Adrian Khoo, Head of Channel; Chris Yeo, Product Specialist; Danny Chan, Sales Director; Victor Chong, Retail Marketing Manager; Darren Chong, Channel Manager (Central Region) from Wiko Malaysia.
020
september 17
chip malaysia
news
Celebrate The Masters
The latest season of ASUS ROG’s own e-sports tournament has begun
R
ecently, ASUS had their ASUS ROG Masters Malaysia Qualifiers in One Utama on the 16th to the 17th. Eight teams in DotA 2 and eight teams in Counter Strike: Global Offensive battled, fought and clawed their way through the qualifiers, but only one team will move on to the next qualifying stage. In Counter Strike: Global Offensive: Fire Dragoon E-sports won first place, with JYP Gaming and Virtual Genesis in second and third place respectively. Fire Dragoon won RM10,000 while JYP Gaming won RM5,000 and Virtual Genesis nabbed RM3,000 for their efforts. As for DotA 2, HighGround was crowned champions, netting themselves RM25,000 in the process. Second place goes to 818’
Reverse Heaven, and third place to Team Dota Hero, the winner of Wild Card Qualifier. 818 Reverse Heaven managed to get a prize of RM12,500, while Team Dota Hero wins RM7,000. This is not the end for the teams, as they made a name for themselves on local grounds and will be the teams to be feared for the coming tournaments. As for HighGround, they move on to the APAC Regional Qualifier, while Fire Dragoon E-sports will proceed to the APAC Main Qualifier. For both teams, they will have to fight against winners of other country’s qualifier to proceed to the next tournament. For more info and for upcoming
HighGround celebrating their win for DotA 2
competitions you can be updated at ASUS’ ROG Masters site: www.rog-masters.my
Nikon Releases The Nikon D850
The king is back, reborn with better specs and ready to take on your photography needs
P
rofessional photographers and serious hobbyists alike will be able to expand their photographic expressions with the latest addition to Nikon’s strong line-up of DSLR cameras - the Nikon B850. A highly anticipated successor to the widely popular FX-format D810 released in 2014, the Nikon D850 is engineered with advanced features that deliver versatility and uncompromised performance. The Nikon D850 excels across stills and video shooting, geared towards the growing segment of hybrid photographers in wedding photography, and also of those in the genres of nature, sports, and commercial. Sporting a massive 45.7MP sensor, the highest resolution camera by Nikon to date, you can expect incredible detail and colour
022
september 17
chip malaysia
reproduction. With an initial ISO range of 64-25,600, the D850 can be pushed further and lower to 32-102,400. An incredible 153 AF points are also present on Third from left is David Ng, Managing Director of Nikon (Malaysia) Sdn the D850 and the camera Bhd at the launch of the Nikon D850 also sports a full 4K UHD certainly proud of. Since our establishment sensor. When bumping the resolution down in 1917, Nikon has maintained its position to 1080p, you can take shots at 120FPS’ for as a pioneer of optical technologies not interesting and creative slow-mo shots. On only in Japan but also globally. As we regular use the D850 is capable of shooting continue to push boundaries of creativity, at 7FPS, but with the optional battery pack we have sought to provide a wide range of accessory, it can be bumped up to 9FPS. technologies, products and services to serve Lest we forget, the battery life is rated to and propel the industry to higher levels of give the D850 1,840 shots and 5,140 shots excellence,” said David Ng, Managing Direct with the battery pack. of Nikon Malaysia. ‘‘This year marks our Hundredth year of www.nikon.com.my operations and this is something we are
news
Providing The Perfect Solution
Canon helping customers realise their potential and opening new opportunities
O
ffset printing technology has long dominated the field of commercial printing. But with the emergence of digitalisation in recent years, digital technology is changing the competitive landscape of the commercial printing market and companies who fall behind in the shift to digital printing are at risk. In answering these business challenges and taking the variables into consideration, Canon Marketing (Malaysia) has introduced two commercial print line devices. The third generation varioPRINT DP product line (varioPRINT 140/130/115), and the imagePRESS C950/C750/C650. The launch was themed ‘‘#UnleashPrint – Built for Business, Bring It On” as it is Canon Malaysia’s intent to help customers realise their potential, take on
new challenges and open up new opportunities. Packing innovative technologies and features From left to right Mr. Albert Mah, Mr. Andrew Koh and Mr. Yoshiie Masato into a small carbon footprint, posing with the new varioPRINT DP 140 model both the Canon varioPRINT DP product line and the productive manner. Canon imagePRESS are designed to provide ‘‘Regardless if you are printing colours or the best possible return-on-investment for monochrome one at a time or simultaneously, customers, combining time and cost saving our advanced PRISMAprepare software makes with revenue generation. it easy to prepare complex jobs, automate What is hardware without a powerful the prepress process and accelerate job software to support and streamline workflows turnaround. This would in turn prevent wasted for better productivity? Canon Malaysia also time, effort, or hard-copy layout proofs before introduced its Canon PRISMAprepare software they’re perfect,” said Albert Mah, Head of controller that plays a pivotal role in marrying Professional Printing Products Division, Canon all job functionalities together to produce high Marketing (Malaysia). quality output in the most cost efficient and www.canon.com.my
The New 3D SSD Has Landed
The latest SSD from WD and SanDisk for your storage needs
L
ate September, long silent Western Digital Corporation announced two new products under their WD and SanDisk brands - the WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD and the SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD. It is the world’s first client solid slate drives built with the latest 64-layer 3D NAND technology, which aims to deliver lower power consumption with higher performance, endurance and capacities. Margaret Koh, Sales Director, Asia South for Western Digital Corporation said, ‘‘Whether it’s for gaming, photo and video editing, or other high-end computing applications, consumers today expect their PCs and laptops to deliver superior performance with endurance but with less power used.” The WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSDs are available in 250GB, 500 GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities in both 2.5-inch/7mm cased drive,
as well as in M.2 2280 form factor. As for the SanDisk Ultra 3D SSDs, they are available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities as well, but only in a traditional 2.5-inch cased From the L to R: Ms. Margaret Koh (Director of Sales, Asia South) with drive form factor. The devices Mr. Hui Low (Product Marketing Manager, APAC) posing with the new SSDs are available to be purchased Ultra 3D SSD in 2.5-inch cased drive form from select retailers in Malaysia. For prices, factors: refer to the below. WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD and SanDisk 250GB - RM620 500GB - RM1,100 1TB - RM2,000 2TB - RM3,800 WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD in M.2 2280 form factor: 250GB - RM640 500GB - RM1,150 1TB - RM2,100 2TB - RM3,950 The new SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD with the WD Blue 3D www.wdc.com NAND SATA SSD in m.2 2280 and 2.5-inch
chip malaysia
september 17
023
security report
Rise Of The Malware-blackmailers WannaCry and Petya are good examples of the success of blackmail malware. Ransomware has become popular and there’s no end in sight
C
riminals really love ransomware and the WannaCry and Petya are just two of the many notable variants of this type of malware. The bitcoin cryptocurrency is partially to blame for this, as it makes it much easier for criminals to collect their ransom money anonymously. Such attempts were obviously being made before the emergence of bitcoin, with the GVU and GEMA Trojans being well-known examples of scareware. However, their modus operandi was somewhat different. Instead of encrypting data, they used to frighten users with crimes that had allegedly been committed. In such cases, payment was supposed to be made through systems like PayPal or the like. However, the disadvantage was that these systems are easy to track. Bitcoins changed both the playing field and the malware. Instead of fear and terror, such criminals now rely on full-fledged data encryption. They provide the victim with instructions that explain how he can buy the digital currency, transfer it and get his data back. These malware families are quite popular. According to Trend Micro, while there were 29 various types in 2015, the number increased to 146 in 2016. The company believes that the number will be 183 for 2017 and it’s set to rise further. Among other things, this is due to the fact that criminals can acquire readymade construction kits and create their own malware. Luckily, most ransomware are somewhat poorly-programmed. Researchers often find a master key for the encryption after a certain period of time. However, this
doesn’t help victims who have to access important company data quickly. So, how can you protect yourself? Some companies store bitcoins and pay off the blackmailers. But according to experts, this is the worst possible solution. Better strategies primarily involve the speedy installation of updates and regularly-scheduled complete backups. Such measures represent the best way to protect data from both loss and potential theft.
Popular: There has been an enormous rise in ransomware like WannaCry
Data Theft Of The Month EDMODO LEARNING PORTAL LOST USER DATA According to reports, the Edmodo learning platform has lost up to 70 million sets of user data. The thieves stole user names, e-mails and passwords, but these were encrypted. The information is being sold for a little more than 1,000 US dollars (approx. RM4,223). Edmodo users should change their passwords as quickly as possible.
024
october 17
chip malaysia
EQUIFAX DATA THEFT
DELOITTE FUMBLES
It has been discovered that Equifax, a consumer credit reporting agency has been breached. With stolen credit card numbers along with dispute documents that contain personal identifying information of over hundreds of thousands of people. The breach lasted from the middle of May until July before it was handled but it was already too late.
Deloitte has been the victim of a breach that could affect some of their biggest client’s, although Deloitte has stated only a small fraction of its clients have been impacted, this breach came about from a flimsy authentication protocol where a single password from an administrator allows access to all areas of the e-mail system.
security report
Windows 10 With Hacker Protection T
he Fall Creators Update added new security functions to Win10, which is supposed to be facilitated by the Windows Defender Exploit Guard. The security solution uses EMET (enhanced mitigation experience toolkit), a tool collection that can be used to harden Windows operating systems against attacks. For example, this involves blocking bugs in the software.
Spammers’ Steep Rise In Malware Attacks Favourites Against The IoT S M
pam is ‘in’ again – criminals have been using it to send phishing messages and distribute malware. They camouflage themselves behind the names of real companies, with PayPal, Amazon and eBay in the top 3 during the first half of the year. giropay was a pretty popular too disguise as well.
alware botnets affecting IoT devices first made headlines in 2016 with Mirai specialised in such systems, launching unprecedented DDoS attacks. According to Kaspersky, criminals are thrilled by this approach. This was evident by the number of attacks carried out up to April 2017, which was twice the number for all of 2016. Most of the attacks come from countries like Taiwan, the USA, Russia or China, while the days of attacks are usually on Mondays and weekends. During the middle of the week, the attacks usually recede. Attacks that target IoT devices are successful because the security of the devices leaves a lot to be desired. The firmware is rarely (if ever) updated, and most of the products have standard passwords and open ports. Researchers believe that users should limit their devices’ web access operations as much as possible and install updates immediately.
Danger Barometer Criminals can easily get their hands on ransomware construction kits and create their own malware
1
PayPal
2
Amazon
3
eBay
4
giropay
5
Lyft
6
Apple
7
Microsoft
8
Mercedes
SOURCE: F-SECURE
These companies are used to camouflage spam
Android Is Once Again The Most Insecure OS According to the latest statistics released by Symantec, a higher number of security loopholes were detected in Android last year. In previous years, iOS had a far higher number of vulnerabilities Number of new Mac malware programmes (in thousands)
High risk
10 2014
12
178
Medium risk
463
2015
89
290
2016
100
316
200
300
400
500
600 Blackberry
Number of the Month:
SOURCE:: SYMANTEC
Low risk
70,000,000
700 iOS
Android
Around 70 million sets of user data from Edmodo were stolen, with the data being sold for a modest sum of money. Fortunately, passwords were encrypted.
chip malaysia
october 17
025
world wired web
Is Microsoft’s AI Going To Save The World?
I
n mid July, Microsoft announced a programme called ‘AI For Earth’ at an event in London. The programme is based on the ambitious goal of making better use of artificial intelligence throughout the world in order to protect the Earth and encourage innovation. Next year, the company is going to invest two million US dollars (approx. RM8.41 million) in order to provide researchers and NGOs with the tools and resources they normally don’t have access to. The programme is going to focus on agriculture, water supplies, biodiversity and climate change. According to Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer of Microsoft, these domains involve ‘‘the biggest challenges of our time” and the cloud is set to play a central role in the endeavour. Three projects are already in the works, including smart agriculture that is supported by drones and broadband connections, as well as clever mosquito traps that are supposed to prevent epidemics by detecting disease agents in the insects.
Tesla OnePlus Mobile Phone Model 3 Crashes Completely Enters During Emergency Serial Calls Production U
W
ith four hundred thousand preorders, the Tesla Model 3 entered serial production at the beginning of July and the first 30 cars have already been handed over to customers. Another 100 and 1500 units are supposed to be produced in August and September, respectively. Tesla wants to use the Model 3 – whose basic version is expected to cost about USD31,000 (approx. RM130,309) – to conquer the mass market. The real price might turn out to be significantly higher. According to Tesla, the vehicle has a range of about 345 kilometres. Tesla wants to ramp up production in order to handle the pre-orders, so the company’s planning to produce 5000 cars per week in December.
026
october 17
chip malaysia
sers of the new OnePlus Five have been using the Reddit website to complain about smartphone crashes. What’s particularly interesting is the time at which the crashes take place. According to the users, the device reboots as soon as an emergency number is dialled. In fact, this happens when the user dials the 911, 999 and 112 emergency numbers. However, the problem doesn’t affect all devices. OnePlus is currently in the middle of a troubleshooting the problem and has already contacted affected customers. Users who encounter this problem can use the e-mail address support@oneplus.net to contact the manufacturer.
Amazon Introduces Its Own Messenger
A
ccording to news, Amazon’s working on a messenger called ‘Anytime’, which should work just like WhatsApp – i.e facilitate encrypted communication and group chats. In this case, the focus is supposed to be on business communications. However, unlike WhatsApp, contact is not going to be established through telephone numbers or mail addresses. Instead, this is to be done with the help of actual usernames. The messenger is also expected to offer options for listening to music or ordering food. At the moment, it remains to be seen whether Anytime will be able to stand up to WhatsApp.
world wired web 350 Ether price (€)
Chaos In The GPU Market
In June, graphics cards were costly or unavailable and eBay was swamped, all because of crypto-currency mining
300
250 Sapphire RX580 price trend (€)
200
150
100
26.5
2.6
9.6 12.6 16.6 23.6 30.6 8.7 14.7 21.7
T
hose who wanted to assemble a PC in June encountered an unusual problem, where many of the latest generation of graphics cards were either out of stock or unusually expensive. AMD’s Polaris graphics cards (to be more specific, the RX570 and RX580 models) were particularly affected by this shortage. These devices appeal most to midrange budget gamers, because of their price-performance ratio. The scarcity and high prices were due to the steep upturn exhibited by the Ether cryptocurrency (see diagram). Within just a few months, the price went from 20 to more than 200 euros (approx. RM100 to 1,000), which in turn made mining (i.e. recalculating Ether units) attractive. Consequently, mining computing farms bought massive numbers of Polaris graphics cards, which are particularly well-suited for cryptocurrency mining. Since the mining operation can also be carried out using Nvidia cards, those were also snapped up by the miners. To some extent, it appears that even the manufacturers received too few GPU chips, because they had already been purchased out of the supply chain and soldered onto temporary computing boards by Asian miners. When Ether was at its peak price of 350 euros (approx. RM1,738), a computer with just two graphics cards could easily mine currency units worth a good 300 euros (approx. RM1,507) per month. The rapid rise in mining capacities led to a large supply of Ether, which was why the market price sank from its highs during the month of June and settled down at around 200 euros (approx. RM1,000). This reduced the mining profit margin, which is why second-hand markets like eBay were suddenly flooded with mining cards. At the end of July, the unattractive prices were hardly below the original prices. Since new products will slowly become available, the market should return to its normal condition fairly soon. When that happens, gamers will once again be able to afford to buy GPUs for gaming.
Bluetooth With Range
T
he Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which is the organisation that looks after the wireless standard – has released the specifications for Bluetooth (BT) mesh. This new standard is supposed to massively increase the range of BT. Instead of increasing the transmitting capacity, the devices are supposed to achieve this by setting up a clever innovation called a mesh network. An example of how it works is that if the transmitter cannot send the signal directly to the receiver because it’s too far away, another Bluetooth device can step in and receive the data in the middle before forwarding it. Such forwarding procedures can be executed until the data finally reaches the receiver. However, the new mesh functionality does have a drawback in lack of compatibility. Currently, only Bluetooth devices that are compatible with standard 4.0 or 5.0 have the hardware that is required for mesh data transmission. Furthermore, the whole thing also depends on whether or not the respective manufacturers are going to provide a firmware update. According to the Bluetooth group, an average period of six months passes after the release of a new standard before compatible devices start hitting shelves. However, the whole thing might happen faster with Bluetooth mesh, because the hardware doesn’t have to be adapted.
chip malaysia
october 17
027
world wired web
Apple Special Event 2017
Held at the new Steve Jobs Theater, Apple’s big annual announcement this year revealed the two products we’ve expected
T
he long wait for Apple fans is over, with the announcement of two new iPhones in Apple’s Special Event on 12 September. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this included other products like a new Apple TV and Apple Watch. We go over some of the announcements below. Apple first started off by announcing updates to the watchOS. Now at version 4, it has new and improved functionalities like Smart Activity Coaching, redesigned workout app, metrics for swimmers, and more. watchOS 4 will allow the Watch to display more information on your heart rate directly on-screen as well, while the heart rate app will also come with new measurements like resting and recovery heart rate. Besides that, other new things mentioned are a new music experience, Intelligent Siri face, and more. The new version will be available to all Apple Watch users from 19 September 2017 onwards.
028
october 17
chip malaysia
As for Watch Series 3 itself, the biggest news on it would be the inclusion of built-in cellular connection. It allows Apple Watch
users to stay connected always, even if they don’t have their phones with them. Users will be able to receive calls directly from the Watch, get messages, navigate the map, and more. For calls, it’ll be connected to the same SIM that’s on your iPhone. Best of all, it’s compatible with the Apple AirPods, allowing users to stream millions of songs straight from the Watch on their wrist. Apple has managed to keep everything confined within a device - that’s barely any bigger than its predecessor - by switching things up. The display is the antenna for the cellular networks, while the SIM card is an
world wired web integrated electronic SIM that’s much smaller in size even compared to a nano SIM card. Series 3 is priced at USD329 (approx. RM1,383) for the standard version, while the version with cellular connection will cost USD399 (approx. RM1,677). It will only be available to selected countries beginning 22 September 2017, so it’ll be a while before Malaysia gets it. Next to be introduced was a new Apple TV – the Apple TV 4K. As the name implies, this model comes with support for 4K video playback and HDR10 (High Dynamic Range). Housed inside is the A10X processor, delivering two times more performance on CPU and four times more for GPU compared to the previous model. It runs on a new version of tvOS and Apple has partnered with several movie studios to bring more 4K content to iTunes. Apple will also be bringing Netflix and
Amazon Prime titles to the Apple TV 4K later this year. Apple TV will be available beginning from 22 September 2017, but the price has yet to be disclosed. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus was next to be announced. With screen sizes at 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch respectively, the two devices will be using the new A11 Bionic chip. Besides that, the iPhone 8 will have a new 12-megapixel rear camera, while the iPhone 8 Plus will have dual 12-megapixel rear camera. Another neat feature is that these new models will also be compatible with Qi wireless charging. Available in 64GB and 25GB storage options, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will be priced at US699 (approx. RM2,938) onwards and USD799 (approx. RM3,359) onwards. Both models will be available beginning 22 September 2017. Finally, Apple showed off the iPhone X for the 10th year anniversary of the smartphone series. It has an edge-to-edge display so the home button is now gone. Besides that, it comes with a glass front and back, as well as a stainless-steel body and an OLED display that delivers a resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 and HDR support on a 5.8-inch screen. Apple has also implemented Face ID to a TrueDepth camera system, which will basically help with face recognition for use in unlocking the phone. Like the iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X will have dual 12-megapixel cameras and support Qi wireless charging. The iPhone X will be available in 64GB and 256GB models, with prices starting at USD999 (approx. RM4,199). However, this is the only product that’s not available in September, but will be up for pre-orders starting 27 October 2017 and will ship out starting 3 November 2017.
chip malaysia
october 17
029
feature
Technilexicon: AI Compression The first AI-Codec comes with WaveOne. It demonstrates that Artificial intelligence can compress images better than all other methods that humans have ever imagined By Markus Mandau
Exclude what you do not see Usually the compression process of an image coder comprises three phases. First is during transformation, where the pixel data (colour, brightness) is converted to frequencies that describe the change to the adjacent pixels. Lower frequencies describe surfaces, high frequencies describe edges and contours. The frequencies are shortened during quantisation and the actual quality loss arises here. Thereafter, the newly calculated data is packed - a form of zipping specialised for image data. The art of compression lies in the fact that the frequencies are to be cut via quantisation, so that there is as little loss as possible. Since the human eye perceives differences in high frequencies less strongly, the encoders quantised areas with high frequencies more than those with low frequencies. Procedures like the technically old JPEG or the latest WebP from Google, divide the image into blocks of 8 x 8 pixels. Thereafter,
030
october 17
chip malaysia
One AI improves the other
The new thing with WaveOne is that the network creates an image pyramid (see bottom right) that includes several reduced copies apart from the original. What the cores do is that they analyse the structures of the image at various resolutions. The idea behind it is to retain they run a quantisation adjusted to the only the important structures, while frequencies of the block, for every block. For reducing and removing information. Finally, a strong compression, this often means the last layer collects and analyses the that only one colour or brightness value result about all remains for many blocks. resolutions and Large parts of the image summarises it; the appear ‘‘blocked” (see quantisation is done on next page). The procedure this basis. JPEG 2000, on the other which image information is To improve the neural hand, uses the wavelet important and adjust the compression networks, users have to transformation. It filters train and give feedback. out and quantises the And WaveOne has fed its network with a lot high and low frequencies not by blocks, but of images. It gets feedback from a from the complete image. As a result, the comparison between the compressed image looks blurred at higher compression image and original. Mathematical rates. For example, contours and edges procedures like Structural Similarity (SSIM) become blurred, because only the areas are available to it, but you cannot easily with low frequencies are retained. portray the factor of human vision. A second neural network is responsible for Shrink using Artificial Intelligence this, which is provided blindly with the In principle, WaveOne is based on the original and compressed copy. It should be Wavelet transformation but combines it able to determine which is the original one. with a neural network that can identify But the better the copy, the more difficult it structures in the image. The neural network is to do so. Essentially, the second CNN counteracts the blurring effect during the works like the first one. It works from the compression of wavelets by using contentdetails up to the entire image upwards. based analysis of the image, which works at Intermedia results are taken at several locationg the edges and contours that need levels of analysis. At the initial levels, local to be protected against severe errors such as noise or blurs can be quantisation. This type of Convolutional detected, while subsequent levels find Neural Network (CNN) is technically a structural errors which pertain to the entire network of computer kernels that runs image. The verdict along with the errors is simple operations for a small image then issued as feedback. This combination section. For example, when it is about of two neural networks, which challenge identifying image contents, it may be an and optimise each other, is termed as edge filter that intensifies the edges of a Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN). face as compared to the blurred image GANs learn from each other and can greatly background. The result of this filter is speed up the training process than what is transferred to the next processing level, possible through human feedback.
Only an AI can detect…
Photo: Kodak/Steve Kelly
T
he software revolution has begun. Instead of stupid algorithms, neural networks take over the task of reading and further processing structures from raw data of all types. The revolutionary thing for this technology under the key word ‘‘Artificial Intelligence”, is that it accomplishes tasks that conventional software can’t do at all or at least not as well. A highly promising AI field is within the area of image and video compression. Two experts, who have already developed neuronal networks for Facebook, demonstrate what is possible with AI with their startup - WaveOne.
which evaluates and summarises the work of various kernels. This total result goes as input into the next layer and is filtered and analysed there again, before being transferred to the subsequent layer. Thus, a CNN works from small sections up to the entire image.
WaveOne with AI versus JPEG and alternatives The image compression WaveOne retains the quality even with of strong compression thanks to the built-in AI. Typical coding methods like JPEG, WebP from Google and JPEG 2000 cannot keep up with it. The images below have a size of only 2.3 KB for a resolution of 480 x 480.
JPEG
WebP
JPEG 2000
WaveOne
With strong compression, the JPG in the coming years may display only few colour or brightness values per block.
WebP uses the latest methods of compression, allowing brightness and colours to be derived from the adjacent blocks. The image barely shows pixelation.
In contrast to JPEG and WebP, JPEG 2000 cuts high frequencies over the entire image. Thus, it does not get pixelated but becomes blurred.
The AI-Codec uses a similar procedure like JPEG 2000, but structures and sharpness remain intact through the analysis of neuronal network.
Image compression with neuronal networks Image compression generally runs in three steps: Colour and brightness values are transformed into frequencies, then cut via quantisation in a loss-prone manner, followed by the Bit coding to pack the data. WaveOne adds a fourth step with the Extraction feature where the AI (Generator) filters out important structures which must be retained. A second AI (Discriminator) reviews the work Feedback Copy Transformation
Feature Extraction
Quantisation
Compressed image
Bit coding
Calculated quality loss
Decoding
Original Generator
Diskriminator Original
Neuron
Neuron
Neuron Neuron
Neuron
Neuron
Neuron
Detected structures
Copy
Neuron
Neuron
Neuron
Neuron
Neuron
Neuron
Neuron
Original
Copy
Original
Original
Copy
Original
Copy
Copy
Original Neuron
Neuron
Neuron Copy
Identifying important structures
Compare original and compressed image
The generator is a neuronal network that is provided with the image and a series of reduced copies (Image pyramid). Neurons (computing kernels) in this network work with the structures from small details upwards to the entire image. These structures should be retained.
The discriminator gets two images and must find out whether the first is the original one or the compressed copy. For this, the neuronal network runs many analysis levels, which identify the errors from the details up to the larger structures. It returns the result as feedback.
tech spelunk
iPhone X
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, Apple is releasing a new iPhone that will propel the smartphone industry to greater heights By Rikco Shim
032
october 17
chip malaysia
tech spelunk Cam(AR)a
Face It
The rear camera of the iPhone X is now vertically aligned and sports a dual 12-megapixel setup, with optical image stabilisation, f/1.8 aperture on the wide-angle camera and f/2.4 aperture on the telephoto camera. The front camera is a 7-megapixel shooter equipped with portrait mode for stunning selfies with depth-offield effect. In addition, they are tuned to deliver AR experience. With the A11 Bionic CPU, it can handle worldtracking and scene recognition that can deliver immersive AR experience.
The iPhone X ditches the Touch ID for a new Face ID. Simply look at your phone and it will unlock. The phone uses a state-of-theart TrueDepth camera system that comprises of a dot projector, infrared camera and flood illuminator to accurately map and recognise a face. The Face ID projects more than 30,000 invisible IR dots, which is then used to create a mathematical model of your face. According to Apple, the data is securely saved, and other people will not be able to unlock your phone unless they are your evil identical twin.
Better Than Retina – The Super Retina
Bionic Powered
Retina Display is sooooo yesterday. The iPhone X is equipped with a 5.8-inch Super Retina display, and is the first OLED panel to grace the iPhone. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, which displays your media in amazing quality, with a million-to-one contrast ratio and wide colour support. True Tone will also dynamically adjust the white balance of the display to match the surrounding light, which according to Apple will give you a natural and paper-like viewing experience.
The latest processor features a six-core CPU design and two performance cores, four efficiency cores that is 25% and 70% faster compared to the A10 Fusion. Apple says that it can also deliver 70% greater performance in multi-threaded workloads. It also has an integrated GPU that can deliver 30% faster graphic performance.
