Invasion of the Robot Vacuums
SEPTEMBER 2017 WWW.HARDWAREMAG.COM
AMD: Rise of Threadripper
Expert Mobile Photography Tips
THE POWER TO DECIDE
0L[ DQG 0DWFK Why we are so fascinated with modular smartphones and how Motorola succeeded where others failed. DYSON V8 FLUFFY PRO ;LIVI WYGOMRK EX XLMRKW RIZIV JIPX WS KSSH SONY MDR-Z1R 8LI EYHMSTLMPI [IX HVIEQ AND MORE
6
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net ED S NOTE SEPTEMBER 2017
$_; Ѵ u; o= lo7 Ѵ-ub| We change our smartphones at least once a year to the next better model. Some of us do so more often, some of us less, but change we will. Technical speciïcations and functionality continue to evolve, but as mobile design evolution goes, we’ve plateaued. Think of TVs, laptops, tablets or even your local cinema. The content we consume is limited to the size of the screen we consume it from. And our phones have basically become just another screen. There’s nothing else we can really change from the form factor that we’ve reached. That is why modular design is such an interesting concept. Think about it. A next generation phone may not feature completely new components. Sometimes, it’s just a CPU upgrade, sometimes, it’s just the camera. So, instead of being forced to switch out our entire device every upgrade cycle, why can’t our phones be like a PC where we can replace just the parts to keep it current, or add/remove parts to suit our needs? Unfortunately, it would seem that a smartphone is nothing like a PC; even Google’s much hyped about Project Ara hit a dead end and a truly modular device remains a pipe dream. What we do have today from Motorola is an inbetween solution of sorts that successfully provides a working model for modular functionality, if not yet component upgradability. And I think that, at least, is a positive step forward we can begin to embrace. 8?AF?SY !F?O #BGUPS
21 7+( &29(5 PICTURE MOTOROLA MOTO Z2 PLAY ART DIRECTION ORLAND PUNZALAN All prices quoted in this magazine are in Singapore Dollars (SGD), unless otherwise speciȴed.
2
+:0
| SEPTEMBER 2017
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2017
FEATURES The future of modular smartphones Intel vs AMD: Threadripper cometh The post-PC Microsoft
THINK Welcoming back the CPU two-horse race Autoplay is here to stay DAP is dead. Long live the DAP Watch: Hackers
Q+A Arthur Chapin, Expedia Dr. Martin Grunert, PSB Academy
IMPACT NASA supersonic plane
Ć“Ńľ AMD vs Intel
) &" facebook.com/ hardwarezone
hardwaremag_sg
HWM CONTEST GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS: 1 All contests published in HWM are open to all Singapore residents except employees of Singapore Press Holdings Limited, the sponsor, their media agencies and contractors. 2 SPH Magazines Pte Ltd’s decision on the winner shall be Č´nal. Winner will be notiČ´ed by post, email or phone. 3 Prizes are given at SPH Magazines Pte Ltd’s and sponsor’s discretion and subject to stock availability. Prizes oÎ?ered are not transferable, exchangeable for cash or any other products and may be substituted with any gift or prize of similar value. 4 Taxes, shipping charges, insurance costs and other expenses not speciČ´ed herein and imposed on the prizes are your sole responsibility. 5 Prizes not claimed by the winner within 45 days after the announcement made in HWM will be
4
+:0
| SEPTEMBER 2017
twitter.com/ hardwarezone
youtube.com/ hardwarezonecom
forfeited. 6 SPH Magazines Pte Ltd shall be entitled to use your name, photograph and all information submitted by you for future advertising/marketing/promotional activities without further compensation to you. 7 SPH Magazines Pte Ltd and the sponsor shall not be liable for (i) late, lost, incomplete, illegible or unintelligible entries; (ii) any loss or damage suÎ?ered by you or any party in accepting, possessing, using or consuming any of the prizes or entering the contest; or (iii) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the contest. SPH Magazines Pte Ltd reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or cancel the contest at any time. 8 By sending your entry to the contest/promotion, you agree to be bound by all these terms and conditions. 9 For mail-in entries, only original coupons will be accepted.
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net 62 BMW 540i M Sport
07
24
ƕƓ
Neptune Converঞble Art Lenses
Casio Pro-Trek Smart WSD-F20
32
ƔƓ The Best Flagship Robot Vacuums
24 SHOWCASE Camera: Neptune Lenses Auto: Porsche 911 GT2
53 TEST SHOOTOUTS FLAGSHIP ROBOT VACUUMS Ecovacs Deebot R98 iClebo Omega iRobot Roomba 980 LG Hom-Bot Turbo+ Samsung VR7000 Powerbot
62 REVIEWS BMW 540i M Sport Razer Lancehead Audeze iSine 10 Sony MDR-Z1R Dyson V8 Fluly Pro Oppo R11 Casio ProTrek Smart WSD-F20 Here One Huawei P10 & P10 Plus HP Omen Jaybird X3
89 LEARN Better smartphone photography Not all Bluetooth is equal Basics of AI
96 GO Good Design Store Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
+:0
5
WorldMags.net GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CAROLINE NGUI nguislc@sph.com.sg GROUP EDITOR RETA LEE retalee@sph.com.sg
EDITORIAL (editorial@hardwaremag.com) Editor ZACHARY CHAN zachchan@sph.com.sg Deputy Editors NG CHONG SENG csng@sph.com.sg ALVIN SOON asoon@sph.com.sg Associate Features Editors JAMES LU jameslu@sph.com.sg KENNY YEO kennyyeo@sph.com.sg Senior Tech Writer MARCUS WONG cmwong@sph.com.sg Tech Writers WONG CHUNG WEE wongcw@sph.com.sg KOH WANZI wzkoh@sph.com.sg LIU HONGZUO liuhz@sph.com.sg
EDITORIAL SUPPORT Senior Manager, Administration and Editorial Support Unit JULIANA CHONG julianac@sph.com.sg Manager ALICE HAN tayaha@sph.com.sg Senior Editorial Coordinator MUNIRAH ABDUL RAHMAN munirahr@sph.com.sg
CREATIVE Art Director ORLAND PUNZALAN orlandsp@sph.com.sg Creative Director ALEX GOH alexgoh@sph.com.sg Chief Photographer VERONICA TAY verontay@sph.com.sg Executive Photographers FRENCHESCAR LIM frenchl@sph.com.sg TAN WEI TE tanweite@sph.com.sg Photographers DARREN CHANG darrenc@sph.com.sg VEE CHIN veechin@sph.com.sg VERNON WONG vernwong@sph.com.sg WINSTON CHUANG wchuang@sph.com.sg ZAPHS ZHANG teolc@sph.com.sg Editorial Support Executive JACQUELINE YIK jacyik@sph.com.sg
GENERAL MANAGER PANG LEE CHENG panglc@sph.com.sg
ADVERTISING SALES (sales@hardwaremag.com) Group Account Managers FION YIP ȴonyip@sph.com.sg MICHELLE TAN mtancl@sph.com.sg CHIA LAI SAN lschia@sph.com.sg Senior Account Manager JACQUELINE LIEW jacqliew@sph.com.sg Assistant Account Manager EDLYN NG edlynng@sph.com.sg
MARKETING Team Head VICKY YONG yongwmv@sph.com.sg Digital Manager SERENE ONG sereneo@sph.com.sg Senior Executive NUR KAMALIANA SULAIMAN nkliana@sph.com.sg
PUBLISHING SERVICES Team Head ALICE CHEE siewyuen@sph.com.sg Team Leader RAHMAH AMAN rahmah@sph.com.sg
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LOH YEW SENG lohys@sph.com.sg STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOONG SEONG KHONG foongsk@sph.com.sg PUBLISHING SERVICES DIRECTOR LEONG TSCHENG YEE leongty@sph.com.sg CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS HEAD CHIN SOO FANG soofang@sph.com.sg VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES IRENE LEE leebl@sph.com.sg INTERNATIONAL LICENSING DIRECTOR PANG LEE CHENG panglc@sph.com.sg
INTERNATIONAL OFFICES Indonesia Rep. Oɝce Martin Wijaya (Chief Editor) Jl. Palmerah Utara no. 55 Jakarta Barat 11910 Jakarta, Indonesia Tel: (62) 21 5366 7777 Fax: (62) 21 6220 2580 Email: info.id@hwzcorp.com
Malaysia Rep. Oɝce Michael Low (Editor) Lot 7, Jalan Bersatu 13/4, section 13 46200 Petaling Jaya Selangor, Malaysia Tel: (60) 3 7952 7000 Fax: (60) 3 7960 0148 Email: sales.my@hwzcorp.com
Philippines Rep. Oɝce Lionell Go Macahilig (Group Editor) Unit B4, Topy Main Building, No. 3 Economia Street, Bagumbayan, Quezon City 1110, Philippines Tel: (63) 2634 9179 Fax: (63) 2634 9180 Email: sales.ph@hwzcorp.com
Taiwan Rep. Oɝce Dennis Chou (Asia Media Contact) 2F-2, No.35, Sec 2, Fushing South Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan Tel: 886-2-8773-4199 Fax: 886-2-8773-4200 Email: sales.tw@hwzcorp.com
HWM (HardwareMAG®) is published by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd, 82 Genting Lane, Media Centre Level 7, Singapore 349567 Tel: (65) 6319-6319, Fax: (65) 6319-6227. Ad Sales enquiries Tel: (65) 6319-6326 Distributed by Circulation Department, Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Printed by timesprinters, Singapore registration no. 196700328H. SPH Magazines registration no. 196900476M, ISSN 0219-5607, MCI (P) 060/02/2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed or implied in HardwareMAG are those of the authors or contributors and do not necessarily reȵect those of the publisher.
Call 6388-3838 for back issues, E-mail: circs@sph.com.sg. Subscription Hotline: 6388-3838 or subscribe online: www.hardwaremag.com
6
HWM
| SEPTEMBER 2017
WorldMags.net
G E A R
/
THE LATEST AND GREATEST
WorldMags.net LEICA TL2 Leica’s new TL2 camera has a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor and uses the same Maestro II image processor ȴrst found in their highend Leica SL and Lecia S (Type 007) cameras, so you’re getting a lot of imaging power in one tiny body. it charges via USB 3.0, and does 4K video and slow motion capture at 120 fps, plus continous shooting at up to an incredible 20fps. So, whichever way you choose, you’ll always be able to capture the action.
MO RE INSIDE> LOUIS VUITTON TAMBOUR HORIZON When fashion and geek collide. HP OMEN ACCELERATOR These days, skinny notebooks can be gaming powerhouses at home. XIAOMI MI AI SPEAKER Nihao, what can your friendly Chinese AI assistant do today? PICTURE LEICA
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
HWM
7
G E A R
WorldMags.net
LOUIS VUITTON TAMBOUR HORIZON
8
+:0
| SEPTEMBER 2017
WorldMags.net
PICTURE /28Ζ6 98Ζ7721
Sure, it’s an Android Wear smartwatch, but it’s an LV Android Wear smartwatch. So besides the usual, like notiȴcations, etc., you get several faces based on LV’s traditional watches, special apps for travel, and 30 dierent leather straps that you can change into, including ones with the classic LV monogram.
WorldMags.net SONY WS623 SPORTS WALKMAN 6RQ\ȇV QHZ :6 6SRUWV :DONPDQ 03 SOD\HU LV UHDG\ WR JR ZKHUHYHU \RX ZDQW WR JR SLSLQJ VZHHW PXVLF LQWR \RXU HDUV DW DOO WLPHV 7KH :DONPDQ LV VDOW ZDWHUSURRI GXVWSURRI FDQ HQGXUH H[WUHPH WHPSHUDWXUHV IURP r& WR r& (QMR\ XS WR KRXUV RI EDWWHU\ OLIH DQG *% RI RQERDUG PXVLF
3Î&#x2013;&785( 621<
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
G E A R
WorldMags.net
CANON SELPHY CP1300
HWM _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
3Ζ&785( CANON
:HȇYH DOO EHHQ WKHUH EHIRUH HYHU\RQH DW WKH SDUW\ LV WDNLQJ SKRWRV EXW QR RQH KDV DQ HDV\ WR ZD\ WR VKDUH WKHP :HOO WKH 6HOSK\ &3 KDV D :L )L 6KXɞ H SULQW PRGH ZKHUH XS WR HLJKW SHRSOH FDQ EH FRQQHFWHG DW WKH VDPH WLPH 7KH SULQWHU LV HYHQ VPDUW HQRXJK WR FRPELQH LPDJHV IURP GL HUHQW XVHUV LQWR D VLQJOH SKRWR VR HYHU\RQH FDQ JHW LQ RQ WKH IXQ
WorldMags.net 21.<2 '3ˎ6 Measuring just 63 x 94 x 15mm, and weighing only 130g the DP-S1 is certainly one of the more pocketable oerings from Onkyo thus far. But small doesn’t mean less powerful, as Onkyo has put in Dual ESS SABRE Digital to Analogue converters (ES9018C2M) as well as 16GB of internal memory, plus two microSD slots allowing you to store up to 416GB. Now that’s a lot of songs!
PICTURE 21.<2
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
+:0
11
G E A R
WorldMags.net
RAZER BLACKWIDOW TOURNAMENT EDITION CHROMA V2
HWM _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
3Ζ&785( RAZER
7KH XSGDWHG 5D]HU WHQNH\OHVV PHFKDQLFDO NH\ERDUG R HUV D FKRLFH EHWZHHQ WKUHH VZLWFKHV 5D]HU *UHHQ <HOORZ RU 2UDQJH ΖW DOVR FRPHV ZLWK D QHZ 5D]HU IHDWXUH FDOOHG ΖQVWDQW 7ULJJHU 7HFKQRORJ\ WKDW FDQFHOV RXW FRQYHQWLRQDO NH\ERDUG GHERXQFH GHOD\ ΖWȇG EH LQWHUHVWLQJ WR VHH KRZ 5D]HU RYHUFRPHV PXOWLSOH NH\ VLJQDO LVVXHV ZLWKRXW VDLG GHOD\ WKRXJK
WorldMags.net XIAOMI MI AI SPEAKER Is anyone not making a smart speaker these days? Anyhow, one of the latest smart speakers to debut recently is the Mi AI Speaker from Xiaomi. It has six built-in microphones and is designed to be the hub for all Xiaomi’s various smart home products like its rice cooker, air puriȴer, fans, and lamps. It will be available ȴrst only through a beta program so that Xiaomi can further reȴne its voice controls, but Xiaomi hopes to make it widely available soon. Expect it to cost substantially less than rivals like the Amazon Echo and Google Home.
PICTURE XIAOMI
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
HWM
13
G E A R
WorldMags.net
BEATS STUDIO WIRELESS - BALMAIN SPECIAL EDITION
14
HWM
| SEPTEMBER 2017
WorldMags.net
PICTURE APPLE
Apple has partnered with French fashion label Balmain to create special editions of its existing Beats Studio and Powerbeats 3 wireless headphones. The former in particular is ȴnished in Safari color with metallic gold accents to represent Olivier Rousteing’s dreamlike vision of an urban safari. It also comes with a matching suede case adorned with a Balmain plaque and the symbolic Balmain coin zipper pull.
WorldMags.net AZTECH AIR-706P The Aztech AIR-706P is a modern router with built-in mesh networking capabilities. At its heart, it is an AC1900-class router (600Mbps on 2.4GHz and 1,300Mbps on 5GHz). But it does have some special features up its sleeves. For example, it has what Aztech calls “Pivotal Antenna”. Multiple AIR-706P routers can also be connected to create a mesh network under a single SSID.
PICTURE AZTECH
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
HWM
15
G E A R
WorldMags.net HP OMEN ACCELERATOR HP is shaking up the external graphics dock game with the Omen Accelerator, an enclosure that adds extra GPU horsepower with a dash of additional storage space on the side. It uses a Thunderbolt 3 connection, and will theoretically work with any notebook that supports the standard and external graphics through its BIOS.
PICTURE +3
16
+:0
| SEPTEMBER 2017
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
5
habits of highly productive people
+V FQGUPoV OCVVGT YJCV [QW FQ QT YJGTG [QW YQTM s GXGT[QPG EQWNF UVCPF VQ DG C NKVVNG OQTG RTQFWEVKXG $WV GZEGUUKXG COQWPVU QH ECHHGKPG CPF YQTMKPI HQWTVGGP JQWTU C FC[ YQPoV JGNR [QW TGCEJ RGCM RTQFWEVKXKV[ 4GOGODGT YQTM UOCTVGT PQV JCTFGT
ENGAGE IN MINI PRODUCTIVITY SESSIONS WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE Turn wasted time during your day into mini productivity sessions with a phone that’s designed for productivity, like the HP Elite x3. The 6-inch phablet has a QHD AMOLED display that’s big enough for displaying spreadsheets, word documents and PowerPoint presentations without having to scroll constantly, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB RAM so it’s powerful enough to run any app lag-free.
3Ζ&785(6 +3
BE READY TO SET UP OFFICE ANYWHERE If you’re frequently out of the ofwce, you want to be able to set up and work anytime, anywhere. The HP Elite x3’s Lap Dock lets you accomplish just that with a Ultrabook form factor and
a 12.5-inch Full HD display in a device that weighs just 1kg. The device is fully powered by your HP Elite x3 wirelessly via Miracast or, if you prefer, through a USB connection.
HOT DESK TO GET A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON WORK Hot Desking, the practice of removing wxed ofwce seating assignments and letting employees move around the ofwce based on their needs, has received considerable attention for its benewts in increasing productivity, team collaboration and morale. The HP Elite x3 enables Hot Desking by letting you take your PC with you anywhere, with the help of Windows Continuum and the HP Desk Dock. Simply connect the HP Elite x3 to the dock and connect the dock to any monitor and the HP Elite x3 turns into a full desktop PC.
To ind out more about the HP Elite x3 go to http://hp.com/sg/elitex3
WorldMags.net
DON’T LOSE SLEEP WORRYING ABOUT SECURITY It’s easy to imagine a nightmare scenario where someone gets access to the important wles on your phone, but the HP Elite x3 boasts dual biometrics in the form of a wngerprint scanner and iris recognition, as well as 140-2 cryptography, 256-bit key full disk encryption, TPM 2.0, and protection against wrmware rollbacks, so you don’t need to worry about your wles being accessed, even if you misplace your device.
DON’T PUT OFF TILL TOMORROW WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY There’s no better time to change your habits and get more productive than right now, because HP is currently running a promotion for the HP Elite x3 that will net you up to S$300 off your purchase when you recycle your old tablet or smartphone.
G E A R
WorldMags.net
XIAOMI NINEBOT PLUS 7KH 1LQHERW 3OXV E\ ;LDRPL LV DQ XSGDWH WR WKH 1LQHERW PLQL H VFRRWHU ΖW QRZ IHDWXUHV D VWUHQJWKHQHG PDJQHVLXP DOOR\ FKDVVLV ZLWK VXSSRUW IRU ORDGV XS WR NJ ΖW DOVR R HUV XS WR NP RI WUDYHO RQ D VLQJOH EDWWHU\ FKDUJH WKDWȇV VLJQLȴ FDQWO\ IXUWKHU WKDQ WKH NP R HUHG RQ 1LQHERW 0LQL 7KH QHZ LWHUDWLRQ DOVR FRPHV ZLWK D UHPRWH FRQWURO VR XVHUV DUH QRW UHVWULFWHG WR FRQWUROOLQJ WKH H VFRRWHU YLD D VPDUWSKRQH 7KH\ FDQ DOVR FKRRVH WR DWWDFK DQ RSWLRQDO 0L 1LQHERW 3OXV &DPHUD IRU SKRWR WDNLQJ
3Ζ&785( XIAOMI
HWM _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net This is how the MyRepublic Wi-Fi Halo will make you believe in routers again
3Ζ&785(6 0< 5(38%/Ζ&
Your home router has one job: So whyy From does it make it so hard to do that job? F etups, to dropped connections, to complicated se indecipherable troubleshooting menus, to looking g like a gaudy blot in the middle of your living room. But the MyRepublic Wi-Fi Wi Fi Halo is different. different erent. The wrst thing you’ll Thank goodness it’s diffe realize is that it doesn’t look like might a mechanical bug that m our rise to life and gobble yo Halo cats. Instead, the Wi-Fi H or has a streamlined exterio with gently soft ambient lighting on its underside. ate But don’t underestima its minimalist design. The he Wi-Fi Halo is a state of th outer art AC2200 dual-band ro with a four-stream, fourantenna engine that feat res modern Multi-User (MU-MIMO) Beamforming tecchnology net connections for for fast and reliable interrn multiple devices. The Wi-Fi Halo also solves the most vexing parts about routers for most people: setting up and troubleshooting. A Setup Wizard helps you get connected in minutes, and helps you to
chan chan our ou ltt pa pass ss ordss asi , he e rst liline f defens nse e gai ain nst inte tern rn attacks. A bu buililtt-in in wr allll also secures your home network,, and p parental controls as well as a Wi-Fi analyzer gives you wne-tuned power over o er internet use. se The rou router even comes with guest networks set up and easily toggled on, so you don’t have to worry about sharing yo our personal network’s password with visitors. If you need help with the WiFi Halo,, MyRepublic customers can havve router issues diagno osed and even wxed remote ely by the MyRepublic custom mer service team. It’s li having your own IT departtment ready to help you with wi th W Wi-Fi woes. e Wi-Fi Halo normally co mands a price tag of aro ar ou S$349, but new and existing MyRepublic customers can get a great deal on the router. Depending on their choice of MyRepublic wbre broadband plan, customers will receive a discount on their purchase of a new Wi-Fi router, ranging from $70 to $350 – the latter essentially making the Wi-Fi Halo available for free.
To ind out more about the MyRepublic Wi-Fi Halo, go to https://myrepublic.net/sg/wi-i-routers/
WorldMags.net
G E A R
WorldMags.net 2. JUST TAKE OUR 1. TRUE SURROUND SOUND
The Tiamat 7.1 V2 is an analog 7.1 surround sound gaming headset featuring 10 discrete drivers - ȴ ve per ear cup. A new Audio Control Unit lets you set the volume of each audio channel as well as toggle between 7.1 surround and 2.0 stereo. It also has a passthrough feature, so you can switch between the headset and and external speakers at the press of a button. RAZER TIAMAT 7.1 V2
MONEY Be still, beating heart. Nintendo has announced two versions of this, the Super Nintendo Mini Classic, and the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom, which is the one that has our love. Both come with pre-loaded and a slightly dierent selection of classic games, including Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and more. NINTENDO CLASSIC MINI: SUPER FAMICOM
1
2
4
3
6 OLD FASHIONED SMART CONTROL 6.
The Moto Z2 Force is Motorola’s ȵagship phone for 2017, and retains the Moto Mods modular system from last year’s Moto Z. The phone also has a 5.5-inch shatterproof screen and a new dual-camera system that pairs a 12-megapixel f/2.0 color shooter with a monochrome twin for bokeh portraits and and pure black & white shooting. THe phone is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM. MOTO Z2 FORCE
The R1280DB is a refresh to the R1280T active bookshelf speakers for desktop setups. It now has Bluetooth connectivity and coaxial input, on top of optical and dual RCA inputs. It has a total power output of 42W, and it’s further supported with a wireless remote control and volume dials for bass, treble, and master volume on its side panel. This setup comes with a 4-inch bass unit and 13mm tweeter on each side. EDIFIER R1280DB
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
PICTURES RAZER, NINTENDO, MOTOROLA, EDIFIER
3. USE THE HE FORCE
WorldMags.net 5. ONE CABLE FOR VIDEO, DATA, AND POWER
6. BRING BACK THE BEATS
Connecting a lot of devices to your Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) capable Mac? You can now streamline your workspace by using this Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock HD, which supports one 5K display or two 4K displays. You can even connect your Thunderbolt 3-enabled Mac and daisy-chain up to ȴ ve additional Thunderbolt devices at the same time! The dock also packs three USB 3 ports and a gigabit Ethernet jack. BELKIN THUNDERBOLT 3 EXPRESS DOCK HD
These wireless headphones are designed to take after the BackBeat Pro range, but at a more aordable price tag with entry-level features. It connects via Bluetooth, allowing two devices to connect to the headphones simultaneously while remembering up to eight devices. A single charge oers up to 18 hours of playback, but DeepSleep hibernation can maintain its charge for up to six months when not in use. PLANTRONICS BACKBEAT 505
6 5
7
8
PICTURES BELKIN, PLANTRONICS, HEX, EPSON
7. WHY NOT DO IT WITH SOME STYLE?
8. PUTTING LASER PRINTERS TO SHAME
The brushed aluminum backing on this limited edition case by HEX and DeLorean will immediately make you think of that car - the most famous DeLorean of all, the one that travels in time the moment you hit 88mph. The case, unfortunately, doesn’t time travel (you’ll need an additional ȵux capacitor for that) but it does feature a laser etched logo and a genuine leather accent. HEX X DELOREAN APEX CASE FOR IPHONE
Many people have the impression that laser printers are better suited for oɝce printing. But this Epson inkjet workhorse will put many laser printers to shame, courtesy of its 100 pages per minute print speed and ink cartridges that last 50,000 color prints and 100,000 black-and-white prints. You can even add a professional ȴnisher to get stacking and stapling capabilities. EPSON WORKFORCE ENTERPRISE WF-C20590
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
G E A R
WorldMags.net 9. RETROLICIOUS
Blending retro looks and modern technology, the Azio Vintage Keyboard is inspired by old vintage typewriters. Its top plate is made from genuine leather and framed with a zinc aluminum alloy that will weather and gain character over time. And while the keys make look retro, underneath the keycaps you’ll ȴnd modern tactile Kailh-made mechanical switches with LED backlighting. There’s even a wireless Bluetooth version. AZIO RETRO CLASSIC KEYBOARD
9
10 11
11. JUICE FOR YOUR SPEAKERS
Fender considers their new Monterey Bluetooth speaker a premium oering. It uses two 5.12-inch woofers and two 1-inch tweeters that are driven by a combined 120W of power. The speakers uses the iconic guitar amplifer look, featuring the 1968 custom grille cloth, blue LED amp jewel light, and guitar amp-style knobs for adjusting volume, bass and treble. FENDER MONTEREY
The Vidar is Schiit’s newest ampliȴer designed specially for stereo speakers. It uses a fully discrete, fully complementary, current-feedback, Class-AB design with linear power supply and intelligent microprocessor management. An active heat tunnel keeps components cool. Power output is rated at 100W per channel into 8 ohms and 200W per channel into 4 ohms, meaning it has enough grunt to power most speakers. SCHIIT VIDAR
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
PICTURES AZIO, FENDER, SCHIIT
10. THE BETTER FENDER SPEAKER
WorldMags.net 12. IMPROVED INSIDE AND OUT
13. PIPING HOT MUSIC
The Tough TG-5 features a new hermetic sealed body construct for better waterproof performance, letting you take it as deep as 15m without needing any housing. Add to that the usual shockproof, dustproof and freezeproof performance, plus a brand new high-speed back-lit CMOS sensor matched with Olympusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; TruePic VIII image sensor, and you have one serious compact camera. OLYMPUS TOUGH TG-5
This 911 Speaker doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just look like an exhaust pipe, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built from an original exhaust pipe from the 911 GT3. The Speakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aluminum body houses 60watt stereo speakers, with Bluetooth 4.0 and apt-X technology for wireless music playback. A built-in battery lets you play music for up to 24 hours. PORSCHE DESIGN 911 SPEAKER
14. GO AH HEAD, GET THEM DIR RTY PICTURES 2/<0386 3256&+( '(6Î&#x2013;*1 621< )8-Î&#x2013;)Î&#x2013;/0
By now, sweatproof headphones you can exercise with are old hat. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re generally impermeable to sweat, and È´t well so you have to pick up after them as you run. But how many of them can you actually wash under a tap when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re soiled? Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MDRXB510AS are IPX5/7 rated so you can literally give them a rinse and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep going on just È´ne. SONY MDR-XB510AS
15. SHOOT LIKE A MINION
Own your own minion with this adorable Minion edition of a FujiÈ´lm Instax Mini 8 instant È´lm camera. It shoots with a 60mm focal length, with a brightness adjustment dial that automatically changes settings for lighting conditions. Plus, the blue pants on this minion actually do double-duty as a cover and stand. FUJIFILM MINION INSTAX MINI 8
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
S H O W C A S E
WorldMags.net
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net 1 L Y / 9 .FPUPES?QFY @Y 1 5F 2 !
Inspired by Charles Chevalierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convertible lens system from the 19th century, the the Lomography Society Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Neptune Convertible Art Lens System is composed of multiple elements. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rear lens element that attaches to the camera itself, and a selection of three front elements. These are the Thalasa 3.5/35 Art Lens, the Despina 2.8/50 Art Lens, and the Proteus 4/80 Art lens. Together, they oÎ?er three of the most commonly used focal lengths for a variety of photography subjects. Shift from landscape photography to still life capture to portraits simply by changing the front element. Because the Neptune system uses a dual aperture system with the rear lens element maintaining a typical aperture system, the aperture numbers only indicate the optimal maximum aperture for each lens. You can experiment with the entire range of aperture values no matter what front lens is installed. Other things to play with are the drop-in aperture plates that go in between the front and rear lens elements. These come in a variety of shapes that aÎ?ect the way the system renders bokeh, giving your images a unique look. Unlike todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lenses, the Neptune system relies on manual focus so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be fully responsible for the sharpness of the images captured. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good thing, as it takes you back to the craft of photography itself, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn to slow down and create your images.
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
S H O W C A S E
WorldMags.net
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net 6 9 4 ;;| |_; lov| roÂ&#x2030;;u=Â&#x2020;Ѵġ =-v|;v|ġ Ć&#x2013;Ć?Ć? ;Â&#x2C6;;u Y - ; In the complicated world of Porsche 911s, the maddest and baddest of them all wears a badge that reads â&#x20AC;&#x153;GT2â&#x20AC;?. In 2010, Porsche decided to add an even wilder version of the GT2 called the GT2 RS. The recipe of the GT2 RS is simple: shave weight, add power, and then send all power to the rear wheels. Essentially, it turned an already fast car to one that is close to supersonic. The latest 911 GT2 RS follows this recipe closely. It has a 3.8-liter twin-turbo Čľatsix that produces a whopping 700hp and 750nm of torque. And like its predecessors, all power is sent to the rear wheels alone. To keep the car light, it gets a titanium exhaust system and carbon Č´ber bits throughout its body. Opt for the extra Weissach package and Porsche can reduce the overall weight by an additional 30kg by replacing the roof and anti-roll bars with carbon Č´ber ones, and also giving you special ultra-light magnesium wheels. All this power and weight savings mean that the 911 GT2 RS can propel from a standstill to 100km/h in just 2.8 seconds. Top speed is 340km/h. Take a bow, son. PICTURE 3256&+(
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
+:0
27
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
8 , - 2 /
*6)) =396 1-2(
WorldMags.net AMD MAKES A COMEBACK For too long, Intel and NVIDIA have dominated the headlines when it comes to processors and graphics card. But AMD is È´nally making a comeback with RX Vega and Threadripper.
M OR E IN S ID E > ARTHUR CHAPIN, EXPEDIA How design impacts the bottom line. RIP IPOD The digital audio player is dead. Long live the digital audio player. PICTURE AMD
GO AWAY, AUTOPLAY The autoplaying video is the new pop-up ad. What can we do about it?
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 , - 2 /
WorldMags.net AUTOPLAY IS HERE TO STAY And there’s nothing we can do about it. Y Marcus Wong
Remember pop-up ads? You know, the often-ugly, generally annoying pages that took up your entire desktop and kept you from viewing the content you actually wanted to see? The same things ad blocker extensions were developed for? Well, despite our best efforts to get rid of them, they’re still here; just in a different form. Don’t believe me? Try scrolling through your Facebook feed and going ïve posts without encountering a video that’s already running.
The Scourge of Autoplay
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
All they’ve done is to offer options to restrict the “service” to Wi-Fi connections only, and to mute the videos by default. And that’s only after the uproar from users after they found that their recently updated Facebook app was causing them to exceed their monthly cellular data allowance. Needless to say, Facebook-owned Instagram has autoplay videos too. Twitter and many other social networks with apps have followed suit. In fact, the promise of autoplay videos is so great even Google is looking into get into the mix, with autoplay videos served together with
your search results!
Search and be served According to search specialist site The SEM Post, the search engine giant is starting to experiment with autoplay videos in their knowledge panel feature. This, despite the fact that they’ve just announced that they’re releasing an extension for Chrome speciïcally built to block them. Anyone else see the irony here? Playing along the guidelines of “Better Ad Standards”, Google’s videos initially play without sound though you will have the option to enable that manually. They also don’t repeat themselves unless you click to replay, which may be why Google doesn’t consider them to be intrusive. In a statement released to
WorldMags.net
3Ζ&785( 5)
Autoplay videos are this generation’s pop-up ads, and they’re more disruptive than ever as we steadily transition from websites to mobile apps. Take Facebook for example.
They started inserting autoplay videos into your newsfeed as early as 2013, and while they’ve taken some backlash from users since then; don’t seem to have any intent on removing them in the least.
WorldMags.net
Search Engine Land, Google has only said that they are “constantly experimenting with ways to improve the search experience for our users, but have no plans to announce at this time”, so we could just take it to be a harmless experiment. But why try? Why ignore the years of research that says that consumers really, really hate ads with autoplay video or audio? Because with the pickup in mobile browsing; most of our internet surïng is done via app rather than a proper browser. And that’s where autoplay video has you trapped.
Autoplay’s siren call When an autoplay video appears in your social media feed, there’s no pop-up window to close. You can’t really tell if it’s sponsored content or a video posted by a regular user either. And that’s perfect - if you’re an advertiser. Do it well, and your ad will be shared like any other regular video, giving you more coverage. Think Google doesn’t want a piece of that pie? As great as Google is, the shift away from ïnding information via a traditional browser to getting it from social network feeds (and their respective apps) must be hurting their reach (and ad sales). So any chance to pull sales back – even if it means temporarily offending regular users – must be explored. And besides, what competition does Google have? If you don’t like it, you can always use their extension to block it. Hero and villain; all in one. Don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sit well with us. And we certainly don’t approve of autoplay video in any way, shape or form. It’s the virtual equivalent of stufïng food down your throat. You don’t appreciate that happening in real life, so why should you let advertisers do that to you online? Companies like Facebook and Google may think they’re too big for you to move away from now, but it wasn’t that long ago that they were small companies too, living in the shadows of MySpace and Yahoo.
TAKE BACK CONTROL
For most apps, the option to disable autoplay videos will be hidden somewhere in the settings. For example, with Facebook you’ll find the option to disable autoplay video under your account settings.
With the Facebook app, you’ll find it under Settings > Account settings > Videos and Photos
Set it to “Never Autoplay Videos” to kill that off. If you’re surfing from your laptop or desktop though, Chrome, Firefox and Opera will offer you the easiest options to block autoplay videos.
With Firefox, you’ll need to adjust the advanced settings of the browser itself. Do this by typing “about:config” in the URL bar, and click the “I’ll be careful, I promise button.” Search for “media. autoplay” and double-click it toggle its status to off.
With Chrome and Opera, just download the Disable HTML5 Autoplay extension from the respective webstores. This is a fairly effective extension that disables autoplay but allows you to click to view the video. Unfortunately, the author has stopped development in light of Google’s upcoming version, but it continues to be one of the best (and easiest) ways to avoid autoplay shock, so we’d use that for now.
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
Q & A
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net DESIGN IS FUNCTIONAL BEAUTY Arthur Chapin, SVP of Global Product and Design, Expedia Y Alvin Soon Your title is SVP of Global Product and Design. So what does that job cover? It’s sort of the intersection of designing, building and selling. From a design standpoint we have a team of about 100 designers that have several different disciplines, so we have the research discipline, and then we have visual designers, interaction designers and creative designers. That gives us a pretty broad team that does everything from determining the layout of the pages, to what’s on the pages and drives a lot of the standards on how the Expedia brand looks and feels. Was there a day when you realized that design could play an important part in the product? I think from day one. It comes back to my love of motorcycles. Motorcycles are design, right? And what I like about motorcycles is that they’re such a pure sort of form. It’s functional beauty, and I believe in that concept for websites or any consumer product. Design needs to make sure you move forward both in the functionality and in accomplishing the mission, but doing it in a way that is seamless and easy.