Bezel Begone
Playing Catch Up
Jumping onto the wagon with their very close to bezel-less display, Apple opted for a cut-out on the top of the device to fit the ‘‘essentials” of the device. The screen is still a gorgeous one to behold. The spaces beside the cut-out is now occupied with the usual notification bar, so you have more space to drool over the screen. The home button was also given the axe – to navigate to Home, simply swipe from the bottom.
The iPhone X is now Qi enabled to allow for wireless charging, so we can expect more spots to have wireless charging. Maybe Android and iOS devices can finally live in harmony. The iPhone X is also water and dust resistant. We can finally use it with reckless abandon in the rain.
chip malaysia
october 17
033
feature
Microsoft’s Narrow Gauge OS With the new Windows 10 S, Microsoft wants to protect against attacks and malware by enforcing App Store updates. However, this comes at the cost of comfort and usability
I
f all users over the world had upgrade to Windows 10, the WannaCry ransomware would not have stood a chance. At least, this is what Microsoft believes, thus leading to its new emphasis on automatic allocation of important updates. We’re not, however, as safe with Windows as Microsoft would have us believe. Almost 70 percent of all virus attacks target the Windows OS, with the highest number of attacks done via Phishing. The special Windows 10 S version ought to provide relief, so we tested this new version of Windows and reached the conclusion that it is indeed well protected against attacks. We wouldn’t use it every day, though, as the S-variant has a significant restriction, which
034
october 17
chip malaysia
has traditionally attributed to those faced by Apple users before this.
Only a few software works Even Microsoft is unsure what the S in the special version stands for. According to the manufacturer, it does not stand for a special function. Having said that, one does associate terms such as ‘‘secure” and ‘‘speedy” with it. Windows 10 S differs from the other Windows 10 systems in one respect. The OS only allows the installation and execution of Apps from the Microsoft App Store. It was quite a similar situation with Windows RT, which Microsoft had specially designed for ARM CPUs; Windows RT
permitted Apps only from the in-house store. However, security was less of a reason at that time than the processor architecture and the system ended up being a complete flop. Now, Windows 10 S should be pre-installed OEM variants, particularly in Notebooks and in models for the education sector. There is no particular installation routine. The first device with Windows 10 S comes directly from Microsoft’s Surface notebooks. At first glance, there is nothing to complain about. After all, the new version loads quickly and programmes open swiftly. However, the good vibes waned as soon as we tried to go online, only to find that our browser options are restricted to Microsoft browsers - Edge
Photo: Microsoft
By Fabian von Keudell
For users, for whom Window 10 S is too restricted, Microsoft offers a complimentary Pro Upgrade by the end of the year
Windows S devices Windows 10 S only allows the installation of Apps for the Microsoft App Store. Even external browsers are off-limits
No increased safety Although Microsoft only allows Apps from the Windows Store, safety experts have already found the first loopholes that put the system at risk and Internet Explorer. This is far from marketfriendly and statistics prove this, with IE possessing a current global share of about seven percent. Those who want to install the market leaders, Chrome or Firefox, have been dealt a bad hand, as Window S prohibits the installation of both its competitors. Windows 10 S reacts similarly to applications by other big manufacturers, be it Adobe with its Photoshop or with video players such as VLC. Again, this is a problem that traditionally plague Mac users, who are unable to use important programmes in a compatible version.
Problems with hardware drivers Even with devices that you want to have working on the new version, there might be cause for frustration. In our test, we had a Brother network printer that couldn’t be connected to the system as it required a driver by the manufacturer. And here’s the kicker: Windows S refuses the installation of external drivers. Without the required drivers, the hardware simply can’t function the way it’s intended. At best, the device works only with the standard functions, since manufacturers
Apart from the Microsoft Surface notebooks (approx. RM5,300), Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Samsung and Toshiba will offer corresponding hardware in the future. The components are often not entirely new, since there are several manufacturers that already use existing models and supply the devices with the new Windows 10 S.
often require a software to be able to fully use those basic features.
An illusion of safety That Microsoft restricts the installation can only be for one reason. Like Apple and Google when it comes to mobile Apps, Microsoft examines each App in its store and prevents malware from landing up on a computer. The system is also extremely limited with respect to anti-virus tools. In other words, no antivirus systems can be found in the App Store, so Windows 10 S users don’t have any choice but to trust Microsoft Defender. Unfortunately, the built-in security software performs poorly in many tests. What is questionable is whether the safety of the Apps is even guaranteed by limiting the installable Apps alone. Experts warn that malware lands up on the computer mostly due to zero-day vulnerabilities, which are not yet known. Some anti-virus systems can prevent such attacks in relative safety, but Windows Defender does not have such technology. Although Microsoft has achieved a lot in the App Store in regards to safety, Apps with harmful content still manage to slip through
the cracks. And attackers can also attack allegedly secure Windows using other means. For example, safety expert Matthew Hickey once succeeded in pulling off something like this, by running a manipulated Word file with macros via a loophole in the Desktop Bridge App. Using DLL Injection, he then received access to the Windows 10 S Shell, together with system rights. Microsoft reacted to the attack with this evasive statement: ‘‘We recognise that new attack scenarios are continually drawn up and we continue to strive in the direction of the utmost possible safety of Windows 10.” As far as we’re concerned, Windows 10 S is worth it if you only surf the Web or handle Office tasks. For everyone else, just use the normal Windows. Even Microsoft has realised this and is offering buyers an upgrade to Windows 10 Pro (complimentary till the end of the year), but be mindful that this upgrade can’t be reversed. Fortunately, this is not a bad thing, since you can at least protect the normal Windows version well with a virus scanner.
chip malaysia
october 17
035
Stream 4K Through WiFi Jerky video streams are annoying, especially during UHD videos, which have high bit rates that quickly overtax wireless networks. But it can work well with the right settings and devices By Christoph Schmidt & Robert Di Marcoberardino
W
hether websites and downloads load slower than possible does not make a difference to most people. It does become irritating when a streamed video is continuously interrupted or when you see a pixelated mixture of blocks on the display instead of the expensive super-sharp 4K stream you paid for. Below, we’ll show you how you can optimise your existing WiFi in a way that keeps everything running smoothly. If your hardware is old, upgrading to Wireless-AC devices could be the best solution. Good options would be like the TP-Link Archer VR2800v or Netgear R6400.
Check prerequisites: Is it because of the DSL? If Netflix and Amazon streams play or stop at a reduced quality, it’s not always the WiFi that’s a problem, but either the DSL or cable Internet connection instead. In fact, even something as mundane as the cable that carries your internet connection or a defect in the router/modem can affect things. By using a PC connected to the router via LAN cable and a speed test website (such as speedtest.net), you can check whether the connection supplies the necessary speed. For UHD streams, a minimum of 25 Mb/s is required. On the other hand, when there is a problem with the wired computer but not with wireless devices near the TV, it might be due to the local area network.
Avoid an overlap of frequencies in the wireless network Traditional routers use only one (2.4 GHz) to two (2.4 and 5 GHz) frequency bands. All devices, which are connected to the router in one
036
october 17
chip malaysia
band will divide the bandwidth available there. When it comes to traditional wireless networks, the gross bandwidth is approximately 300 Mb/s. The remaining net bandwidth from this is only 150 Mb/s or less, which must be distributed between all the devices. If a TV were to receive a 25 Mb/s UHD stream, while huge amounts of data are copied between two Notebooks and a mobile phone is updating in the background, the previously smooth stream begins to stutter and might even come to a standstill. This problem can intensify if the router supports at least two bands. Some routers offer Band Steering, which automatically moves the dual-band devices to the band most optimal for them. You can do this manually as well. For example, rename the 5 GHz network in the router’s UI and only connect 5 GHz devices to it. Of course, you’ll have to determine which bands that each of your devices can run on and divide them accordingly. Consumer devices should have manuals indicating their specific brands, but you can also check it through the internet.
Minimise disturbances to wireless network The devices as well as various wireless networks in the surrounding area, which transmit signals in the neighbouring frequency range, compete with each other for bandwidth. Specifically, if your router uses channel 7 in the 2.4 GHz band, the speed of both wireless networks is halved. This is because both routers simultaneously consider themselves to be interfering sources and transmit only in between each other’s break in transmission. This can be detected in the web interface of most routers under the Wireless Network menu/tab. The auto
channel selection feature tends to be good, especially in cases of acute disturbances. Still, it is advisable to set up a channel manually if you plan to regulate. For example, you can set the router in a premise and have multiple access points (via WiFi extenders or PoE) use different channels. In the 2.4 GHz band, each of the devices should then use one of the channels 1, 7 or 13, where the spatially closest wireless stations use the channels that are farthest away.
Improve reception The TV is obviously located in the living room most of the time, but rarely is it covered well by wireless networks. If the TV is situated in front of a wall, the key to a smooth stream playback could be something simple like placing the access point slightly in front of behind the TV. This is because the wall reflects the transmission waves that lead to local overlaps and interferences. Depending on the alignment, it could either improve or impair the signal and speed. If you plan to wall-mount your PC, ensuring that it has some distance from the wall using a bracket can improve the WiFi reception significantly. Mostly, there is more room to manoeuvre at the location of the router than in the living room. If the router is in the hallway, the reception in the living room can be improved remarkably by placing it on a cabinet or a shelf, as the transmission waves can then spread out better. If 4K streams are still jerky despite all the optimisations, a new Wireless AC router might help. AC devices provide much more bandwidth, while also better services to existing N devices.
You can setup a wireless network exclusively for HD streams in the web interface of a tri-band router (here, ASUS)
For an optimal wireless connection to the TV, the router must be placed at a higher location – for instance, on a cabinet or a shelf
Finding The Right AC Router
A Wireless Repeater improves reception, but it must be in good range of the router and must be dual-band
It depends on the wireless network chip used Recommended AC routers with a data rate of 500 to 800 Mb/s provide adequate reserves for multiple parallel 4K streams. However, a multitude of wireless network devices is expected in a typical modern household, all of which can go online together and thus divide the bandwidth. Apart from that, the data rate is almost always affected by obstructions. Another thing to aim for is a wireless router that can last for as many years as possible and ideally has enough room (in bandwidth capacity) for the future. What’s more, not every router works well with each wireless network chip. With Broadcom models, which are often used in Notebooks or TV devices, we only managed one download of 50 Mb/s in a practical test. That is still sufficient for a video stream, but if the device continues to transmit other data in the background, it can result in a choppy stream. Therefore, two ways to go about it is to have a model that can work well with most access point devices like the TP-Link Archer VR2800v, or the relatively more affordable Netgear R6400. Anyone who plans to confine their video streams into a particular transmission band (like the 5 GHz) should go for a a tri-band router. Of the ones in our list, we recommend the ASUS RT-AC3200 (at approx. RM1,300 onwards).
Savings tip: The Netgear R6400 is fast enough for 4K and is available from around RM900 onwards
ASUS Rt-AC3200 Photos: Manufacturer
Photos: Sabrina Raschpichler/CHIP Studios (Lead photo); Copyright 2008/Blender Foundation/ www.bigbuckbunny.org/CC BY 3.0 (Film image i. lead ); Nikolaus Schäffler (top right); AVM (bottom right)
In our tests, many AC routers meet the transmission specifications required for 4K - like bandwidths of 14 to 25 Mb/s. However, depending on the range of a particular network and the devices used, there are a few things to note while selecting the model.
feature
The smart network speakers by Amazon and Google can do a lot and also know a lot. They also listen carefully and transmit everything homeward By Heiko Bauer
I
nspired by the huge success of Amazon’s ‘‘Echo” with the talking assistant Alexa, more and more households are purchasing and adding intelligent network speakers to their daily life, which can carry out several tasks and respond when called. They then switch to Receiving and also Sending - or transmitting any content heard to the servers of Google or Amazon for recognition and interpretation. Once this is done, the data is not deleted, but is stored chronologically and permanently. These data are allegedly used to serve the advancement of the technology as well as the adaptation to the needs of the use; it can, however, also be used for less desirable purposes. At worst, one could have set up a bugging
038
october 17
chip malaysia
device in one’s own house. Whether the added comfort warrants this risk is something each user must decide for themselves. We have decided to take a closer look at what the devices are capable of, what is stored where - and what possibilities of influence on the storage and transmission lie with you, as a user.
Talk to che cylinder: Amazon Echo Since February this year, the cylinder-shaped Echo by Amazon with active, omni-directional speaker unit is available in Germany for 180 Euros (approx. RM906). Apart from that, the smaller Echo Dot is available for 60 Euros (approx. RM302), which has the same
Photos: Google Inc. (top left); Amazon (top right); Apple (p. 50 bottom)
Amazon Echo & Co: Curious Minions
feature features as that of its elder brother, apart from the audio quality and size. For reasonable musical enjoyment, it must be connected to a sound system. The devices react to the activation word ‘‘Alexa”, which can be changed to ‘‘Echo”, ‘‘Amazon” or ‘‘Computer”, as well as to pressing an action button at the top. An illuminated ring displays the respective operating status. The setup takes place via the ‘‘Amazon Echo” App for Android and iOS or in the browser under alexa.amazon. com.
Still en route: Google Home & Apple HomePod In the United States and some European countries, ‘‘Google Home” is available for purchase. The smart speaker, also equipped with an omni-directional playback unit, costs 129 US dollars (approx. RM542) and can even be extended into a multi-room system along with other similar Chromecast devices. The bottom part of the case is detachable and is available in different colours. At your service here is ‘‘Assistant”, Google’s digital assistant, which is also available on many Smartphones. It also reacts to ‘‘OK Google” or on typing on the touch screen interface, which is signalled by colourful illuminated points. The setup is possible in the ‘‘Google Home” App for Android and iOS; there is no browser version. Already advertised in the developer conference WWDC, but available only at the end of the year and in three English-speaking countries at first, is the smart speaker ‘‘HomePod” by Apple. Apple’s in-house assistant ‘‘Siri” will be at service here. It should sound much better than its competitors, but is priced at 350 US dollars (approx. RM 1,471), which is twice or thrice as much.
Even without a Smartphone You can even configure and setup your Amazon devices using the web
By using Bing, Alexa loses out on a lot of easy questions compared to Google Assistant, but it gains valuable points for some funny search results
Smart assistants in comparison: Echo vs. Home Our test included both the Echoes by Amazon and an Englishspeaking Google Home. The devices contain multiple far field microphones, which continuously scan the environment. In our practical test lasting several weeks, they started upon the activation word even from a distance of a few meters and reliably recognised voice commands. In the process, we noticed that the Echoes reacted more sensitively to a lower voice or a noisy environment. The bigger Echo sounded much better than Google Home in terms of music playback. In the case of higher volumes, all devices showed significant distortions and were also hardly responsive. Home was completely unresponsive at the highest level. Fortunately, the speaker can be regulated by hand. And what else can the clever speakers do? Alexa and Assistant play music titles as requested, respond to knowledge related questions, tell the current news or the weather and much more. They can extract appointments in the calendar, which they will remind you some time prior to the event. In the USA, it’s even possible to book movie tickets, a table at a restaurant or even a taxi with it. Alexa can even shop, but only at Amazon. The smart assistants also control Smart Home devices by several manufacturers. The Hue lamps by Philips can thus be operated, dimmed and regulated in terms of colour by talking to the assistants. In case of knowledge-related questions, Alexa often skips a lot of questions, which, among other things, could be due to the fact that it looks up the answers on Bing, while Assistant looks it up directly on the in-house search engine. Apart from that, only Google’s assistant
Hundreds of enhancement options Alexa can be easily upgraded or enhanced with skill additions from Amazon to further increase its quirky nature
The smart assistants in a brief comparison Amazon and Google want to give nothing away. Echo seems more versatile, Home offers wider knowledge and context recognition Google Home
Amazon Echo
Assistant
Google Assistant
Amazon Alexa
Setup via
App (Android, iOS)
App (Android, iOS), Browser
Activation word
‘‘OK Google”
‘‘Alexa”, optionally ‘‘Amazon”, ‘‘Echo” or ‘‘Computer”
Search engine
Bing
Features
Multi-room, context recognition
Several extensions
chip malaysia
october 17
039
feature is capable of recognising a context and to refer back to a preceding topic. In respect thereof, Alexa is extremely capable of learning, as Amazon provides a development kit, with which third parties can create so-called ‘‘Skills”, which the user can add as required and of which there are hundreds of options available by now. Google, on the other hand, has only introduced such a solution recently.
Eager endurance eavesdroppers
Alexa keeps track of your questions and searches in its database. Luckily it can be deleted
Google also permits the complete deactivation of data storage on the Activities web page
1
2
As US newsreader Jim Patton quoted a little girl in February in the news programme CW6 with the words ‘‘Alexa, order me a dollhouse”, several viewers complained afterwards as their Echoes had thereupon attempted to order dollhouses. In fact, our Alexa also appeared to be interested in the voice commands from Amazon commercials and subsequently began to play music or order something. The helpful assistant also got repeatedly activated during our normal conversations, without anything in the conversation having sounded like ‘‘Alexa”. What is alarming here is that the recording is saved on the Amazon servers despite it not being able to be interpreted. Google Home responded only to deliberate calls. Anyway, Home can now distinguish between voices. Furthermore, the devices temporarily record a short continuous voice sequence, in the event that the user continues speaking after the activation word without waiting for a reaction. What has been directly spoken before the activation can also be transmitted. We found none of these recordings in the stored data, but it is plausible that this constantly active recording technology is misused as a voluntarily setup interception device. With the HomePod, Apple wants to a take a better way regarding data protection. The company that constantly declares itself to not have interest in user data, would like to store the recordings, albeit anonymously. Further details are not yet known.
Simply take control yourself
Control recordings You can easily delete your searches on Alexa by going to ‘‘Settings > History”. On Google Assistant, simply navigate to your ‘‘Activities” page and delete the searches
More discretion Currently, Apple has no plans to save user data, so if discretion is important, then this should be your pick
040
october 17
chip malaysia
Whatever lands on the hard disks of the providers through the devices can be easily found and deleted again. The entries of the Echoes can be seen right on the homepage of the App or browser application and can be individually deleted by clicking on ‘‘Delete Voice Recordings”, which can be found under ‘‘Settings > History”. The data stored by Google can be found in ‘‘Activities” on the website myactivity.google.com. Under ‘‘Filter by date”, the voice files can be selected, can also be heard, and individually or - with ‘‘Delete activity by” - even completely deleted. In the ‘‘Activity controls” section, Google also offers the possibility to completely disable storage. Those who would like to be warned about an unexpected activation of the devices, can change the settings such that they emit a confirmation tone at the beginning and, optionally, even at the end of activation. Additionally, the microphones can be disabled through a keystroke, which is displayed in the Echoes by a red illuminated ring and in Google Home by four orange points. In order to avoid the postman unexpectedly arriving at your doorstep with a dollhouse, you can exclude purchases from the Echo settings or define a PIN. The friendly assistant will ask one more time before confirming an order, but even a child can say ‘‘yes”, after all. It is not perfect, but a good way to ensure that your Echo is not freely shopping in Amazon like a kid in a candy store.
feature
Google’s Supremacy
New videos (in hours) that are uploaded to YouTube in a minute 300
The most valuable company in the world thinks in dimensions that can often only be estimated rather than measured
Number of subscribers following PewDiePie, the most successful YouTuber 57.3 million Number of employees worldwide 72,053
By Patrick Hannemann
Market share of all internet search queries that ran using Google services 91.4 percent
Google’s storage capacity is estimated to be more than 15 Exabyte
Number of global search queries per second 104,000
Active users of Google Photos 500 million
Number of global search queries in all of 1999 500,000
Photos uploaded daily to Google Photos 1.2 billion
A single search query consumes 1 kilojoule (kJ) (which is enough to heat one litre of water by 0.24 degrees)
Number of active users of Google Drive in the year 2013 100 million
Applications received by Google yearly 1 Million
Number of active users of Google Drive in the year 2017 800 million
Number of devices using Android as the operating system 2 billion
Active users of all Google services accounts to 14% of humanity
Google’s 2001 profits in US dollars 6.98 million
Duration in years of videos that are viewed daily on YouTube 12.3
Google’s 2016 profits in US dollars 19.5 billion
Percentage of female employees 31 percent
In 2016, the three terms searched for most often in Malaysia are Euro 2016, Pokemon Go, BR1M 2016 Total length (in kilometres) of the streets photographed for Street View 8 million The computing capacity of a single cloud TPU that is used to train artificial intelligences is 180 Teraflops Increase in Google stock since the initial public offering in the year 2004 855 percent In 2009, legal tax dodges enabled Google to pay profit taxes in Europe of no more than 3 percent In June 2017, the EU Commission slapped Google with a fine of 2.42 billion euros
Turnover and profit development In 2016, just 18 years after it was founded, Google superseded Apple to become the most valuable company in the world
Applications available for download on Google Play 3.24 million
100 Billion US-Dollar
Turnover 80
Estimated number of pages indexed by Google 30 billion
60
Total assets (in US dollars) of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the two founders of Google 90 billion
Profit
20
0
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Sources: statista.de
40
The lawns at Google’s headquarters in California are cut by 200 goats
2016
chip malaysia
october 17
041
feature
Heat Sinks For Overheating SSDs Those who love their PC give it fast hard drives in the form of NVMe SSDs. After a short time, however, they heat up so much that their speed reduces. Special coolers can help prevent this from happening By Markus Mandau
042
october 17
chip malaysia
quickly. For example, we have a Corsair MP500 in the test laboratory, which heated up to 90 degrees while transferring large amounts of data.
NVMe SSDs and heat accumulation There are NVMe SSDs that throttle speeds only after 20 seconds of writing, so that they don’t overheat. In this time, the SSD has written about 30 GB of data. This may not seem much, but 30 GB can consist of multiple 4K films or even a high end Triple-A title PC game. Other NVMe SSDs, such as the 960 from Samsung, only hold out for one and a half minute, thanks to an additional copper plate (see page on the right, top right). This is aggravated by the fact that the new NVMe SSD is normally provided as a small, flat chip card in the M.2 format. This
Photos: Simon Kirsch/CHIP Studios
T
he invention of the SSD marked the evolution of storage as we know it. Ever since, the hard drive stopped being the bottleneck that impeded the processing power of modern PCs. A second evolution took place once again two years ago, with the arrival of the first NVMe SSDs in the market, a storage device many times faster than SATA SSDs. Presently, an NVMe drive such as Samsung’s 960 EVO reads sequential data at a speed of about 3 GB per second and writes at 1.7 GB per second. Even the best SATA SSDs pushes the speed limit at 600 MB per second, which is stipulated by the transmission power of the SATA cable. NVMe SSDs are perfect for all high-performance PCs – a hot piece of technology and in the literal sense of the word. The high transfer speeds while reading and writing require a lot of power when compared to SATA SSDs. This causes the NVMe drives to heat up
feature card, approximately three millimetres high and about eight centimetres long, is screwed flat on to a slot on the motherboard. This makes it difficult for the heat to simply dissipate like with a graphics card in a PCI-Express slot. PCIe slots are also an alternative mounting option for an NVMe SSD to assist in alleviating heat accumulation. For this purpose, M.2 cards require an adapter on which to be mounted. Normal adapters, produced in China, are of practically no help against the heat accumulation. We have therefore viewed and gauged special cooling solutions for M.2 SSDs, how and to what extent do they delay the speed throttling.
SSD Coolers In The Stress Test NVMe coolers are available in two forms: As PCIe adapters and as cooling lamellae, which are directly mounted on the M.2 card. Two of these direct coolers are offered in the market: Alphacool HDX M.2 for about 15 Euros (RM76) and kryoM.2 micro by Aqua Computer for around ten Euros (RM50). However, we can only recommend the direct coolers under certain conditions, as their assembly is not without problems – but more on that later. For PC owners, we would advise to find a PCIe adapter. We took a look at three products in the test lab: Aqua Computer’s lryoM.2 evo for approx. 35 Euros (RM175), the Ice block HDX-2 by Alphacool (approx.. 40 Euros[RM200]) and the Angelbird Wings PX1 for about 70 Euros (RM350). All three adapters comes as a small assembly kit (see right) and the individual parts are always the same: A strong adhesive heatconducting pad is spread on top of the M.2 card. To be placed only on one side in case of the Wings PX1, and on both sides (above and below) for Ice block and kryoM.2 evo. The actual cooler must then be screwed on to the pad. Assembly of the kryoM.2 is the easiest, because only one type of screw is used. The assembly of Ice block needs relatively more effort. Overall, though, the assembly of the heat sinks is fairly uncomplicated, especially since a detailed illustrated manual is enclosed for each of the products respectively.
Samsung has incorporated a copper plate in the current NVMe SSDs, which ought to dissipate the heat
Assembly of the cooler in just a few steps PCIe coolers such as the Ice block HDX-2 by Alphacool provides it as an assembly kit. In addition to adapter card, one can find the main components of a cooling plate (left), and for a heat-conducting pad (right)
1
2
Experimental setup in the CHIP Test Lab For the test, an SSD that heats up intensely was used with the Corsair MP500 480 GB. Moreover, we also checked how well the external coolers perform with the cooling plate that’s already inserted in the Samsung 960 EVO. We carried out the tests using the measuring program DiskBench, which we normally use for speed measurements of SSDs. In order to bring the SSDs to peak temperature, we conducted five cycles of sequential data reading of 100 seconds each, directly followed by 100 seconds of sequential writing, and concluding with five cycles of reading with 200 seconds respectively. We used the same motherboard for these tests, which is normally used for SSD measurements. It is then placed in an adequately ventilated PC case. For our test, we partially taped the ventilation grilles so that air flow was still possible, but limited. We compared the results with the transfer rates attained by the Corsair without coolers. We found that the controller was actually the main culprit for heat generation and not the flash memory. The controller on the SSD
3
Finally, the cooling plate is screwed on to the adapter card – done. It can then be inserted in a PCIe slot of the PC and the computer can be powered up
chip malaysia
october 17
043
M.2 SSDs are available in various structural lengths. Considering that, cooling adapters such as the Wings PX 1 have the appropriate screw holes
Maintaining the high transfer speed
Cooled – uncooled: Data writing Without coolers, the NVMe SSD Corsair MP500 consistently reduces write speeds after 20 seconds. Whereas, the PCIe cooling adapters constantly maintains write speeds 1,500 MB/s 1,200 900
300
Aqua Computer kryoM.2 Angelbird Wings PX1 Alphacool Eisblock HDX-2 without cooling
100 0
Time in seconds
Cooled – uncooled: Data reading The Corsair MP500 heats up quickly while reading, and without coolers, the transfer rate reduces within seconds. While the coolers maintains speed effectively. Furthermore, the Wings PX1 manages to come out on top when it comes to performance 3,000
2,500
The situation seems a little different in regards to reading. Without coolers, Corsair’s data rate periodically plummets shortly after the cold start and gets back up to speed again. In the first cycle, the data rate suddenly drops from 2.5 GB/s to 2 GB/s after eight seconds, and after 70 seconds, if the SSD has cooled down again, the data rate jumps back to 2.3 GB/s. The next cycles proceed similarly, only the speed decreases further and stays at 1.7 GB/s – it occasionally drops to 1.5 GB. The Corsair recovers itself only up to 2 GB/s and then struggles to reach about 2.3 GB/s, before it decreases again. Directly after the cold start, the Wings PX1 cooler fared the best. The PCIe adapter retains speed at about 2.2 GB/s and revs it up quickly, until the SSD hits 2.4 GB/s. The other two adapters retain the base speed at about 2.1 GB/s for an extended time span and manages to attain the speed of 2.4 GB/s, albeit later. The test run with the Corsair shows that the coolers provide increased performance in regards to transfer rates. This level is achieved after seven seconds in the case of data writing, in which the Corsair has already written at least about 9 GB of data. Whereas, the coolers take effect almost immediately when reading, while SSDs without coolers aren’t capable of maintaining maximum performance after only seconds.