5F?U ' MGLC ?@PVU NPUPSAYAMCT GT UF?U UFCY}SC TVAF ? QVSC TPSU PD DPSN 'U}T DVOAUGPO?M @C?VUY ?OB ' @CMGCùC GO UF?U APOACQU DPS WC@TGUCT PS ?OY APOTVNCS QSPBVAU
3Ζ&785( EXPEDIA
Was there day when a major or minor design decision really impacted Expedia’s business? Oh, every day. We ïnd that often the most impactful tests we run are very design-related tests. Design can be the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful product. Let’s use a simple example. If we create a new feature that requires clicking on a button, and we don’t design and validate through research that it’s discoverable, the feature may fail. Not because the feature’s bad. The feature may fail because it wasn’t used, because it wasn’t discovered. So we ïnd, all the time, that small design changes can have big impacts in the performance or use of a speciïc product.
WorldMags.net
It sounds like you’re a big believer in testing design. Yeah, that’s right. We want to validate and make sure that the designs we choose are designs that work for our customers. Design is a complex art and science. So there’re many different things that need to be taken into account when you’re looking at visual beauty, usability and interaction beauty — functional beauty, essentially. So what’s the design testing process like at Expedia? I’m going to give you three different types of testing we do, and this is by no means inclusive. So the ïrst is what we call ethnographic research. And it’s understanding the problems that our customers face when trying to travel and then looking for ways to solve them. Then you have speciïc types of validation of products or concepts, and that’s when we’ll start to use some of these features like eye tracking. That’s the second kind of testing that we do. The third kind of testing that we do is actually testing on our website, and we like to think about it as letting our customers vote for the best experience they’d like to have. So we try and test every single change that we put out, and we do it throughout the product design process.
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 , - 2 /
WorldMags.net 7KH GLJLWDO DXGLR SOD\HU LV GHDG ORQJ OLYH GLJLWDO DXGLR SOD\HUV Y - ;
HWM _ 6(37(0%(5
display, dual DAC chips, unbalanced and balanced outputs, and costs a staggering $5,499. Not to be outdone, Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ă°agship NW-WM1Z digital audio player introduces a brand new balanced connection and has a gold-plated oxygen-free chassis that purportedly creates a more natural sound. The cost? A cool $3,999. At the other end of the spectrum, Fiio, a brand popular amongst audiophiles for its more affordable and accessibly priced products, recently released the thirdgeneration of its entry-level X3 digital audio player at a much more reasonable $329. Admittedly, these are niche devices, but the market for personal
DACs, support for lossless audio formats, and increased headphone output to drive power-hungry headphones. As a result, popular DAP maker Astell and Kern recently released a new Ă°agship digital audio player called the A&ultima SP1000, which features a 5-inch touchscreen
audio and the headphone community is only growing - especially in Singapore. In fact, our tiny city sends the most trafĂŻc to the popular headphone forum Head-Fi.org in the world. So, while the iPod might be going away, its legacy is here to stay.
WorldMags.net
3Î&#x2013;&785(6 I23RF, APPLE
The iPod is going the way of the dodo, but digital audio players still have a bright future. It might seem like a long time ago, but the iPod was the product that really set Apple on its crazy upward trajectory. The release of the iPhone in 2007 changed everything though, making the iPod superĂ°uous in the process. Apple made tweaks and revisions to the iPod but it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prevent the inevitable. So in July this year, Apple ĂŻnally pulled the plug on the iPod Nano and iPod ShufĂ°e, leaving the iPod Touch as the only iPod product that it still sells. But as the iPod sinks to a slow demise, the market for digital audio players is actually getting stronger. This is thanks to the growth of the headphones market. Sales of headphones exceeded US$4 billion in 2015 and are expected to grow up to US$15 billion by 2025. But the interesting trend is this: not only are more headphones being bought by consumers, there are now more high-end headphone manufacturers to choose from, plus, prices of high-end headphones are on the rise. A large part of this is because of Beats. Though Beats hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t received much in the way of critical acclaim,
it is by far the best-selling premium headphones brand. According to analysts and research ĂŻrms like the NPD Group, Beats commands over 50% of the market share of premium headphones - these are deĂŻned as headphones costing more than US$99. As a result, consumers are now used to paying more for headphones. Compared to the heydays of the iPod, there are now signiĂŻcantly more high-end headphones available for audiophiles to indulge in. This, in turn, led to a demand for dedicated digital audio players. Audiophiles, having already spent a small fortune on headphones, naturally want to pair them with high-quality players that would include features like high-resolution
8 , - 2 /
WorldMags.net )_;m 1olr |;uv ;u; 1ooѲ;u |_-m o Y / 9
3Ζ&785(6 I23RF, APPLE
Hackers has Johnny Lee Miller playing the role of Dade Murphy (alias Zero Cool), a hacker prodigy who is found guilty of crashing 1,507 systems at just age 11. Caught and banned from using a computer till his 18th birthday, Dade eventually ïnds his way back into the world of hacking. In a slightly improbable turn of fate, Dade discovers that several of his new schoolmates are also hackers. When the youngest member of their group unwittingly discovers a security expert’s plot to steal millions of dollars from his own company, it puts the FBI on all of them, so the group ïnds itself in a race against time to clear their names.
You won’t be as taken by the overthe-top visual representations of the internet, programming code viruses, and high-end computer mainframes strewn throughout the movie today. And a lot of the quotes will probably also sound dated. But, it’s likely also the ïrst movie to attempt to portray hackers and geeks as cool. You’ll be surprised to see how prescient the movie was too. For example, the main villain (The Plague) is a hacker-turned security consultant. In today’s terms, that would be a white hat hacker. There’s also a scene where The Plague goes on to lecture about commonly used passwords, which is very much relevant today, as passwords are still the weakest link of any system.
WorldMags.net
ľ |Ľv Ѵbh;Ѵ -Ѵvo |_; C uv| lo b; |o - ;lr| |o rou|u- _-1h;uv -m7 ];;hv -v 1ooѴĺĿ And the ïnal scene where our heroes enlist the help of a global hacker army to distract the Supercomputer while they dig for evidence? That’s pretty much a DDoS attack right there. So there are certainly plenty of elements that are still relevant today.
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
Q & A
WorldMags.net WEARING OUT YOUR WEARABLES Dr. Martin Grunert, Associate Dean (Teaching & Learning) and Head of School of Life & Physical Sciences, PSB Academy Y Liu Hongzuo What value do wearables currently have in the academic ïelds of health and the sport sciences? Academically, wearables occupy a niche now – it’s starting to encroach onto modern analytical technology. In the past, if you wanted to measure something as simple as heartrate for an athlete who is performing a particular task, the kind of equipment you need to do that was quite onerous. It’s a lot more affordable now than it used to be; wearables are very cheap in comparison to what professional and analytical equipment is. It also means that you can have your students acquire a lot more data. They can go and analyze that data and do things with it. Are wearables actually beneïcial or are they just a marketing gimmick? There are probably decent helpings of both. In terms of being useful, wearables are accurate enough these days. They can tell you things about your heart rate, and soon they are able to tell you about hydration. There are newer wearables in the market projected in the next couple of years that will also be able to analyze blood chemistry for diabetics. On the ðip side, the type of data that wearables have, in many contexts, is too complicated for the average consumer to make much sense out of. Really, unless as a consumer you’re willing to learn about that and is interested in developing that knowledge, then
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
there’s not much that the data could really give you beyond motivation and making you feel good. Have wearables shaped the way people approach ïtness and general health? I think there was actually a study done in Singapore where they gave a large number of users Fitbits for 12 months. They gave (the participants) monetary reward or donations to a charity on their behalf, and they found were the average user that had a wearable increased their activity by about 16 minutes a week, which doesn’t ultimately lead to tangible improvements. There are individuals where the desire of using a new piece of technology will spur them on to exercise for a time period, but it’s like getting a new gym membership at the start of the year. If you look at Apple Watch’s gimmick, “closing” the rings for some people is a strong motivational aspect to their lives, and it does change they exercise. For other people, the novelty wears off and the wearable goes back onto the shelf.
Do you personally use a wearable? I personally do not. I use an armband heart rate monitor when I exercise. At this point in time, it’s something where the accuracy versus the output data versus value versus its cost is something that’s not necessarily justiïable. These things wear off in novelty quite quickly. In some cases, phones are actually better at tracking - integrated motion sensors used with apps like RunKeeper or Runtastic are good at tracking data.
'U}T ?@PVU USYGOE UP @VGMB ā UOCTT GOUP YPVS B?YƥUPƥB?Y MGDCTUYMC TP YPV}B ?AUV?MMY N?LC ? OPUGAC?@MC AF?OEC UP UFC UFGOET YPV BP
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN CHANG
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 , - 2 /
WorldMags.net
AMD is back! 'U}T PÄ&#x192; AG?MMY ? UWPĆĽFPSTC S?AC GO UFC !.3 ?OB %.3 N?SLCU ?E?GO
Y - 9 !
Pick a casual gamer off the street today and ask him what his preferred CPU and GPU manufacturers are. Chances are, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll say Intel and NVIDIA. The sad irony to this is that while Intel makes processors and NVIDIA makes graphics chips, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AMD that makes both. AMD should have a wealth of experience and design expertise to draw on. Indeed, in its heyday, it was AMD that beat Intel to x86based 64-bit processors with its Opteron and Athlon 64 chips. Unfortunately, AMD has lagged behind Intel and NVIDIA in recent years. It became known as the budget option, and has not been a serious contender in the enthusiast space for way too long. However, 2017 looks to be the year that the red camp turns the tide. Earlier this year, AMD unveiled its Ryzen processors, including the octa-core Ryzen 7 1800X, a mainstream chip with the chops to take on Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10-core Core i7-6950X, which cost well over a thousand dollars. Ryzen had its Ă°aws, and it was no
Ryzen Threadripper CPUs. The Radeon RX Vega 64 is AMDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return to the performance graphics market, offering 12.66 TFLOPS of peak FP32 performance to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Tiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 11.3 TFLOPS. The kicker is that it retails for only US$499, a very attractive price for a Ă°agship product, especially considering that NVIDIA has been debuting its top-end cards at US$699. Similarly, the Threadripper 1950X packs a whopping 16 cores and 32 threads into a gargantuan chip that costs just US$999, the same asking price as Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10-core Core i9-7900X. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little doubt that Threadripper will be a multi-core beast in professional workloads, and offer drool-worthy performance for Twitch streamers who need to encode video as they game. Intel and NVIDIA will almost certainly reassert their dominance with the upcoming 18-core Core i9 chip and Volta architecture. But AMD has shown that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got plenty of life in it yet, successfully forcing price readjustments from Intel, and breathing competition back into the market.
Äž$_; $_u;-7ubrr;u Ć?Ć&#x2013;Ć&#x201D;Ć?* r-1hv - Â&#x2030;_orrbm] Ć?Ńľ 1ou;v -m7 Ć&#x2019;Ć&#x2018; |_u;-7v bm|o - ]-u]-m|Â&#x2020;-m 1_br |_-| 1ov|v fÂ&#x2020;v| &"ĹŞĆ&#x2013;Ć&#x2013;Ć&#x2013;ĺĿ
HWM _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
3Î&#x2013;&785(6 AMD
gaming juggernaut, but it offered an attractive price-to-performance ratio that endeared it to those who dabble in both content creation and gaming. At the end of July, the company ĂŻnally took the wraps off products that it had teased for so long â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Radeon RX Vega and its massive
I M P A C T
WorldMags.net
*2,1* 683(5621,& :,7+287 7+( %220 Thanks to NASA, the supersonic passenger jet might be coming back. @Y Alvin Soon
3Ζ&785( NASA/LOCKHEED MARTIN
Supersonic passenger jets were incredible. While passenger planes today have cruising speeds of 926 km/h, supersonic passenger jets could ðy at twice the speed of sound (up to 2,180 km/h), cutting travel time dramatically. However, breaking the sound barrier unleashed a frightful sonic boom that could shatter windows and rumble buildings over populated areas. That, and a whole list of other problems like high costs, is why no supersonic passenger jets have ðown since 2003. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), however, may have found a way to build a plane that produces a quiet sonic ‘bump’ instead of a sonic boom. Working together with Lockheed Martin, NASA
simulated how different aircraft shapes create different supersonic shock waves, and they discovered a plane design that prevents sound waves from merging into the loud pattern of a sonic boom. A small-scale model of the design has already been successfully tested in a wind tunnel, so the design appears to be sound. NASA is targeting sound levels of 60 to 65 dBa, which is as loud as a good conversation, and is now taking bids to build a piloted, single-engine prototype plane. The technology is still decades away, with the ïrst ðight tests as far as 2022. But NASA plans to share the technology from the tests with US plane manufacturers, so we could see the return of supersonic passenger planes in our lifetimes – minus the boom.
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
7KH )XWXUH "GTAPùCSGOE ? QGCAC PD UCAFOPMPEY UF?U OCùCS EPCT P@TPMCUC GT ? APNNPO USPQC DPS TAGƥDG
RI 0RGLI\LQJ QMPUT ?OB ? FVEC ?N@GUGPO DPS UPB?Y}T UGOLCSCST +PBVM?SGUY ? APOACQU D?ùPSCB
0 R G X O D U DPS UFCGS SCQM?AC?@MC APNQPOCOUT GT POC QPTTG@MC ?OTWCS UP UFGT BSC?N 5FCSC @CUUCS
0RELOHV UP ?QQMY UF?U GBC? UP TPNCUFGOE WC AF?OEC CùCSY YC?S z UFC TN?SUQFPOC Y . * ! PICTURES 123RF, LG, MOTOROLA, PHONEBLOCKS, MODU, PROJECT ARA, HANDSPRING ART DIRECTION ORLAND PUNZALAN
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net
WHAT IS MODULARITY IN SMARTPHONES?
M
odularity is hardly a new concept – we have an entire PC-building industry that revolves around the users, and their ever-adapting machines. At its very core, the fundamental concept holds true: you remove an older component, and update or upgrade it with a better one, repeating the process at your own pace, with your own rules. The modular dream has its challenges. While PC-building is the closest thing we have to modularity, it’s not as instinctively understood as swapping a phone case. Most modular smartphones we’ve seen (be it conceptual or sale-ready) revolved around removing jargon and technical challenges. Instead of having to worry about cables, compatibility, and safety, modular phone parts simpliȴed all these by turning key components into various attachments that require nothing more
“Modu had to shut down and sell their patents to Google, and Phonebloks quickly hopped on board with the freshly-minted Project Ara team...”
than plug-and-play. Of course, there are downsides to oversimplifying a technological miracle like a smartphone. Every part needed massive re-tooling for them to conform to that modular form factor, and it either cost signiȴcant amounts of money or required exceptional talent to do so. Take for example Phonebloks and Modu, both whom which explored the modern modular phone idea even before Google came on board. Modu had to shut down and sell their patents to Google, and Phonebloks quickly hopped on board with the freshly-minted Project Ara team despite having dabbled with modules for two years. Phonebloks was also then unceremoniously discarded when Google lost interest in Project Ara.
“Phonebloks was also then unceremoniously discarded when Google lost interest in Project Ara.”
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
02'Î&#x2013;)<Î&#x2013;1* 7+( 2''6
O
f all the attempts seen over the years, Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Project Ara received the most traction, as its conception and development were steeped in other modular phones weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mentioned, and it eventually inspired the successful versions that came after it. In the beginning, the project envisioned the phone to resemble Lego blocks for convenience, where it could be rearranged or taken apart in minutes. Admittedly, that concept came from the PC-building metaphor we used, where high-end PC builders were able to upgrade parts of their system without needing to replace the entire setup every few years. The Č´rst setback they faced was nothing short of a premature birth. In September 2013, Phonebloks announced their product, serving as a wake-up call to Motorolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advanced Technology and Projects group (which
Ĺ?,Q WKH EHJLQQLQJ WKH SURMHFW HQYLVLRQHG WKH SKRQH WR UHVHPEOH /HJR EORFNV IRU FRQYHQLHQFHĹ?
was under Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purview). According to a January 2017 interview with VentureBeat, ATAP was already working in secret a year before Phonebloks, and the Ara team reached out to Phonebloks to announce their version. The phone made its Č´rst developerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preview with a working prototype in 2014. However, Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management of their rock stars led to a founder leaving the Ara team even before the Č´rst prototype, and the other lead was desperately trying to launch the modular phone within the next 13 months. But it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough time. While it could be technically executed, Project Ara was hampered by minor production snags and business partners wanting more out of their relationship with Google. Project Ara changed leadership twice, and the momentum died when their last manager left to join a subsidiary of Facebook. By then, the LG G5 had already surfaced, and Google lost interest in Project Ara.
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net
MODULAR PHONES, TODAY
F
or those who did manage to ship a working phone, modular design was still a struggle. LG was the Č´rst commercial household name to succeed in building a modular-type phone, but both technology and creativity limited them â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the LG G5 from 2016 did come with two optional modules, yet its very core design required the phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s battery to be removed with the attachment. The accessories (a DAC and a camera grip with battery capacity) werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t crucial to the phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operation, and it was bewildering for users to power oÎ? a phone, just to have a better camera grip for a smartphone. The Fairphone 2 that launched in 2015 (by Fairphone) had a more sensible strategy; they kept costs low, and parts readily compatible by relying on using less recent innovations. However, the challenge was that the Fairphone 2 could
never see cutting-edge hardware â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still speculative on whether Fairphone will come up with a module that gives the phone USB Type-C connectivity. That brings us to the Moto Z. With its signature 16-pin connectors and slightly-modiČ´ed Android OS, the Moto Mod attachments are one of the fastest, most real applications of modular technology for a smartphone thus far. Lenovo (the company that owns Moto) managed to overcome some of the niggling issues that the LG G5 had. First, the Moto Mods are hot-swappable â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require you to power oÎ? the phone when you switch the modules around. The LG G5 not only required you to turn the phone to OÎ? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their modules
Ĺ?7KH SKRQH DOVR FRPHV ZLWK D VOLPPHU SURĹź OH ZKLFK DGGUHVVHV WKH EXONLQHVV WKDW FRPHV ZLWK PRGXODULW\ Ĺ?
Ĺ?0RWR 0RGV DUH KRW VZDSSDEOH Ĺ&#x160; LW GRHVQĹ?W UHTXLUH \RX WR SRZHU RII WKH SKRQH ZKHQ \RX VZLWFK WKH PRGXOHV DURXQG Ĺ?
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
were attached to the removable battery, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Č´nd yourself needing to â&#x20AC;&#x153;breakâ&#x20AC;? the module oÎ? the phone. Moto Mods did not have that issue with their phones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if you want to switch from the Hasselblad True Zoom camera module to the JBL SoundBoost external speakers, simply slide the former oÎ?, and attach the other magnetically. Same goes for their many battery-type Moto Mods, where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just as fast as charging a phone with a power bank, without all the messy cables and bulky power bank itself. The use of hot-swappable parts and simple attachments by Moto gave a clear direction forward in the Moto Mods and the Moto Z range, and this was in the same year when the LG
WorldMags.net
G5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modular idea Čľoated and sunk. The general criticism it had was the combined price of the entire modular ecosystem. It was also nowhere as ambitious as the bare-bones approach Project Ara and Phonebloks had, and the Moto Mods had asking prices akin to budget handsets of today. Despite the barriers put in place, Lenovo was quick to bring the Moto Z2 Play to life this year. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll not only see some upgrades to hardware; the new Moto Mods are built upon the success of the existing ones. The phone also comes with a slimmer proČ´le, which addresses the bulkiness that comes with modularity. What Moto did here was something the others didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t succeed at. Not only did Moto (and Fairphone) have the commercial modular story going on for more than a year, they are making it look very possible. Only time will tell if the current strategies to their modules and main phone body will last.
WorldMags.net
MILESTONES IN MODULAR MOBILES
The modular smartphone is an innovation where few have explored, and fewer have succeeded. Here are the notable milestones in the modular smartphone space.
Handspring Visor (a PDA) had a single Springboard Expansion Slot that accepted cartridges for games, and the slot also took in modules for ȵash storage, camera, USB devices, barcode scanners, etc.
19 99 20 08
Modu creates the Modu phone that uses phone cases called ‘jackets’ for modular expansion.
20 11
Israeli-based Modu Mobile closes, sold modular phone patents to Google for US$4.9 million.
WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP FOR MODULAR PHONES?
H
onestly, nobody knows, because it’s still early days. In the future, we could be looking at phones that can plug into home appliances, medical equipment, and outdoor services, like a universal key with your data to get personalized settings for everything you interact with. Until then, engineers have a lot of work to get necessary modularity o the ground.
Early
20 13
Dutch-designed Phonebloks debuts, sparking mainstream interest for modular phones.
Middle
20 13
Phonebloks founder works with Google‘s Motorola Mobility team on Project Ara.
Late
20 15 Late
20 16
Amsterdam-based ȴrm Fairphone launches ȴrst publicly-available modular smartphone, the Fairphone 2. It had seven removable parts, and it required a screwdriver when switching components. It’s still available and receiving both hardware and software updates today.
LG G5 launches, Google cancels Project Ara. LG’s modules required powering the phone o before module-swapping.
Early
20 16
Moto launches Moto Z and Moto Z Play, with hot-swappable modules.
Late
20 17 Middle
Moto updates their modular line with Moto Z2 Play while expanding module options in the commercial market. Its ȵagship Moto Z range was rumored to see a refresh later this year.
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net For the first time in years, Intel isn’t alone in the high-end desktop space. AMD is an old challenger made new, and it is bringing the fight to Santa Clara with a new line of enthusiast-grade CPUs that pack more performance than ever.
AMD vs. Intel: It’s raining CPU cores! By Koh Wanzi Illustration Anthony Gonzales Art Direction Orland Punzalan
THIS MEANS WAR +RZ PDQ\ FRUHV FDQ \RX FUDP LQ D VLQJOH FKLS"
T
he ȴrst dual-core processors for consumer desktops were introduced in April 2005, over 12 years ago. Intel’s Pentium D “Smithȴeld” and Pentium Extreme Edition processors packed two cores on the same package, which counted as quite a big deal back in the day. The year before, AMD showed o its own dual-core Opteron processors in a Hewlett-Packard Proliant DL585 server, but it wasn’t till later in 2005 that the company trotted out the Athlon 64 X2 desktop chips. These CPUs generally comprised two slower-clocked cores with lower power consumption, so they were one way of increasing performance without incurring penalties like the current
leakage that arose from shrinking process nodes. Fast-forward to 2017, and we have a 16-core/32-thread chip on our hands from AMD in the form of the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X. This is one mammoth chip that ȴlls your palm when you hold it in your hand, and AMD is positioning these processors as do-itall pieces of silicon that can perform in both games and heavily threaded professional applications. The company says that the PC industry has tried for too long to squeeze users into neat categories of convenience, and it has a point. There are frequent references to the workstation and gaming markets as mutually exclusive spaces, as if people
WorldMags.net
who primarily belong to one don’t ever cross over into the other at all. But this way of thinking neglects the professional video editor or 3D modeler who wants to play PlayerUnknown’s Battleground while rendering in the background. Or the gamer who wants to compile code in a MacOS virtual machine without having to take a break from fragging. That’s where a processor like Threadripper comes in with its multitude of cores and threads, primed to handle simultaneous, parallel workloads. To be sure, only a small, niche group of users will beneȴt from this, but Threadripper’s entrance may be precisely what the high-end desktop (HEDT) market needs. 6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net INTEL IS PLAYING THE SAME GAME
THE AWKWARD CASE OF KABY LAKE-X
The fastest Intel Core X processor you can buy now is the 12-core/24-thread Intel Core i9-7920X, and since AMD announced in May that Threadripper was coming, the two have locked horns in a back-and-forth battle to upstage the other. Just days before Threadripper was slated to hit the shelves on 10th August, Intel unwrapped the remainder of its ultra-enthusiast Core i9 family, revealing detailed speciČ´cations and a 25th September availability date. That came as a bit of a surprise, seeing as how the lack of detail during the initial Core X launch had some speculating that we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even see the 18-core Core i9-7980XE until 2018. There was also talk that Threadripper had taken Intel by surprise, and the chipmaker was scrambling to respond. However, it turns out that Intel actually decided to make the monstrous 18-core chip as early as August 2016, spurred on by the surprising success of the 10-core Broadwell-E Core i7-6950X. It might be a niche audience that pursues anything above four cores, but it clearly was an audience worth catering to. After all, when smartphones and tablets are becoming more powerful and increasingly capable of carrying out basic computing tasks for most people, desktop chips need to try harder to Č´nd their own raison dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ĂŞtre. That reason may turn out to be the ultra-enthusiast market, which demands a level of performance and parallel processing that mobile chips wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be touching any time soon.
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotten used to Intel having the last word in the CPU wars, but with Threadripper, AMD is going all out to win hearts and minds. Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy of segmenting features often leaves a sour taste in the mouth of loyal customers. Its ultra-enthusiast X299 chipset now supports quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 processors that are priced very similarly to their mainstream Kaby Lake counterparts. At Č´rst glance, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great news. Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HEDT platform is now a lot more accessible, and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to sell a kidney to get a thousand dollar chip. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be able to easily upgrade to a Core i9 chip in the future. Unfortunately, these Kaby Lake-X processors only provide 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU, which means many of the features and I/O expansion options on X299 will simply be unavailable. Got plenty of PCIe and M.2 slots on board? Some of them may just end up being dummy connectors with a Kaby Lake-X chip. They also only support dual-channel memory, so half of the DIMM slots on X299 boards wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work.
This creates quite an awkward situation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in terms of function and performance, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little to diÎ?erentiate the Core i7-7700K from the Core i7-7740X paired with X299. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, to get the full 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to pay at least US$999 for the Core i9-7900X. There are even two 28-lane chips, the Core i7-7800X and Core i7-7820X, which serve as prime examples of Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempts to nudge enthusiasts further up the price ladder. The Core i7-7800X doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t oÎ?er Turbo Boost Max 3.0 and only oÉ?cially supports up to DDR4-2400 memory. In comparison, the Core i77820X can boost up to 4.5GHz with the former technology, and is rated for up to DDR4-2666 RAM.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;This creates quite an awkward situation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in terms of function and performance, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little to differentiate the Core i7 7700K from the Core i7 7740X paired with X299. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, to get the full 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to pay at least US$999 for the Core i9 7900X.â&#x20AC;?
PICTURES Î&#x2013;17(/
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net So what’s the big deal about Threadripper? I
t’s safe to say that AMD has left the
On top of that, there’s AMD’s refusal
on the side, Threadripper is shaping up
to segment its features. While you’d
to be a very strong option. Furthermore,
Ryzen Threadripper is an admirable
have to shell out US$999 for the 44 PCIe
Skylake-X is plagued by heat issues that
re-entry into the HEDT market, and it’s looking like a very compelling option
lanes on Intel’s chip that will unlock the
limit its overclocking headroom and requires an AIO cooler at the minimum,
compared to Intel’s Core X processors.
the Threadripper processors will have 64 PCIe 3.0 lanes, even the US$549
and enthusiasts have turned up their
Threadripper 1900X.
material (TIM) instead of a soldered
troubled days of Bulldozer behind it.
full potential of Intel’s X299 chipset, all
One of its biggest selling points is its price, where a 16-core/32-thread chip is going for the same US$999 price tag as
There’s also none of the confusion that
noses at Intel’s use of thermal interface integrated heatspreader (IHS), which is what Threadripper uses.
Intel’s 10-core/20-thread oering. To be
stems from certain ports and features
sure, the Intel Core i9-7900X still holds a lead in games and other applications
being disabled when other connectors
The Core i9-7900X is by no means a
are populated, thanks to the generous
that prioritize higher IPCs and don’t yet properly utilize all those threads on Threadripper, but AMD’s chips serve up excellent performance for heavily threaded applications that do. The Threadripper 1920X is particularly attractive — it is US$200 cheaper but still manages to outperform the Core i97900X in some workloads while coming very close in others.
provision of PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU.
bad CPU. It’s blazing fast, but it’s also very expensive, which is why Threadripper looks so threatening.
All things considered, it seems diɝcult to recommend the Intel Core i9-7900X over Threadripper. Intel has the upperhand in terms of per-core IPC, and it comes ahead in games, but Threadripper does really well in professional applications that properly make use of all its cores and threads. If you’re a content creator that games
Intel will hit back hard with its 12- to 18-core processors that will arrive over the next couple of months, so we expect it to wrest back the crown in terms of multi-threaded performance, but the ȵagship Intel Core i9-7980XE will cost an eye-watering US$1,999. Yes, that’s a big change from the
“The Core i9-7900X is by no means a bad CPU. It’s blazing fast, but it’s also very expensive, which is why Threadripper looks so threatening.”
AMD Ryzen Threadripper Specifications Cores/ Threads
Base/Boost clocks
XFR
PCIe 3.0 lanes
L3 cache
TDP
Price (USD)
Threadripper 1950X
16-core/32thread
3.4GHz/4.0GHz
4.2GHz
64
32MB
180W
$999
Threadripper 1920X
12-core/24thread
3.5GHz/4.0GHz
4.2GHz
64
32MB
180W
$799
Threadripper 1900X
8-core/16thread
3.8GHz/4.0GHz
4.2GHz
64
16MB
180W
$549
deca-core Core i7-6950X that debuted at US$1,723 just over a year ago, but AMD’s revival has changed the rules of the game somewhat. Intel can no longer impose stratospheric prices with impunity, because there is actually a viable, and cheaper, alternative that is just waiting to be picked up. It’s the same story with Ryzen. You don’t have to be the absolute fastest to come out a winner, and sometimes it’s all about oering better value for performance that rivals far more expensive competitors. Welcome back, AMD.
WorldMags.net
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net :KDW PDNHV D FKLS" R
%5,1* 287 7+( 3&,( '(9,&(6
A
PICTURES AMD
ll of this is why Threadripper feels like such a gift. All three Threadripper CPUs announced so far â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the 1900X, 1920X, and 1950X â&#x20AC;&#x201C; oÎ?er 64 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU. This opens the door to a massively scalable platform and up to seven PCIe devices, six of which can even be GPUs. This is music to the ears of data scientists or anyone who wants to set up a render farm, or even the hardcore gamer looking at a 4-way GPU setup. bb Best of all, the 8-core/16-thread Threadripper 1900X costs just US$549, but you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to give up on any of these expansion options. Threadripper also doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any dark channels or ports, which is what happens when certain connectors on Intel boards are disabled because others are populated. The generous provision of PCIe lanes from the CPU ensures that you can go to town with conČ´gurations comprising up to three NVMe SSDs and four GPUs running at x16/ x16/x8/x8. In addition, you get support for quadchannel DDR4-2667 across the board, so AMD is relying almost exclusively on clock speeds and core counts to diÎ?erentiate between its processors. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no forgetting AMDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SenseMI technology either, and all Threadripper processors beneČ´t from things like the 4-core Extended Frequency Range (XFR) boost to 4.2GHz and granular 25MHz Precision Boost adjustments in speeds.
yzen Threadripper shares the same architecture as AMDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mainstream Ryzen 3, 5, and 7 processors, which is a neat bit of scalability that covers everything from entrylevel to HEDT chips. One of the most novel things Ryzen brought to the table was its modular design, a shift from Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usual monolithic approach. All Ryzen chips are built around a CPU Complex (CCX) comprising four cores connected to 8MB of L3 cache. This is in turn connected to another CCX via AMDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highspeed InČ´nity Fabric interconnect to create an 8-core die. The Threadripper 1950X features two 8-core dies joined together using InČ´nity Fabric. The 12-core 1920X does the same, but each CCX has one disabled core. Each chip actually has what looks like four silicon dies, but two of these are really spacers to provide structural reinforcement for such a massive processor. Contrary to the early speculation, you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting a 32-core EPYC chip with some cores disabled.
Ĺ&#x153;(DFK FKLS DFWXDOO\ KDV ZKDW ORRNV OLNH IRXU VLOLFRQ GLHV EXW WZR RI WKHVH DUH UHDOO\ VSDFHUV WR SURYLGH VWUXFWXUDO UHLQIRUFHPHQW IRU VXFK D PDVVLYH SURFHVVRU Ĺ?
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
WorldMags.net SINGAPORE’S NO.1 MEN’S MAGAZINE
www.menshealth.com.sg
100% USEFUL! THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR THE MODERN, SAVVY AND ACTIVE MAN FITNESS ¿ WEIGHTLOSS ¿ NUTRITION ¿ SEX & RELATIONSHIPS ¿ STYLE & GROOMING ¿ HEALTH
WorldMags.net
8 ) 7 8
;) 6):-); -8
WorldMags.net $ "$
BEST PERFORMANCE
$ "$
$ "$
BEST VALUE
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HOW WE RATE: Products are rated on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being so abysmal, it should be a crime to sell it, and 10 being almost perfect. Come now, nothing is perfect. An Editor’s Choice may also be awarded based on unique merits.
025 ( Ζ16Ζ' (! HERE ONE Wireless audio of the future. SONY MDR-Z1R Luxury cans to envelop your ears. AUDEZE ISINE 10 Technologically advanced earworm delivery device.
PICTURE DYSON
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
p i h s g a l F t s e s B m e u Th ot Vacu Rob T UP N V V A ù? SP@PU C NPTU
Q G F T E UF Ă ? CQU VQ AF POC TVALT W T lan C 5 Punza FG W rland U O V n P io t iǍec ā OB · Anjt D n · Ph
in Soo
By Alv
ng
on Wo
y Vern
phy b otogra
VS ECOVACS DEEBOT R98 • ICLEBO OMEGA • IROBOT ROOMBA 980 • LG HOM-BOT TURBO+ • SAMSUNG VR7000 POWERBOT
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
WorldMags.net
ECOVACS DEEBOT R98
The Ecovacs Deebot R98 ships with two Now that I could ȴnally start using the unique features; it’s the only bot here Deebot R98, I discovered that it kept getting that automatically empties its bin when stuck under my sofa, which turned out charging, and comes with a handheld to be a death trap for most of the robot vacuum cleaner. vacuums in this shootout. The Deebot It’s also the bot that’s most tied to its R98 would also do odd things like bump app. The Deebot R98 only into obstacles and keep on ships with a single Auto bumping, or get stuck in a Mode button on its body; corner instead of backing itself everything else must be out. To its credit, I discovered done through its app. that the more it cleaned, the Linking to the Deebot R98 more it reȴned its internal Comes with a handheld vacuum cleaner. was seamless, but even map. Automaঞcally empঞes then I couldn’t tell the bot The Deebot R98 is actually bin at dock. to start cleaning yet. good at cleaning, it picks Because while the other up large debris well, but it bots can begin out of the does ȵing some of it around. App is problemaঞc. box and map as they clean, It avoided dropping down Has trouble mapping the Deebot R98 needs to larger steps, but didn’t avoid out the house. map out the entire house the short fall into my toilet before it can start cleaning. and it got stuck inside. Like This led to a few problems. the manual says, the Deebot The ȴrst time it mapped R98 can’t clean carpets, it out my house, the map looked skewed, so I stopped immediately when it rolled on top decided to rebuild the map. of my carpet’s tassels (at least it didn’t get Unfortunately, remapping failed a few tangled). times. I think the Deebot R98 got confused The best thing about the Deebot R98 is about its position after it got stuck. It took that when it returns to its charging station, me a few tries before the Deebot R98 the handheld vacuum cleaner in the dock successfully built a new map, and I had to turns on and sucks out debris (quite loudly) be present to rescue it so it could do so. from the bot’s bin, helping you to empty it This was essential because without a map, automatically. It‘s the only bot here that can the Deebot R98 can’t schedule cleaning. do that.
AT A GLANCE
SUCTION POWER 430 Pa BIN CAPACITY 0.4 L RUN TIME 90 mins NOISE LEVEL 69.5 dB APP CONTROL Yes PRICE $1,199
There’s not much you can tell the Deebot R98 to do with its single physical button.
The bin is easy to clean out without making a mess.
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net ICLEBO OMEGA
AT A GLANCE
SUCTION POWER 1800 Pa BIN CAPACITY 0.6 L RUN TIME 120 mins NOISE LEVEL 68.5 dB APP CONTROL No PRICE $1,388
You control the iClebo Omega mostly through its on-body controls and remote control.