MB/s
When the cooler does not cool properly
Aqua Computer kryoM.2 Angelbird Wings PX1 Alphacool Eisblock HDX-2 ohne Kühlung
2,000
100
1,500 Time in seconds
Coolers like kryoM.2 micro are directly applied on to the M.2 SSD. Be careful not to bend the SSD during the assembly process
The corresponding test runs with the Samsung 960 Evo reveal another picture, as the coolers do not exactly seem to support the process of heat dissipation here. Apart from that, the PCIe adapters Ice block and kryoM.2 evo are unable to achieve the maximum speed of the Samsung SSD. Without coolers, the Samsung drive initially reads at a speed of more than 3.1 GB/s, while it barely manages an average of 3 GB/s with both of these coolers. This brake effect does not apply only to the Wings PX1. If the Samsung drive has warmed up, none of the coolers seemed to have a positive effect, quite the opposite. In such a scenario, even the PX1 reaches a base speed of about 3 GB/s, while the heated Evo drive attains 3.1 GB/s without coolers. Not even the Evo is escapes such fluctuations in transfer rates, as it can drop to 2.9 GB/s,. Sometimes, the Evo drive quickly reduces its transfer rate to about 2.7 GB/s, which does not happen with the coolers. One must not forget the coolers, which are placed directly on the M.2 card without adapters. Even though they achieve a similar cooling effect as the adapters, the assembly is not without risks: The heat sinks, conductive pad, and SSD are held together by means of clamps. If the SSD is somewhat higher or uneven because it has chips on both sides, like the Corsair drive used by us, the insertion of the
Photos i. UZS v. re. o.: MSI; Samsung; CHIP Studios (2)
600
is responsible for receiving data, writing to the cache or on the flash memory, reading it from there, and sending it to the CPU. Data writing is a complex task and demands more from the controller than reading does. This is also further shown by our measurements: Without coolers, Corsair’s write speed of 1.3 GB/s starts reducing from the twentieth second onwards to a mere 1 GB/s after 27 seconds. The curve drops afterwards, until Corsair only writes at about 800 MB/s after 100 seconds. On the contrary, if the SSD is cooled, the speed of 1.3 GB/s is maintained throughout. In this scenario, all three tested products performed exceptionally well.
feature cooler in the bracket holder only works with force – if not careful, the SSD can bend or get damaged. So the question is, who needs NVMe coolers? In daily life, they can be beneficial to all users of Turbo SSDs and their coolers, or to those who intensively engage in video and music processing, as they must read and store large quantities of data. Even enthusiasts who assembles high-performance PCs are savvy of NVMe SSDs and possibly even coolers, since the performance advantage is enormous when compared to SATA SSDs.
Speed Tips For NVMe SSDs Those who use an NVMe SSD should watch out for a few minor details, like how the SSDs transfer their data via PCIe. On current PC boards, the PCIe circuits are either directly linked to the CPU or are directed via the chipset. For optimal data throughput, a direct connection is favourable. Modern boards normally provide two PCIe connectors for graphics cards. Those who use only one graphics card can utilise the second connector for their NVMe SSD.
Turbo Boost with manufacturer drivers The right driver can bring about a great boost in speed. Microsoft has integrated in-house NVMe drivers in Windows 10 so that the operating system can be installed on NVMe drives without any problems. However, these drivers are not optimised for all SSDs and can in no way bring out the maximum performance of every NVMe SSD. In the case of Samsung SSDs, the use of the manufacturer’s driver – which can directly be downloaded from the Samsung Homepage – can unleash double the speed in most cases. Having said that, it’s not easy to find the right driver for PCs or Notebooks where an NVMe SSD by Samsung is already pre-installed. Samsung sells several NVMe SSDs in the form of OEM versions, which are registered in Windows with cryptic abbreviations. On the right, we have broken down the most standard models and allocated the suitable drivers to them, as Samsung does not provide direct support for the OEM models. For the OEM SSDs of the 950, one can simply use the drivers of Sam950 Pro available. This does not apply to the current SSDs from 960 onwards. The installation process of the Samsung driver crashes as soon it registers that an OEM version is used. This is why Samsung drivers ‘‘Pure” extracted by the ‘‘Community” must be installed manually. They can be found at winraid.com. The installation of ‘‘Pure” drivers are simple: It takes place in the ‘‘Device Manager” in Windows 10, which can be accessed by clicking on the Start button via the right mouse button. You should be careful not to choose the NVMe SSD listed under ”Drives”, but the ‘‘Standard NVM Express Controller” listed under ‘‘Storage controllers”. Subsequently, one can specify the folder where the extracted ‘‘Pure” drivers are via ‘‘Action l Update driver software”. The system installs it automatically and optimises the performance capability of the NVMe SSD.
Motherboards with M.2 coolers Even motherboard manufacturers are beginning to be aware of heat problems on NVMe SSDs. MSI has mounted a cooler, the M.2 Shield, via the M.2 connection on some Kaby Lake boards, which are meant for powerful PCs. Even motherboards by GIGABYTE are equipped with a suitable cooling elements now.
MSI has pre-assembled an SSD cooler on some motherboards such as the Z270 Gaming M 7
Install Samsung drivers for OEM models Only special manufacturer drivers optimises NVMe SSDs. Unfortunately, Samsung does not offer these for OEM SSDs in Notebooks and complete PCs. Drivers of the 950 Pro are attainable through ‘‘Pure” Samsung drivers from the Win RAID forum
OEMModel
Windows label
Compatible driver
Samsung SM951
MZVPV
Samsung 950 Pro
Samsung PM951
MZFLV
Samsung 950 Pro
Samsung SM961
MZVPW, MZVKW
Pure Samsung driver
Samsung PM961
MZVLW
Pure Samsung driver
OEM SSDs are registered under a cryptic abbreviation in the Device Manager. We‘ve listed them down in the table above
The installation of the ‘‘Pure” drivers takes place in the Device Manager, not under ‘‘Drivers”, but under ‘‘Storage controllers”
chip malaysia
october 17
045
feature
Quality Refurbishment Professional hardware is often better than brand new consumer goods. Or at least when it comes to many cheap, reprocessed and warranty-claimed products from ‘‘refurbish” providers
Q
uality appears to be way down on the priority list of many hardware manufacturers these days. For consumer products, it is enough when they look impressive in the shops and pull through the warranty period. After that, they often start becoming faulty, causing the customer to part way with more money to get a new hardware. Of course, having too many defects means loss of trust in the business environment. Therefore, brands tend to emphasise on their products having long shelf life, easy repairs and provision of replacement parts. Strict ergonomic standards are also applicable. The higher price of business hardware is evening out itself for companies, because it can depreciate the costs and lease the device for a few years. But this is where it becomes interesting for private customers. When the manufacturers reclaim the highpriced hardware, they are reprocessed and sold at a cheaper price. This is done via dealers who also give a warranty of up to a year on these products. In such cases, business Notebooks, monitors and laser printers are the most popular and most logical for consumers. Here, you will get solid devices that mostly work much longer than
046
october 17
chip malaysia
new consumables at the same price. But there are also sources for refurbished or at least tested consumer hardware. For example, Apple’s online shop has a section for refurbished hardware in all categories, while big mail order companies like Amazon offer product returns and also refurbished products at cheap prices. Last but not the least, there are smaller special dealers who purchase consumables like smartphones, then refurbish and sell them. As with most mail order businesses, there’s a specific number of days available where cancellation is applicable. Basically, if you feel that the delivered goods look too worn out, you have the right to return them. Of course, the purchase price will be reimbursed but the return shipping costs must be borne by you. The exact policy depends on the dealer. Refurbished hardware are also available in some shops. It may be also worthwhile to inquire with the local Office or computer dealers (for laser printers, professional monitors and PCs/ Notebooks) in regards to that. The advantage of buying from a shop is so that you can review the status of the device before purchasing
Photos i. UZS v. li.: Simon Kirsch/CHIP Studios; CHIP; Lenovo
By Christoph Schmidt
feature it. Also, it’ll allow you the chance to upgrade any components while you are there, should it be necessary.
Cheap Business Hardware Many manufacturers build business notebooks. But in the local refurbished market, the offer from Lenovo and HP is clearly the largest. Lenovo has ThinkPads in the market, mainly represented with the X (compact 12” notebooks), T (standard business Notebooks), L (cheaper variants) and W or P (mobile workstation with i7 processor and graphics card) series. A three-digit number follows the letter, where the first digit in this number represents the display’s size plus ten inches (i.e. 220 = 12 inch, 540 = 15 inch etc.), the second digit represents the product’s generation. Up to Generation 2, the ThinkPads have a traditional keyboard, which is appreciated by those who need to type a lot. Their Sandy Bridge CPUs are also not overburdened with current tasks, but note that you shouldn’t choose one below a Core i5. For the third generation onwards, you’ll get Ivy Bridge CPUs and a Chiclet keyboard with bars between the keys. This keyboard is also available with backlight as an option. The ProBook series from HP is available as standard business notebooks and the high-priced EliteBook or ZBook is available in many shops. In particular, the ZBook is considered to be as robust as ThinkPads when it comes to typing. However, the model numbers don’t provide you with an easy way to recognise their specs like Lenovo’s notebooks. Likewise, when it comes to other manufacturers or products, you should at least aim for an i5 CPU from the Sandy Bridge generation (Core i5-2xxxx or better) onwards, while having a suitable display size/resolution would make it a solid deal. Lack of graphics card (from Nvidia or AMD) is of advantage in this device class, because there are often outdated or even no drivers available for the older mobile graphics cards. However, this does hamper or prevent the use of Windows 10. In any case, a magnetic hard disk, a very small SSD or less RAM can be deal breakers, because business devices are usually hard to upgrade. A cheap but not unusual deal that we found was the ThinkPad T420. With a Core i5-2520M, 1600 x 900 display and Windows 7 Professional, it costs around RM1,000. That leaves some playroom in the budget to eliminate one of its two weak points - the lame 320GB HDD that sits under a side cover and can be quite easily replaced with a SATA SSD. You can mirror the operating system on it using tools provided by your SSD’s manufacturer (like the Samsung Data Migration Tool) or Clonezilla. Since the 4 GB RAM in the PC in the offer occupies both the slots, it should both be replaced by an 8GB RAM kit (approx. RM290). Thanks to the cover that can be opened easily, the task can be accomplished in a few minutes. For an affordable price, you can have a robust, repairable and upgradable notebook. New consumer notebooks can offer a faster CPU (Core i57200 CPU with approx. 10 percent more computing power) for the same price, but tend to provide only a low capacity HDD and likely 4GB RAM. The latter is insufficient for most modern use and makes it difficult to run Windows 10 efficiently.
Upgrade SSD & RAM Computers with only 4 GB RAM and one HDD under 500 GB are very cheap. An upgrade to 8 GB RAM (see pic) and a new SSD instead of HDD, make the computer faster than many new models
Comfortable use on the writing desk You can get a docking station for approx. RM150 onwards for the business notebooks. The monitor, keyboard/mouse, power adapter, LAN cable and USB devices are simultaneously connected to the docking station
chip malaysia
october 17
047
feature PC monitors: Ergonomic and robust
Professional monitor for less money Office monitors like the Dell P2214H are available as ‘‘refurbished” from about RM800 onwards. Even against newer low-end displays, it delivers performance onpar (if not better) and has good range of ergonomics.
In case of older monitors, you should check that all relevant ports are available. For example, this NEC has a DVI-D, HDMI and two DisplayPorts - everything relevant is available.
Today, monitor manufacturers advertise their products with 4K or higher resolution, as well as ultra-fast image rendering rates for gaming and super-wide or curved displays. But if you are looking for a solid monitor with ergonomic settings for office, or a model with graphics-compatible quality for image editing, then you should consider refurbished products. We do have to point out that the options you have are often less comprehensive than for notebooks. Anyway, for Office tasks or as a second monitor, the RM400 to RM800 price range can be quite competitive. Not only can you find newer entry level panels at this price point, there are also very good refurbished ones that might perform better. Good choices are typically by Dell, HP or Lenovo. These monitors are of minimum 21.5 inches and have resolutions starting from 1680 x 1050 pixels. Everything looks big on screen, however, so you’d have to keep scrolling a lot while surfing. In the next price bracket of RM800 and more, there are generally refurbished business monitors with resolutions of 1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200 pixels. The latter with their 16:10 page ratio offer more vertical space, which ensures more visibility while surfing and doing office tasks. These displays stand out from the same expensive new models, often through better panels (brighter and with better viewing angles due to IPS instead of bad TN panels). They also offer extensive adjustment options in terms of height and inclination even a pivot function to rotate the monitor to portrait format. Last but not the least, they are more robust and built to last for long. Similar to notebooks, there are monitor manufacturers and series which are particularly widespread in the business environment and have a good reputation, such as the NEC MultiSync or Dell UltraSharp. The perfect graphics monitor is rare and can be found only with refurbished items dealers. The manufacturer Dell, on its website www.dellrefurbished.com, offers monitors as checked demo devices with warrantees. To access the right page, go to ‘‘Accessories | Monitors”, then tick the ‘‘Professional Series” for office models or on ‘‘UltraSharp” for those intended for graphics designers. This will filter and show you a list of available refurbished models.
Workgroup printers like the HP LaserJet P3005dn print fast and cheaper than new printers from the sub-RM1,000 range.
When a printer model is in the market for some years, then it’s likely to have cheap refurbished toners and those from external manufacturers. This also reduces the price of the original toner.
Imagine wanting to print something after a long time of not using your printer, but your inkjet chooses that exact moment to stop working, because the colour cartridges are empty or the nozzles have dried up. Laser printers are problem-solvers in the long run. New but basic Black/White laser printers are available from around RM400 upwards and are more than sufficient for low volume printing needs. But for people who need big print volume like teachers or someone who is working with a club, it’s better to go for a refurbished business laser printer for the same price, which would be cheaper in the long run. In this area, most options should be available - right up to MFP A3 towers. However, the most interesting option for home use are the compact workgroup printers. These printers are available from companies like Brother, HP, Kyocera or OKI. Regardless of which, check whether the speed, paper capacities or features are the same as the ones shown. For example, business printers often have automatic duplex printing (printing on both sides). Also, search on the Internet for the relevant toner that the device needs and whether it is easily available, as well as the cost. A good dealer will deliver refurbished printers with opened but leak-proof toners. This type of business
Photos i. UZS v. re. o.: Apple; Samsung; Lenovo; Nikon; Brother; CHIP; NEC; Eizo
Laser printer: Indestructible and economical
feature toner with 50 percent ink level is even able to print you more pages than the economical toner in a cheap new device.
Risk Of Consumer Bargains With most hardware, the refurbished deals are sparse and you have to look closer at the details. >Apple hardware of all types are sold by the manufacturer, even directly via the online shop. Returns from this shop are refurbished by Apple and are sold with a one-year warantee and the Apple Care extension option. The combo deals are available under apple.com/ shop/browse/home/specialdeals. Most of the deals there are attractive enough, with the exception of the MacBook Air. Though relatively cheap, it wouldn’t be our first choice for a used item due to its ultra-light design. The MacBook Pro is regarded as very robust but be warned for unlike Windows PCs, the models currently available with Apple as ‘‘refurbished” are either hard to or impossible to upgrade when it comes to the RAM or storage drives. > A smartphone that is refurbished can be a good deal or an expensively bad purchase. While there are hardly any applications that cannot be run by the hardware in a midrange or premium smartphone from one to three years ago, almost none of the manufacturers keep their devices updated with regards to software. This is an important thing to note because older versions can be susceptible to cyber-attacks. An exception is the Google Nexus series, which is directly provided with Android updates from Google. But these phones are extremely rare in the refurbished market. If you don’t mind using one with poor and outdated software, then you can get strong hardware with a top-class phone that is one to three years old (such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, refurbished from approx. RM800 onwards) at a cheap price. The constantly updated Open Source Android Lineage OS rectifies the security shortcomings of old firmware. >Desktop PCs are also available with some refurbished dealers as a part of deals. In contrast to many home PCs, these Office devices are not designed for maximum CPU and GPU performance at low volume, but for reliable long-term operations at lower costs instead. The standard mid-towers are interesting as good choices for web browsing and office computers, while small computers like the Intel NUC can be perfect as living room PCs. But note that suitable ports must be present for it and the CPU must be among the latest ones, or at least Sandy Bridge (e.g Core ix-2xxx) for Full HD video playback. >Cameras and lenses are worthwhile refurbished items from reputable retailers like Amazon Warehouse. You save a bit when only the packing is damaged, or if the casing has some minor scratches. There is no refurbished market like that for business notebooks, but you can purchase (semi) professional cameras very easily as standard used ones from camera shop or even from special online dealers. An example is the Nikon D7100, which you can get for about RM2,300 or more. It can actually compete with the expensive new D5300 model in terms of robustness, settings and expandability, but is significantly cheaper. For consumers, the key here is to wait and find the right piece at the right moment.
Used stuff from Apple With the refurbished hardware from Apple‘s online store, you can save some money, relatively without risk. iPads and iPhones should be two-years-old or less, otherwise the software support will expire.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 of 2015 is also a good smartphone when refurbished, but Samsung no longer provides the latest Android version for it. The alternative is to flash it with a custom ROM like Lineage OS
Mini Office computers like the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny serve as ‘‘refurbished” inconspicuous living room PCs.
A semi-professional camera like the Nikon D7100 is waterproof, impact-resistant and renders details better than a consumer point-and-shoot.
Photos: iStockphoto/Besjunior
feature
Repairing Windows Broken drivers, sluggish start-ups, or update errors – every Windows user has gone through one or more of these issues. Fortunately, there are Windows tools you can use to rectify the most irritating system errors and recover your data By Andreas Th. Fischer
050
october 17
chip malaysia
feature
T
he much-feared ‘blue screen of death’ has become a rarity. Newer Windows versions – especially Windows 10 – have been relatively stable and rarely crash. Nevertheless, the operating system does occasionally refuse to start properly. Under other circumstances, it may even hang at an inconvenient moment, and when that happens you end up losing important data. However, you don’t necessarily have to use the catch-all option of re-installing the operating system when Windows stops running smoothly, because Microsoft has equipped the system with repair tools. However, these tools are sometimes quite well-hidden. In this article, we’ll show you how you can use these tools to repair the PC, even if Windows is refusing to boot up. We have also put together a list of external tools that can be helpful.
The classic system recovery options under Windows 7 offers several options for repairing the system
Windows Doesn’t Start Up At All Anymore The worst-case scenario is when the system no longer boots up. In such cases, you won’t be able to access your data directly. The first tip involves a system repair tool, which you can read more about in the box at the bottom of this page. This tool provides you with a variety of different repair methods.
The system recovery for Windows 10 provides a new UI, but behind the new gloss are functions that are similar to the ones found in preceding Windows versions
Startup assistance and system startup repairs When it comes to Windows 7 and 10, the functions of the system recovery only differ from each other in terms of the manner in which they call up the repair assistant. In Windows 10, you need to insert the system recovery drive (USB or DVD) and start up the computer. Follow the assistant until you reach ‘‘Advanced options”. Click the ‘‘Troubleshoot | Startup settings” option to launch the automatic error search and repair function. In Windows 7, insert the recovery disc and follow the recovery wizard until you reach the ‘‘Choose a recovery tool” screen. Now, click the ‘‘Startup Repair” option. After the repairs are completed, close the tool using the ‘‘Shut down” or ‘‘Turn off your PC” option, remove the disc or USB and restart the system.
Under Windows 10, you can boot up in the advanced start-up options directly from the system while it’s running
Fixing a defective boot sector If your PC still doesn’t boot up to Windows, it could mean that the boot
Create a recovery system Among other things, Windows contains the specialised Recdisc tool, which allows you to burn a system recovery disc via CD/DVD. This system offers several options for repairing your PC. Ideally, you should create a CD or DVD in advance and keep it safe for emergencies. To do so, press the [Windows] + [R] key combination under Windows and enter the ‘‘recdisc” command. The system will then open the ‘‘Create a system repair disc” window. Insert
a blank CD or DVD into your disc burner and select it using the ‘‘Drive” option. Now, click the ‘‘Create disc” option. Don’t forget to label the disk. When you need the recovery system, insert the newly created recovery disc into the drive as soon as the computer has started up and call up the boot menu. It can usually be accessed by pressing the [Esc], [F11] or [F12] key. After that, you can launch the recovery system. Create a recovery disc on a CD or DVD in a relatively quick way, so that you will be able to repair Windows in case of an emergency
chip malaysia
october 17
051
feature sector has been damaged. Restart the computer with the system recovery disc and select the ‘‘Command prompt” option. Now, use the Bootrec tool to re-write the boot sectors. Execute the ‘‘bootrec /fixmbr”, ‘‘bootrec /fixboot” and ‘‘bootrec / rebuildbcd” commands one after the other, then restart the PC.
Windows Starts Up With Errors The expanded boot menu of Windows 7 (which is opened with the [F8] key) also has the option for repairing the system
If Windows starts up but refuses to run smoothly, you could fall back on the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) that has been integrated into the system. It can be accessed directly from the hard drive.
Use the Windows Recovery Environment In safe mode, Windows only launches essential drivers and programmes. You can also quickly access important system components
If you’re using Windows 7, simply press the [F8] key when the system is starting up to open the expanded boot menu, then select the ‘‘Repair computer” option. For Windows 10 users, you can directly access the tool while the OS is running. To do so, click on the ‘‘Start | Settings | Update and security | Recovery” option. Close all programmes and files that are still open before you click the ‘‘Restart now” option under ‘‘Advanced start-up”. Once the system has restarted, go to the ‘‘Trouble-shooting | Advanced options” section.
Boot up Windows in Safe mode
Under Windows 10, the safe mode can be found in this somewhat hidden menu, which contains various start-up options
The fact that the PC is not starting up in an error-free manner could be attributed to the fact that a driver or other piece of installed software is defective. Such cases can be dealt with using the safe mode, in which Windows only loads the most important components. Windows 7 makes it relatively easy to access the safe mode, only requiring you to re-boot the system and press the [F8] key immediately after start-up. The system then throws up the boot menu, from which you can select the appropriate safe mode. In the standard mode, even the network drivers are deactivated. This can be helpful in terms of local trouble-shooting, but it can also impede proceedings when you need the internet. If that’s the case, you should select the ‘‘Safe Mode with Networking” option. The third
Repair installation When repairing your Windows installation, the most important Windows components are reinstalled from the recovery disc or USB drive, replacing any damaged system files. The existing programmes, settings and pieces of data are retained. You can start the installation by re-booting the computer from the recovery media. Now, follow the installation assistant for Windows until you reach the ‘‘Select an installation type” option. Click the ‘‘Upgrade:
052
october 17
Install Windows and retain files, settings and applications” option (under Windows 7, the option is simply ‘‘Upgrade”). The system now runs a compatibility check before it carries out the upgrade (which, to be more specific, is a downgrade). This procedure can take a while, depending on the hardware. Under no circumstances should you cancel it. As soon as the process has been completed, you should restart Windows and initiate a Windows Update.
chip malaysia
The ‘‘Upgrade” option allows you to run a repair installation. Caution: The second option initiates a total re-installation
feature option – ‘‘Safe Mode with Command Prompt” – launches Windows without the graphical user interface. The procedure is somewhat more laborious under Windows 10. You have to access the ‘‘Start | Settings | Update and security | Recovery” option while the system is running, then click on the ‘‘Restart now” option under ‘‘Advanced startup”. Make sure to save all files that are open before you do this. Now, click the ‘‘Troubleshoot | Advanced options | Startup settings | Restart” option. Windows 10 will now restart again and present the ‘‘Start settings”, from which you can select the appropriate mode using the [4], [5] or [6] keys.
Many repairs make it necessary for you to use a command prompt window with administrator rights
Repairing A Running Version Of Windows If Windows displays one or more error messages while it’s in operation, you will have several options that will enable you to use the built-in tools to carry out repairs. Most of the system tools provided by Microsoft require you to use the command prompt with administrator rights. In Windows 10, the easiest way to open such a command prompt is to rightclick the ‘‘Start” option and select the ‘‘Command prompt (administrator)” command, while in Windows 7 you have to go to the ‘‘Start | All programmes | Accessories” option, right-click the ‘‘Command prompt” option and select the ‘‘Run as administrator” option.
This short command is sometimes enough to make Windows run error-free by triggering a complete restart
Complete restart of Windows More recent Windows versions cache a part of their current settings while shutting down, in order to be able to restart more quickly. Consequently, some errors can continue to affect the system even after it has restarted. In that case, you can use a simple command to execute a complete restart, so that Windows will then run in an error-free fashion. Press [Windows] + [R] and enter ‘shutdown -g -t 0’. The parameter ‘‘-g” corresponds to a complete restart. The second parameter (‘‘-t 0”) ensures that it is executed immediately and without any further enquiries.
Searching the hard drive for errors
Chkdsk can often only check the hard drive after the system has been restarted
The Chkdsk Windows tool checks the hard drive and repairs defective
Trouble-shooting in the start protocol If Windows keeps crashing when it’s booting up, it might be happening because of a defective driver. The only question is, which one? To find out, you should activate the ‘‘Startup logging” option. Under Windows 7, this option can be found in the expanded start menu, which can be accessed by pressing [F8] during system boot-up. Under Windows 10, you should select the ‘‘Start | Settings | Update and security | Recovery” option and click the ‘‘Restart now” option under ‘‘Advanced startup”. Now,
access the ‘‘Troubleshoot | Advanced options | Startup settings | Restart” section. Activate the startup logging process with [2]. Now, restart Windows (in safe mode, if you have no other choice) and open the ‘‘Ntbtlog.txt” file in Windows Explorer; this file can be found in the ‘‘C:\Windows” folder. The driver that’s responsible for the crash is usually the last one in the list. Now, use Google to look for further information about this driver, then deactivate or update it.
Windows uses the startup logging function to produce a list that tells you which drivers were started and in what order
chip malaysia
october 17
053
feature Error codes for Windows 10 When Windows 10 is being updated or installed, the system may throw up errors that are displayed by the operating system in the form of cryptic codes. See below for description of codes: 0xC1900101
This usually involves driver errors. Run the Windows Update process several times and update all installed drivers.
0x80073712
A file that Windows Update needs is damaged or missing.
0xC1900208
An incompatible application is blocking the upgrade.
0x80070070
The PC does not have enough storage space for the upgrade.
0x800F0922
There is no online connection to the Microsoft servers.
0xC1900200
The computer does not satisfy the prerequisites for a Windows 10 upgrade.
Further information regarding specific error codes can be found at https://support. microsoft.com/en-us/help/10587/windows-10-get-help-with-upgrade-installationerrors
sectors. First, open a command prompt window with administrator rights and enter ‘‘chkdsk C: /f /r”. The parameter ‘‘C:” ensures that the tool checks the ‘‘C:” partition, while ‘‘/f” and ‘‘/r” ensure that defective sectors are found and repaired. If another process accesses the partition that is to be examined (this happens quite often), Chkdsk offers to run the check after the computer has been restarted.
Repairing damaged system files Damaged system files can appear if Windows was not shut down correctly. Sfc checks these files and replaces them with copies that have been cached on the local drive. To use Sfc, open a command prompt window with administrator rights and enter ‘‘sfc /scannow”. The check takes several minutes. As soon as it is completed, you should restart the PC and perform a Windows Update.
Checking the component store
The Sfc command line tool looks for defective system files and repairs them if necessary
Sfc accesses the component store, which Windows uses to save copies of the system files, before it can be re-installed from this location - if there’s any files corrupted or damaged. However, these may be defective as well. To repair the component store, open a command prompt window with administrator rights and enter the command ‘‘dism /Online /CleanupImage /RestoreHealth”. Dism will then look for errors and repair them. After this process has been completed, you should run ‘‘sfc /scannow” again.
Defective driver update Problems can occasionally emerge after a driver update. If that happens, you can roll back to the previous version by pressing [Windows] + [Pause], then clicking on the ‘‘Device manager” option that can be found in the upper left section. Examine the list and look for the hardware that’s giving driver issues and right-click it. Select the ‘‘Properties” option and switch over to the ‘‘Driver” tab. Now, click the ‘‘Roll Back Driver” option to return to the old version.
Installing earlier Windows configurations Windows automatically saves previous versions of a driver, and you can return to these at any time
Under Windows 7, you can load the last functional configuration by pressing [F8] during the boot-up procedure. This option has disappeared from Windows 10, but it can be
Checking the RAM Recurring Windows crashes may also be due to a defective RAM. Instead of immediately buying new memory modules and replacing the old ones, you should first run a memory diagnosis with the help of Windows. Press the [Windows] key under Windows 7 or 10 and enter ‘‘memory”. Now, click the ‘‘Windows Memory Diagnostic” option. Close all the files that have been opened and reboot the PC using the ‘‘Restart now and check for problems (recommended)”
option. The memory tests will then initiate automatically after a system restart. Press [F1] to proceed further, then use the [down] arrow key to move the bar to ‘‘Advanced” and press [F10] to activate the change. After the tests are completed, Windows will restart normally and display the result. You should only replace the memory modules if the memory diagnosis detected errors.
The ‘‘Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool” checks your computer’s RAM for errors
054
october 17
chip malaysia
feature reactivated. First, you should open a command prompt with administrator rights and enter the command ‘‘bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy”. Press [Windows] + [R] and type in ‘‘regedit”. Navigate to ‘‘HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager” and create the ‘‘LastKnownGood” key. Now, create the DWORD value ‘‘Enabled” within it and set it to ‘‘1”. Create the DWORD value ‘‘BackupCount” under ‘‘ConfigurationManager” and set it to ‘‘2”. Now, shut down the PC completely in order to activate the function. The [F8] key can now be used to select an earlier functioning configuration.
If Windows 10 has been damaged, use the start menu to activate the last functioning configuration
Detecting Update Errors If Windows Update is no longer functioning properly, the first thing you should do is delete the contents of the local download folder for Updates. Towards this end, open a command prompt window with administrator rights and terminate the Update service and the background transfer service with ‘‘net stop wuauserv” and ‘‘net stop bits”, respectively. Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to ‘‘C:\Windows\
The troubleshooting tool Wudiag looks for errors associated with the Windows Update process and repairs them
Recovery tools Ubuntu
Recuva
TestDisk
Recover data with the Linux live system
Recover deleted files
Repair damaged partitions
If Windows absolutely refuses to start up, Linux is usually the only thing that can protect your data. This is why you should keep a corresponding live system in stock. Use Ubuntu to write the ISO file onto a DVD or USB drive, so that you can boot up from this device in order to recover your data when there’s an emergency. Instead of installing Linux, simply select the ‘‘Try out Ubuntu” option. Ubuntu will now launch as a live system, which automatically includes the PC’s hard drives. Now, connect an external hard drive and copy all the important files onto it.
If Windows is still starting up, but you have accidentally deleted files, you should do a roll back using Recuva. After the installation process is completed, the programme offers an English-language assistant, which can be used to recover files. Select either ‘‘All Files”, ‘‘Pictures” or ‘‘Documents”, then specify the folder with deleted files. After the search, mark all the files that you want to recover and click the ‘‘Recover” option. Now, simply specify a new storage location to recover the files.
TestDisk is a well-established tool that analyses and can (to a large extent) repairs the layout of hard drives. For example, this enables you to recover a partition that has disappeared after a virus attack. Launch the tool by double-clicking ‘‘testdisk_win.exe” and follow the programme’s wizard. Select the hard drive with the affected partition and mark the ‘‘Intel” and ‘‘Analyse | Quicksearch” options. Confirm each step with the [Enter] key.
chip malaysia
october 17
055
feature SoftwareDistribution”, then delete all the contents of this folder. Now, restart both services that were previously closed by opening a command prompt window and keying in the ‘‘net start wuauserv” and followed by the ‘‘net start bits” commands.
Windows tool for trouble-shooting
If Wudiag finds an error in the update database, you can get it repaired
If errors associated with Windows Update continue to pop up, you should download Wudiag. To do so, open the link https://aka.ms/wudiag in the browser and save the tool on your hard drive. Launch it, go to the bottom left section and click the ‘‘Advanced | Run as administrator” option. The tool will then restart with administrator rights. Now, use the ‘‘Next” option to start searching for errors.
Deactivate certain updates
The tool ‘‘Show or Hide Updates” detects defective Windows Updates and prevents the system from trying to install them in the future
The problems may be emerging on account of a handful of updates. In fact, they may even be emerging because of a specific patch. If that’s the case, you should use another Microsoft tool (see left) to deactivate updates in a targeted manner under Windows 10. To do so, open https:// support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3073930 in the browser and click the ‘Download the ‘‘Show or hide updates” package now’ option. Now, launch the tool and confirm your action with ‘‘Next”. Click the ‘‘Hide Updates” option and mark all the updates that led to problems. Windows 10 will no longer try to install them.
Analysis tools Unknown Device Identif.
Driver Booster Free
SiSoft Sandra Lite
Hardware analysis and driver search
Update the driver at the click of a mouse
PC analysis and documentation
The yellow exclamation marks associated with a piece of hardware in the device manager indicate a missing or outdated driver. With Unknown Device Identifier, you can analyse your system’s hardware and search for the right driver in a targeted manner. The software analyses the PC and its hardware components when it is launched for the very first time. Once the scanning process is completed, select a component from the list and right-click on it. Mark the ‚‚Find Driver” option to use a Google search to track down a suitable driver.
Windows usually doesn’t update drivers automatically. However, instead of manually and regularly looking for the latest drivers for your PC, you can hand this task over to Driver Booster Free. After you have installed the programme, click the ‘‘Scan” option to run a search for outdated drivers. If the tool finds newer versions, you can download them with a mouse click. If something goes wrong during the installation process, the ‘‘Rollback” function can be used to replace the driver with the previous version.
In order to be able to run a sound search for errors, you should know exactly what hardware is present in the computer and the software you have installed. The easiest way to do this is to use SiSoftware Sandra Lite. The programme uses more than 60 tools to analyse the PC and supply detailed data regarding the entire system. Individual reports can also be printed out or saved on a USB drive, so that they can be discussed with a specialist or archived. Furthermore, the benchmark tests can tell you how fast your computer is.
056
october 17
chip malaysia
Repair tools CCleaner
Clean-up classic for Windows The CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) has been one of the most popular Windows-cleaners for several years. In addition to removing unnecessary data, it can also clean up the Windows registry database. The CCleaner ensures that the operating system can run in a more stable manner. However, when it comes to the installation procedure, we would recommend going for the paired-down Slim variant, because it doesn’t contain any irritating advertisements. The function for cleaning up the registry database can be found under ‘‘Registry”. Start the process with the help of the ‘‘Scan for issues | Fix selected issues” option. Use the ‘‘Yes” option when the system asks you whether you want to save the registry. If something doesn’t function in properly after the clean-up, you can re-install the backup later.
Avast Browser Cleanup
In-depth spring cleaning for the web browser If your web browser is becoming slower all the time or crashing frequently, it may have been contaminated by adware and toolbars that are making it unstable. You can use the Avast Browser Cleanup in that case, as it removes troublesome add-ons from the Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer browsers. The tool does this by falling back on a separate database and assessments provided by a community. Avast Browser Cleanup is updated automatically when it is launched. It then searches for plug-ins in the browsers
Clean the registry with CCleaner The freeware finds errors in the registry database of Windows and fixes them
that have been installed on your PC. If it finds disruptive add-ons, you can go ahead and remove them.
Clonezilla
Make 1:1 copies of partitions and hard drives Clonezilla is a bootable Linux system that allows you to create a precise 1:1 copy of an entire hard drive and all the hardware sectors in it. Alternatively, you can also back up individual partitions. If Windows absolutely refuses to start up, you can simply use Clonezilla to re-install the backup. All you need is an external hard drive with enough space for the partitions in your computer that you want backed up. Write the Clonezilla live system onto a USB drive or CD/DVD and use it to boot up the PC. Don’t forget to connect the external hard drive as well. Select the ‘‘Clonezilla live” option in the boot menu and simply follow the assistant.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
caused by hidden malware that has not been detected by your installed virus scanner. In that case, you should use Malwarebytes AntiMalware to run an additional virus check. The programme has an excellent scan engine that performs well when used in conjunction with existing virus scanners. The security software is launched automatically after it has been installed. Click the ‘‘Scan Now” option. The programme first downloads the latest signatures off the internet automatically, then runs a succession of tests for malware. If it finds one or more infected files, you can either delete or quarantine them.
EasyBCD
Organise and repair boot entries EasyBCD is a powerful boot manager for Windows, which allows you to repair or rearrange boot entries. This may become necessary if you have tried out a Linux distribution and want to change the boot sequence. Furthermore, EasyBCD can also be used to create a backup of the boot area and re-install it in the event of an emergency.
Find and remove malware Unusual PC problems can occasionally be
Advanced malware search Malwarebytes is a good extra scanner that looks for and removes viruses
Process boot entries EasyBCD re-arranges boot entries, repairs the MBR and changes the start
cover story
IFA 2017 For CHIP, IFA has always been an event to look out for. This year, we once again dive into the sea of new reveals to bring you what we consider the most exciting By Team CHIP
Y
ear in and out, the tech industry awaits the major dates of the year – some with bated breath. It’s finally Berlin’s turn to host, with the IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) 2017 showing more new products from prominent brands across the globe, such as Acer, ASUS, Huawei, Lenovo, Sony, and more. We combed through the reveals from all these brands and manufacturers to introduce what we found most interesting to you, including new flagship smartphones, laptops, home entertainment systems, and more.
058
october 17
chip malaysia
cover story
Acer Vision360 Clipping after the heels of the Holo360, Acer has made another interesting product with the Vision360. This is likely one of the first, if not the first, 4K in-car camera that provides 360° view and remote monitoring services. Footage recorded will supposedly be viewable via the VR headset that Acer is building. Furthermore, it’ll be able to track the location of your car.
Predator Orion 9000 Many consider the Predator Orion 9000 to be Acer’s biggest reveal at IFA this year and there’s merits to that. For one, this desktop gaming PC is eyecatching with its large tower casing and aggressive gamer-ish looks. It’s equipped with highend components, including an 18 core Intel Core i9 processor, AMD or Nvidia GPU, and liquid cooling for its CPU. All of this is topped off with a generous number of RGB LEDs inside. Being a desktop, it Acer ensured that it’s upgradable in terms of storage, memory, and GPU.
Aspire S24 Unbelievably slim and nearly non-existent bezels for its display, the Aspire S24 is a beauty to behold. This all-in-one PC will come with an Intel 8th generation Core i5/i7 processor and is less than 6mm thin. It does this by moving the components to the base of the stand, which also houses a Qi Wireless charging component that will charge devices placed on it, as well as a 2.1-channel speaker for that complete multimedia experience.
chip malaysia
october 17
059
cover story
ASUS ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset ASUS is jumping into the headset game with their new Mixed Reality Headset. It features a futuristic design on the headset that is made up of hundreds of 3D polygons. The headset is also designed with a flip design that allows you to easily swap between the real world and the virtual world whenever you feel a little too immersed in the virtual world and want a quick reality check. It is also equipped with a 3K (2880 x 1440) display and 90Hz of refresh rate. Additionally, it weighs less than 400 grams, so you will not be bogged down by heavy pressure on your head. With support from Windows, there are up to 20,000 apps that can be used with the Mixed Reality Headset.
ASUS ZenBook Flip 15
ASUS VivoBook Flip 14
The ZenBook Flip 15 was also announced and it comes as the most powerful ZenBook Flip in ASUS’ repertoire. It features a 360-degree rotatable 15.6-inch display and will be equipped with Intel’s 8th Gen i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, up to 2TB HDD and 512GB of SSD, and Thunderbolt 3 support as well. In terms of audio, it sports a quad-speaker from Harman Kardon. Display wise, it is capable of display 4K/UHD resolution of up to 3840 x 2160 pixels. It can also have up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM. As mentioned, it comes with one Type-C Thunderbolt port, along with two USB 3.0, one HDMI, and one SD Card Reader. This can be your ultimate on-the-go device.
The VivoBook Flip 14 is a slim and lightweight convertible laptop that features a 14-inch Full HD display on a 13-inch laptop all thanks to ASUS’ NanoEdge bezel. It features an Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce 930MX GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and a bevy of choices for storage of up to 1TB of HDD and 256GB of SSD. The display is also touch enabled, so you can use your finger or the ASUS Pen to navigate the laptop. ASUS also mentioned that the VivoBook Flip can last a day without charging when you’re out and about so you can save the hassle of lugging along a charger. In addition, ASUS Battery Health Charging allows you to set the State of Charge of the laptop to 60%, 80% or 100% to prolong the battery lifespan of the device.
060
october 17
chip malaysia
cover story
Dell
Visor In Dell’s camp, one of the newly announced products would be the Dell Visor. This is a Mixed Reality (MR) device, which means it’ll support both Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). It comes with motion controllers and cable hooks to help keep the cables organised. With the sensors in the headset doing all the tracking, you don’t have to pair the controllers to it. It also rests on a hinge, meaning that you can swivel the front up without taking the entire set off.
XPS 13 2017 After its 2-in-1 sibling’s release earlier this year, the standard version of the XPS 13 gets its upgrade. The new model comes with the latest Intel 8th Gen Core i5 or i7 processor, along with a QHD+ display (3,200 x 1,800), SSD storage, and the Intel UHD Graphics 620 for graphics processing. All this is contained within a 13.3-inch body that’s 5.2mm thin and weighs only about 1.2kg.
Inspiron 5000/7000 2-in-1 Dell also released 2-in-1 models of its Inspiron 5000 and 7000 notebooks, which should be available in 13-inch, 15-inch or 17-inch versions. Both models will have slim bezels, Full HD IPS touch panel, and an Intel 8th Gen Core CPU inside. The 15-inch model also has the option of upgrading to a 4K panel, while the 17-inch one comes with a Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU by default. According to Dell, the devices should have around 8-11 hours of battery life (depending on use), so these should be great for travellers.
chip malaysia
october 17
061
cover story
Lenovo/Moto Lenovo Explorer Explore triple-A content with Mixed Reality on Windows 10! Using the Lenovo Explorer you can swim with the dolphins, tour the Roman Coliseum, Ski on the Andes Slopes, and be the hero in popular XBOX games where you are at the center of every adventure. The Lenovo Explorer also delivers new ways of working, creating a virtual space for your Microsoft Office suite for uninterrupted concentration. Designed for perfect fit you will get hours of fun without discomfort and easily adjustable with a one handed adjustable twist-strap.
Moto X4 With the Moto X4 you’ll be getting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. But that’s not all, you also get a curved glass back and a 5.2-inch FHD LTPS IPS display that’s protected with Corning Gorilla Glass. The Moto X4 also supports Amazon Alexa which is basically Amazon Echo, and does just about everything the Echo does. For those with trigger fingers, the phone has a 12MP Dual Autofocus Pixel sensor and 8MP ultra wide-angle on the back to take great photos, while the front sports a 16MP selfie camera with a selfie flash and adaptive low light mode.
062
october 17
chip malaysia
Lenovo Smart Assistant This voice-controlled personal assistant was built to make your life simpler. Equipped with Amazon Alexa Voice Service and far field microphones, Lenovo Smart Assistant awaits your orders – even if you speak them from across the room. Ask it to look up online answers to your questions, set reminders, play your favorite music on its high-def speaker, turn on lights, and activate thermostats and other smart devices in your home. All you have to do is ask.
cover story
Samsung Icon X 2018
Gear Fit2 Pro
Now sporting an extended battery life of 5 hours, the new Icon X 2018 is a wireless headphone to look out for. These fitness earbuds are available in three different colours (Black, Pink, Grey) and come with matching carry cases that doubles as a charger. Cases are capable of giving a single full charge for the earbuds so theoretically you’ll get up to 10 hours of use if you carry the case with you. On the outer shell of the earbuds you get a touch sensitive panel that supports taps and swipes for controlling your music and calls.
Continuing the whole fitness theme, Samsung also showed up with the all new Gear Fit2 Pro. Made for all the ways you work, it’s even swimproof. Water resistant up to 50 meters you also get multi-sport fitness tracking, music streaming and storage, and built-in GPS. The design is incredibly stylish and resembles a bangle but has a touchscreen for easy control, doing so by swiping and tapping. There’s no headphone jack on it, so you’ll have to connect a wireless headphone to it to enjoy music while working out.
CHG90 QLED Gaming Monitor Also making an appearance is Samsung’s ultra-large, ultra-wide curved screen 49-inch monitor. With an innovative 32:9 aspect ratio you get to see game scenes in their entirety, while the immersive 1800R curved panel delivers cinematic viewing across all kinds of contents even gaming. With Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology, the CHG90 provides an extreme upgrade to your gaming experience, not to mention support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) and AMD Radeon FreeSync 2. Sporting a VA panel gamers will get a blur-free 1ms MPRT (motion picture response time) with great contrasts and viewing angles.
chip malaysia
october 17
063
cover story
Sony Xperia XZ1
LF-S50G The LF-S50G combines Sony’s high quality sound into a 360-degree speaker system together with Google Assistant. Set a calendar event, set an alarm, or check on how your favourite team is playing - you can do all that without ever touching a button with the LF-S50G. Enjoy high quality sound thanks to a two-way facing speaker that lets you listen to your music through Bluetooth and One-touch NFC. Designed for life the LF-S50G’s design is packed with features that’ll make your smart speaker even smarter.
RX0 With boundless capability contained within a strong, miniature body, the RX0 combines cutting-edge imaging performance and rugged, ready-for-anything design for more versatile operation all around, whether on its own or with multi-camera systems and accessories. With so much creative shooting freedom at your fingertips, your power to bring your visions to life is limitless. Sporting a solid and rigid compact body, plus its Exmor RS CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processor, this camera’s robust quality and unobtrusive, go-anywhere design will ensure that you’ll be ready to shoot at every opportunity.
064
october 17
chip malaysia
The Sony Xperia XZ1 sports a metal unibody powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM. Also found on the Xperia is a 5.2-inch FHD HDR display powered by Sony’s Triluminos display and X-Reality technology. But what makes the Xperia XZ1 stand out from the rest is its MotionEye 19MP Exmor RS sensor camera with 3D scanning capabilities on the rear. While up front you get a 13MP f/2.0 camera with a 22mm wide-angle lens powered by Sony’s Exmor RS mobile imaging sensor.
cover story
HARMAN Harman Kardon Allure The way of the coach potato is to avoid moving up to control something, as much as possible. And Harman Kardon is helping with its new Allure speaker, which can be controlled by using voice commands. Using Amazon’s Alexa as its control system, the Allure can play music, read the news of the day, control your smart home devices, or even buy things from Amazon Prime – all by using your voice. Noisy environments shouldn’t be an issue, thanks to a proprietary technology that allows it to hear commands even from a distance.
JBL BAR Series Have you ever thought that your TV audio needed an extra boost? If so, then you should opt for an additional soundbar to enhance your viewing experience. JBL is entering the fray with their BAR series, a line of high-performance soundbars with top-of-the-line technology. It comes with four models, the BAR STUDIO, BAR 2.1, BAR 3.1 and BAR 5.1. Easily connect your Soundbar to other sources using Bluetooth 4.0 or HDMI, as well as via optical and AUX connections. On the higher-end models, it even comes with 4K HDMI pass-through inputs.
JBL Boombox The JBL Boombox is a portable speaker that boasts a massive 20,000mAh battery that can provide you music for 24 hours continuously. The speaker is equipped with four active transducers and two bass radiators to give your music the oomph it needs, and to provide clarity to your music. It is IPX7 rated means that it will be able to handle a pool party or a beach picnic with no issue. To provide music for much, much bigger parties, JBL Connect+ allows you to connect 100 speakers together. If that’s not enough, the Boombox is also capable of charging your other devices with its dual USB ports all the while playing music.
chip malaysia
october 17
065
cover story
LG
BlackBerry
V30 Although we never get them here, LG’s reveal of its V30 smartphone this year still got us excited. A highly anticipated product, this Android devices features a large 6-inch screen in a 5.5-inch body. It’s also very slim and relatively light. What’s special here is its 18:9 ratio OLED display that outputs a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 in HDR, as well as a DAC inside there that can power even high-end audiophile headphones.
Huawei
Kirin 970 Rather than the product itself, Huawei revealed the latest Kirin chipset to be used in its upcoming Mate 10 phablet. Featuring an octa-core CPU and a 12-core GPU, this new chipset is expected to be a vast improvement to the previous model, especially in the graphics area. Huawei has also developed the chip to be a mobile AI computing platform. Using its Neural Processing Unit, the new chip will allow internal developers and third-parties to take advantage of the new capabilities to introduce new apps or functionalities.
066
october 17
chip malaysia
BlackBerry KEYone BlackBerry had been a key player in the smartphone industry prior to their magical disappearance in the market a few years ago. This year, they’re coming back with a new device. The BlackBerry KEYone comes with a physical smart keyboard, a feature that’s lost on phones now. With a 4.5-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It also runs on Android 7.1. Battery wise, it sports a 3,505 mAh battery, and comes with a USB Type-C port. As for the camera, it will have a 12-megapixel rear shooter that is capable of 4K video recording at 30 fps. There’s also an 8-megapixel front camera for your selfie needs.
cover story
Logitech Logitech Craft Keyboard
Logitech MX Sound
The Craft Keyboard is a keyboard made for creatives. It features an input dial that is context-sensitive, so it changes depending on what programmes you are running. For example, it can be used to change brush sizes with a simple twist of the dial when you are using Adobe Photoshop CC. Aside from the dial, the Craft is a full-sized keyboard, and has a proximity based backlight sensor. The sensor will automatically adjust the illumination of the keys depending on lighting conditions and how far your hands are from the keyboard. Last but not least, the Craft is a wireless keyboard and can be charged using the provided USB-C cable.
Aiming to bring you versatile quality sound, Logitech announced the MX Sound, which can be used wired or in Bluetooth mode. Using a 3.5mm jack, you can connect it to any device be it smartphones, laptops or PC. You can also use the Logitech Easy Switch and swap it to a Bluetooth connection. Besides that, you can pair up to two devices, adjust the volumes, or pair a device using the motion-activated backlit controls in the front of the speaker. This speaker measures at only 160 x 160 x 83.4 mm and weighs 1.72 KG.
DJI
DJI Mavic Pro Platinum The Mavic Pro Platinum is an improved version of the vastly popular Mavic Pro, now with better specs and a fresh new coat of platinum. It is also equipped with 30 minutes of flight time and generates 60% less noise compared to the Mavic Pro, the latter of which is thanks to the newly designed aerodynamic 8331 propellers. These improvements make the Mavic Pro Plaatinum DJI’s current best portable drone.