This particular ȵagship from Korean carpets, which was borne out when it got brand iClebo has an attractive design, stuck on my carpet’s tassels. To be fair, unfortunately it’s not app-connected like even bots that are supposed to work the others. Instead, the iClebo Omega with carpets got stuck in those threads. operates entirely from the on-body The Omega would also get caught on controls and comes with an dedicated cables, so you have to clear the area remote control unit. for the Omega to operate Even though the safely. Omega doesn’t come Like the Ecovacs Deebot with an app to check on R98, the Omega kept its progress, the bot can getting stuck under my A racঞve design. be programmed with a sofa. It turns out that the Picks up large debris. cleaning schedule using its clearance underneath Avoids ledges remote. You can’t schedule my sofa is just about the successfully. speciȴc days for cleaning, height of these bots, so but then again, neither can some of them could make some of the app-connected it in but then not out. The Doesn’t sweep up Cne ones. Roomba 980 and LG Homparঞcles as well. The Omega sweeps in Bot Turbo+ got stuck a few Gets stuck easily. a methodical way, using times before they learnt to a zig-zag pattern. In my avoid it, while the Deebot controlled test using ȵour, R98 and Omega would uncooked rice, nuts and frequently get stuck. small biscuits, the Omega After the Omega did picked up the larger debris well, but not this a few times, I realized that my sofa so much the smaller particles. Its bin had gouged a few deep scratches on the is easy to empty out, and the Omega body. A Singapore iClebo representative successfully avoided dropping down the told me that if customers faced the same small ledge into my toilet (something problem with cleaving into obstacles, the even the iRobot Roomba 980 was wont company would usually help by installing to do). protective bumpers on the robot’s The Omega actually isn’t rated for chassis.
The SRS-XB10’s ports are hidden behind a rubber ȵap.
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net
IROBOT ROOMBA 980
The iRobot Roomba 980 stands out for into the kitchen, it kept dropping into my how easy it is to use, with or without its toilet, which has a much smaller ledge, app. It also has powerful suction that and it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t climb back out again. I cleans very well, and is one of the few always had to remember to close the toilet robots that can actually handle carpets door before leaving the house, or Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d come without getting stuck. home to a stuck Roomba. The Roomba 980 The Roomba 980 ships with the most well complements its smarts designed app among with powerful suction, the Č´ve. The UI is easy to which managed to suck up understand, and you can most of the big debris in my set up a Čľexible cleaning controlled testing as well Well-designed app. Cleverly adapts to schedule for speciČ´c as a good amount of Čľour. avoid obstacles. timings on individual days. When it detects a bigger mess Powerful sucŕŚ&#x17E;on. A cleaning log lets you see than usual, the Roomba 980 at a glance how much of cleverly ramps up power to your house the Roomba increase suction. The bin is SŕŚ&#x17E;ll drops down small 980 went through, and if it found in the front, instead of ledges. Expensive. missed any major spots. inside the main body, making iRobotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iAdapt 2.0 it easy to detach and empty system even seems to out without making a mess. learn; after getting stuck Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d easily recommend the a couple of times under Roomba 980 except for one my sofa, the bot now avoids it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also caveat. Reuters reported iRobot CEO Colin the only bot in this shootout that had no Angle saying the company may sell map problems with most of my carpets and data of customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes to third parties, rugs, even ones with tassels. However, no but a few days later, he said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been carpet escapes a bot unscathed, while the misquoted and that iRobot would never Roomba 980 didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get stuck on them, it sell customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; maps. Even though iRobot still pushes and crumples my rugs around. now insists itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never sell customer data But while it manages to avoid obvious without their consent, it does raise an ugly drops, like the step from my dining room possibility.
AT A GLANCE
SUCTION POWER
BIN CAPACITY 0.6 L RUN TIME 120 mins NOISE LEVEL
APP CONTROL: Yes PRICE $1,648
The Roomba 980 has a clean, if industrial design, with good controls.
The bin is one of the easiest to empty out without making a mess.
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net Ň&#x192; $ $&! Ćł
AT A GLANCE
SUCTION POWER 6W BIN CAPACITY 0.6 L RUN TIME 100 mins NOISE LEVEL 60 dB APP CONTROL Yes PRICE $1,599
The Hom-Bot Turbo+ is easily the most attractive bot here, with its brushed metal texture and choice of colours.
The LG Hom-Bot Turbo+ is the best and skip the weekends. looking bot in this shootout, and it even While the Hom-Bot Turbo+ navigates comes in three diÎ?erent colors. It also more methodically than the Roomba 980, ships with a couple of unique features, I found that it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have as much suction which allow you to use the botâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camera power. It left more debris behind, and for remote control and as a security even spread a bit of debris throughout the webcam. house (things get stuck in its The Smart ThinQ app, brushes and then dislodge). however, needs a little work. The bin is diÉ?cult to empty, Right out of the box, I had because dirt can drop out trouble setting up the bot â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from its two sides as you ;1;m| vÂ&#x2020;1ŕŚ&#x17E;om =ou I discovered that it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t open the top. 1Ń´;-mbm]Äş connect to networks that While it avoids dropping Ń´;Â&#x2C6;;uŃ´Â&#x2039; -Â&#x2C6;ob7v had names or passwords down ledges, it does like o0v|-1Ń´;v -m7 Ń´;7];vÄş with special characters. to mount things; it tried to ov| -Â&#x201A;u-1ŕŚ&#x17E;Â&#x2C6;; 0o|Äş After a few days however, escape from my kitchen, it was clear how smart the mount my bookshelf, and bot actually is. After getting runs over my shoes. It can -mÄ˝| v1_;7Â&#x2020;Ń´; stuck in a few corners at clean carpets, but not those bm7bÂ&#x2C6;b7Â&#x2020;-Ń´ 7-Â&#x2039;vÄş bh;v |o loÂ&#x2020;m| |_bm]vÄş the beginning, it seemed to with tassels â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it got tangled have learned to avoid them. almost immediately with It cleverly avoided dropping the one in my living room. down the short ledge into The Hom-Bot Turbo+ my toilet, something the comes with a HomeGuard iRobot Roomba 980 liked to do. The feature, which lets you position the bot Hom-Bot Turbo+ also managed to avoid and set its camera to watch for motion. crawling into the bot-trap that is my sofa. If it detects movement, the botâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll snap a This might make the Hom-Bot Turbo+ series of photos and sends them to your a pretty good choice, except that the app smartphone. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a better canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let you schedule speciČ´c days for option than a dedicated webcam, but the cleaning; you can only select between feature is there. The only caveat is that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dailyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;once.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; In contrast, I could set the the bot canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be too far from its charging Roomba 980 to only clean on weekdays, station in HomeGuard mode.
The bin is diÉ?cult to empty, as dirt can come out from both sides as you open the top.
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017 |
+:0
59
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net
SAMSUNG VR7000 POWERBOT
The Samsung VR7000 Powerbot looks avoiding obstacles; it avoided dropping better in real life than in pictures, next to down the small ledge into my toilet. And the other utilitarian-looking bots, I’d rate right out of the box, it also avoided going it the second-best looking next to the LG into the bot-trap that is my sofa – even the Hom-Bot Turbo+. It doesn’t just possess iRobot Roomba 980 and the LG Hom-Bot good looks though; the VR7000 Powerbot is Turbo+ had to learn how to avoid it. thoughtfully designed. It does have some Instead of simply drawbacks. The VR7000 being round or square, Powerbot is loud when the VR7000 Powerbot cleaning, moves slowly and has a straight edge that tends to miss some areas. Its juts out from the front large wheels are supposed Avoids obstacles well. Design lets it get into (Samsung calls this ‘Edge to help it clear obstacles like edges. Good sucঞon. Clean Master’). This unique rugs and wires, but I found feature allows the VR7000 that it still got tangled up in my Powerbot to clean right carpet’s tassels. Can’t schedule speciCc to the edges of walls, And unlike the other three cleaning days. which the other bots have bots in this shootout that are Loud and slow when trouble doing. app-connected, the VR7000 cleaning. The bin is also Powerbot doesn’t have a map thoughtfully designed. A for you to double-check if it button pops it out, and cleaned your entire house. it’s easily emptied without Speaking of the app, like the making much of a mess. It’s transparent LG Hom-Bot Turbo+, the VR7000 Powerbot too, so you can simply glance at the bot to couldn’t connect via my home network that see whether or not it needs emptying. has a password with special characters. I was doubtful about the VR7000 After connecting, I was disappointed Powerbot’s cleaning ability when I saw that to ȴnd that the app is pretty limited. I’ve it was the only bot not to have brushes, already mentioned the lack of a map, you which the other bots use to ȵing dust into also can’t schedule the VR7000 Powerbot to the vacuum. But it surprised me with very clean on speciȴc days only, and there’s no good suction. ’return to base’ button in the app (but there The VR7000 Powerbot is good at is a button on the bot).
AT A GLANCE
SUCTION POWER 20 W BIN CAPACITY 0.3 L NOISE LEVEL 77 dB APP CONTROL Yes PRICE $1,299
The VR7000 Powerbot sports a nicelooking design.
The bin is thoughtfully designed to be easily emptied.
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net THE BEST ROBOT VACUUM IS IROBOT ROOMBA 980 (DFK ERW KDV LWV RZQ VWUHQJWKV
QHHGV ZRUN È&#x192; Î&#x2013;È&#x2021;G OLNH WR EH DEOH WR
DQG ZHDNQHVVHV EXW Î&#x2013; SULRULWL]HG
VFKHGXOH VSHFLÈ´ F GD\V IRU FOHDQLQJ
WZR IHDWXUHV WR VHOHFW D ZLQQHU
È&#x192; DQG LWV VXFWLRQ SRZHU LVQÈ&#x2021;W DV
1DYLJDWLRQ VPDUWV DQG FOHDQLQJ
VWURQJ DV RXU ZLQQHU Î&#x2013;I \RX GRQÈ&#x2021;W
VWUHQJWK <RX QHHG D ERW WKDW FDQ
KDYH FDUSHWV EXW GR KDYH D ORW RI
ERWK FOHDQ DV ZHOO DV È´ QLVK FOHDQLQJ WR VD\ WKDW LW GRHV D JRRG MRE
OHGJHV WKRXJK \RX FDQ FRQVLGHU
7KH L&OHER 2PHJD WHQGV WR JHW VWXFN RQ FDEOHV DQG XQGHU P\
7KH L5RERW 5RRPED WDNHV WKH %HVW 3HUIRUPDQFH DZDUG IRU
VRID ZKLOH WKH (FRYDFV 'HHERW
KDYLQJ D JRRG QDYLJDWLRQ V\VWHP
5 È&#x2021;V PDS EXLOGLQJ IXQFWLRQ LV WRR
DV ZHOO DV VWURQJ VXFWLRQ Î&#x2013;W DYRLGV
EXJJ\ WR JLYH LW D ZKROH KHDUWHG
REVWDFOHV DOPRVW DV ZHOO DV WKH
UHFRPPHQGDWLRQ 7KH 6DPVXQJ
+RP %RW 7XUER DQG ZDV WKH RQO\
95 3RZHUERW FRPHV FORVH ZLWK
ERW WR VDIHO\ QDYLJDWH DQG FOHDQ
D WKRXJKWIXO GHVLJQ DQG SRZHUIXO
P\ FDUSHWV ZLWKRXW JHWWLQJ VWXFN
VXFWLRQ EXW LWÈ&#x2021;V ORXGHU WKDQ HLWKHU
7KH DSS DOVR OHWV PH VFKHGXOH
WKH /* RU WKH L5RERW
VSHFLÈ´ F GD\V IRU FOHDQLQJ VR Î&#x2013; FDQ
7KH /* +RP %RW 7XUER LV QHDU WR EHLQJ RXU EHVW SHUIRUPHU Î&#x2013;W KDV
KDYH LW VWD\ RQ LWV VWDWLRQ GXULQJ WKH
WKH +RP %RW 7XUER
WKH VPDUWHVW QDYLJDWLRQ HQJLQH
ZHHNHQGV 7KH RQO\ GRZQVLGHV WR WKH
PDQDJLQJ WR DYRLG REVWDFOHV DQG
5RRPED DUH LWV KLJK SULFH DQG
OHGJHV +RZHYHU WKH DSS
KRZ LW GURSV GRZQ VPDOO OHGJHV
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net A new benchmark for execuŕŚ&#x17E;ve sedans +5 G + 1QPSU Y - ;
The Č´rst BMW 5 Series rolled oÎ? the production line in 1972. And today, 45 years later, it has cemented itself as one of the leading executive sedans of the world. In 2017, BMW introduced its seventh generation 5 Series and it is more powerful, better to drive, and absolutely laden with tech. Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5 Series lineup consists of one diesel and two petrol options, and the one I got to drive was the rangetopping 540i M Sport. It is powered by BMWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new turbocharged 3-liter inlinesix, which produces 340hp and 450nm of torque. Performance is suitably adequate for an executive sedan. 0-100km/h takes just 5.1 seconds and top speed is an electronically limited 250km/h. And even though it is turbocharged, there is no perceptible turbo lag. Put your foot down and the 540i M Sport just goes. And if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay attention to the speedometer, you will be doing very illegal three digit speeds very quickly. Throughout my time with the car, I was never left wanting more power.
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
3Î&#x2013;&785(6 %0:
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
comes with BMW ConnectedDrive, which is a suite of services that includes real-time traɝc information and concierge services. You can access the concierge services through the infotainment system and ask the concierge for directions and even ask for eating recommendations or help with restaurant and hotel bookings and reservations. The particular car I drove was outȴtted with the optional Driving Assistant Plus package. It is a pricey add-on - $13,800 to be exact - but well worth it. It adds a boatload of additional safety features such as lane departure and lane change warning, city braking function, speed limit information, active cruise control, wrong-way warning, and much more.
AT A GLANCE:
ENGINE 3-liter turbocharged inline six POWER 340hp / 450nm FUEL CONSUMPTION, COMBINED 13.9km/l PRICE $357,800 inclusive COE
The cabin has adjustable ambient lighting.
If you have the Driving Assistant package, the heads-up display shows the speed limit of the road you are currently on.
Compared to its rivals, the 5 Series infotainment system is more intuitive and therefore easier to use.
WorldMags.net
PICTURES %0:
Ride comfort is very good too. The 540i M Sport soaks up bumps and undulations without a fuss. Tire and wind noise is well controlled; it isn’t dead silent, but you never have to raise your voice to have a conversation. The 5 Series has often been praised for its handling and the new 540i M Sport handles quite brilliantly for a large-sized car. It is no supercar, but in Sports mode and with the steering ȴrmed up, the 540i M Sport steers conȴdently and accurately. There is a surprising amount of feel through the steering and chassis too, much more so than its rivals in this class. So, the new 540i M Sport is powerful, fast, drives well, and is very comfortable. But what really makes it stand out amongst its peers is its vast amount of toys. There is too many to list so I’m just going to share some of my favorites. Let’s begin with the keys. The new 540i M Sport has BMW’s new display key, which looks more like a small tablet than a car key. It has an LCD display that tells you if the car is locked, the windows are closed, and how much range it has left. There’s also a preconditioning setting that lets you set a time so that the car turns it fans on to cool the car down before you set o. This is especially handy for our tropical climate. However, the niftiest thing about the key is Remote Control Parking. Using the key, owners can start their cars and ease it in and out of parking lots. This is especially useful since the 5 Series is a big car and car park lots these days are a little cramp. You can only direct the car to move forwards or back, while sensors around the vehicle help prevent users from banging their precious (and expensive) car into things. The cabin of the 5 Series looks familiar, but has many improved components. For starters, the infotainment display is larger and has a redesigned user interface that makes it easier to use. The screen is touchenabled and measures 10.25-inch wide and has a resolution of 1440 x 540 pixels. More importantly, it is super smooth and responsive and feels like you are operating a tablet. Like all new BMWs, the 540i M Sport
WorldMags.net &21&/86Ζ21
7HFKQRSKLOHV DQG JDGJHW ORYHUV ZLOO IDOO LQ WKH ORYH ZLWK WKLV FDU
What I found most useful about this package is that the heads-up display always shows the speed limit of the road you are on. And if you do exceed the speed limit, the speed reading on the heads-up display changes color to warn you. Also handy is the active cruise control, which is a more advanced form of cruise control that automatically slows or speeds the car down depending on traɝc conditions. Although not quite fully autonomous driving, this is still a very nice safety feature to have as it is akin to having an extra pair of eyes on the roads.
Of course, like so many devices today, the 540i M Sport can be paired with the BMW Connected app. The app shows you statistics and other information about the car such as its location, remaining driving range, and its next servicing interval. A cool feature of the app is Remote 3D View, which sends you a 3D photo of the car’s surroundings. Overall, I found the BMW 540i M Sport to be a thoroughly enjoyable car to drive. Performance, comfort, and handling are exemplary, the infotainment system is easy to use, and the car has a truckload of nifty gizmos and features.
WorldMags.net
T E S T E D & R AT E D
SINGAPORE
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net )bu;Ń´;vv ]-lbm] 7om; ub]_| 0?ZCS *?OACFC?B Y - 9 !
However, it appears more suited to claw and Č´ngertip gamers, and not as natural to palm. At 111g, the Lancehead is lighter than most wireless gaming mice, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still heavier than it should be for really fastpaced movements. The sensor is a 16,000 dpi laser sensor that can be adjusted in 100 dpi
AT A A GLANCE
S SENSOR 16,000DPI 5G laser 1 ssensor BUTTONS B 9
66
HWM
| SEPTEMBER 2017
WorldMags.net
DIMENSIONS 117 x 71 x 38mm WEIGHT 111g PRICE $229
increments. It is decent, but not great, and mice with the optical PMW3360 sensor still feel smoother, more responsive, and more accurate. Razer didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say if this is the notorious Philips Twin Eye sensor or some variant of that, but the z-axis tracking issue that plagued the latter is fortunately absent.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
9.0
/10
SINGAPORE
PICTURES RAZER
Razer has big new This ability to frequency Lancehead in wireless ambitions for the hop ensures better mode, we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t notice any Lancehead, its latest rodent transmission stability, even signal drops or delayed to roll oÎ? the factory line. in a crowded environment responses, and the mouse Most gamers snub wireless with multiple wireless continued to track reliably gear because of the devices. That said, the whether we were in game perceived disadvantages, Lancehead only switches or working. Performance such as higher latency and frequencies when it was good even when the unreliable performance. absolutely needs to. dongle was plugged into Logitechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s G900 Chaos In our week using the the rear I/O of our PC, Spectrum has but it should since proved preferably be that you can placed as close CONCLUSION have a wireless to the mouse as mouse that A versatile, but expensive gaming possible, such works as well as in a front USB mouse that works well in both as its wired port. wireless and wired modes. counterparts, Alternatively, and the you can plug it Lancehead has into a separate set its sights on achieving adapter interfaces with the same. the braided cable. This The good news is that it gives you more freedom seems to have succeeded. in positioning the dongle, Razer uses something it allowing you to minimize calls Adaptive Frequency the distance between Technology (AFT) to do dongle and mouse in this. The mouse operates challenging environments. in the 2.4GHz band, but it The Lancehead is an scans diÎ?erent frequencies ambidextrous mouse, hundreds of times a second which when combined with The dongle can be stowed safely in a compartment in the mouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and selects the one with the its wireless capabilities, belly. least interference. make it quite versatile.