chip malaysia
october 17
067
know the COVER STORY
future FEATURES
Our main feature of the month which gives an in-depth coverage of today’s most exciting technological issues and trends
Incredibly useful and informative feature articles give you the lowdown on the latest IT and technology trends
REVIEWS
PRACTICE & TIPS & TRICKS
Professionally conducted and in-depth in nature, our product writeups are the only reviews you can trust
Our handy guide provides you with the application know-how to further enhance your IT experiences
CHIP DOWNLOADS
LITE & LEISURE
Contains all the useful tools and essential applications everyone will ever need
read
Think, Touch, Read, Watch and Play on the lighter side of IT
CHIP
The first word on how technology is
changing our world. With professional analysis, latest reports, and informative guides, CHIP remains reputed as the internationally trusted technology magazine
To Subscribe or Advertise: Call 603 7727 6554 or log on to www.chip.com.my CHIP Malaysia
@CHIPMY
test lab
TEST LAB: The Tools Here at the CHIP Test Labs, we adhere to the high requirements set by the CHIP International Testcenter standards. This means that everything here -- from our own personal knowledge and to our trusted tools of the trade -- are meant to provide the most optimised, unbiased and comprehensive review to every product that comes through our doors. As thus, our test bed tools are specifically picked to get the most out of every test we perform
Intel Platform Motherboards Intel DZ77GA-70K MSI Z87 MPower
Processors Intel Core i7-3770K Intel Core i7-4770K
Graphics Processing Unit MSI GeForce GTX 980 GAMING 4G
CPU Cooler Cooler Master X6
PSU, Storage & RAM Power Supply
Memory
Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid (1300W)
Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX Kingston HyperX FURY HX318C10FWK2/8 Kingston HyperX Predator HX430C15PBK4/16
Storage Western Digital Black² Dual Drive Western Digital My Book Live Duo
AMD Platform Motherboards ASUS Crosshair V ASUS A88X-Pro
Graphics Processing Unit ASUS Radeon R9 290X
Processors
CPU Cooler
AMD FX-8150 AMD A8-3850
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Benchmark Software Operating System Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit)
Futuremark PCMark 8 3DMark
Industry Standard Benchmark Tools AIDA64 SiSoftware SANDRA Speccy Unigine Heaven
chip malaysia october 17
069
test lab
TEST LAB
11
6 12
8
18 4
3 9
16
15
2 5 14
070
october 17
chip malaysia
1
13
test lab
CONTENTS 1 10
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
17
11 12 13 14 7
15 16 17 18
ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro ASUS ROG G701 ASRock Fatality X370 Gaming-ITX/AC Sony MHC-V50D Acer Nitro 5 AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Marvo HG9028 Scorpion Marvo KG922 ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme X399 ASUS Lyra AOC AGON AG251FZ Lian Li PC-7HWX ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro Moto G5 Plus MSI RX560 Aero ITX 4G OC MSI GT75VR 7RF Titan Pro D-Link DIR-882 Remix Mini
CHIP Awards CHIP Editors’ Choice Award
078 079 080 081 082 083 084 085 086 087 088 089 090 091 092 093 094 095
Ratings Each product review is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 for different key parameters:
Awarded to products that receive unanimous endorsement from all CHIP editors for its overall brilliance
CHIP Outstanding Award Reserved for products that combine astute technical performance with good quality and design
CHIP Recommended Award Given to products that possess singular quality worthy of a recommendation
PERFORMANCE : Refers to the efficiency of execution FEATURES : Rates the abilities and unique characteristics available DESIGN : Varies according to product. Finished products - form factor and build quality. Hardware components - layout, size and cooling solution. Software - user interface VALUE : Calculated from the performance and features of the product in relation to the price
chip malaysia
october 17
071
first looks
Live Better With V30 The LG V series are phones that are dedicated for the cinematographer wannabe with a penchant for amazing pictures as well. The LG V30 comes with the latest Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal memory. With a 3,300 mAh battery, your phone will last you a day with regular usage. For the camera, it comes with an impressive dual rear camera setup of 16-megapixel + 13-megapixel wide angle camera, you can shoot pictures and not worry about being too close. As for the front camera, it is your standard 5-megapixel shooter. Another big plus for the V30 is with its 32-bit Quad DAC certified by B&O, so you can enjoy music at a higher quality. LG V30 Contact: Zitron Enterprise (M) Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 2145 9086 Info: http://www.lg.com/my
Three Is Better Than Two Olympus is no stranger to the camera industry and they have finally given an update to the popular OM-D EM10 Mark II with the Mark III. It comes with a similar design, but with some enhancements that favours people that are trying to make a jump into serious photography. It comes with a 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds LiveMOS sensor and with the same processing engine of the Mark II with TruePic VIII. In addition, it has five-axis with four-stop image stabilisation system, along with 4K video recording capabilities. It is also fitted with a tilting touchscreen with built-In Wi-Fi, so you can transfer your pictures to your phone instantly. Olympus OM-D EM10 Mark III Contact: Olympus (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 6411 0000 Info: www.olympusimage.com.my
Rising With Greatness Within The GIGABYTE AUROS AX370-Gaming K7 is a motherboard that supports AMD Ryzen and comes with the latest features from GIGABYTE. It can support up to four DDR4 RAMs of up to 64GB 3,600 MHz. It has a one HDMI port for those who wish to use it only for regular use and not heavy gaming. The motherboard can support 2-way CrossFire and SLI, up to four NVMe PCIe. Audio wise, it sports a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5 support, and Dual ALC 1220 with front and rear 120dB SNR HD Audio. RGB is also present on the board, with RGB FUSION you can control it to display Multi-Zone LED Light Show. GIGABYTE’s Smart Fan 5, which features nine Temperature Sensors with eight Hybrid Fan Headers are also present on this board. GIGABYTE AUROS AX370- Gaming K7 Contact: Nation-Tech Sdn Bhd, Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 4280 6636, (03) 79566300 Info: www.gigabyte.my
072
october 17
chip malaysia
first looks Be Envy-ious The HP Envy series has been one that’s catching the attention of people every year. This year is no different. The HP Envy 13 sports a 13.3-inch Full HP IPS Micro Edge display that has ultra-thin bezels on the side. It is only 13.95 mm thick and weighs 1.2 kgs, the perfect travel companion when you need to work and travel at the same time. With a new design of a lifted hinge, your laptop will be slightly raised when opened to give your keyboard a slight raise for typing and to give better air circulation. It comes with a choice of 8th Gen Intel i5 or i7 processors, 256GB or 512GB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, 8GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU. Not only that, it comes with B&O-tuned speakers that’s paired with HP’s Audio Boost, which combine to deliver higher quality music. HP Envy 13 (2017) Contact: Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd Phone: 1 800 22 6998 Info: www.hp.com/my
Playing In Style Sony is releasing some new colour schemes of their DUALSHOCK 4 controllers. It will come in Crystal, Red Crystal, Blue Crystal, Steel Black and Midnight Blue. The Crystal version of the controller will be slightly translucent, to replicate the Crystal controllers of the past. With no additional buttons aside from the regular ones and no improvements in other areas, this is just a reskin of their DUALSHOCK 4 controllers. If you used to own a PlayStation 2 and never managed to snag the Crystal version of that controller, now you can do so with this DUALSHOCK 4 version. Sony PlayStation DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Phone: 1 300 88 1233 Info: www.sony.com.my
Hold The Cosmos In Your Hands To celebrate their 25th Anniversary, Cooler Master released the COSMOS II to mark the occasion. The COSMOS II comes in Silver or Black and is Ultra sized. With a glass side panel, you can bask in the glory of your build. It measures at 664 x 344 x 704 mm big, has 10 + 1 expansion slots. You can three 5.25-inch drives, 13 3.5-inch HDDs and 11 2.5-inch SSDs. For the front I/O Panel, you can spot two USB 3.0, four USB 2.0 and Audio In/Out. With plenty of fan support, you’ll have no problems keeping your build optimally cool. Cooler Master COSMOS II 25th Anniversary Edition Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 7956 6300, (03) 7955 3699 Info: www.coolermaster.com
chip malaysia
october 17
073
first looks Call Onto the MAGNUS ZOTAC recently announced the ZOTAC MAGNUS ER Series, a Mini PC series that built from the AMD Ryzen processor. For the ER51070, it comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 processor, up to 32GB of DDR4 memory, a ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GPU, and is NVMe M.2 SSD ready. It can support up to four displays. If you want to bring your Mini PC around, ZOTAC even included a Kensington Lock to secure your PC. It can also support one USB 3.1 Type-C, one USB 3.1, and four USB 3.0 ports. With everything built into a tiny box, who needs a laptop to game anymore, provided you have a monitor. ZOTAC MAGNUS ER51070 Contact: Sun Cycle Sdn Bhd Phone: (05) 322 5531 Info: www.cycle.com.my
DocuPrint Your Way, Smaller or Bigger The Fuji Xerox DocuPrint CM415 AP is a compact sized printer that can deliver fast print speeds with exceptional colour and monochrome print quality. It even supports copying, faxing, scanning and email, all on one device. The CM415 AP can copy and print monochrome and colour prints as fast as 35 ppm. If you want extra security for printing, you can add the IC Card Reader Kit to your printer, which means it requires an IC card to authenticate printing. The print will only be processed after the IC card is authenticated. You can even keep track of prints by adding an Image Log Kit, which will automatically store every image that has been printed for an added layer of security. The CM415 AP has a 7-inch touch panel for intuitive operations. Fuji Xerox DocuPrint CM415 AP Contact: Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (Printers Channel Malaysia) Phone: (03) 2191 1888 Info: www.fujixeroxprinters.com.my
Clearer Than Ever vivo recently announced the V7+ locally, which sports a 5.99-inch IPS display and is powered with a Qualcomm Octa-Core CPU. It is also equipped with 64GB of storage that can be upgraded with a 256GB microSD card, 4GB of RAM and 3,225mAh of battery. For OS, it uses an Android 7.1based Funtouch OS 3.2. The most important feature of the device is its 24-megapixel front camera and 16-megapixel rear camera. Selfies will pose no problems for you, especially with Selfie Softlight. vivo V7+ Contact: vivo Technologies Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 2856 9530 Info: www.vivo.my
074
october 17
chip malaysia
first looks G.SKILL is RGB-ing It Up For AMD Last month, G.SKILL showed off their new DDR4 RAM for AMD’s Threadripper. But for this month, they’ve added some extra flair to their repertoire with RGB. The G.SKILL Trident Z RGB kits now come with frequencies of 2,400 MHz, 2,933 MHz and 3,200 MHz. For Ryzen, they come in 2,400 MHz of 16GB to 64GB, and 3,200MHz in 16GB. For Threadripper, it comes in 2,400 MHz of 32GB to 128GB, 2933 MHz in 64GB and 128GB, and the 3,200 MHz in 32GB kits. G.SKILL Trident Z RGB (AMD Compatible) Contact: Eternal Asia (M) Sdn Bhd, IDEAL TECH PC Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 5613 5600, (03) 9202 3137 Info: https://www.gskill.com/en/
Be Godlike At Gaming MSI is not playing around when they decided to name their latest board - that supports the Intel 8th Generation - with the Z370 chipset as ‘Godlike’. The Z370 GODLIKE GAMING supports 64GB DDR4 memory of up to 4,133 MHz. It has four PCI-EX16, six SATAIII, and three M.2 Slots. It is also equipped with Dual Realtek ALC 1220 codec on the board and the ESS AUDIO DAC. The latter has its own dedicated ESS Amplifier and WIMA Audio capacitors, ensuring total immersion when in games. It also has SLI and Crossfire support. For added safety, M.2 Shield, PCI-E Steel Armor and Full Gaming I/O Cover can be seen throughout the board. MSI Z370 GODLIKE GAMING Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn Bhd, Mediaforte (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Adventure Multi Devices Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 2148 1307, (03) 7960 6868, (03) 7955 7788, (03) 7773 0399 Info: my.msi.com
Better Than Three Heads The ASUS Cerberus RGB is a mechanical keyboard that could serve you well during heated gaming moments. It comes in Red, Blue, Brown or Black Kaihua switches. It also features 100% antighosting NKRO technology that allows all of your keystrokes to be logged, even when you press multiple keys simultaneously. For the RGB it sports seven built-in lighting effects that you can easily personalise yourself to give it an extra touch to make it feel like yours. For gamers, it even comes with on-the-fly macro recording, so you can easily execute those sick moves with a single press. By pressing FN + 6, you will temporarily disable the windows key lock to stop you from accidentally hammering it during intense CS:GO sessions. ASUS CERBERUS MECH RGB Contact: ASUSTek Computer Malaysia Phone: (03) 2131 6650 Info: www.asus.com/my
chip malaysia
october 17
075
first looks Between A ROG And A GeIL GeIL, one of the leading brands for PC components have recently announced their partnership with ROG to create an ROG certified RGB Gaming Memory. It is the world’s first RGB illuminated DDR4 memory module with ASUS ROG certification. Aside from looking great, it also offers enthusiasts an excellent overclocking and gaming experience. The RAM also supports ASUS AURA lighting control app, so you can sync using the 4-pin RGB headers on ROG motherboards. The memory comes in 3,000 MHz and a choice of 16GB and 32GB kits, either in two 8GB modules, or four 8GB modules. EVO X ROG-certified Series Contact: Imedia (M) Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8024 2455 Info: http://www.geil.com.tw/home
Evolve The Way You Work Have you ever gotten annoyed at co-workers for being too noisy at work and that your regular headsets won’t cut it? Introducing the Jabra Evolve 75e. It is the first in the Evolve series to sport an earbud design. Like most in the Evolve series, it is wireless, provides you amazing quality sound, UC compatibility, Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and busylight features. It is the ultimate tool to keep you concentrated in busy environments. And with a neck wearing style, you now have mobility to move around the office while in call. According to Jabra, the 75e will be able the last the whole day. Jabra Evolve 75e Contact: Advance Digital Solutions Sdn Bhd, Ingram Micro Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8076 4833, (03) 7952 8084 Info: www.jabra.com
Move Away, Single Display The PRO 7 is Meizu’s latest smartphone offering in the market. It comes with a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display, as well as a 1.9-inch AMOLED display. The rear display is your secondary display, which you can customise to notify you of different things. It can even be used to take selfies with. Yes, selfies with the rear camera! In terms of computing performance, it should be quite good thanks to its Helio P25 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. For the rear cameras, you have a dual 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel setup with Sony IMX386 sensor, and a 16-megapixel front camera. It uses USB Type-C for all its connectivity needs. Meizu PRO 7 Contact: Dynamics Distribution Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8024 2100 Info: www.meizu.com
076
october 17
chip malaysia
first looks Maximus Supreme-us The latest ASUS boards for the Z370 chipset has been revealed and the ASUS ROG Maximus X Formula is one of the few that caught our eye. It comes with 4x DIMM slots of maximum 64GB DDR4 as well. The board is also covered with shields around the PCIe slots to further secure your GPU around the board. ASUS Aura Sync is also present on the board so you can customise the colours to your liking. A LiveDash OLED can also be seen on the board, that you can customise with your own GIFs or just use it to monitor temperature and fan speeds and so on. And if you do not like the black board design, you can opt for the ASUS Prime Z370-A that sports a different design. ASUS ROG Maximus X Formula Contact: ASUSTek Computer Malaysia Phone: (03) 2131 6650 Info: www.asus.com/my
An Easy Pix-Me-U The Canon PIXMA E3170 is an All-in-One Printer. It can Print, Scan and Copy at a speed of up to 4 ipm for coloured pages, and 7.7 ipm for black and white prints. It can also print photos as fast as 65 seconds in borderless printing. In addition, One-Touch Direct Wireless Connection is available for the printer, so you can easily print from your mobile devices with a single-button press. Thanks to its 1.5-inch LCD, you can also set the copy size and number of copies of the printer. With the output trays extended, it only measures at 435 x 553 x 212 mm large. It is capable of printing up to 400 monochrome documents and 180 pages of colour documents. Canon PIXMA E3170 Contact: Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 7884 6000 Info: www.canon.com.my
Did Somebody Say Coffee? The Intel 8th Generation processors are finally announced and we can’t wait to get our hands on this shiny new processor. The 8th gen processors require a new chipset to work on, specifically Z370 chipset-based motherboards. According to Intel, the i7-8700K is the best processor for gaming, especially with its six cores and 12 threads. The processor also comes unlocked, so it allows enthusiasts to tweak it to their liking. Intel claimed that the processor performs 25 percent better in Gears of War 4 compared to the previous generation processor. Streaming wise, in PUBG, the most popular game in Steam now, the new processor is 45 percent faster than the previous generation. Intel Core i7-8700K (8th Generation) Info: www.intel.com
chip malaysia
october 17
077
test lab
ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro
Price: RM1,799 Contact: Dynamics Distribution Sdn Bhd, ECS Astar Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8024 2100, (03) 6286 8222 Info: www.asus.com/my
Operating System: Android 7.1 + ZenUI 4.0 System on Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Memory: 4 GB Storage: 64 GB Display: 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED Camera: 16-megapixel (Rear Camera), 24-megapixel (DuoPixel Front Camera) + 5-megapixel (Secondary Front Camera) Battery: 3,000 mAh Dimensions: 154.02 x 74.83 x 6.85 mm Weight: 147 grams Antutu: 65,145 points PCMark for Android: 5,540 points 3DMark: 446 points (Sling Shot Extreme), 855 points (Sling Shot), 12,782 points (Ice Storm), 8,413 points (Ice Storm Extreme)
By Rikco Shim
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Live A Life Full Of Selfies
Diving headfirst into the Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro with its selfie deliciousness
S
ometime ago, the word ‘‘selfie” was officially recognised as a real word, with its induction into the dictionary. Now, we have a phone series that’s named after that from ASUS. With selfie as the important hook for this device, we take a look at what this device has to offer. Sporting a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display for all your media needs, its display has brilliant colours and even a bluelight filter for when you need it. Powered only by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 and 4GB of RAM, it doesn’t quite hold up against flagship devices but has enough computing performance for regular use. Still, considering the price of the device, we’re not too miffed that we’re not getting the fastest device out there. The star of the show on the device is with its Dual Front Cameras. It’s capable of taking pictures of up to 24-megapixel with its DuoPixel technology on the Sony IMX362 sensor, while the secondary camera provides
078
october 17
chip malaysia
120-degree wide-angle so that you can fit more friends into your the frame for wefies. Its rear camera is average, with 16-megapixels and the ASUS SuperPixel Engine for better image processing. When testing the selfie capabilities, we found that it does the job well. In portrait mode, you can even blur out the background to focus on you and your friends instead. If you wish, you can record 4K UHD and Slow-motion videos on the cameras. It is also worth noting that the 24-megapixel DuoPixel mode is not automatically enabled, so you will have to fiddle with the settings a little before being able to take higher quality selfies. With Soflight LED Flash and increased brightness for low-light photos, you can take selfies anywhere you go. Included in the whole package is the SelfieMaster technology that comes with tons of customisations. Additionally, you can even do live streams with BeautyLive, which automatically beautifies your face when streaming.
The SelfieMaster - livestream with BeautyLive, make collages with Collage
Enabling the 24-megapixel DuoPixel Mode
+
Great selfies ZenUI 4.0 is an improvement Price
Nothing much to offer for non-selfie fans
CHIP CONCLUDES A great selfie phone that comes packed with features and is reasonably priced, but not for non-selfie fans.
test lab
ASUS ROG G701 Price: RM17,999 Contact: Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, Servex (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, ECS Astar Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 7955 3699, (03) 80246688, (03) 6286 8222 Info: www.build.com.my, www.servex.com.my, www.ecsm.com.my Operating System: Windows 10 Display: 17.3-inch Full HD, 120Hz Processor: Intel Core i7-7820HK Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB) Ports: 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.0, 1x HDMI, 1x Mini Display Port,1x Thunderbolt Memory: 16GB x 2 of DDR4-OC RAM Storage: 512 GB SSD RAID 0 Support Others: Multi-format card reader, Macro keys Dimensions: 429 x 309 x 44 mm Weight: 4.1 kg PCMark Home: 4,885 points PCMark Work: 3,973 points PCMark Creative: 6,037 points 3DMark: 6,563(Time Spy), 5,353 points (Fire Strike Ultra), 9,867 points (Fire Strike Extreme)
By Rikco Shim
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Gaming From 7 to 1 with the G701
ASUS ROG’s latest gaming laptop is tough, sturdy and loud
W
hen we received this for review, the package was slim and easy to carry. But when we unboxed everything, that was not the case at all. The power brick of the laptop itself was almost half the weight of the laptop, and that itself is heavier than laptops we have currently. You can lug it around, but it’s meant to be an alternative to desktop PCs, rather than one you can take to office meetings and coffee dates. During our tests, we tested this beast against recent games such as Battlefield 1 and Witcher 3. Both games are gorgeous to look at, and can be tweaked to enhance its graphical fidelity. For Battlefield 1, we set the settings to Ultra and during gameplay, FPS maintained without much drops aside from areas with heavy bullet pepper, rain, and smoke. The wrist rest area also remained fairly cool during gaming, so you won’t get overly warm wrists during gaming. With an NVIDIA GTX 1080 to power
the 120Hz display, it is a gaming machine that’s meant to impress. And boy, were we impressed. We did encounter some slight lag in Microsoft Word when the power brick wasn’t connected, but this was probably due to the fact that the laptop wasn’t running at its highest spec in a bid to save battery. However, the fans do get loud while gaming. There is a plethora of settings that you can change on ASUS Gaming Centre, such as enabling the ESS Sabre DAC, turning your additional lighting on and off, tweak your pc specs, or even enable the EXTREME mode for better gaming efficiency. The G701 also comes packaged with a gaming mouse, so you can save yourself the hassle of buying one. However, at such a price, it is not a device that would suit many. In fact, you could easily build a desktop that could outperform this laptop. Nevertheless, if portability is one of the main factors of your purchase, then this is the laptop for you.
Macro keys just above the Function Keys of the laptop
Look at the size of the power brick!!
+
Packed with great specs and ASUS technologies 120Hz display
Weight Fans do get loud Price
CHIP CONCLUDES Overall, a great alternative to a desktop if you are someone who enjoys the portability of a laptop with some ridiculous power to back it up.
chip malaysia october 17
079
test lab
ASRock Fatality X370 Gaming-ITX/AC Price: RM799 Contact: AMT PC Distributors Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 3344 1124 Info: www.asrock.com Socket: AM4 Chipset: AMD X370 RAM Slots: 2 (Dual-channel) Memory: 3466/3400/3333/3200/3000/2933/2800/ 2667/2400/2133 MHz DDR4 Ports: 1x PS/2, 1x Gigabit LAN, 2x HDMI, 2x Wireless Antenna, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0, 5x Audio port, 1x Optical (SPDIF), 1x PCIe 3.0 x16, 4x SATA 6Gb/s, 1x M.2 PCMark Home 3,278 points PCMark Creative 4,980 points PCMark Work 3,263 points
By Matthew Yap
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Compact Power The ITX form factor has always had a small following, so having one for the AM4 platform is a great option
M
onths have passed and AMD’s AM4 platform has matured a lot since it was first launched. As a result of that, board manufacturers have started to experiment with other form factors besides ATX. While there are many that wished for micro-ATX form factors, it seems mini-ITX are becoming more common – as evident with ASRock’s Fatality X370 Gaming-ITX/AC. There are many who like the ITX form factor, be due to design, or a desire for a platform that can fit into smaller cases. Take this motherboard board, for example. It is simple, yet compact and looks sleek enough to attract gamers. In terms of layout, ITX motherboards have to keep things compact due to space constraints. Case in point, it’s limited to two DDR4 DIMMs and a single PCIe x16 slot in the usual spots. Fortunately, the only PCIe slot is metal-reinforced, which is important because a motherboard of this size really needs it. The 8-pin for CPU is placed slightly different compared to normal ATX boards, but doesn’t pose any problems for any power supply units. It also has four SATA ports, but that’s
080
october 17
chip malaysia
sufficient for most users. As far as spacing goes, the CPU socket should easily support any air or liquid cooler, though larger tower air coolers (for example, those with two fans) might obstruct the first DIMM slot. For on-board headers, ASRock managed to squeeze a decent number in. In total, there are three fan headers – one of which can be controlled via the BIOS – and even one for a RGB LED strip. Flipping the board over, we found a M.2 slot that will support NVMe SSDs. For the back I/O, there’s enough for most users, including a Gigabit LAN port and a dual-band capable AC-WiFi that can be used with the WiFi receiver included in the box.. Interestingly enough, it comes with eight power phases, which helps deliver more stable overclocks. In practice, we couldn’t overclock it as much as we’d like, but we did get a stable 3.9 GHz on our Ryzen 7 1700X – slightly above the official maximum clock speed. Using a good AIO, we could push it to 4.0 GHz. However, note that if you use this in an ITX case as intended, airflow restriction in the tight spacing of such a build can easily affect temperatures and overclocking stability.
There’s an M.2 slot underneath the board and it supports NVMe SSDs
Being small doesn’t stop it from having all the I/Os you’d need, though it’s a little starved in the USB department
+
Good overclocking potential Sufficient I/O despite size
No heat-sink for power phases
CHIP CONCLUDES Plenty of features that help with overclocking, making this a great choice looking to build a powerful enthusiast-class PC.
test lab
Sony MHC-V50D Price: RM1,699 Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Phone: 1 300 88 1233 Info: www.sony.com.my Frequency response: 20 – 20,000Hz Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0, NFC, CD/DVD, HDMI, USB Dimensions: 293 x 798 x 300mm Weight: 14kg
By Nixon Ng
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Boom Boom Pow
Ever wanted to have a part almost anywhere? Now you can, thanks to Sony!
T
ired of lugging around huge speakers that require amplifiers and a bunch of messy cables every time you want to have a party? If you host house parties you might not have a sound system for it, and even if you did it probably doesn’t work well as it wasn’t designed for such purposes. But with the Sony MHC-V50D that problem can be solved. The Sony MHC-V50D brings great sound quality along with the volume to fill a room of people. It sports USB playback as well as Bluetooth pairing and NFC, so you can go wireless, or just regular CD playback. The speaker is controlled using an illuminated touch control panel, but has a bit of a flaw with the DJ effects being too close to the volume dial. We would constantly brush up against a button by accident and it gets a little frustrating. A way to fix this would be to maybe spread the buttons a bit more from the dial.
It has a MIC and Guitar input so you can have jam sessions or karaoke sessions all from this one speaker. In addition, it has a built-in player that will allow you to connect it to a TV through HDMI and enjoy movies through it. Additional effects include some DJ effects to add some fun to your music, but the effects are limited and are included to inject that little bit of fun. With a variety of audio inputs and outputs, you’ll have no problems connecting the MHC-V50D to just about anything. The size of the speaker could be considered quite big but it actually weighs a lot less than it looks, if you’re strong you can carry it by yourself. What could be fixed though is making deeper carrying handles, because the ones on the speaker felt like we were just carrying it with our fingertips. Or even a trolley system where it has wheels on the bottom that’ll ease moving it about. But one thing we can vouch for is that the speakers definitely does its job well.
A simple touch control panel that needs a bit of work on button placements
+
Sound quality DVD/CD Player
Touch buttons placement
CHIP CONCLUDES A party animals dream, or even to just play music to relax in your living room, the MHC-V50D can replace many devices in one package.
chip malaysia october 17
081
test lab
Acer Nitro 5
Price: RM3,299 Contact: Acer Sales and Services Sdn. Bhd. Phone: 1 800 88 1288 Info: www.acer.com.my
Operating System: Windows 10 Home Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Memory: 4GB Storage: 1TB HDD Connectivity: Gigabit LAN, 802.11ac WiFi Dimensions: 390 x 266 x 26.75 mm Weight: 2.7kg PCMark Home: 2,380 points PCMark Creative: 2,323 points PCMark Work: 2,623 points
By Matthew Yap
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Gaming On A Steal Those with tight wallets tend to choose affordability over quality, and this model here is more affordable than most
W
ith e-sports growing at an accelerated rate, gaming notebooks are being released just as fast. Form and function are important, but many people are looking for something more student budget-friendly, such as Acer’s entry level Nitro 5. Like many gaming notebooks before it, the Nitro 5 doesn’t stray away from the popular black and red look. Its black body is mostly plastic, with some red accents to give it a nice contrast. The lid is a brushed texture that doesn’t attract too much fingerprints, which is always good in our books. Under the lid is a 15-inch display and the standard HD webcam, along with its full-sized keyboard. It’s a relatively bulky gaming notebook, but perhaps the worst part is that it’s considerably heavy for a 15-inch notebook with a plastic body. In exchange, it has a strong build with minimal flex to the body and lid. The hinge is strong, although it doesn’t open as smoothly as we’d liked, with a second hand needed to hold the body in place to prevent it from lifting. Being a standard-sized gaming notebook, the Nitro 5 has the space to accommodate quite a number of ports. This includes an Ethernet, HDMI, USB Type-C, one USB 3.1
082
october 17
chip malaysia
Type-B, two USB 2.0, and a SD card reader. As a result, it can cover a wide variety of users. While watching videos and some light gaming, we found that its IPS 1080p display does average at best. Visuals are okay here and it’s bright enough, but the colours aren’t very vibrant for an IPS panel and it leaned slightly towards the cooler colour spectrum. Also, since it’s a standard 60Hz panel, don’t expect to see butter smooth visuals. The audio is also average despite having the size to accomodate better speakers, with limited midrange and a lack of bass. When it comes to performance, the Nitro 5 is a relatively basic gaming machine. It’s sufficient for most e-sports titles like Dota 2, LoL or CS:GO, but you won’t be able to play newer titles without butchering the visual quality and resolution. In addition, the magnetic storage drive and only 4GB of RAM hampers a lot of standard operations – you’ll experience some lag even when opening programmes or Windows Explorer. Fortunately, Acer allowed for direct upgrades to those two components without voiding the warranty. You can get access to the single SODIMM slot and 2.5-inch drive by removing the screws and panels protecting them, found at the bottom of the unit.
It’s nice to see a USB Type-C port in a notebook of this price category
The two panels here can be opened to get access to the RAM and storage drive
+
Upgradable Good I/O variety
Relatively heavy
CHIP CONCLUDES For those with a low budget, this is a gaming notebook you should consider.
test lab
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Price: TBA Contact: AMD Malaysia Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8316 3512 Info: www.amd.com Memory: 8GB HBM2 Ports: 3x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI Slot Size: Dual-Slot Dimensions: 280 x 127 x 40mm 3D Mark Fire Strike: 13,593 points 3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme: 8,589 points 3D Mark Fire Strike Ultra: 4,672 points 3D Mark Time Spy: 6,229 points
By Nixon Ng
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Into The Stars The RX Vega series is finally ready to show its stars after a long awaited time
F
inally making its way into the world, the Vega graphics cards that everyone has arrived at last. After a long wait and rumours floating about, AMD released the Radeon RX Vega 64 and Vega 56. We were lucky enough to get our hands on the RX Vega 56 and can’t wait to show what this thing can really do. The unit we received is a reference RX Vega 56 with a blower type cooler, which looks very similar to the R9 Fury. It comes with a base clock of 1,156MHz and boost clock of 1,471MHz but with some overclocking, we’re pretty sure we can get more out of it. The RX Vega 56 also uses HBM2 memory and has 8GB of it as well. With a rated TDP of 210W, its power consumption could be considered above average, resulting in its need of two 8-pin PCI-e power connectors from the PSU. Jumping into our benchmarks, the Vega proves that it is capable of hitting high scores across 3DMark, but what about real games? The Vega is capable of playing just
about any games in 1080p in its highest settings easily. It does even better when it comes to DX12 games, but there are still too few DX12 games out at the moment. Cooling performance is decent and with the blower type cooler you’ll have the advantage of expelling hot air out of your case instead of into it. Noise profile isn’t that great but that’s how it is with blower type coolers; on full load, the Vega 56 is loud enough to be noticeable. On the other hand we were able to get a minimum temperature of 41 degrees Celcius and max temperature of 64 degrees Celcsius while gaming, so in terms of temperature the Vega satisfies. Also making a return is the GPU Tach load meter, which gives you a rough idea of how much load your Vega is on. The way we see it AMD has aimed the Vega 56 towards the future, considering that it performs better on DX12. It even has triple DisplayPort outputs together with a single HDMI output, which is still immensely popular at the moment.
GPU Tach returns on the RX Vega 56
Wish there were at least two HDMI ports
+
Performance Future-proof
None
CHIP CONCLUDES A great card for the future but it isn’t what most people want now. Still, it’s something to consider if you’re thinking of future proofing.
chip malaysia october 17
083
test lab
Marvo HG9028 Scorpion Price: RM109 Contact: GMC Worldwide Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8023 0336 Info: https://www.marvo-tech.hk/ Frequency response: 20 – 20,000Hz Impedance: 32ohm Connectivity: USB Weight: 360g Performance: Features: Design: Value:
By Nixon Ng
Listen To The Sting Marvo surprises with their budget headphone that performed well above our expectations
W
ith all the well-known brands out there like Corsair, Razer, HyperX, SteelSeries and Logitech, it’s not often you see people recommending peripherals outside of these brands. But we were pretty surprised this time around with the Marvo HG9028 Scorpion, this is our first time hearing about this brand but so far we’ve only had good impressions on it. The headphone came packaged in a box similar to other gaming peripherals out there, and out of the box the HG9028 looks pretty good. Following a red and black theme, a thick and shrouded cable connects the headphone to the PC through USB instead of a headphone jack. Something to note of if you’re out of USB ports, because it only supports audio through USB. Moving on, we tried the headphones on and found them incredibly comfortable, the pads resemble pleather pads and are nice and soft. One thing we didn’t realise until we took off the headphones was its LED cups.
084
october 17
chip malaysia
The cups have a breathy glow as it swaps between colours until it loops again. We find this light presentation of the LEDs better than most brands out there that just stick LEDs in and make them as bright and gaudy as possible. One thing that’s also done differently is placing the volume control directly on the left headphone cup instead of the cable, which we really liked. The only gripe we had was it being a bit too bassy when it came to listening to music, but bassheads might like it more than we did. The HG9028 markets itself as a virtual 7.1 headphone, so of course we have to test it. While playing games like CS:GO and PUBG we didn’t really hear or feel that it had 7.1, but positioning is pretty good. Although it doesn’t hit the mark for virtual 7.1, it sure is good enough for your gaming sessions. The microphone juts out from the left cup and can be bent to the user’s liking, so it can be pushed out of the way when not in use. A nice addition they could’ve made was to make it retractable as well.
The cups light up when plugged in and slowly changes colours
The mic is bendable so you can put it further or closer to your mouth when needed
+
Value Overall design
Bassy
CHIP CONCLUDES At the price you can get this at, the Marvo HG9028 is an excellent budget headphone for gamers, providing comfort, aesthetic and satisfactory sound quality.
test lab
Marvo KG922 Price: RM179 Contact: GMC Worldwide Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8023 0336 Info: https://www.marvo-tech.hk/
Keyboard Switches: Brown Mechanical Switches NKRO: 29 Interface: USB Others: Green LED backlight Dimensions: 445 x 37 x 164 mm Weight: 700 g
By Matthew Yap
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Hidden Gem
Good things can appear when you least expect it and this keyboard certainly surprised us
T
his is truly a month of unfamiliar brands, as we got our hands on a new mechanical keyboard to test along with the gaming headset we have on the previous page. Say hi to the Marvo KG922. The Marvo KG922 reminds us of the Razer Blackwidow, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it’s a proven design. Its wrist rest tapers off at the edges and has a logo in the middle, while the keys are raised clear off the base plate for an elevated design. Additionally, there are two raisable rubber feet at the bottom for extra height. This full-sized keyboard comes with a matte black body that’s made from almost 100 percent plastic, which helps make it light and keeps the pricing down. There’s some flex to it due to the plastic, but it’s not severe so props for that. In terms of layout, the KG922 has the typical full-sized 104-key layout, with no extra buttons for multimedia or macro keys. You can activate commonly used features like multimedia playback via the FN key, but that’s where it ends. This keyboard is as basic as it gets, meaning you won’t be able to do any form of macro recording at all.
A quick test revealed that this keyboard is using double-shot ABS keycaps. The coating on them makes the keycaps feel smooth to the touch and also ensure that the letters/legends on the key stick. But it also means that the top layer can have that oily feeling overtime, so it’s important to clean it properly once in a while. The mechanical switches used on this keyboard are what we believe to be a Cherry MX copy. It has a tactile bump along with a short actuation point, which makes typing on it a snappy experience. At the same time, it stays quiet enough for it to be suitable for use in an office environment. In addition, the key travel for the keys are consistent and the spacing are the standard fare, so it’s easy to get used to typing on it. While the wrist rest is short, it does well enough to alleviate palm fatigue, allowing you to type for longer hours. Our one disappointment is with its backlighting, which is a single colour with three levels of brightness in three lighting patterns off, solid, and breathing. On the other hand, we do like its elevated keys, while the transparent housing for its switches do make the LEDs shine through well. It’s also relatively easy to clean the keyboard.
These brown mechanical switches look and feel very similar to Cherry MX Brown switches
The raised keycaps makes it easy for the light to shine through, while also making it easier to get rid of anything that falls in between.
+
Affordable Performs well
Limited backlighting
CHIP CONCLUDES Its plastic body makes it feel cheap at first, but this is a surprisingly solid keyboard that feels great to both type and game on.
chip malaysia october 17
085
test lab
ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme X399 Price: RM2,650 Contact: ASUSTek Computer Malaysia Phone: (03) 2131 6650 Info: www.asus.com/my Socket: AMD Socket TR4 Chipset: AMD X399 RAM Slots: 8x DIMM RAM: 128GB Max, 3,600 MHz Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + WiGig 802.11 ad, MU-MIMO Ports: 8x USB 3.1, (Rear), 2x USB Type-A + USB Type-C (Rear), 1x USB 3.1 (Front) Others: LiveDash OLED, ASUS AURA, Anti-surge LANGuard, Illuminated Audio Jacks Size: Extended ATX
By Rikco Shim
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme X399
When ASUS frolics with AMD to bring you the biggest and baddest motherboard around
T
he Zenith Extreme X399 is a board that’s heavier than most other motherboards out there right now. Right at the start, one gripe we had with this board is the difficulty in securing the Threadripper CPU onto the AMD TR4 Socket. The platform that holds the processor is quite flimsy and in the wrong hands might prove fatal to the processor, or the pins of the socket. Once we secured the processor into the ridge and clipped it down, all we had to do is screw the torque screw back on to get a secure connection. But the next problem comes swopping in: It is very difficult to screw the processor down onto the socket, because the screws are a little short. You will have to use some inhuman strength to push the screw down and to tighten it until it catches. Fortunately, it’s all smooth sailing once you manage that. Back onto the build of the motherboard, a pre-mounted I/O shield can be spotted on the board, and should fit perfectly into your case. A LiveDash OLED is present on the shield, allowing you to monitor temperature,
086
october 17
chip malaysia
fan speeds and more. This can be customised from your computer and you can even set it to display your very own GIFs. At the bottom of the board, you can spot a PCH M.2 Heatsink with a ROG logo that can be removed and fitted with an M.2 drive. A SABRE9018Q2C intergrated DAC/AMP is capable of producing amazing quality music for your gaming and audio experience. Along with the SupremeFX S1220 coded, which can offer simultaneous 7.1 channel playback, to allow you to be immersed in games. Setting everything up on the processor is easy, as there are plenty of indications of what goes where, and if you’re a seasoned builder then it should prove no issue. With Threadripper, you will need a special socket for the AIO or Water Cooler that comes bundled with the processor, simply latch it onto the socket, align the cooler and voila, you’re good to go. The Zenith also comes with a blazing fast 802.11 ad Wi-Fi, so you can enjoy your games with faster Wi-Fi speeds and be lag-free as well.
The removable M.2 heatsink
One of the antenna for the Wi-Fi that’s included in the package
+
Comes with plenty of additional accessories
Flimsy processor holder
CHIP CONCLUDES Overall, a great motherboard with plenty of features that win over its negatives, and even comes with 802.11 ad Wi-Fi, but leans towards the more expensive side for motherboards.
test lab
ASUS Lyra
Price: RM1,999 Contact: ASUSTek Computer Malaysia Phone: (03) 2131 6650 Info: www.asus.com/my Ports: 2x LAN (per module) MIMO: Yes Network Standard: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IPv4, IPv6 Encryption: WPA2-PSK
By Nixon Ng
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Simple, Speedy, And Wide Spread You’ll be able to get your WiFi just about anywhere in your house now
E
xtend your WiFi beyond its regular means. How would you go about doing that? There are plenty of options to choose from, such as WiFi extenders, daisy chaining routers, homeplugs and much more. ASUS is pretty well-known for making great network products, and it’s no different now with the ASUS Lyra Home WiFi System. The ASUS Lyra comes in a pack of three, which means you’ll get three modules you can spread throughout your home. Each module is capable of delivering data up to 2,134 Mbps with MU-MIMO technology. Taking advantage of AC technology, you’ll get better data speeds that surpass N technology. The Lyra is incredibly easy to setup but might take a bit of time. You’ll need to connect the required power adapter and LAN cable from your router, plus the ASUS Lyra app is required. Switch on the Lyra module you’re setting up and sync it to the app and from there it’s just a barrage of setup windows. To continue adding modules to your network,
you need to use the ASUS Lyra app. We’ve seen the Lyra taking quite a bit time to pair and sync with each other before, but during our review period there hasn’t been an issue. What makes the Lyra interesting is its integrated smart antennas. There’s a total of four of them that checks the strength and quality of each antenna’s connection and uses the best two. Our experience with the Lyra is a good one - it’s easy to setup and can be placed just about anywhere with a power point. The aesthetics are minimalistic and doesn’t leave a large footprint, so we find that it’s easy to let it blend in with the rest of our homes and office spaces. If you’re a parent maybe you would like to keep an eye on internet use at home? With the Lyra app you can monitor internet usage, along with placing limitations and blocks on each family member/device. You’ll even be able to block specific mobile apps and websites, while still allowing access to the rest of the internet.
LAN ports to distribute internet
Units must be paired with each other to function
+
Great coverage Easy setup
Price
CHIP CONCLUDES You can’t go wrong grabbing a set of these for your home. It helps you get internet in dead spots and is just easy to setup without any hassle.
chip malaysia october 17
087
test lab
AOC AGON AG251FZ Price: RM2,188 Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 7956 6300 Info: http://www.aocmonitorap.com/
Panel Type: TN Panel Display Size: 24.5-inch Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Connectivity: 1x DVI, 2x HDMI, 1x Display Port, 1x VGA, 4x USB Out Port Refresh Rate: 240 Hz Response Time: 1 ms Viewing Angle: 170/160 degree Dimensions: 566.6 x (515 ~ 545.2) x 218 mm Weight: 6.5 kg Others: 1x Physical Menu Controller, 1x Headset Hanger
By Rikco Shim
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
As Easy On The Eyes As AOC The AGON monitor that could help you dominate the playing field
T
he AG251FZ comes with a tightly packed box that took us longer to unbox and setup compared to other monitors due to its build. Assembling this monitor took us longer than usual due to its parts, as you will have to fasten the screws on the neck of the stand to the monitor. After the initial setup, it was a breeze to configure everything, especially with the physical controller that comes bundled with the monitor. You can adjust the brightness, the configuration, which output to channel and so on. It is profoundly simpler compared to you digging your hands onto the bottom of the monitor and fiddling for a good while before managing it. Speakers are also built into the monitor to offer the full package for those who enjoy gaming without restrictions on your head or in your ears. As per the norm of monitors of today, you can swivel, tilt and adjust the height of the monitor easily with the stand. If you wish, you can even set it up to portrait mode if you need to tackle some spreadsheets. Bezels are still present on the monitor, despite most monitors making the transition to bezel-less, so some immersion
088
october 17
chip malaysia
is lost. Overall, the build of the monitor is top notch and it is hard to complain after its initial setup. The stand is weighted well, and with a headset hanger, it is all a gamer needs. For gaming needs, it features a 240 Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, which is the nirvana for gamers. It will allow your game to transition smoothly without any graphical lags or ghosting. Some would argue against using a TN Panel, as they do not offer the best colour reproduction or viewing angles. This combo will definitely give you the extra edge over monitors with less capabilities. However, gear does not fully maketh the man as you still require skill to perform better than your opponents. Along with AMD Free-Sync, screen tearing will be a thing of the past. Shadow Control will also help bring out the blacks during gaming, or to hide them when you want other colours to pop out more. If you have an AMD GPU plus the extra dough to spend and are looking for a stylish, decently built monitor, then this should be the next monitor that graces your table.
The initial setup of fastening the screws onto the back of the monitor
The physical controller that comes packaged
+
Terrific build quality Headset hanger Physical controller
None
CHIP CONCLUDES Overall a great gaming monitor that deserves more recognition in the sea of monitors out there. Every diehard gamer should check this out.
test lab
Lian Li PC-7HWX Price: TBA Contact: GMC Worldwide Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8023 0336 Info: http://www.lian-li.com/en/
Motherboard Size: Micro-ATX, ATX Bays: 4x 3.5-inch, 1x 2.5-inch, 3x 5.25-inch Front Panel I/O: 2x USB 3.0, Audio In/Out Fan Support: 1x 120mm (Rear), 3x 140mm (Front), 2x 120mm (Top) Dimensions: 210 x 473 x 490 mm (WxHxD)
By Rikco Shim
Performance: Features: Design:
Going With The Times
A new case from Lian Li that comes with side mirror for seethrough goodness
T
he PC-7HWX is a mid-tower computer chassis from Lian Li, a popular brand from Taiwan. Its design is simple, without any annoying or weird-looking protrusions. This new version of the PC-7H comes with an acrylic side panel, not present on the other chassis in the PC-7H series. With the meteoric rise of RGB lighting over the years, this makes it a decent option for RGB fanatics. Sadly, the chassis loses some points because of its fingerprint magnet coating, which many really don’t wants to see when building their very own PC build. The I/O ports are shrouded under a cover, which would reduce dust from settling into the USB ports. And when it is closed, it gives the case an overall sleek black box look. However, the cover is slightly flimsy and we can anticipate that it would break easily after multiple uses over the years. Aside from that, the quality of the Power and Reset buttons are highly suspect as well.
Moving on the internals, we noticed that the screws are padded with rubbers while we were removing the screws on the back of the chassis. It’s a nice touch, because the rubber will reduce vibrations and scratches when you tighten the screws. Lian Li also included a removable CD Drive cover for people who still have a need for those, despite them being phased out slowly over the years. Three fans come preinstalled with the case, two 140mm front fans, and one 120mm rear fan. The front fans are shrouded behind a mesh, so if you wish, you can replace them with RGB fans to further brighten up your build. You can also put up to five HDDs in the chassis. For extra protection from vibration, rubber paddings are placed on top of the PSU holder. For a mid-tower chassis, it has plenty of space to support your build. If you wish, you can even unscrew the top covers to install AIO coolers with radiators of up to 360mm.
The I/O cover
The rubber under the screws to reduce scratches
+
Decent number of bays for CD Drive and HDDs I/O port cover
Fingerprint magnet Cheap feeling buttons
CHIP CONCLUDES A decent case for someone who wants a chassis with plenty of bays to fit their drives, along with a mesh shroud in the front and acrylic side panel to let their RGB components shine.
chip malaysia october 17
089
test lab
ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro Price: RM1,099 Contact: Dynamics Distribution Sdn Bhd, ECS Astar Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8024 2100, (03) 6286 8222 Info: www.asus.com/my Operating System: Android 7.1 Nougat System on Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Memory: 3GB Storage: 32GB, expandable with microSD Display: 5.5-inch 720 x 1,280 IPS Camera: 16MP (rear), 16MP (front) Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1 + A2DP + LE, 802.11n, Wi-Fi Direct Dimensions: 154 x 76.9 x 8.9 mm Weight: 181g Antutu: 44,038 points PCMark for Android: 3,665 points 3DMark Slingshot Extreme: 297 points
By Matthew Yap
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Double Shutter
Initially a model that lacked features, ASUS might just have given consumers a reason to consider this
W
hile the company kept a tight lip during COMPUTEX 2017, the veil was lifted from the latest ASUS ZenFone 4 series. It also maintained the same number of SKUs, some which were admittedly less useful than others. The ZenFone Max series used to be the former, but what about the recently launched ZenFone 4 Max Pro? It sports the same curved edges and antenna lines on the back as before. The outer body consists of metal at the back in bronze colour, while the white coloured front has a piece of glass covering it. This means that the smartphone’s build quality is surprisingly premium for a device that’s priced at the lower-midrange. Although similar to its predecessor, the ZenFone 4 Max Pro has enough differences to stand out, one of which is the improved cameras. With this, it now has a dual-lens camera with LED flash at the back that’s at the top-left corner instead of the middle. The front also has a similar setup and both have a pixel count of 16-megapixels. ASUS also went with the capacitive buttons on the bottom bezel, with the fingerprint sensor integrated into the Home button. Besides that, you have the regular volume and power
090
october 17
chip malaysia
buttons on the right, dual-SIM plus micro SD card tray on the left, micro USB port at the bottom, and the audio jack on the top. As expected, the ZenFone 4 Max Pro is more of a lower-midrange device in terms of specs. It’s enough for regular use, even some light entertainment like watching Twitch or YouTube, but trying to load too many apps or even games on it and it’ll lag. It could even crash or hang in extreme cases, which is normal for phones at this performance range. Its screen is average as well, with enough contrast and brightness for viewing videos. On the other hand, the audio is completely unspectacular. However, it has a battery that can last up to two days, while also allowing you to charge another device. The cameras are clearly the major plus points to the device. Its rear camera system comes with a 120-degree wide-angle camera to ensure you can capture a larger landscape view, which is really nice to have for great for travellers who need a device for casual photography. In the same way, its front cameras also comes with a 140-degree wideangle lens with a soft LED light for more polished selfies, or the occasional panoramic selfie/wefie shots.
There’s a dual-lens camera this time around, which make for some good photos
Being from the Max series, this reverse charge adapter allows you to use the phone as an emergency power bank for other devices
+
Great battery life Wide-angle cameras
Performance
CHIP CONCLUDES A smartphone with great value, mostly from its long battery life and cameras.
test lab
Moto G5 Plus
Price: RM1,299 Contact: Brightstar Distribution Sdn Bhd., Lazada Malaysia Phone: 1 300 88 2744, (03) 2027 4766 Info: www.motorola.com Operating System: Android 7.0 Marshmallow System on Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 CPU: Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 GPU: Adreno 506 Memory: 4GB Storage: 32GB eMMC Flash expandable with microSD Display: 5.2-inch 1080 x 1920 IPS Camera: 12MP (rear), 5MP (front) Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 + A2DP + LE + EDR, 802.11n, Wi-Fi Direct Dimensions: 150.2 x 74 x 7.7 mm Weight: 155g Antutu: 63,038 points PCMark for Android: 4,892 points 3DMark Slingshot Extreme: 464 points
By Matthew Yap
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Needed Plus Points
Though some ways from getting there, Moto did well to release an option that delivers pretty good value for money
L
ast year, Moto started to make a renewed charge into the mobile phone market with its Android-based smartphones. It’s shown promise so far, but how about the midrange Moto G5 Plus? We find out. The Moto G5 Plus looks a lot like the Z2 Play. This means it has much of the same design, sans the Moto Mods connector at the back, which also means it’s not compatible with them. It’s comes with a metal body that curves slightly at the sides of the back, as well as a glass front that uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Even its component layout is almost identical to the Z2 Play, including the rear 12-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash. Next, there’s the power button and volume rocker on the right, followed by the SIM tray on top and micro USB port plus mic and 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom. The SIM tray supports dual-SIM with microSD at the same time, so you don’t have to remove any SIMs to get expanded storage. Finally, the fingerprint sensor is on the front. The specs of the G5 Plus are familiar for a midrange - the popular (for midrange)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chip that runs on a octa-core Cortex A53, Adreno 506, and 4GB of RAM. It’s quite generous on the storage side, providing 32GB built-in with more via microSD. On top of that, its 3,000 mAh helps it easily last a day for average users. From experience, this device does well in all areas for average users. It also doesn’t run as hot as its other midrange Moto siblings. Highend 3D games still end up showing noticeable latency, but this device is clearly designed for the regular so it’s more than enough. We also liked the concave fingerprint sensor, which was easy to use when unlocking the phone. Besides that, you can disable the capacitive buttons and use the sensor instead to easily use the phone. For example, tapping it twice goes to the Home screen. It also has other convenient gestures, like twisting your wrist twice to activate the camera. Its camera is very basic, with average autofocus speed, picture quality and HDR. Lowlight shots are actually quite good and shows little noise, but on the flipside the details aren’t as sharp either.
No more dockable magnet interface here, as it’s a straight up unibody.
The various gestures for this device are quite handy for launching certain apps or functions quickly
+
Convenient gestures Long battery life
None
CHIP CONCLUDES While it doesn’t have any stand out feature, it’s good value since its performance in almost every area fits its price tag.
chip malaysia october 17
091
test lab
MSI RX560 Aero ITX 4G OC
Price: RM709 Contact: JW Power Marketing Sdn Bhd, Mediaforte (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Adventure Multi Devices Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 2148 1307, (03) 7960 6868, (03) 7955 7788, (03) 7773 0399 Info: my.msi.com GPU: AMd Radeon RX560 Memory: 4GB GDDR5 Ports: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort Slot Size: Dual-Slot Dimensions: 155 x 113 x 39mm Weight: 320g 3D Mark Fire Strike: 5,577 points 3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme: 2,718 points 3D Mark Fire Strike Ultra: 1,398 points 3D Mark Time Spy: 2,094 points
By Nixon Ng
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Just For Mini
An interesting little piece of graphics technology that packs a punch
B
ig things can come in small packages, and we’re not kidding because small form factor PC’s are starting to gain traction. Within these small PC cases there are hardware that could put most average gaming computers to shame. It’s good to see that brands are starting to pick up on the trend and we’re excited to be able to test out the MSI RX560 Aero ITX 4G OC. At first glance, the packaging of the RX560 Aero ITX has to be one of the smallest if not the smallest graphic card box we’ve seen - something that will appeal to fans of the ITX form factor. Sitting in the quaint little box was the RX560 Aero ITX, and we haven’t been this excited for a graphics card this small since the R9 Nano. The size of the Aero ITX is definitely true to the ITX name, as it’s small enough to almost fit in some of our hands. Output ports are scarce as the size of the card is pretty small, offering a single DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort,
092
october 17
chip malaysia
which should be enough for most cases. Setup is easy here, more so than most GPUs: Just slot it in and install drivers. One thing to note is the lack of PCI-e power headers on the card, which means it only requires PCIe slot power to run. This would mean lower power consumption and you’ll be able to use smaller power supplies that with lower wattage. But don’t be fooled, even without the need for external power the card is still capable of pushing out great FPS during gaming. The RX560 Aero ITX is perfect for HTPC’s and of course small form factor PCs. Our benchmarks show that the RX560 Aero ITX performs quite well for a GPU in its price range. Even in real life performance tests, you won’t find much problems playing most games in high settings. Aimed towards the LoL, DotA 2, and CS:GO community, this will give those gamers the opportunity to build a small PC that’ll suit their needs.
Smaller body comes at the price of less outputs, but should still suffice
The RX560 Aero ITX is small enough to almost fit in our hands
+
Form factor Overall performance
None
CHIP CONCLUDES If you’re planning to build a HTPC or a gaming PC for some casual gaming, the MSI RX560 Aero ITX 4G OC is a solid choice.
test lab
MSI GT75VR 7RF Titan Pro Price: RM17,999 Contact: MSI Malaysia Office Phone: 1 300 22 1386 Info: my.msi.com Operating System: Windows 10 Processor: Intel i7-7820HK Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1080 Memory: 32GB Storage: 512GB NVMe, 1TB 7,200RPM SATA HDD Dimensions: 428 x 314 x 58mm Weight: 4.56kg PCMark Home: 4,313 points PCMark Creative: 5,370 points PCMark Work: 3,518 points 3DMark Fire Strike: 15,521 points 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme: 9,190 points 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra: 4,944 points 3DMark Time Spy: 6,580 points Performance: Features: Design: Value:
By Nixon Ng
Titanic Performance
The GT75VR Titan is a piece of machine that has beastly performance and the aesthetics to make any gamer fall in love
W
hen gaming is life all you need is a powerful gaming machine and you’ll be set, but what if you’re on the go and can’t lug around a heavy PC? There’s a lot of options out there when it comes to gaming notebooks, but the MSI GT75VR Titan could be your answer. The GT75VR is a monster of a gaming machine, sporting an i7-7820HK processor for incredible single and multi-core processing performance. With an NVIDIA GTX1080, the GT75VR also excels when it comes to hardcore gaming. If that wasn’t enough you also get a 512GB NVMe SSD and a 1TB 7,200RPM SATA HDD for storage space, as well as two 16GB DDR4 RAMs that run on 2,400MHz. The display is a 17.3-inch FHD monitor with a refresh rate of 120Hz and 3ms of response time. And the GT75VR Titan’s GPU is certainly capable of hitting that magical 120 Hz. If you enjoy smooth and fluid gameplay during
gaming sessions, then you’ll love the display. In addition, the notebook performed well on synthetic benchmarks and real life gaming, delivering fluid gaming in titles like Overwatch. If you need a little more juice, the MSI SHIFT in the MSI Dragon Center makes it easy to overclock as well. To keep everything chilled, the GT75VR does an excellent job in keeping temperatures low with its Cooler Boost Titan Technology, but things can get a tad loud if you’re really pushing it to the max. But the piece de resistance of this notebook - and our favourite part of it - is its mechanical keyboard. Born from the collaboration between MSI and SteelSeries, the mechanical keyboard feels so satisfying. Beautiful clicks when pressed with each key having its own RGB LED, giving you an experience you’ll find hard to get outside of MSI. Also if it wasn’t clear enough, the GT75VR will support VR gaming so all you need now is a VR headset!