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net
&m1ol=ou|-0Ѵ;ķ 0 | vo m7v ]u;-|
AT A GLANCE
DRIVER SIZE 30mm
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 10 - 50,000 Hz
Audeze iSine 10 IMPEDANCE 16 ohms
Y - ;
PRICE $599
PICTURES AUDEZE
The iSine is Audeze’s newest range of in-ear open planar magnetic headphones. and the iSine 10 that I have here is the entry-level model in this range. It comes in a nice packaging that includes loads of accessories. Apart from the usual assortment of rubber tips, the iSine 10 also comes with special ear hooks and ear locks. It also comes with a nifty carrying case and a tool for cleaning the headphones. The iSine 10 comes with two detachable cables: one that terminates in a 3.5mm jack and another CIPHER Lightning cable designed especially for iOS devices. The CIPER Lightning cable comes with an inline ampliȴer, DAC, and DSP, that allows users to customize the sound using the Audeze DSP app. Now, the theoretical advantages of planar magnetic driver headphones are increased responsiveness, a wider frequency range, and lower distortion. The downside is that they are often bulky and heavy because they require larger magnets. Audeze’s expertise in planar
CONCLUSION
magnetic driver design means that they were able to shrink their design to a size small enough to ȴt into an in-ear headphone. However, at around 11g per piece, it is quite heavy for a pair of in-ears. As a result, you will need to wear the iSine 10 using either the supplied ear hooks or ear locks. Here’s where it gets uncomfortable, as getting a good ȴt is diɝcult and the supplied rubber tips are quite thin. Disappointing, as the iSine 10 is one of the best sounding in-ear
The iSine 10 sounds great, but it can be uncomfortable to wear.
headphones available. Thanks to its planar magnetic driver and its semi-open construction, the iSine 10 has an expansive and wide sound that is atypical of in-ear headphones. Bass isn’t as hard-hitting and deep as Audeze’s fullsized oerings, but it is still good - very tight and clean. The mids and highs are clear, but they also sounded very veiled and laid back. Consequently, the overall sound is one that is detached and lacks intimacy. That said, the iSine 10 certainly sounds more neutral than most other high-end in-ear headphones I have tried, which tend to be too bassy and sparkly.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
8.5
/10
The CIPHER Lightning cable features a built-in ampliȴer, DAC, and DSP for customizing the sound.
WorldMags.net
SINGAPORE
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
HWM
67
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net 1POY +"0ĆĽ8 0 Y - ;
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
various sizes, and the slider mechanism is numbered so it is easy for users to adjust the headphones to get their favorite Č´t. The slider and the hangers that hold the ear cups in place are both made out
of aluminum. Finally, the ear pads, which are angled and covered with sheepskin leather, are super plush and large. Insofar as comfort is concerned, few headphones I have tried can rival the MDR-Z1R.
WorldMags.net
Thanks to its distinctive ear cups, the MDR-Z1R looks good too. The shape of its ear cups isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just to make the headphones look fancy; it is actually dictated by function as it helps reduce unwanted
PICTURES 621<
In the late Eighties, Sony made a headphone called the MDR-R10. The MDR-R10 has a closed-back design with ear cups made from 200-year old Zelkova wood sourced from the Aizu region in Japan. It also used 50mm-wide biocellulose drivers that were revolutionary for its time. Also impressive was its price, back then a pair of MDR-R10 headphones was an eye-watering US$2,500. The MDR-R10 is still, even today, considered one of the best headphones ever made, and Sony has never really made a successor until now. Announced at IFA 2016, the Sony MDR-Z1R is easily one of the bestmade headphones I have ever come across. The headband is made out of beta titanium for lightness and strength. It is also lined with leather and generous amounts of padding for wearing comfort. The headband slides to accommodate heads of
WorldMags.net AT A GLANCE
DRIVER SIZE 70mm FREQUENCY RESPONSE 4 - 120,000 Hz SENSITIVITY 100 dB/mW IMPEDANCE 64 ohms PRICE $2,599
resonance. Inside, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an additional piece of acoustic Č´lter made out of Canadian softwood Č´bers that further absorbs and reduces resonance. The MDR-Z1R comes with detachable cables. The rear of the hangers terminates in a 3.5mm jack, so it is easy to Č´nd aftermarket cables for the MDR-Z1R. In any case, Sony provides two cables: one 3.5 meter cable that terminates with a 3.5mm plug with a 6.3mm adapter, and another 1.2 meter that terminates in Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Pentacon 4.4mm balanced connector. Unfortunately, not many ampliČ´ers oÎ?er Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balanced connector. If you wish to use the balanced connector, you will have to get one of Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new high-end ampliČ´ers like the TA-ZH1ES or their portable digital audio players like the NW-WM1Z and NW-WM1A. The MDR-Z1R also comes with a large presentation box with separate compartments for the headphones and
CONCLUSION
The MDR-Z1R oÎ?ers supreme style, comfort, and a fun sound that is easy on the ears.
The headphones are stylish and exceptionally well-made with premium materials like aluminum, beta titanium, and genuine leather.
The ear pads are made of memory foam and covered with sheepskin leather.
cables. The box is extremely luxurious with a leather outer case and soft satin lining on the inside. Unfortunately, the box is also very bulky and not very portable. Considering the premium pricing of the MDR-Z1R, I had expected Sony to provide a separate carrying case. However, the biggest feature of the MDR-Z1R is its drivers. In place of bio-cellulose drivers, the MDR-Z1R uses a 70mm large magnesium dome that is surrounded by an aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer edge. This
is easily one of the largest drivers ever put into a headphone. Sony claims the drivers can reproduce sounds from 4 Hz all the way up to a staggering 120,000 Hz. That sounds impressive, but remember, humans can only hear up to around 20,000 Hz at best, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mostly just technical bragging rights. Fortunately, the MDR-Z1R sounds pretty fantastic. One of the best qualities of its sound is its bass. I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t call the MDR-Z1R a bassy pair of headphones, but there is certainly a strong emphasis on bass.
WorldMags.net
It is hard-hitting, clean, and gratifying. Also impressive is its resolution, vocals and instruments sounded incredibly textured and detailed. Its sound stage is also impressively wide and would easily put a lot of open headphones to shame. However, the MDR-Z1R does have some issues. Treble sounds uneven and this can make female vocals and certain instruments sound a little unnatural. The overall tonality also sounds a bit oÎ? to me with vocals sounding far too muÉ&#x17E;ed and distant, which gives the MDR-Z1R a very V-shape kind of sound. Overall, if its neutrality and accuracy that you seek, you would be better oÎ? with other headphones. The MDR-Z1R certainly isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t what would be called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;referenceâ&#x20AC;? pair of headphones, but what it does oÎ?er is a fun sound that is easy on the ears and suits contemporary music very well. If you prefer dance, trance, rock, and pop music more than oldies, acoustic, or classical music, then the new Sony MDR-Z1R would be right up your alley.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
SINGAPORE
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net -m7Ń´;v Ń´bh; - u-1; 1-u "YTPO 4 $MVÄ&#x20AC; Y .SP Y Alvin Soon
$ "$
$ !Ä˝" as a light dumbbell, which sounds daunting when you think about hauling it through the entire house. For my part, I found it to be Č´ne once I got the hang of it, but heaviness is subjective and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be a comfortable weight for everyone. Using it as a handheld cleaner was also Č´ne for me. The one body part that did get tired wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t my bicep, but my Č´nger. Continuously holding the trigger down to activate the vacuum got tiresome â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it would have been nice to have a trigger lock of some kind. The soft roller cleaner head, which ships with both, is likely the one youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll use most of the time, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly maneuverable. It can rotate parallel to the ground, and smoothly to the sides, making it easy to get
The Dyson V8 is the most fun Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had with a vacuum cleaner and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the most expensive one Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever used. It is Dysonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest cordless vacuum cleaner, with more suction strength than its predecessor, the V6, and double its battery life. The V8 costs a pretty penny, at $999 for the V8 FluÎ?y Pro and $1,099 for the V8 Absolute Plus. Both editions ship with the same vacuum, but the Absolute Plus has more accessories, including a direct-drive cleaner head for deeper carpet cleaning. I used it for a month, and this is what I learned. If most vacuum cleaners handle like pick-up trucks, the V8 handles like a roadhugging car that responds to every nudge of the wheel. It weighs 2.6kg, the same
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net AT A GLANCE
SUCTION POWER 115AW BIN VOLUME 0.54L DIMENSIONS 210 x 1243 x 250mm WEIGHT 2.63kg PRICE $999
to those tough spots. The other attachments give you quite a bit of ȵexibility to reach into odd spaces and get the cleaning that you want doing The V8 can last up to 40 minutes on a full charge if you use the crevice and combination tool, up to 30 minutes with the mini motorized tool and soft roller cleaner head, and up to 25 minutes with the direct-drive cleaner head. Turn the V8’s suction power on to maximum eort, however, and you get a ȵat seven minutes, regardless of the attachment you use. I was worried that 30 minutes with the soft roller cleaner head might be too short to complete a full sweep, but I never ran out of juice when using the V8. For a complete sweep of
my 1,400 square foot ȵat, I averaged a cleaning time of 20 to 25 minutes, which is under the Dyson’s maximum run time. It also means that if you have a bigger place than mine, you should probably not get the V8. I’m constantly surprised by the amount of dirt that appears in the canister when vacuuming ȵoors that look clean. The V8’s suction power is thanks to the V8 digital motor, which spinsbat up to 110,000 times a minute to suck air and debris in — that’s ȴve times faster than a Formula One car engine. Instead of roaring like other vacuum cleaners, the V8 runs with a diminished, higher-pitched whine that’s supposed to be 50% quieter
the air going out of the V8 is likelybcleaner than the air that’s going in. The V8 is a bagless vacuum, which means that you save money down the line by not having to buy bag replacements. But it also means that you have to empty the dirt from the canister yourself. It’s not a terrible chore, but it’s one of the inconveniences that bagged vacuums don’t suer from. And the V8 runs on battery, which means that the battery will eventually run down. Anyone who’s owned a smartphone for a few years knows that the battery will hold a lesser charge through time, that’s just how current battery technology works.b After a month of getting to know the Dyson V8 in CONCLUSION all sorts of dirty It’s powerful, convenient, situations, I’ve found but also expensive it to be abthoughtfully designed machine.bBut that price, though. For most people, a than its older vacuums. thousand dollars is a lot to It’s not whisper quiet, drop for a vacuum cleaner. but you can almost have If you enjoy cleaning a conversation over it. If like I do, then the V8 is a you hold your face near tool that makes it a little the back of the V8, you’ll more delightful. And if you ȴnd a cool breeze blowing don’t, well, maybe the V8’s there. That’s where the air convenience — and the that’s being sucked in is price you pay for it — will ejected, and throughba HEPA encourage you to do it a ȴlterbno less, which means little more.
The loud colors are there to communicate. Red, for example, indicates parts you can manipulate, like the red trigger and the attachment points.
The soft roller cleaner head swivels around smoothly, making it easy to get the corners.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
SINGAPORE
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net oŃ´Ń´oÂ&#x2030; |_; Ń´;-7;u -QQP 0 Y , .
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
PICTURES 2332
display diÉ?cult to see. As with most smartphones these days, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a night mode (amusingly called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nightly Shieldâ&#x20AC;?) that reduces the amount of blue light on the screen to prevent eye strain. While the R11 runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS, Oppoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ColorOS 3.1 UI makes dramatic changes to the OS, to the point where it looks and feels much closer to (surprise, surprise) iOS. The notiČ´cation panel toggles have been replaced with a control center, the system apps use many design elements from iOS, and many of iOSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; signature features have been blatantly copied over too. Oppo Share, for example is a shameless clone of AirPlay, right down to the triangle in the logo. Even aspects of iOS that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as good as Android have been copied for some reason. Take notiČ´cations, for example. On pretty much every other Androidbased UI out there, you swipe right on a notiČ´cation to dismiss it. On iOS, you
Oppoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new R11 smartphone is heavily â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;inspiredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iPhone 7 Plus. The two phones look very similar, with the same button placement, speaker shape, antenna lines and front and rear camera placement. The only notable design diÎ?erences between the two phones are that the R11 has a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the sides of the R11 taper dramatically. As a result the sides are extremely thin, measuring a mere 6.8mm. In fact, the sides are so thin, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re actually painful to grip. This is one area where Oppo probably should have just stuck to Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rounded edge design. The R11 has a 5.5inch 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (401ppi) resolution AMOLED display. The AMOLED display is excellent, with strong contrast, deep blacks and rich colors. Unfortunately, the displayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maximum brightness is a bit dim, which can be problematic when using the phone outdoors, as it makes the
WorldMags.net swipe left, then press Clear, which frustratingly takes two steps. On the R11, Oppo has decided to copy Apple’s approach - you have to swipe left, then press “Delete” to clear notiȴcations. It’s also worth noting that the R11 does not have NFC support, which rules out many mobile payment apps.
The R11’s dual camera setup uses a primary 16-megapixel Sony IMX398 sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, and a secondary camera with a 2x longer focal length and a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 sensor with an f/2.6 aperture. Just like the iPhone 7 Plus, you can the zoom button to switch
softness towards the edge of the frame. There’s no noticeable dierence in quality between both rear cameras, but there is some slight processing lag when using the 2x camera, as the phone has to combine the images taken by both cameras in order to produce the zoomed-in image.
Despite almost everyone else switching to USB Type-C the R11 still uses a MicroUSB port.
The R11 sports Oppo’s ȴrst dual rear camera setup.
AT A GLANCE
SPECS Operating system Android 7.1 Nougat with Color OS 3.1 PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core (4x2.2 GHz Kryo 260 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260) DISPLAY 5.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (401 ppi) AMOLED DIMENSIONS 154.5 x 74.8 x 6.8mm WEIGHT 150g PRICE $699
The R11 runs on Qualcomm’s new midrange Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor paired with 4GB RAM. Benchmark performance was better than last year’s mid-range phones, but trails quite far behind Qualcomm’s ȵagship Snapdragon 835.
CONCLUSION
Questionable design choices, a frustrating UI, and the high price for a mid-range processor makes the R11 an easy pass.
between 1x and 2x zoom, or tap and drag to bring up a circular dial to make smaller adjustments to the zoom. Image quality from the R11’s rear cameras is decent, with good color reproduction and contrast, although there is some
The R11 lacks any optical image stabilization (OIS), which makes it tricky to shoot in low light, and as a result, less than ideal lighting conditions tend to result in either soft focus or extremely noisy images. The lack of OIS also makes it hard to capture stable
WorldMags.net
video footage, especially if you’re using the 2x zoom. Just like the iPhone, the dual-camera conȴguration also allows for a hardware/ software hybrid depth eect. The depth eect is activated when shooting with the rear cameras in Portrait mode. Pictures taken in Portrait mode had a fairly convincing bokeh, although the iPhone 7 Plus’ Portrait mode bokeh tends to be more pronounced and creamier overall. The Oppo R11 is powered by a 3,000mAh capacity non-removable battery, which is slightly on the small side for a smartphone with a 5.5-inch display. Nevertheless, the R11 performed well, lasting thirteen hours and 42 minutes in our video looping benchmark. As with Oppo’s other phones, despite using a Qualcomm processor, the R11 uses Oppo’s own VOOC fast charging technology (which we’ve found in the past to be the best out of all of the fast charging technologies out there). The latest version of VOOC will charge the phone from 0 to 70 percent in just thirty minutes and to 100 percent in just over an hour.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
SINGAPORE
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net
-vbo uoŊ$u;h "l-u| )" Ŋ ƑƏ A smartwatch for hikers Y , .
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
PICTURES CASIO
The Casio WSD-F20 is Casio’s second Android Wear smartwatch, following the WSD-F10. The biggest dierence between the two is that the WSD-F20 now has built-in GPS tracking. The WSD-F20 looks quite similar to its predecessor with a round 1.32-inch 320 x 300 pixels resolution display and a really chunky bezel. The screen isn’t that big, but the massive bezel makes the watch much larger than most other smartwatches. The screen is a dual-layer LCD panel, which means that when the watch isn’t in use, it switches to a simple monochrome transȵective display, which also helps to save battery power. To take advantage of all of the watch’s sensors, Casio has also added a few custom watch faces to the WSD-F20 including ones that constantly display your altitude, distance travelled and air pressure. The display itself is recessed from the bezel, which gives it some protection from scratches and drops, and the entire watch is certiȴed to MILSTD-810G standards, which encompasses a whole series of militarygrade test conditions for temperature, pressure, shock impact and more. A rarity among Android Wear smartwatches, the WSD-F20 is also water-resistant up to 50 meters, or ȴve
WorldMags.net
AT A GLANCE
OPERATING SYSTEM Android Wear 2.0 DISPLAY 1.3-inch / 320 x 300
atmospheres of pressure, which means you can wear it while swimming. On the right-side of the watch youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Č´nd three buttons. In the middle is the standard Android Wear button, which lets you toggle between the apps menu and watch face. The top button launches the Tools menu, which is unique to the WSD-F20, while the lower button launches a dedicated location-tracking app.
The side buttons give you quick access to hiking tools and your GPS location.
The watch has a chunky bezel and a recessed screen to protect the display from scratches.
dual-layer LCD DIMENSIONS 61.7mm Ă&#x2014; 57.7mm Ă&#x2014; 15.3mm WEIGHT 92g CONCLUSION
Casio does rugged smartwatch right with Android Wear 2.0 and built-in GPS, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a niche device.