Large vents for extreme cooling and an ample amount of inputs and outputs
Lovely mechanical keys that give off clicks of pure satisfaction
+
Performance Mechanical keyboard
Fans a tad loud under load
CHIP CONCLUDES If gaming is your number one priority there’s no reason to not get the GT75VR, it can easily replace a full size desktop while still being relatively portable.
chip malaysia october 17
093
test lab
D-Link DIR-882
Price: RM789 Contact: Advancenet Technology Sdn Bhd, Ingram Micro Sdn Bhd, Lab Seven (M) Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 8070 3633, (03) 7952 8188, (03) 80758811 Info: www.dlink.com.my Ports: 4x LAN, 1x WAN, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0 MIMO: Yes Network Standard: IEEE 802.11ac Encryption: WPA & WPA2, WPS Dimensions: 254 x 177.8 x 44.45 mm Weight: 680 g
By Rikco Shim
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
EXO Powered
D-Link’s latest Wi-Fi router that is out to mount itself onto your table
T
he DIR-882 is a 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router that is set to help you improve your Wi-Fi capabilities at home or at work. It comes with Dual Band Wi-Fi performance of up to 800 + 1,733 Mbps in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz respectively. For example, you can set different profiles on your router, allowing those who just want to browse the web and maybe watch some videos to stick with the lower 2.4 GHz to consume their media that way. As for gaming or streaming activities, you should opt for the 5GHz configuration, which will offer faster speeds. Most devices, regardless of age, will be able to connect to the device. Looks wise, it sports four external antennas that aren’t too long. With the rise of routers with more antennas, this one actually looks quite regular. The router will still take some space on your table, as it measures at 254 x 177.8 x 44.45 mm. As for the layout, there are four LAN ports, one USB 2.0 port in the back, one USB 3.0 port in front, the power
094
october 17
chip malaysia
and reset button, as well as a button for WPS and one for Wi-Fi. It does look like your standard router. The light on the front of the device is not too bright, so if you plan to have one in your room, you will most likely not be distracted with dazzling lights from space with this router. The router sports a powerful dual core processor built that will enhance its wireless and wired performance, delivering unparalleled speeds while multitasking on multiple devices - be it wired or wireless. It also comes with the QoS Engine that can help you optimise your speeds and give priority to devices. For example, if you want to prioritise the speed of your PC, simply drag and drop them depending on priority. You could set your PC to the highest priority, and your smartphone to high and TV to medium. And features such as smart beam forming will allow you to continuously stream or play your games as you move around the house while experiencing no drops in Wi-Fi performance.
The ports at the back of the router
The LEDs on the router, obscured and not too bright
+
Decent amount of ports Price
None
CHIP CONCLUDES Overall, a great router for those who want dual-band AC2600 Wi-Fi, but do not want to tear out their wallet for extra features.
test lab
Remix Mini Price: RM299 Contact: SNS Network (M) Sdn Bhd Phone: (05) 242 4616 Info: www.jide.com/mini
Operating System: Remix OS 2.0 (Android 5.1) System on Chip: Allwinner A64 Memory: 2GB Storage: 16GB, up to 128GB more via microSD Input/Output: 1x Megabit LAN, 1x HDMI, 1x microSD, 1x audio/mic combo jack, 2x USB 2.0 Dimensions: 26 x 124 x 88 mm Antutu: 24,528 points 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme: 2,229 points PCMark Work 2.0: 2,311 points
By Matthew Yap
Performance: Features: Design: Value:
Entry To Android PC
A welcome PC alternative that allows you to be productive using Android
I
t is not often that we get relatively niche items from brands or manufacturers outside of our country, but once in a while we do get some. An example is the Remix Mini that was successfully crowdfunded two years ago. Below are our thoughts on the Android PC. Our first impression of the Remix Mini is that it’s compact. Inside is the Android PC itself, a short HDMI cable, the power adapter, and a basic user’s guide. The mini PC itself is encased in black plastic, with rounded sides and the Remix logo on top. Being so small is really convenient, as the device doesn’t take up as much space as a PC or laptop. However, you can’t mount it to the back of a monitor either, unlike many Windows mini PCs. Since it’s meant to be used as a PC, the Remix Mini has to have the relevant ports. Here, it comes with a Megabit LAN port (along with the Wireless N chip inside), HDMI port, and two USB 2.0 ports. Additionally, it has a microSD slot that supports cards of up to 128GB and a 3.5mm jack for a headset. With all these, the average PC user should
have enough to be productive and consume content. The tricky part is if you need to use accessories like a card reader, especially if your card is a CF or SD card instead. Once all plugged in, lightly tapping on the top of the device boots it up, to which you can then get around to the initial start-up. All that’s required is the user’s preferred language and whatever apps the user wants to have right at the start. Within a few minutes the setup is done and you’re unlikely to encounter any hiccups here. The unique thing about the Remix is that it feels familiar if you’re a PC user – it provides a lot of features you expect in a PC, such as resizing windows and keyboard shortcuts. However, you’ll experience some lag when resizing windows, likely due to a combination of the weak CPU and Android apps not being designed to do that. Aside from that, the device is fairly responsive for regular use. It allows you to not only to watch videos or listen to music, but also get work done on apps like Microsoft Office Work or play some of your favourite mobile games.
Its interface is very similar to a Windows PC and much of the interaction will be familiar as well
Just enough ports to get the average PC user up and running
+
Small footprint All-rounded use
Weak CPU
CHIP CONCLUDES An inexpensive and excellent choice for a PC that provides basic office productivity, entertainment and even some gaming.
chip malaysia october 17
095
lite & leisure PLAY
Blast From A Geek’s Past
Nostalgia can become a strong emotion when it comes to gaming, so join us as we travel back in time to reminisce and play the games of days long past By Rikco Shim
We'd Make A Joke, But You Wouldn’t Barret
F
inal Fantasy 7 is a game beloved by many all over the world and is hailed as the game that propelled the Final Fantasy series worldwide. There are many that rank it as their favourite game, despite being the 7th in the series. You play as Cloud Strife, a broody male who is just trying to get the job done. But throughout the game he discovers that there is more to life than just a job and he learns to have more compassion for the world and fights to protect it from harm. The story then revolves around him and the gang of ruffians who are fighting to save the world as well.
096
october 17
chip malaysia
The gameplay of FF7 plays similarly to other, older games in the series, where you and your enemies take turns, depending on your ATB (Active Time Battle) bar. Once the bar fills, your characters can take action. However, a new feature with the game is with its Materia system. Normal actions such as Attack, Magic, Item, Summon and Defend make a reappearance. But with Materia, your characters can equip Command Materia that changes the way they act. Materias can also be combined to do different things. Besides that, Limit makes an appearance again, but it is based on a gauge, rather than low HP. Your
characters grow via EXP and your Materia can be levelled up via AP. As for the graphics, when the game was released, it was the first project in the series to use 3D computer graphics and it combined the use of real-time cutscenes with polygon character models. In one of the earlier scenes where Cloud saves Jessie from getting stuck, the player will notice some clouds blowing in the background. It was very impressive for its time. FF7 also had one of the most memorable soundtrack for the series, with Nobuo Uetmatsu responsible for the soundtrack back then. Tracks such as ''One-Winged
lite & leisure
The improved graphics on the steam version during Battle
Angel� used a Latin Choral track that can be heard throughout the song playing. The prelude or the main theme was also loved by many. Overall, FF7 is a game that needs to be
experienced by yourself and shouldn’t be spoiled. Despite it being 20-years-old and can order its own drink in a bar (not in the States), it still holds up with an amazing story, great cast and amazing soundtrack.
Good news is that a Final Fantasy 7 remake is in the works and it would be episodic. But sadly, the release date for that is not revealed yet.
Final Fantasy VII Genre: RPG Developer: Squaresoft (now known as Square Enix) Info: http://www.finalfantasyviipc.com/en Platform: PlayStation, PC (Steam), Android, iOS
+
Story Music/Audio
-
Very depressing world
Gameplay: Sound: Replayability:
The character equipment screen, you can equip Materia into Slots
chip malaysia
october 17
097
lite & leisure PLAY
Royal Rumble! You have no idea how you got here, you have no idea why your friends are here, and you have no idea why strangers are here. All you know now is that you’re on a plane bound for an island you’ve never been on before. Not only that…you have to be the last one standing… If you liked the Japanese hit film “Battle Royale”, then you’ll love this game By Nixon Ng
W
elcome to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or better known as PUBG. If you don’t already know what PUBG is, it's a battle royale type multiplayer online game. The player can opt to play in first person or third person mode according to their preference, and either as a team or solo. When you first begin the match you’ll be put on a plane bound for an island where you’ll have to duke it out with up to a hundred players. Whether alone or in a team,
098
october 17
chip malaysia
the goal is simple, to be the last man or team standing. You’re given a map while on the plane to pre-plan your drop point with your team. But beware, for nowhere is safe because everyone else might be homing on to your drop point. Make your decisions quick, and jump out of the plane early so you’ll be able to reach the ground a step ahead of your enemy and reach much needed resources. Littered around the island are
abandoned buildings that used to be towns, villages and homesteads. Inside them you will find resources ranging from food, medical supplies, clothing to weapons and ammunition. Vehicles are found throughout the island as well, and is a strong advantage to have one. The only problem is that vehicles are still a bit glitchy at the moment of writing, where we could hit a small rock in the road and suddenly flip in the air like a backflipping
lite & leisure
dolphin at an aquarium show. The game is still in its early stages of development, so we hope to see many of the glitches currently in the game fixed. Some of these could easily lose the game for you, and it can be very disappointing to lose a match you have spent so much effort on due to a random occurrence. Although it’s a deathmatch game, there are plenty of creative ways to win the game, as demonstrated by many online streamers. In fact, going in guns a blazing isn't the only way to win this game. The game has a mechanic that keeps players from camping throughout the island - a shrinking safe zone. After the match begins there will be
a safe zone marked on the map that will constantly shrink as the game continues, anyone outside the safe zone will slowly perish. On average a round should last around 30 minutes, but if you get killed early on you don’t have to stick around; you can just proceed on to your next match. The armour and weapons system isn’t exactly deep, if you pick up a weapon you need the appropriate ammunition to use it. Additionally, the game allows you to install attachments and mods to your weapons to improve aim, quicken reload times and more. On the island there are certain areas that yield better weapons and armour, but will be targeted by a large amount of players most
of the time. You have to weigh between playing it safe, or going into a living war zone. At the end of each round players will get in-game currency in the form of credits, which can be used to buy loot crates used for unlocking cosmetic items. You gain credits depending on how much damage you deal, how long you survive, and how many kills you get in the round. The only downside to the game is that there’s just so much that needs to be fixed and improved in the game, but that’ll come in due time. With no storyline or plot, replayability comes in the form of competitive spirit, or the joy of being a team in no man’s land.
Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds Genre: Battle Royale Developer: Bluehole Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ PlayerUnknown's_Battlegrounds System Requirements Platform: PC, Xbox One
+
Easy to get into Fun concept
-
Glitchy
Gameplay: Sound: Replayability:
chip malaysia
october 17
099
lite & leisure PLAY
PAX West Galore
PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) is a gaming festival held throughout the year at various locations in the United States as well as Melbourne, Australia. As for this year, we take a look at the games that grabbed our interest at this year's PAX West By Rikco Shim
Donut County In Donut County, you play as a hole, and your main purpose is to eat everything. This game is similar to Katamari where you "consume” things by rolling over them. As for Donut County, you are just a hole that does that. You hover under a cactus, you consume it. Hover over a sitting raccoon and you consume it – sadly you don’t become a racoon. According to the creators, there is a story behind this, so you just have to play it to understand why you are a hole.
Ooblets Ooblets is a game that draws elements from plenty of other games, such as the farming from Harvest Moon and Pokemon Battles from Pokemon. You meet other people with Ooblets and you can fight against them with your own Ooblets. To gain Ooblets, you have to fight people who have them or in the wild. And when you win, you will gain an Ooblet seed that you can then plant. Once it's done, you get to harvest it and, voila, new Ooblet.
Battle Chef Brigade Battlechef Brigade is a fantasy cooking battle game where you are tasked to cook the tastiest dishes in the realm, and to do so you will need to collect or buy the ingredients. To collect the ingredients, you will have to fight them in a 2D plane, similar to fighting platformers. To cook, you will be performing match twos and threes, similar to games such as bejeweled. We can’t wait to get our hands on this, at it seems like a game that has plenty of potential, and is slated to release in November or December. It will even be released on the Nintendo Switch!
Wandersong Wandersong takes place in a magical side scrolling world that can be moved with singing. Your singing will be able to move objects, change direction of the winds, and so on. You play as the bard and it is your job to find the Earthsong that will be used to preserve the earth and save it. It is an interesting game as you use singing to control the things around the world, rather than just hack and slash to get around.
100
october 17
chip malaysia
lite & leisure
Gamescom 2017 Held not long after E3 and this close to Tokyo Games Show 2017, it’s expected that there wouldn’t be as much at this year’s Gamescom. Regardless, we picked what we thought were the best three new reveals there and included them below By Matthew Yap
Biomutant Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Biomutant is an open world action RPG featuring a mutated racoon. At the start, you get to customise your racoon’s skill and determine its gender, fur colour, fangs, and many other attributes. Players can also add new abilities to their racoon as they progress. either by mutations or installing bio-mechanical parts to it. Like many open world games, it’ll feature vehicles to traverse large distances and a karma system that affects the character and story.
Jurassic World Evolution Not much is known about Jurassic World Evolution at the moment, but it’s revealed to be a business simulation game. In other words, players get to play as the chief architect, developer, and manager of their own Jurassic World. From what the trailer briefly revealed, players will have to build facilities, manage crowds that visit the park, and contain dangerous dinosaurs that have escaped from their designated enclosures. Players will also be able to bio-engineer their own new dinosaurs, just like the scientists in the movie "Jurassic World”.
Age of Empires IV Even less is revealed of Age of Empires IV, since all that we saw was a teaser trailer. But if that trailer is any indication, fans of the series can expect much of the same from what they’ve come to love in the original three titles – building, exploration, and conquering. It’s expected to be a classic RTS title that will hopefully come with some modern mechanics and new generation graphics.
chip malaysia
october 17
101
lite & leisure PLAY
Tokyo Game Show : Introduction
Here’s a brief introduction to Japan’s largest video gamesconvention, Tokyo Game Show and also a sneak peek of what’s to come next issue By Nixon Ng
H
eld annually every September in Chiba, Japan. Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is a video game convention with Japanese games as its main focus, but there are times when international developers also use TGS as platform to showcase upcoming releases. Previously TGS was actually held twice a year, once in Spring and once more in Autumn, but that has changed since 2002. Also, although TGS spans across a few days, the last two days are the only time the public is allowed to enter. TGS is always laid out into different exhibition areas:
General Exhibition The largest exhibition area and also the heart of the show. Here, everything gaming related, from the largest to smallest developers, are showcased.
102
october 17
chip malaysia
Game Device
Personal Computing
Basically anything that relates to headphones, gaming devices such as controllers or fighting sticks, furniture, or anything associated with home and portable gaming devices.
Here, you’ll see the majority of Japanese PC brands showcasing their desktops and notebooks.
Asia New Stars Aimed to support emerging and indie developers, providing an avenue to showcase their work.
Merchandise Sales Any merchandise will be sold here, and are usually game-related goods.
Smartphone And Social Games Japan is known for their mobile games, so here’s an area dedicated to showcase those games.
Children An area specifically for children’s content with Taito and Sega being prominent here.
Game School This area is basically an open space for Japanese universities and colleges to offer information about studies related to the video game industry. Next issue, we'll have details on the highlights at this year's TGS, so look out for!
lite & leisure E-SPORTS NEWS
E-Sports Express Latest E-sports updates from the region and around the world
By Matthew Yap
First Dota 2 Minors On The Way Besides the annual The International event and Dota 2 Majors, Valve announced the Minors that will reduce the gap in between the big tournaments. This begins with the upcoming PGL Open Bucharest Minor and the Perfect World Minor, both set to run in September. Qualifiers for Bucharest Minor will run from 9th to 15th of September 2017, while the ones for Perfect World is between 21st to 24th of September 2017. Both events will feature a total prize of USD300,000 (approx. RM1.26 million).
Retirement Is Just A Word It seems that some players just never stick to being in retirement. Peter Dager aka PPD has recently stepped down from his position as CEO of Evil Geniuses to return to active gaming. He’s forming a team with Pelle 'Pajkatt' Olsson Lille, Quinn 'CCnC' Callahan, Ludwig 'Zai' Wahlberg, and Rasmus 'MiSeRy' Flipsen, which we expect will be competing in the North America region. The team’s name has not been announced as of the time of writing this.
Fifth Season Of Rage NGE Those who think that e-sports isn’t going to happen in Japan outside of fighting games might need to think again. Japan is seeing Shadowverse, a digital card game, possibly rising to prominence as an e-sports title. Rage New Generation E-sports is an e-sports organisation in Japan that hosts e-sports events and it’s hosting its third Shadowverse tournament in its fifth season of tournaments. Eight finalists will compete in this event for a grand prize of 4 million Yen (approx. RM152,389) and the title of ‘King’.
104
october 17
chip malaysia
lite & leisure
Road to World’s 2017
The League of Legends World’s 2017 has begun with the Play-in stages being played starting last month, but here are some teams who have already reached the Group Stages due to their excellent teamwork throughout the season, so keep your eyes open for them if you’re new! By Nixon Ng Longzhu Gaming Longzhu Gaming has proved to be a strong contender even in the LCK, and could be the team to de-throne the kings SKTT1 to bring home the Summoner’s Cup.
EDward Gaming Also known as EDG, the team consistently finds themselves competing in World’s, a testament of their ability. Although never making it into the finals before, we believe EDG definitely has a shot.
G2 Esports G2 is now the epitome of the EU LCS so it’s no wonder they find themselves in World’s once again this year, with their strong line-up we hope to see G2 bring the cup to Europe.
Flash Wolves A team that showed skill over the years, FW has always given SKT T1 a run for their money. Being the number 1 seed of the LMS is no easy thing, and they have the skills to back it up.
SK Telecom T1 Also known as SKT T1, SKT are a three time World’s Champion team and is a must to follow if you want to watch high levels of play. Every team will be gunning to bring down SKT T1 from the championship throne.
Samsung Galaxy Samsung Galaxy gave SKT T1 a lot of trouble during last year’s World’s taking 2 out of 5 games and putting SKT T1 into a tight situation.
Team SoloMid When we think of the NA LCS, the first team that come to our minds is TSM. TSM is also a team that has qualified for every single World’s ever held, so you can tell that they’re no joke.
Gigabyte Marines Straight from our very own GPL, the GIGABYTE Marines showed an incredible performance during MSI 2017, and could turn out to be an underdog team like Albus Nox Luna from last year.
chip malaysia
october 17
105
lite & leisure TOUCH
Gaming Apps Of The Month These are the apps that we have currently installed on our mobile devices. We think they should be on yours too By Nixon Ng and Rikco Shim
Miracle Merchant (Android – FREE, iOS - RM7.90)
M
iracle Merchant is a game of simple match 4, but the only thing simple with it is matching 4 together. You are an alchemist that uses cards to concoct potions for your customers and you distribute your miracle potions by combining four cards together. The
Game fails when your potions have negative points!
cards can come in green, yellow, red, blue or black. Black cards when played onto the mixing table will reduce your score, but some customers will request for it. When mixing the potions, if you fail to give your customer the ingredient they require, they will stomp out and leave you in the dust. The game can be easily played with one hand and don’t really require your full attention at all times, so you can walk around and play while you’re waiting for your significant other at malls and what not. The game, as previously mentioned, is simple in its core, but it can prove a challenge when you’re stuck with four black cards on your deck and your customer wants a red and a blue concoction. You also have to pay extra attention to the cards
106
august 17
chip malaysia
The result screen shows you your best potion and challenges at the bottom
remaining on your deck. If you mix too much of green with one customer and have no green cards remaining for the next customer, you are out of luck then. There are daily challenges that keep you coming back to the game, but some of them are extremely difficult. For the Android version, you are only allowed one task, but by purchasing more you get more tasks to challenge yourself with. The game is gorgeous to look at, especially with the art. If you’ve played the previous games from TiNYTOUCHTALES such as Card Thief or ENYO, you’d love the art style of this game. The creator of the game mentioned that this game was originally designed as a game for Nickelodeon in the style of Spongebob Squarepants, but Nickelodeon didn’t like the idea. Imagine if you’re able to mix burgers for a living! Overall, an interesting game that can be played for long hours if you just want to get the challenge done, or can easily be a pick-me-up and forget that you play mindlessly.
lite & leisure
Fight List (Android, iOS – FREE)
T
est your knowledge of pop culture and the world against your friends with Fight List. With over thousands of different topics that’s randomly chosen, your goal is to find more answers than your opponents to win matches. If you feel the need for an extra edge to win, there are special power-ups that can be bought to give you a slight advantage against a tough opponent. Fight List is a great game to pass the time if you’ve nothing better to do, and doesn’t require you to put aside hours to play. The light and simple interface makes it a game you can easily jump almost anytime. You can choose to either play against friends or maybe even against opponents from across the globe.
Beatbuddy : Tale of the Guardians (Android – RM21)
A
best-selling game on the PC, Beatbuddy makes its way onto the mobile platform. Beatbuddy is an action-adventure game where players solve puzzles and vanquish enemies in six beautiful hand-drawn worlds, each with their own amazing soundtracks composed by industry legends such as Austin Wintory, Parov Stelar, chiptune-genius Sabrepulse, the La Rochelle Band and more. In Beatbuddy you are the titular character who’s an ethereal creature travelling to reunite with his sisters - Melody and Harmony - to stop the evil Prince Maestro. The game is beautifully designed and incorporates music into every aspect of its world. Indeed, Beatbuddy is not just a gaming experience, but also an audio and visual one. Will you be the one to save the music of Symphonia?
chip malaysia
august 17
107
lite & leisure CROWDFUNDING
Made Possible By The Masses Our monthly look at crowd-funded projects that caught our eyes By Matthew Yap and Nixon Ng
Wireless Anytime Having to untangle cables can be annoying. But with the Jackster, you can avoid that problem. Jackster is a wireless Bluetooth receiver that can be clipped to your person, then allow you to plug your favourite headphone or earphones to it – all while the device is connected to your PC or phone. It’ll reduce the chances of your earbuds falling off, or have the cables yanked off when you get up for your seat and forget to take them off. http://kck.st/2itKqzg
Tough Boomster Are you the outdoors nature type? Then you might be interested in the Gigaboom or Macro.II. These two are speakers that are built to be tough and have a waterproof rating of IP67. The company developing is promising good sound quality, with both packing some bass while the Gigaboom will even have Tweeters as well. It also has an emergency torch built-in, a substantial battery life, and can be charged via a solar panel at the back if you need to. http://kck.st/2vAeviQ
Doubling Up Two is better than one, in almost every case, especially if your second option provides you with greater flexibility. Check out the Luna Display, a tiny device that can extend your Mac desktop to an iPad. By doing so, you instantly turn your Mac into a touch-enabled device, as it now allows you to work or consume content through your iPad. External keyboard and Apple Pencil support is provided, which means you can do your writing without having to sit in front of the Mac, or draw on Illustrator using the Astropad software. http://kck.st/2wviRLX
108
october 17
chip malaysia
lite & leisure
The Ultimate Smallest Power Coding Learning Adapter Game Algobrix teaches kids how to code by guiding them through the steps of programming a robot’s movements. But instead of scripts to write, they have blocks to arrange in a tangible way that’s true to real coding. It’s the awesomeness of robots, the lasting fun of building blocks, and the problem solving of 3D puzzles. Instead of teaching your kid to think like a programmer, Algobrix teaches kids to actually program a robot through bricks and not syntax. Made from high quality LEGO compatible building blocks, you can always expand your sets with your own LEGO. http://bit.ly/2jZIIGK
In an era where everything is becoming thinner, lighter and more portable everything seems to be shrinking but our power adapters. But with the Innergie 55cc, you now get a powerful adapter that’s the size of a 55cc shot glass. Although small it can supply power to all your devices ranging from a 65W notebook and more. Innergie 55cc applies USB PowerDelivery (PD) Specification with five charging profiles. The adapter automatically communicates with electronics components to switch to the most efficient charging option. http://kck.st/2xAlnQD
Eyes On The Road HUDWAY Cast is a portable head-up display for your car to get directions, receive calls, texts and control your music in a safer and easier way. It works wirelessly with both iOS and Android devices, and lets you always see your directions in your line of sight, while your phone acts as a quick-access control panel. HUDs have already made their way into the automotive industry, but mostly as a premium builtin option only a few can afford. With HUDWAY Cast, however, you now have a more affordable option. http://kck.st/2xGyoZq
chip malaysia
october 17
109
Back Issues Missed a few month’s worth of CHIP? Or have a particular issue that you would really like to have? We might not have a time machine to send you back, but we’ll definitely be able to get you a copy of our magazine of time’s past.
Only RM7.42 each !
PERSONAL INFO (Please write neatly in BLOCK letters) Name
Mr/Ms/Dr
NRIC Mailing Address
Postal Code Phone
H/P
OFF/HOME
PAYMENT INFO (Please
tick ONE of each of the following)
I have enclose payment of RM ______________ payable to
Online Dynamics (M) Sdn Bhd
Cheque No Name of Bank Money/Postal Order No. Issue Request
Signature Date
A C K I S S U E V I A C RE D I T C A R D , K I N D L Y L O G O N T O ‘www.chip com.my’ FOR IMMEDIATE PROCESSING
Conditions: FORMS INCOMPLETE WILL NOT BE PROCESSED > Kindly send in forms together with payment in cheque / money order / postal order > All orders must be accompanied by payment, favouring Online Dynamic (M) Sdn Bhd. Please allow 2-3 weeks to process each form.
Contact: ONLINE DYNAMICS (M) SDN BHD A-5-07 Block A, Neo Damansara, Bandar Damansara Perdana, Jalan PJU 8/1, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: 603 7727 6554 Fax: 603 7727 3554
practice
1
How To Make Space On The NAS Instead of investing a lot of money in larger hard disks and to upgrade your NAS system, you should first get rid of unnecessary data By Gunnar Troitsch and Artur Hoffmann
A
NAS offers a lot of storage space but this capacity does get clogged up sometimes as important data is often present in various forms on the drive. For example, vacation photos are stored under ‘‘Holidays” as well as under ‘‘Photos” or you will suddenly come across a photo folder under ‘‘Important”. However, before you spend more money on larger hard disks, you should check your data once more closely. Which files actually deserve the title ‘‘Important”? How many duplicates and exorbitantly large files are present on your NAS? The manufacturer of the network storage will often help you in this endeavour.
1 Estimate initial location One click on ‘‘Storage Manager” in the main menu (also under ‘‘Control Panel | Info Center | Storage”) will inform you about how much hard disk capacity has been used. In our test system, almost 93 percent of the total of 3.6 TB memory is occupied, mainly with TV series’, MP3 songs and backups. This means that our Synology NAS has a lot of cleaning work to do.
2 Write new report In the Storage Analyzer, start the ‘‘Disk Usage Report Wizard” and click on the ‘‘Next” button to start creating the report.
How to proceed The ‘‘Storage Analyzer” from Synology scours all folders for duplicates and large files. Subsequently, it will present the nominees in a list such that you can delete the duplicates precisely at the locations where they are mostly likely to be.
112
october 17
chip malaysia
3 Give it a title Give it a title, such as ‘‘Memory check”, in the ‘‘Report Task” of the ‘‘Create Report Task” dialog. It‘s up to you whether you wish to enter an Email address. Proceed by clicking on the ‘‘Next” button.
practice
2
6
3
7
4
8
duplicates, set the check mark for ‘‘Create reports now” in order to start the search immediately.
5
6 Select folder Proceed to select all folders where you will set a check mark under the ‘‘Select” row and proceed again by clicking on ‘‘Next”.
7 Delete unnecessary data
The next step is choosing which report types you want. We are choosing ‘‘Duplicate File Candidates” and ‘‘Large files” since we do want to know how many duplicates and mega-files are stored on the NAS.
The ‘‘Storage Analyzer” should determine the duplicates, and the assistant will present a summary to you. You can start it by clicking on the ‘‘Apply” button. Depending on your hard disk size, the search may take some time. After the scan, you will receive a list in which the identical files (name and size) will be listed one after the other. You can then delete these files by clicking on them.