In the Tools section, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see why the WD-F20 falls under Casioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ProTrek brand. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an array of information here dedicated to hiking and outdoor sports, including an altimeter, barometer, a clock showing the sunrise and sunset times, a compass and an indicator of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tide levels. Press the lower button and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll launch the location-Č´nder app, which uses the watchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built-in GPS to show your current location. As you often wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Wi-Fi or even a 3G connection while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out hiking, this app can actually use pre-downloaded map data to display maps oÉ&#x17E;ine. You can tag locations youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve visited and add voice notes and memos to them. Casio hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t revealed the processor inside the WSD-F20, but a system scan shows it to be a dual-core
Cortex-A7 CPU, running at 1GHz (which likely makes it the MediaTek MT2601). While that gives it only half the cores and a slower clock speed than Qualcommâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snapdragon Wear 2100, used in a number of other Android smartwatches, the WSD-F20 didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lag or struggle with any of the apps I installed on it. Casio also doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide details regarding the battery spec of the WSD-F20 but it generally will last about one day on a full charge. Turning on GPS and actively tracking a route does however cause the battery to drain alarmingly fast. When you do need to charge the watch, it uses a simple magnetic charging plug that connects with a port on the side of the watch. Unfortunately, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite easy for it to become accidentally dislodged. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deČ´nitely not your
WorldMags.net
PRICE $699
everyday smartwatch, but with oÉ&#x17E;ine maps, built-in GPS, an array of sensors and a MIL-spec, waterproof build, the WSD-F20 will be one of the best smartwatches for anyone that spends a lot of time outdoors.
Snap-on magnetic charging port on the side of the watch is handy, but prone to dislodging because of the cable design.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
SINGAPORE
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net $_; m; |o 1omvb7;u &CSC -OC Y / 9
AT A GLANCE
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 20Hz- 18kHz BATTERY LIFE Two hours
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
case is fairly well-designed too. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fairly slim, much like the case for the Bragi The Headphone, but has four indicator lights to indicate how much charge is remaining. The Hear One has a playtime of up to two hours, while the carrying case oÎ?ers up an extra three extra charges when fully charged. This brings the total possible playtime with the Here One up to eight hours, but it takes an hour to charge the headset once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been completely discharged. So, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposedly a full dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of listening with one-hour breaks in between. One thing that stands out with these headphones is the amount of calibration they do at the start to
WEIGHT 6g PRICE $459.00
create a unique proČ´le for your ears. A set of Č´ve test tones is played for each ear, while you adjust a slider to indicate at what volume you can hear each sound. This is then saved and used to adjust the way audio is played to your ears â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and by this we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just mean your music, but sounds from the real world too.
WorldMags.net
PICTURES DOPPLER LABS
The Here One wireless smart earbuds are the latest to join the fray, but where Doppler Labs say they diÎ?er from everything else is that they oÎ?er you the means to control not only the way you hear your music, but the way you hear the world. An evolution of the Here Active Listening ear buds the company Č´rst launched on KickStarter, these allow you to stream music and make calls while giving you a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) that allows you to turn down the volume or amplify certain frequencies that you hear from the outside world. In terms of looks, the Here One is sleek and modern-looking, with two color options; black and silver. The
WorldMags.net
)RXU /('V WR WKH ULJKW LQGLFDWH WKH FKDUJLQJ VWDWXV
7KH HDUEXGV UXQ WKURXJK LQWHQVLYH FDOLEUDWLRQ EHIRUH \RX HYHQ VWDUW
Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the greatest diÎ?erence the headphones bring, but it seemed like there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really that much diÎ?erence between presets, so we good separation from the drum work generally just left it at the maximum and the vocals of the backup singers, cancellation strength of -22. This let us so you can truly hear each of them. focus on just the music, and we were This was again reČľected on our really impressed by what we heard. formal test tracks, where we felt it Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good body to the audio, performed best with Hotel California with nice depth and good clarity on by The Eagles. The headphones did an the mids and highs. The midrange in excellent job of recreating the concert particular seems to be a strength with hall the band played in with its stereo these headphones. Vocals imaging, making it feel like come out nice and clear, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re right in the crowd. and both piano and guitar At $459, the Here One sounds are presented with is the most expensive pair &21&/86Î&#x2013;21 great naturalness. of wireless earbuds weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve *UHDW DXGLR On a recording of Nils tested thus far, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re KRUULEOH Lofgrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keith Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Go, also the most intelligent EDWWHU\ OLIH you can pick up every and the most musical squeak and squeal as he weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard too. The shifts from one chord option to dial up the audio to another and the high from your surrounds also notes ring out sweet and true, so works as advertised, though it can thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of detail to be had with certainly get too loud if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not these headphones. careful. Switch over to a recording of Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t The biggest issue with these Know Why by Norah Jones, and the earbuds however, is the battery life. lower range of the Here One comes We averaged only about an hour and into play. The headphones do a great a half of listening time per charge job of rendering the bass guitar in with these headphones. Given that it this piece with body and just the right takes a full hour to get a full charge, it amount of decay. Meanwhile, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seems like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be charging the buds almost as much as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be listening to music with them, which is a real shame.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
SINGAPORE
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net 7KH UHWXUQ RI GXDO UHDU /HLFDV &V?WCG . ?OB . .MVT Y . * !
AT A GLANCE
OPERATING SYSTEM Android 7.0 with EMUI 5.1 PROCESSOR Kirin 960 octa-core DISPLAY 5.1-inch / 1,920 x 1,080 pixels / LCD 5.5-inch / 2,560 x 1,440 pixels / LCD BATTERY 3,200mAh (P10) 3,750mAh (P10 Plus) PRICE $798 (P10) $998 (P10 Plus)
HWM
| SEPTEMBER 2017
where a soft tap takes you back by one step, while a long hold would bring you to the Home screen. Swiping sideways will show you all your running apps. The controls are extremely intuitive despite the diÎ?erences when compared to other familiar Android OS tapping combos. Other minor features include water resistance with nano-coating on-board. While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a nice touch, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel as reassuring as having a phone with proper IP-rated resistance, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to expect from modern Čľagship devices. The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus use HiSiliconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kirin 960 processors. To the average phone user, the Kirin 960 SoC claims to have â&#x20AC;&#x153;18% better CPU eÉ?ciency and 40% better graphics performanceâ&#x20AC;? compared to its
WorldMags.net
PICTURES HUAWEI
78
The Huawei P10 looks very similar to the iPhone with its regular sandblasted matte Č´nish. The sides and corners are rounded, with a subtle chamfered edge thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girdled around the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front panel. However, their rear camera conČ´guration is perfectly Čľush beneath the glass strip at the top â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something that the iPhone 7 Plus doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really do with their dual rear lenses. On the Huawei P10 is a 5.1-inch LCD display at Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) resolution, while the P10 Plus packs a 5.5-inch LCD display at QHD (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) resolution. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth noting that the phones come with a factory-Č´tted plastic screen protector on top of the Gorilla Glass panel. The solid Č´ngerprint sensor doubles up as the phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s navigation keys
WorldMags.net predecessor. Our own benchmarks OnePlus 3T with a 3,400mAh battery put it closer to the Qualcommâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s managed an uptime of 853 minutes. Snapdragon 820. Thankfully, it recharges just as fast Now, both the Huawei P10 and 30 minutes of charging brought the P10 Plus rear cameras consist of Huawei P10 Plus from 0% to 42%. the following pair â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 12-megapixel As a whole, the P10 and P10 Plus RGB sensor and a 20-megapixel are great devices with a clean look, monochrome sensor. The only comfortable handling, and practical hardware diÎ?erence between both features. However, they do not have models is the use of diÎ?erent lenses, class-leading performance or the best with the P10 sporting a f/2.2 aperture battery life. As mentioned, the Kirin lens while the P10 Plus has a brighter 960 processor only measures up to f/1.8 one. This result in only one the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, and noticeable diÎ?erence â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the P10 Plus can outclassed by the Snapdragon 821 handle low-light situations a smidgen and the latest Snapdragon 835. The better than the P10, which probably P10 retails at $798, which is almost the is hard to tell unless you have both same price as the OnePlus 3T with only shooters side by side. half its battery life. Otherwise, the cameras Huawei makes up for deliver good control over it with a great camera color. It has accurate setup and new shooting white balance, and fairly modes, but if you strictly CONCLUSION accurate color rendering; compare both phones, the Impressive itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more vibrant when P10 Plus is the tougher sell camera setup shooting in the new between the two despite with decent Artistic mode though. its favorable aesthetics. performance, Outdoor shooting is Of course, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re free to the P10 and P10 Plusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pay that $200 premium but battery strongest suit, while for an already-premium life is still its biggest challenge is smartphone, but you lacking. contrast handling. Artistic arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really getting much mode is a far better more beyond screen size option (than Aperture diÎ?erences in the case of mode) for digitally bokeh-ed shots, the P10 and P10 Plus. but the artiČ´cial halo that comes with its bokeh eÎ?ect is still present, even if it is less pronounced. Artistic mode is present on the front camera too, H UAW E I P 1 0 doubling as the beautifying edit thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gradually becoming a core feature for selČ´es. The Leica-like interface within the camera app also contributes to the positive shooting experience. The P10 packs a 3,200mAh nonremovable battery, while the P10 Plus is at 3,750mAh. Battery life is a little disappointing each clocked 330 minutes and 433 minutes respectively in our battery test. In contrast, the
The unique dual rear cameras return with a new, Leica-approved Artistic mode.
The P10â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matte Č´nish, rounded corners, and subtle chamfered edge reminds us of an iPhone.
H UAW E I P 1 0 P L U S
SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE
WorldMags.net
SEPTEMBER 2017 |
+:0
79
8 ) 7 8
WorldMags.net l;m ];|v - l-h;oÂ&#x2C6;;u &. -NCO Y - 9 !
80
+:0
| SEPTEMBER 2017
AT A GLANCE
CONCLUSION
An attractive and thoughtfully designed gaming laptop for the masses.
upmarket look. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost no Čľex to the keyboard, and the keys oÎ?er good travel distance and a pleasant typing experience. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a single-color red backlight though, but you can switch between lighting up the entire keyboard or just the WASD key cluster. One nice touch is the built-in shortcut to disable the Windows key while in game, which is activated by hitting Fn + F12. The Omen 15 features an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, so this is very clearly a budget gaming laptop. However, a couple of things help it stand out from the
PROCESSOR Intel Core i7-7700HQ (2.8GHz, 6MB L3 cache)
A dedicated button launches the Omen Control Center for monitoring CPU and memory usage.
MEMORY 8GB DDR4 RAM GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB STORAGE 128GB Samsung PM961 PCIe NVMe SSD PRICE $1,999
competition, such as the large 70Wh battery that aÎ?ords it a longevity that is a cut above the rest and its use of a speedier PCIe NVMe SSD instead of a SATA-based drive. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also Č´nd a 2x2 wireless module onboard, where most of the Č´eld uses a 1x1 implementation. In addition, HP dispensed
WorldMags.net
entirely with slower USB 2.0 ports, opting instead for USB 3.0 across the board. The display is also a bit better than what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get from other notebooks at this price. While other panels can appear terribly washed out and vapid, the Omen 15 avoids these pitfalls, and generally makes for quite a viewable experience.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
SINGAPORE
PICTURES +3
Out with the old, in with the new. HP has given its Omen laptops a design makeover, and while the hardware remains mostly the same, the new Omen 15 is a refreshing change with far more character and visual Čľair. The lid sports a distinctive X pattern and the Omen logo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little ostentatious, but it makes for a nice look overall. In addition, this is quite a thin notebook for its class at 24.8mm thick, although it is still hefty at 2.568kg. Two grills Čľank the hinge, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re purely ornamental, and arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually speakers or anything like that. The real speakers are located at the bottom of the notebook. Dual Bang & Olufsen-tuned units pump out rather loud and full-bodied sound for a laptop, and they can easily Č´ll a room at less than maximum volume, which is fairly impressive. Build quality feels robust and solid, and the base boasts a brushed metal Č´nish for a slightly more
WorldMags.net - 0bu7 *ƒ A Sound Fit Y / 9 F
AT A GLANCE
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 20-20,000 Hz SENSITIVITY 96dB IMPEDANCE 16 ohm WEIGHT 17.9g PRICE $215
PICTURES JAYBIRD
Jaybird made their name by calling themselves an athletics company ȴrst, audio company second. You’ll sooner ȴnd them endorsed by sports personalities than fashion icons and so it’s certainly no surprise to ȴnd that these headphones sport a basic, utilitarian design. A large logo emblazoned on the back of each headphone works as the only design feature, with the headphone wrapped in plastic to help keep it perfectly sweat-proof. Compared to the X2, the X3 is smaller and slightly slimmer. For a good ȴt, you get a whole range of ear-tips (both silicone and Comply) along with a set of ear ȴns and a handy clip to manage extra cabling. Because the X3 supports Bluetooth 4.1, you can
connect each pair with up to two devices simultaneously. Also, you can pair two X3s to a single device, so you can easily share what’s playing on your smartphone with a running buddy.
CONCLUSION
Great for workouts and casual listening.
In terms of audio performance, we tested the X3 on its 6LJQDWXUH EQ setting, and found that it gave fairly good clarity in the midrange with a slightly muted lower bass response. Listening to a recording of 6ZHHW &KLOG RI 0LQH by Guns N’ Roses for example, the guitar work comes out fairly
clearly, but you can’t help but wish the drum work was slightly more impactful. There’s good detail and imaging to be had with these headphones though, and that’s made evident when listening to an acoustic version of )LUHRSDO by Ottmar Liebert. The guitar work on this piece really sings and you can almost feel the resonating strings as he works his way through the song. Do note that audio can be further tweaked to your liking via the Jaybird MySound app on your smartphone. Unlike most EQ tuning, this is saved to the headphones themselves, so you’ll get the same sound signature no matter what app (or device) you use the X3 with after. Overall, the Jaybird X3 is a nice package except that it requires a proprietary clip
WorldMags.net
for charging, as opposed to a simple microUSB cable. That’s just one more thing to bring along and worry about.
Any proȴle changes you make in the app are saved to the headphone’s ȴrmware itself.
T E S T E D & R AT E D
8.0
/10
SINGAPORE
SEPTEMBER 2017
|
HWM
81
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net The All-new Post-PC
MICROSOFT 5FCSC BP UFCY W?OU UP EP UPB?Y Y < %
W
ell OK. Maybe not exactly all-new. Microsoft has been pursuing a “mobile-ȴrst, cloud-ȴrst” strategy since Satya Nadella took over as CEO back in 2014. But to the casual observer, Microsoft is still Windows, Oɝce and a smattering of Xbox. Except, the PC market has been in continuous decline—research ȴrm Gartner reports PC shipments are down in Q2 2017, and has been sliding for the past 11 quarters. A global reshuɞing exercise has also seen Microsoft cutting consumer teams around the region, Singapore included, even as they’re gearing for new Xbox and Surface device launches. What exactly have they done to further this mobile-ȴrst, cloudȴrst agenda? I was invited to visit Microsoft in Redmond to see for myself. Far removed from their devices days (you know, Windows Phone), the ȴrst thing I noticed was that almost everyone uses an iPhone. Even among the journalists present, three out of four were taking notes with a tablet and Bluetooth keyboard instead of a notebook. Microsoft has acknowledged that we’re living in a world
82
+:0
| SEPTEMBER 2017
where any device that works for you, is the device you work with. This seems to be what Microsoft’s mobile-ȴrst ethos is all about; not a speciȴc device or device ecosystem, but about mobility. In a nutshell though, Microsoft is going back to its roots, and it revolves around software. Think about it. What is a PC? A disparate mix of hardware all running on a common platform – Windows. In a mobile-ȴrst world, your disparate mix of
hardware are the devices of all makes and models. But Microsoft has learned that cornering the mobile market isn’t about trying to put Windows onto every device. Here’s where the cloud-ȴrst strategy comes in.
The new Microsoft doesn’t care what you use. Are you a Windows user? Great. Not a Windows user? Doesn’t matter. In 2014, Microsoft opened up the Oɝce suite for free on iOS and Android. They even partnered with Dropbox, a thirdparty cloud provider to access Oɝce documents, so you technically didn’t need to pay Microsoft anything at all to use and work on your mobile Oɝce docs. In the following years, Microsoft has continued to open up more of their software on iOS and Android. However, this is just scratching the surface of things. There’s more to Microsoft’s strategy than making apps available on competitor platforms. Every major technology company is investing for the big push into AI, Microsoft included, even though they’re probably lesser known today among other consumer AI implementations. When you think of Siri, you think of speaking into your phone to schedule meetings and update to do lists—or if you’re The Rock, save the world. When you think of Alexa, you think of controlling your smart home; dimming the lights, playing music or switching TV channels.
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
3Î&#x2013;&785(6 0Î&#x2013;&5262)7
[
Inside Microsoft, the general mood is one of innovation. From The Garage, where employees go to make â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;stuffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, to next-generation AI research. WorldMags.net
[
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
F E A T U R E
WorldMags.net in conversational speech recognition
being let loose online. But Microsoft’s
intents and purposes can do all the same
systems with a word error rate of 5.8%,
had great success with other chatbot
things; Cortana is also enabled on all
which is equal or better than a human.
AI’s since then. Zo, Tay’s more mild-
Windows 10 devices by default and can
While this record has since been broken,
mannered cousin has been online since
be installed on iOS and Android too. Yet,
Microsoft reached the milestone ȴrst.