5 Configure options
8 Determine the memory space gained
After clicking on ‘‘Next”, you can determine whether the check should be done regularly. Since a one-time run is sufficient for detecting file
Clicking on the ‘‘Storage Manager” again will show that our deletion action has freed up storage place.
4 Determine tasks
chip malaysia
october 17
113
practice
With Reflector
r Without Reflecto
Make Your Own Reflector Whether in the studio or outdoors, you can brighten subjects or control light conditions using a reflector. Make one yourself and you will save yourself a bit of money By Simon Kirsch
A
reflector belongs in every camera bag and gives good service for many years to portrait photographers. However, the reflector must exhibit a corresponding quality. Manufacturers are happy to pay dearly for it. Therefore, often the alternative of making one by yourself makes sense. Most of the tutorials are based on a thin rescue blanket made of GoldSilver foil as a reflector surface, which is stretched over a cheap wood or plastic frame. Such a combination is useful if you’re starting out. However, you should select expensive aluminium pipes for a more stable reflector. You can buy these pipes in the desired length or adjust it using a suitable metal saw. The thickness of the aluminium pipe should at least be two millimetres. Instead of a rescue blanket that is anything but tearproof, it is better to use an expensive canvas. The tightly woven material is to resist rain, wind and weather. Stitch the ends of the reflector area together in order to make the connection of canvas to frame very stable. Subsequently, slide the frame pipes through this and stretch the surface. The advantage against fixing it using an adhesive tape is that the reflector can be rolled up easily and becomes portable for transport. And finally, spray one side of the
114
october 17
chip malaysia
reflector with Gold colour using a graffiti spray can. When applying the colour it is important to find the correct dimension. On one hand, the colour should be applied in an opaque and streak-free manner. On the other, a colour layer that is too thick won’t have allowance for any movements and will develop cracks soon. Therefore, it is recommended to apply colour only on one side.
How to proceed 1 Determine the size Spread the canvas on a level surface and place the suitable frame made of aluminium pipes on it according to the planned reflector size. Since the pipes will also serve as grips later on, use pipes that have a diameter of two centimetres minimum. Note that the canvas protrudes about ten centimetres.
2 Insert the corner connections Simply insert the pipes into one another. If the connection has a lot of wiggle room, then the reflector will not be stable. To avoid this, strengthen the diameter of the corner connections with a linen tape. They should sit flush, but must also be in a position to be loosened
1
4
2
5
3
6
anytime by a powerful pull.
6 Colour the reflector 3 Calculate the corners The corners of the reflector should be free in order to keep it in position. For this, use a pencil and a geometry set square to mark the cut edge where you have to leave around five centimetres from every corner of the frame. Finally, cut the canvas to a symmetrical octagon using a scissor.
4 Fix edges with needles Place the protruding edges around the aluminium frames and attach them with needles to the reflector surface. Repeat the process for all four corners. It is important that the tension is equal and there are no folds. Sometimes you have to start all over, so that the reflector surface can be stretched up to the frames without any folds.
You can now give the reflector some final touches. Spray one side of the canvas with Gold colour using a graffiti spray can and ensure a uniform, streak-free application of the colour. Leave the other side of the canvas white for a neutral brightness. Before colouring, tape the frames using Painter’s crepe.
This is how the finished reflector looks Perfect foundation Canvas has many advantages, among others, such as stability, light weight and simple processing
Stable frames Particularly important is the torsional stiffness. Breakproof aluminium pipes can withstand wind and weather better
5 Stitch the joints together If they are optimally fixed, then you can attach them using a sewing machine. Remove the aluminium pipes from the fish plats and now stitch them together with a strong thread. Here, always insert the pipe again to check the tension. If you do not have a sewing machine, then use a cloth tape or a textile adhesive.
Tripod Mounting Using a clamp, attach the reflector to the tripod. But be careful against strong wind, as the reflector will be a sail if left unattended
Holding grips If you want more comfort while holding the reflector, then attach PVC pipe insulations with a hot adhesive
tips & tricks
Tips Tricks OCTOBER 2017
WINDOWS & OFFICE Windows 10 Activate mobile hotspot on the notebook
com/).
01
To share your Internet connection with other users, you have the option to set up a hotspot on your notebook under Windows 10. Open the Start menu of Windows 10 and click on the gearwheel icon on the bottom left which will bring you to "Settings”. Here, you have to select the category "Network and Internet”, switch to the "Mobile Hotspot” on the bottom left and activate it. You can change the name of hotspot and the relevant password via the button "Edit”. Setting up of a hotspot also works with the help of a software. For example, you can set up a working hotspot in a few steps with the help of the tool Virtual Router (on https://virtualrouter.codeplex.
02
Windows 10 Revive failed search function
If the search function under Windows 10 refuses to work then you have a lot of options to solve this problem. The first option uses the PowerShell of Windows. Simply use [Windows] + [S], and you will bring up the Windows Search. Look for "PowerShell”, then right-click. After right-clicking on "Windows PowerShell”, go to the context command ''Run as Administrator”. In the command line, type "Get-AppXPackage | Foreach{AddAppxPackage -DisableDevelopment Mode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\ AppXManifest.xml"}" and confirm the command by pressing the [Enter] key. This command prompts Windows to set
up the standard apps anew. Let some minutes pass, restart your computer and then check whether the search function is working now. If not, then open the "Run” window with the help of the shortcut [Windows]+[R] and type "services.msc" there. After confirming with [Enter], look for "Windows Search” in the list, right-click on the entry and open "Properties”. Here, ensure that the "Startup type” is set to "Automatic” or "Automatic (Delayed start)" in the tab "General”. After clicking on "OK”, Windows Search should start working again as usual.
03
Word Dictate text comfortably using Microsoft Dictate
Thanks to a new add-on from the experimental workshop of Microsoft, you can now start dictating text instead of writing it. Microsoft Dictate (available at http://dictate.ms/) can be integrated into Word, Outlook and PowerPoint from version 2013 onwards. After the installation, the new tab "Dictation” appears in the menu group with the start of the text program. After clicking on the tab, the "Start Dictation” button appears on the left. As soon as you press this button for the first time, the add-on will initialise the microphone. You can then start with voice input after a few seconds. The text spoken by you will subsequently appear next to the microphone icon in the text field. The tiny additional program can do sothing more. A bit further on the right in the group "Language Options”, you will find the language option that will support
01
02
Set up your notebook as a mobile hotspot
Set the ''Startup type” to ''Automatic” or ''Automatic (Delayed Start) under services.msc
116
september 17
chip malaysia
tips & tricks
03 No keyboard, no problem. Use dictation for your Word Document using Microsoft Dictate
you with translation tasks. Enter the language in which you dictate, in "From” field. Select a language for the "To” field in which Dictate should transfer the text and translate it for you. The only flaw of Microsoft Dictate is that it only accepts punctuation and paragraph commands in English. With "New Line”, the cursor jumps to a new row, while the voice command "Delete” deletes the last voice input and the command "Stop Dictation” lets you stop the voice detection. You can put a full stop with the command "Full Stop” or "Period”. To enter a question mark, you have to say "Question Mark”. Command "Open Quote” is for opening the quotes and "Close Quote” is for closing them. "Colon” is the command for double dots and "Comma” is for placing a comma.
04
Windows 7 Find and fill the AutoStart folder
Programs that should automatically start under Windows 7, can be organised in the AutoStart folder. You can access it via the Start menu or Windows Explorer. Select the EXE file of the program that should start with Windows and keep the left mouse key pressed, so that you can drag the file over the desktop. Now, move the mouse to the Start button at the bottom left on the screen which will open the Start menu. Next, take the
04 Tag programs into the Autostart folder to have them start with Windows
mouse to "All programs” and navigate to the folder "AutoStart” where you store the file. The second way to the AutoStart folder is via Windows Explorer. Open it and type the following path where you have to replace the letter "XXXXX” by your username. The path is "C:\Users\ AAAAA\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\ Windows\StartMenu\Programs\Startup”. After pressing the [Enter] key, you will find yourself in the AutoStart folder. Here, you can place all those files and programs, which should start while starting Windows.
05
Excel Track and restore unsaved Excel files
It is not a catastrophe if you accidentally closed an Excel workbook before saving. If the automatic backup of Excel is active, the missed files can be quickly restored. The automatic backup should be enabled by default in the newer Office versions. To check it, open the "File” menu and go down to the "Excel” options in the left column via the button "Options”. Subsequently, you will come to the ''Save workbooks” area via the "Save” button. Set a check mark here for the option "Save auto-recovery information”. To increase the security, set the saving interval to a low value, for example to "5” or "3”, in the "Minutes” field. If the automatic saving in Excel is not active then go to the menu command "File | Open” and select the option "Recent”. Then press the button "Recover unsaved workbooks”, select the missing file and then click on "Open”. The last hope of
rescuing an unsaved file is the temporary folder. In Explorer, go to the following path: "C:\Users\AAAAA\AppData\Local\ Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles”. If you come across the disappeared file in this place, you can open it by double-clicking on it and saving it at the location provided.
06
Windows 10 Open individual or all folders in one separate Explorer Window
New folders can be opened in a separate window even in Explorer under Windows 10. This works only for one selected folder, but can also be set as standard via the settings. At times, if you need an individual folder in a separate Explorer window, then open the Explorer, select the folder by keeping the [Ctrl] key pressed and double-click on the folder. The folder will then open in a new window. You can also go to the folder by right-clicking on it and selecting the command ''Open in new window” in the context menu. On the contrary, if you want to open every folder in a separate folder, you have to change the settings of your computer. In the Start menu, after you have opened the Control Panel
06 Configure the way your Windows folder react, opening to a new window or same window
05 Configure the time intervals for auto-saving your Excel documents, so you won’t lose your day’s progress
chip malaysia
september 17
117
tips & tricks app, go to the category "Appearance and Personalisation”. After clicking on "File Explorer Options”, a new menu will pop up. Under the "General” tab and in "Browse folders” you are presented with two options – "open each folder in it window” or "open each folder in its own window”. Choose the latter and apply. Now, when you double click into a folder it will open on its own window. To change it back to the default setting, simply navigate back to it menu, and select the other radio button.
07
Word Protect spaces and scale them in size
Setting a protected space in a text document can be helpful if, for instance, if you wish to avoid ugly gaps for abbreviations like "i.e.”. It also helps in preventing line breaks in case of multi-part abbreviations. First, determine a protected intermediate area where you will press the short cut [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[Space] at the desired place. If you adjust Word such that the text program shows all characters then you will recognise the protected space in the form of a small, raised circle. You can have the icon displayed in the menu group in the "Paragraph” group under the "Home” tab by pressing the "Display All” button or with the combination [Ctrl] + [*] but this is not mandatory. To make half a space from the protected intermediate space, right-click on it and go to "Font” in the context menu. In the next window, open the "Advanced” tab and set "Scale” to "50%” in the "Character
Spacing”. Half space is created after confirming with OK and you can copy it as you want.
9 08
Windows 10 Create backup of the system configuration
You should have a regular system backup even under Windows 10. To do this, go to the control panel via the Start menu and open the category "System and Security”. After clicking on "Security and Maintenance”, select "Recovery” and "Configure System Restore” in the next window. Thereafter, a "System Properties” tab will appear, at the bottom of the tab, press the button "Create” and Windows 10 will secure the latest system status. The storage location for backups, however, is limited. Therefore, Windows deletes old backups after some time. If you wish to keep your backups for a longer period, then free programs like Paragon Backup & Recovery 16 Free and Easeus Todo Backup will help you with it (on https://www.paragonsoftware.com/home/brh/ and http:// www.todo-backup.com/). With SugarSync (https://www.sugarsync.com), you can create a backup in the Cloud. The backup suite Ashampoo Backup (https://www.
08 Accessing Command Prompt with admin rights
07 Change the spacing between characters in ''Fonts > Advanced”
118
september 17
chip malaysia
start according to a timetable is practical.
ashampoo.com/en/usd) will help you in creating different backups of your files. The option for the backup process to
Windows 10 Create backup of the system configuration
09 Creating a backup for your Windows is easy, but can’t be kept around for too long. Using other, software can help with that
You should have a regular system backup even under Windows 10. To do this, go to the control panel via the Start menu and open the category "System and Security”. After clicking on "Security and Maintenance”, select "Recovery” and "Configure System Restore” in the next window. Thereafter, a "System Properties” tab will appear, at the bottom of the tab, press the button "Create” and Windows 10 will secure the latest system status. The storage location for backups, however, is limited. Therefore, Windows deletes old backups after so time. If you wish to keep your backups for a longer period, then free programs like Paragon Backup & Recovery 16 Free and Easeus Todo Backup will help you with it (on https://www. paragon-software.com/ home/brh/ and http:// www.todo-backup. com/). With SugarSync (https://www.sugarsync.com), you can create a backup in the Cloud. The backup suite Ashampoo Backup (https://www.
tips & tricks ashampoo.com/en/usd) will help you in creating different backups of your files. The option for the backup process to start according to a timetable is practical.
10
Windows 10 Check the function of the firewall and permit or remove apps
You should enable the internal firewall under Windows 10 for the security of your system and your data. Type
11
PowerPoint Design presentations exclusively using the keyboard
The presentation program PowerPoint can be very efficiently operated via the keyboard instead of the mouse. This can be helpful when the mouse stops working sometimes and working with the touchpad is too cumbersome. Better yet, you don't need to learn shortcuts
10 Enable or disable your Windows Firewall, and change other settings in it menu
"Firewall” in the search window on the bottom left and click on the option "Windows Firewall” in the results list. In the following window, the operating system will show you the connectivity status for private and public networks and inform you whether the Windows Firewall is enabled. To allow or remove the programs of your choice, go to the link "Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall” in the left column. The security level for your computer can be individually controlled and intensified with the "Advanced Settings”. However, an intervention from your side, in most of the cases, is necessary only when there are problems as the firewall works automatically after enabling with the optimal settings.
by heart. To use the key combinations, open a PowerPoint file and press the [Alt] key. Keyboard shortcuts will now appear on all areas of the presentation. For example, In the "Home” tab, if you want to insert a new slide, press [Alt] then [R], then [H] followed by [I]. More key commands can now be issued in the slide overview. Thus, for example, you can "Duplicate Selected Slides” by pressing the [D] key. In this manner,
you can access all the functions in PowerPoint via the keyboard and without using the mouse.
12
Windows 10 Individualise Start Menu and Start Button
Like many other elements in the operating system, you can also individually design the Start menu and the Start button. To do this, first download the tool Classic Shell (on http://www.classicshell.net) and install it. Subsequently, clicking the "Start” button will bring up the "Settings for Classic Start Menu”. In the following window, you have the option to redesign the Start menu. The tab "Start Menu Style” offers three style variants, even the Start button can also be customised if you wish. If you want a specific image on the Start button, then you should note that the file is not too large, so that Windows can display it optimally. The idea dimensions depend on the screen resolution but generally are in the size range of 32 x 32 pixels - simply experiment a bit here. In the tab "Basic settings”, you can determine how Windows responds to specific shortcuts or what options does the "Download”
12 Tweak your Start Menu using Classic Shell, and customise the way it interacts using Basic Settings
11 Clicking [Alt] will show off keys that you can input in PowerPoint to perform most tasks without a mouse
chip malaysia
september 17
119
tips & tricks command offer. The "Skin” tab gives you a choice between six interfaces. The fine tuning while redesigning of the Start menu can be finally done in the tab "Customise Start menu”. It would also be a good idea to pin "Classic Start Menu Settings” into your Start to save you time of searching for it.
13
Windows 7 Start unstable PC in safe mode
If you encounter repeated problems while starting up your computer in Windows 7, it is recommended to start the PC in safe mode to find the cause of the problem. In this mode, Windows starts only with the necessary drivers, services and processes. To do this, repeatedly press the [F8] key when the PC is starting. Once you have caught the right moment, a black screen with the title "Advanced Boot Options” will appear.
14 Disable the pesky "OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerRegistration” popup in Task Scheduler, simply click on “Disable” when you have the task highlighted
don’t worry, it might not be a virus. Moreover, this bug can be stopped. If the Windows console appears the next time then try to take a screenshot as fast as possible by pressing the [Print] key. At the top margin of the console window, you will find the path of the file which has run the process. You can, thus, determine the cause of the problem. Presently, this problem can be seen in Office 2016. In the 16.0.8201.2025 version, the "OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerRegistration” process starts every hour. After the problem was discussed a lot in the Microsoft forums, 13 one employee explained Start your Windows 7 in Safe Mode by pressing F8 on the right time, and you will be greeted with this screen that the error pertains to all Office Build numbers Navigate downwards using the arrow before the 16.0.8201.2025 version. Meankeys and trigger the start in "Safe Mode” while, Microsoft has resolved the probby pressing the [Enter] key. You can also lem through an update. However, you start the operating system using "Safe will get this only when you participate in Mode with network drivers” or in "Safe the Office Insider program. Most of the Mode with command prompt”. users of the Office suite must, therefore, wait for a few days or weeks for the update. If you do not have the patience Office to live with the annoying malfunction for Prevent unrequested start of the weeks, then deactivate the "OfficeBackWindows console groundTaskhandlerRegistration” service. This is done via a modification of the Occasionally, the command prompt of "Task Planning” in Windows 10. Open the Windows 10 will randomly open. But Start menu, type "Task Scheduler” in the
14
120
september 17
chip malaysia
search window and select the suitable search result. In the window bearing it name, open the "Task Scheduler Library” in the left column and select the "Office” folder under "Microsoft”. Search for the tasks listed after the entry "OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerRegistration” in the program window. Right-clicking on it will allow you to "Disable” the task. After closing "Task Scheduler”, you will now get rid of the annoying popup of the command prompt.
HARDWARE Keyboard Bring the non-working keyboard back to life
15
If some of your keyboard keys malfunction, there are many solutions to resolve this problem. First, remove the keyboard from the computer and connect it again after some time. Here, connecting the keyboard to another USB port may be helpful. Even a Windows restart could sometimes, solve the problem as it removes errors from the buffer. The next step is to deal with the drivers. Uninstall the keyboard driver and reinstall it subsequently. To do this, open the "Run” window using the shortcut [Windows]+[R], type the command "devmgmt.msc” and press the OK button. The Device Manager will now open. Click on the category "Keyboards” below and select your keyboard from the list. Right-click on it and select the option "Uninstall”. Once the uninstallation is
tips & tricks
15 Device Manager allows you to uninstall and reinstall drivers easily
completed, right-click on it again and go to the context command "Install”. If the above process does not, solve the problem, then the keyboard may be defective.
16
Samsung Galaxy S8 Change battery of the Samsung flagship smartphone
Should the battery of the Galaxy S8 go kaput after the first six months of purchase, then you are entitled to a free replacement. After this period expires, you will have to do it at your own cost. You can buy a replacement battery for about 40 Euros (approx. RM 200) on the
web. Before the replacement, first warm up the back of the smartphone using a hair dryer and then carefully remove the cover. You can use a guitar pick or even a vacuum cup. Thereafter, loosen all screws of the components that are attached to the battery. Also, remove all components that block access to the battery. You have to unhook and carefully lift the battery before you are able to take it out. Likewise, carefully disconnect the battery from the circuit board. Subsequently, place the new battery and connect it with the circuit board. Thereafter, place all the components in the correct sequence and fix the screws. Finally, press the back cover firmly on to the casing till it locks.
17
Mouse Individually control the sensitivity of the input device
As soon as you start using a new mouse, you should adjust the sensitivity of the input device to what you like. To control the sensitivity, open the Control Panel under Windows 10 and go to the "Hardware and, sound” category. Here click on the option "Mouse” under "Devices and Printers”. In the following window, open the tab "Pointer Options”. You can control the pointer speed of the mouse as per your comfort in the "Motion” area. After clicking on OK, Windows will apply the settings that can be changed any time. If you are
16
17
You can even use a guitar pick to remove the back cover of the S8 when changing the battery
Tweak your mouse sensitivity without using external programs
still using Windows XP, then go to the Control Panel via the Start menu and then to the applet "Printer & Other hardware”. In this category, you have to click on "Mouse”, which then opens a window with the name "Mouse Properties”. To adjust the sensitivity of the mouse, open the tab "Pointer Options” and drag the slider to the desired position between "Slow” and "Fast”. Windows 7 also shares the same steps with Windows 10.
18
Keyboard Work faster by using the function keys
If you see carefully, you will see dust on the function or F-keys on most of the keyboards since these keys are generally not used. These keys offer many useful functions that can save a lot of time in your routine work. F1: With this key, you can activate the online help of Microsoft. You can show or hide the menu group in Office applications with [Ctrl]+[F1]. F2: To rename a file or a folder, click on file/folder and then press the [F2] key. F3: Use the [F3] key to access the search fields in browsers like Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Opera quickly, [F3] is a shortcut for [Ctrl] + [F] F4: With the key combination [Alt]+[F4] you can rapidly close the active program window. F5: Press the [F5] key to refresh an Internet page. In Office applications, you can open the ''Search and Replace” window with this key. If you are working on a PowerPoint presentation, then you can start a slide show with [F5]. F6: In so browsers like Edge or Firefox, you can control the address bar with the [F6] key. Use the shortcut [Ctrl]+[F6] to access the opened Office documents and directly thus saving time and efforts. F7: [Shift]+[F7] opens the Thesaurus in Word, Spellcheck and Grammar can be checked via [Alt]+[F7]. F8: If you encounter a problem on your computer, then you can activate the safe mode by pressing the [F8] key when Windows starts. F9: Refreshes a Work Document in Word. F9 is rarely used. F10: The combination [Ctrl]+[F10] is used to minimise or maximise a Word
chip malaysia
september 17
123
tips & tricks go to the category "PrivacyControl” in the settings and activate the option "Set browser language to the language of the simulated country”. Also, remove the information about your operating system and the browser and activate the options for "Content Blocker” below. You can "Enforce Ghost DNS Server” in the "Connection” tab and then "Deactivate IPv6 protocol”. In the main menu, activate the option "Anti-Tracking”.
18 Pressing F5 in Microsoft Word will bring up ''Find and Replace”
document. You can open the context menu with [Shift]+[F10]. F11: This function key opens or closes the full screen mode of the browser. [Shift]+[F11] will create a new sheet in an Excel file. F12: With [F12], you can call the command "Save As” in Office programs. [Shift]+[F12] saves the file immediately, [Ctrl]+[F12] opens a document.
either select "Accounts” or "Synchronisation” and activate the synchronisation with Google. Wait till the transfer to Google Contacts is complete. Log in to your Google account in your phone WEB, TOOLS & PHOTOS under "Settings” Android and "Account”. Transfer contacts from old phone to Then, click on the new one your Google mail address. 20 After purchasing a new phone, you In the following Easily bypass Netflix’s country-lock need to transfer the contacts from your screen, you can old phone to the new one. There are determine which Photography many ways to accomplish this task. services should Google synchronise. Set a Remove annoying reflections of The easiest way is via Google Contacts, check mark for "Contacts”. Now, click on spectacle/glasses lenses "Synchronise now” in the menu. After the Reflections from spectacles and glasses process is complete, are quite annoying in photography and you will find all your image editing. The best thing is to avoid old contacts in the the occurrence of reflections while taking Contact app of your photos itself where you have to pay new smartphone. extra attention of the illumination of the motif. According to the law of physical Streaming reflections, the angle of reflection of the Bypass reflected ray is precisely as large as its Country-Lock angle of incidence. Therefore, the light, of Netflix via VPN, source should not be angled with it angle software as the object to the camera. For example, if you raise the head a little bit such that To access the the glasses slightly tilt downwards, then 19 US-offer of the you will prevent the annoying reflections. Remember to sync your contacts before migrating or else risk losing Netflix streaming If you cannot readjust the photo again newly added contacts service in other then you have to use a photo editing countries, you will program like Photoshop or Gimp (on need a VPN software like CyberGhost which can be accessed by both Android https://www.gimp.org/). As the first VPN that can help you bypass the and iOS smartphones. Start the Contacts step, remove a large part of the annoying country-block. In the premium version, app in your old phone. In the menu, reflection by taking out the colour cast of
19
21
20
124
september 17
chip malaysia
tips & tricks the map. When you pull the information upwards on the display, the option "Send Feedback” will appear. Enter the missing information and complete the process by clicking on "Send”.
23
21 Remove reflections on Gimp with Hue-Saturation
the reflection. To do this, open the "HueSaturation” window via the "Colours” menu in Gimp. Subsequently, adjust the colour tone of the reflection and lower the saturation value. While doing so, take care that no other image parts show it colour tone. If this happens, then you have to select the section to be edited beforehand. Thus, you will have already removed a large part of the reflection.
22
Feedback” or "Add a missing place”, if no information is available yet. For example, you can suggest an alternative name, changed business timings or the location, and send your report to Google by clicking on "Send”. You can also report errors and make changes from your cell phone. To do this, open the maps app on your smartphone and select a location using the search function or tap on
Youtube Download and install app updates under Android and iOS
Google is constantly developing its video platform further. You should regularly install updates, so that you also benefit from the new features. Under Android, open the Play Store on your smartphone, tap on the top left on the three horizontal stripes and press "My apps and games”. Now, all the updates available for you will be displayed. Search for "YouTube” and tap on the "Update” button. Android will now download the update and install it. Under iOS, open the App Store and tap on "Updates” in the bar below. Here, all the updates that are available to you at this moment, will be displayed. Now, search for the option "YouTube” and tap on the button "Update” next to it. The operating system will then start updating the application.
Google Maps Report errors and expand entries
The map service of the search engine giant is useful, but it is not without flaws. Fortunately, anyone can be involved in the optimising process. Information regarding a location appears on the left after you have opened Google Maps in your browser and have navigated to a specific location, using the search function or the mouse. Here, you can report an error either via "Send
22
23
Do you part in adding places or making changes on Google Maps with ''Send Feedback or Add a missing place”
Manually updating YouTube on Android, ''Open” will be replaced with ''Update” if an update is available
chip malaysia
september 17
125
picture perfect
Epson’s futuristic gla
05/09/2017
sses.. Wonder if it can
Pretty, pretty lights of a GIGABYTE AUROS build
given these to test the 3D Creator
Song Ji-Hyo is all smiles when taking a wefie with the crowd with the Galaxy Note 8
15/09/2017 The Sony Xperia XZ1 building proc
126
october 17
chip malaysia
ess
glish?
21/09/2017
15/09/2017 At the Sony Xperia event, we were on the Sony Xperia XZ1
20/09/2017 translate Thai to En
picture perfect
20/09/2017 Epson has their eyes on the details
Wiko definitely has the
28/09/2017 better View right now
26/09/2017 20/09/201 burly m Capture the
Don’t you kn
oments wit
ow the Zep
h the Nikon
hyrus is the
7
vivo brings a whole new meaning to singing praises at the vivo V7+ launch
D850!
14/09/2017 real star of
this picture!
?
26/09/2017 ASUS Sync-ing up on-stage
chip malaysia
october 17
127
in the next issue NOVEMBER
Polite Virtual Voice Assistants
Voice assistants are tolerant, they are a set of algorithms developed to help you with what you need. But they don’t expect a please or thank you, so what would this be teaching users, especially children?
Stream Your Favourite Songs A list of streaming portals that we recommend you to check out, which contains music and audio books.
128
october 17
chip malaysia
Rise And Fall Of Discs
CDs marked the revolution of media that has affected the world until now. But with new technology, CDs are getting left behind.