October 2016, and holds a record of
Microsoft has Cortana, which for all
it is one of the lesser used AI assistants around. Microsoft’s Bing search engine is another example of Microsoft
Speaking of conversation, you’ve
one of the longest 1-on-1 conversations
probably heard all about the hilariously
in a 24 hour period with 2,055 chat
disastrous Twitter chat bot Tay, who
turns. Rinna (in Japan boasts 30 million
turned into a racist xenophobe after
users) and Microsoft just launched
tech that’s lesser used than
Ruuh in India. The most successful
the competition, but no less
thus far has to be XiaoIce in China.
infused with intelligence. One
This chatbot AI has been active since
of the things Microsoft’s doing
2014 and has not only been a hit social
with Bing that other popular
experiment, but has gone on to present
search engines have not
the weather on a major news channel
gotten onto is chatbot search grouping. They’re even trialing chatbot integration with local restaurants so you can search, chat and book your meal without leaving the search engine. Another core product of Microsoft, their Oɝce suite has become increasingly smart too, and with incremental cloud updates through Oɝce 365, you probably wouldn’t have noticed. From the simple Word spell checker that can now understand formatting and style to built-in search and image recognition in PowerPoint that can analyze the kind of deck you’re building and make suggestions along the way. But one shouldn’t take Cortana and Bing alone as a gauge of Microsoft’s success in the ȴeld of AI. According to Lili Cheng, Corporate VP at Microsoft AI & Research, Microsoft has been working on AI for the past 25 years. They’re considered pioneers in many ȴelds of machine learning, machine vision and speech processing. You might have come across Microsoft’s public experiments based on some of these cognitive services previously. In 2015, Microsoft trialed two machine vision services. How-Old.net could analyze your face and predict your age, and Project Oxford (now known simply as the Emotion API) could try and guess your emotions. In October 2016, researchers from Microsoft’s Speech & Dialogue research group made a breakthrough
and write poetry. An actual book of 139 collected poems by XiaoIce has been published titled “Sunshine Misses Windows”. Other examples of Microsoft AI services that you can actually experiment with right now, using your own data sets include Power BI, a data visualization and analytics tool, customvision.ai, a machine vision neural-net assisted image classiȴer, and qnamaker.ai, a mple tool that can turn any sim mple Q&A into a functional sim atbot, giving a static web cha page the illusion of AI smarts. you’re actually technically If y inclined, you can delve into the ot Framework and develop Bo our own XiaoIce too. yo Many of Microsoft’s forays into AI have nothing tto do with directly selling a product or locking down technology to their own product the technolo ecosystems. Borne from Microsoft’s Research department, the direction is to democratize AI, opening up their services for all and to developers of all platforms. David Forstrom, the Director of Communications for Microsoft AI & Research told us that as little as two years ago, Microsoft only had 4 cognitive services for people to use. Today, Microsoft has the largest collection of cognitive services—29 in total—in the market, and is the only AI provider that allows customization of their services. The PC died and went up to the cloud, and it is much happier there.
84
+:0
| SEPTEMBER 2017
Banking hard on AI, Microsoft aims to make intelligence part of everyday life.
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net SUBSCRIPTION SPECIAL Up to
40
% OFF
And gifts worth up to
$400each! 12 PRINT ISSUES
24 PRINT ISSUES
36 PRINT ISSUES
48 PRINT ISSUES
25% oÎ? + 1 gift
30% oÎ? + 2 gifts
35% oÎ? + 3 gifts
40% oÎ? + 4 gifts
@ $62 (U.P. $82.80)
@ $115 (U.P. $165.60)
@ $160 (U.P. $248.40)
@ $198 (U.P. $331.20)
ADD
$8 and enjoy
12 DIGITAL ISSUES of another title* of your choice, worth up to $82.80! 6HOHFW IURP +:0 0HQČ&#x2021;V +HDOWK 7RUTXH DQG +RPH 'HFRU
V
SUBSCRIBE NOW! VISIT WWW.HARDWAREMAG.COM/SUB17 Gifts are limited and available while stocks last. Offer ends September 30, 2017
WorldMags.net
I N GS : T S I E X R I B E Rur r Fo B S C yo now! ence S U enewtion ill commrent R rip on w r cur sc cripti n you b u s subs y whe es.
ew icall expir rn u at o Y one om aut
Âľ
V
SUBSCRIBE NOW! VISIT WWW.HARDWAREMAG.COM/SUB17
WorldMags.net
*LIWV DUH OLPLWHG DQG DYDLODEOH ZKLOH VWRFNV ODVW 2IIHU HQGV 6HSWHPEHU
62/(86 *36 6ROH +HDUW 5DWH 0RQLWRU ZRUWK 6HOHFW IURP WZR PRGHOV 7KH 6ROHXV *36 6ROH KHDUW UDWH PRQLWRU DOORZV \RX WR WUDFN \RXU VSHHG GLVWDQFH SDFH DQG KHDUW UDWH <RX FDQ VHW XS WR VL[ LQWHUYDO WLPHUV FRXQW FDORULHV DQG VWRUH DQG XSORDG \RXU GDWD IRU D ODWHU UHYLHZ
KLIPSCH Î&#x2013;Q HDU +HDGSKRQHV ZRUWK IRU 5 L RU IRU 5
VITAHEALTH
6HOHFW IURP WZR PRGHOV 7KH .OLSVFK 5HIHUHQFH 5 L DQG 5 LQ HDU KHDGSKRQHV DUH HQJLQHHUHG IRU SXUH SHUIRUPDQFH DQG FRPIRUW 7KH VDPH DGYDQFHG DFRXVWLF HQJLQHHULQJ DQG LQGXVWULDO GHVLJQ IURP WKH OHJHQGDU\ .OLSVFK 5HIHUHQFH KRPH WKHDWUH VSHDNHUV SURYLGH WKH SHUIRUPDQFH YRLFH DQG GHVLJQ IRU WKH 5HIHUHQFH LQ HDU KHDGSKRQHV 7KH 5 L FRPHV ZLWK D WKUHH EXWWRQ UHPRWH DQG PLFURSKRQH IRU L26 GHYLFHV
3DVVLRQ 0DQ ZRUWK 9LWD+HDOWK 3DVVLRQ 0DQ LV GHVLJQHG IRU PHQ WR LPSURYH WKHLU YLWDOLW\ DQG HQGXUDQFH UHOLHYH VWUHVV DQG IDWLJXH QRXULVK WKHLU NLGQH\V DQG PDLQWDLQ WKHLU HQHUJ\ OHYHOV IRU RYHUDOO SHUIRUPDQFH
CLAUDE BERNARD 7LPHSLHFH ZRUWK 6HOHFW IURP IRXU PRGHOV &ODXGH %HUQDUG SURGXFHV H[TXLVLWH KDQG DVVHPEOHG 6ZLVV PDGH FODVVLF WLPHSLHFHV :KHWKHU LQ WKH ERDUGURRP DW D FDVXDO ZHHNHQG EUXQFK RU DQ HYHQLQJ FRFNWDLO WKLV FODVVLF WLPHSLHFH H[XGHV HOHJDQFH DQG VRSKLVWLFDWLRQ VXEWO\ EDODQFLQJ SUHFLVLRQ WLPHNHHSLQJ ZLWK DQ H[SUHVVLRQ RI WLPHOHVVQHVV
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
KLIPSCH
KLIPSCH
FOCAL
FOCAL
All Weather In-ear Headphones worth $169
All Sport In-ear Headphones worth $199
Listen Mobile Headphones worth $339
Sphear In-ear Headphones worth $169
The Klipsch AW-4i all-weather headphones are designed to deliver superior sound in the most extreme conditions. Built for running, or even snowboarding down a mountain -- these moistureresistant, incredibly durable headphones are ready for anything.
The lightweight, moisture/ sweat-resistant Klipsch AS-5i headphones stay in place during your toughest workout. The customizable ȵex wire design allows for the perfect ȴt, and it delivers big sound with dynamic detail and blocks out ambient noise to keep you focused.
Designed in France, Focal Listen are premium mobile headphones that provide excellent noise isolation and preserve all their acoustic qualities, even in loud environments. The heat-sensitive, high-density memory foam of its large ear cushions oers impressive comfort.
Sphear in-ear headphones are created to eectively provide high-ȴdelity acoustics while avoiding discomfort during prolonged listening. Memory foam tips on its front adapt naturally to the ear, while an extended housing at the back shifts the weight of the headphones to the external ear, relieving the ear canal from excessive volume and weight.
TARGUS T
KAPPA
Crave Laptop Backpack worth w $68.90
Backpack worth $89.90 Equipped with multiple handy compartments, this stylish Kappa ȵeece backpack keeps your laptop safe and secure in its interior padded sleeve, while the front compartment oers a vast storage with easy access.
Inspired by outdoor apparel, tthe stylish and lightweight Targus Crave Laptop T Backpack is made of durable water- and stain-resistant w nylon material with scratchresistant microȴber.
(TXLYDOHQW WR JLIW
(TXLYDOHQW WR JLIWV
(TXLYDOHQW WR JLIWV
WorldMags.net
(TXLYDOHQW WR JLIWV
WorldMags.net
ENJOY
OFF ALL YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINES WITH OUR 1-YEAR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION DEALS PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NOT ALL BAD NEWS PG22
ST TORQUE AWARDS
JANUARY 2017 | S$6 90 | RM9 50
SINGAPOREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST NEW CARS
g
PG 67 ES S NGAPOR Y NO 1 MONTHL E CAR MAGAZIN
MED A N ELSEN INDEX 2016
PANAMERA
SC E
I
C
S
AFFORDA LE FAMILY CARRIERS TOYOTA O A SIENTA S E TA vs KIA CARENS C E S vs HONDA MOBILIO O O
E
CL
CO
O
E
U
ECO O
CO
S E
431> (U.P. $82.80)
431> (U.P. $72)
431> (U.P. $60)
O
3 00
431> (U.P. $82.80)
HURRY, SUBSCRIBE NOW!
[[[ WTLQEKE^MRIW GSQ WK
WorldMags.net
431> (U.P. $72)
6IEH ]SYV JEZSYVMXI QEKE^MRIW SR XEFPIX SV WQEVXTLSRI XLVSYKL XLIWI TPEXJSVQW
L E A R N
/
BE SMARTER
WorldMags.net
3Î&#x2013;&785(6 SCOTT A. WOODWARD
TIPS FOR BETTER MOBILEPHOTOGRAPHY CA?VTC UFC @CTU A?NCS? GT UFC POC UF?U}T ?MW?YT WGUF YPV
Y Scott A. Woodward #BGUCB @Y Marcus Wong
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
L E A R N
WorldMags.net
Scott Woodward believes that photography is the most accessible and democratic form of artistic expression. And that the ubiquity of mobile phones (and their cameras) has made it more convenient than ever to make photographs and tell stories anytime, anywhere. He feels that the real secret behind great photography is in how you see a moment and interpret it in a still frame, regardless of what type of camera you are using. Are you able to make something ordinary appear extraordinary? Are you able to make the viewer feel emotion? Are you able to transport someone to a moment with just your images?
Scott agrees with photographer Chase Jarvis when he states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best camera is the one thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with youâ&#x20AC;?, and ĂŻnds it hard to imagine what he did before he started using his iPhone as a serious photography device. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made more images in the last eight years than in his entire life, simply because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a camera thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with him at all times. He recommends taking inspiration from around the world by looking at the endless stream of imagery on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and thinks we should use the camera as an excuse to delve into a place deeper than we otherwise would.
HERE ARE HIS 10 TIPS FOR MAKING BETTER MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY.
7KH JROGHQ YDOOH\ RI 7DNDKDUD -DSDQ
1 . LIGHT MY FIRE
The most critical ingredient in all
the sun is low and the light is soft and orange. Dramatic light
great photographs is the lighting. The best images always make
can make even the most mundane subjects appear outstanding,
interesting and powerful use of light. But try to avoid direct
so also be on the lookout for beams of light peeking through
sunlight. The angle of the sun signiĂŻcantly affects the warmth,
clouds, ĂŻltering through trees or shining through windows. Make
contrast and texture of a photograph. As often as possible, shoot
use of the long shadows cast during the golden hours, and try to
in the warm â&#x20AC;&#x153;golden hoursâ&#x20AC;? of early morning and late afternoon
use backlighting to silhouette your subjects. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1
(one hour after sunrise and one to two hours before sunset) when
1CUUGOET T D '1-
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
L E A R N
WorldMags.net 2. BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN CITY
You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to
travel to do â&#x20AC;&#x153;travel photographyâ&#x20AC;?. There are fascinating places, colorful characters and meaningful stories everywhere â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even in Life imitates art: in Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tiong Bahru neighbourhood.
our own backyards. Tibet is an exotic destination to someone who lives in Singapore, just as Singapore is an exotic destination to someone who lives in Tibet. So be a tourist in your own city: explore familiar surroundings and you will ĂŻnd wonderful photographic opportunities. Besides, practice makes perfect, so the more experienced you are with your mobile device, the better your photographs will be when you ĂŻnally take that dream trip. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
Vendors and patrons sift through yartsa gunbu (caterpillar fungus) on the street in Lhasa, Tibet.
3. GET EXPERIMENTAL
A mobile
phone is much easier to handle than a DSLR. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lighter and more compact, so use this to your advantage and be on the lookout for dynamic and creative angles. Hold it high and shoot without looking at the screen or put it on the ground and tilt it up. The more creative you get, the more youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn about what works and what doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, and the better your photographs will be. Or maybe youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just get lucky and make a beautiful accident. A stolen glance while waiting at a crosswalk in Osaka, Japan.
1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
4. TAKE IT TO THE STREETS
Because of its compact (and
ubiquitous) nature, a mobile phone is a fantastic tool for street photography. Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small, people are less likely to stop what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing or pose for you when shooting with a mobile phone, so use this to your advantage to make candid, evocative street photography. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
L E A R N
WorldMags.net 5.
ADD LIFE TO LANDSCAPES Beautiful landscape shots
can be breathtaking, but if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been subjected to a friend or family memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holiday snaps, you know how dull they can become after youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve looked at dozens in a row. Try adding people to your landscape photographs for that human touch. It gives a sense of scale, offers perspective and adds drama, making it more powerful. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
8S FORVH DQG SHUVRQDO LQ %DUUDQFD *UDQGH *XDWHPDOD
6. GET CLOSE
'ZDUIHG E\ QDWXUH RQ WKH .XPDQR .RGR 3LOJULPDJH LQ .RJXFKL -DSDQ
Great portraits
happen when you ĂŻll the screen with your subjectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face. But skip the zoom function. Mobile devices use digital zoom that crops in on the photo, cutting away valuable pixels and degrading the quality of your image. Instead, get physically closer to your subject - and when you think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re close, get even closer. As Robert Capa famously said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If your pictures arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good enough, you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t close enough.â&#x20AC;? 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
%XUPHVH IDUPHUV ZRUN LQ WKH Č´ HOGV RÎ? 1DWLRQDO +LJKZD\ EHWZHHQ 1D\S\LGDZ DQG <DQJRQ 0\DQPDU
7. LEARN THE SHORTCUTS AND SETTINGS
Amazing photographic
opportunities are often Ă°eeting, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get caught digging for the camera app. Learn the device or app shortcuts and be sure to turn on your cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gridlines in the settings. This gives you an easy guide to composition using the Rule of Thirds by splitting your screen into nine boxes. To use the rule, place the most important elements of your scene along the gridlines or where they intersect. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
8. FORGET THE FLASH
When shooting low light mobile photography, make sure you turn off
the Ă°ash. Mobile phone Ă°ashes are simply tiny LED Ă°ashlights â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their color temperature is different than natural light, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re located directly in front of your subject and right next to the lens, and
theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not powerful like a speed light or off-camera Ă°ash. But remember when camera phones shoot in low light, the ISO automatically increases and the shutter speed slows to allow enough light to expose the image. So be sure to keep the camera steady by holding the device with both hands and bracing your arms against your body. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
9. SHOOT RAW Traditionally, one of the greatest advantages of working with a DSLR vs. a phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camera was the ability to shoot raw. Raw ĂŻles offer more latitude when editing and retouching photographs, allowing for â&#x20AC;&#x153;deeperâ&#x20AC;? postprocessing. More phones are offering RAW capture now, so take advantage of it. Adobe Lightroom Mobile will even allow you to shoot and edit raw ĂŻles on your phone itself, offering the same traditional Lightroom Develop Module processing capabilities you would normally associate with desktops. And it automatically syncs your CampČ´re nights on Lake Huron in BayČ´eld, Ontario, Canada.
raw ĂŻles to Lightroom Desktop too. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
Fire across the Thai sky from high atop Bangkokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s State Tower.
10. GO MANUAL
A kulhar wali chai (traditional chai tea served in an earthen cup) vendor puts on a splashing show in Kolkata, India.
Taking a picture is one thing; making
a photograph is another thing entirely. As any professional will attest, visualizing your image and knowing what you want to create before pressing the shutter is critical to making truly impactful photography. In order to take full control of your camera phone, shoot with an app like Adobe Lightroom Mobile which offers a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Professionalâ&#x20AC;? setting that lets you manually adjust your camera settings. The freedom to override the automatic settings can make the difference between a good photograph and a great photograph. 1FPU WGUF G.FPOC 1 1CUUGOET T D '1-
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
L E A R N
WorldMags.net 3TY FQQ 'QZJYTTYM NX JVZFQ MVCUPPUF ?VBGP GT APOùCOGCOUU DVTT DVTTƥDSCC DSCC ?OB C?TY VU OPU ?MM MVCUPPUF F BCùGACT ?SC CRV?M &CSC}T MVCUPPUF ?V VBGP GO ? OVUTFCMM
Y - ;
SBC APTX APTX AAC SBC Early Bluetooth wireless audio devices sounded significantly worse than their wired counterparts and the reason why is because music data has to be compressed before it can be transmitted wirelessly. This is necessary because transmitting lots of data can put a serious drain on batteries; less data means less power drain. So, the way music data is transmitted and therefore how it sounds, is dependent on the codec used for transmission.
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
SBC stands for “Low Complexity Subband Coding” and it is the default codec for all Bluetooth audio devices. It wasn’t designed for music listening or audio fidelity. Instead, it was designed so that audio can be transmitted using the least power possible. As a result, listeners with keen ears will hear a distinct drop in audio quality. Worse still for discerning users is that there are many levels of SBC and users cannot easily tell which particular level of SBC is actually being used by the devices for streaming. At best, SBC streams audio data at a bit rate of around 328kbps – comparable to the highest quality MP3 files.
APTX
Moving up from SBC, we have aptX, which is a codec developed by a company called CSR and acquired by Qualcomm in 2015. Unlike SBC, aptX’s roots are founded in audio fidelity; created using data gleaned from psychoacoustic research. It aims to deliver near CD-quality audio. And indeed, some audiophiles have reported better streaming performance. And even though aptX is one of the more popular Bluetooth audio codecs, it is not supported by all devices. To get aptXquality Bluetooth audio, both the transmitting and receiving devices must support aptX. iOS users should take note at this point because iOS devices do not support aptX.
WorldMags.net
AAC
So how then can an owner of an iOS device get better quality Bluetooth audio? The answer is AAC, another codec designed specifically for audio use. Like aptX, it requires both transmitting and receiving devices to support AAC to work. Audiophiles have found AAC to sound comparable to aptX, but the bigger issue is popularity of the standard. There are fewer third party devices today that support AAC than aptX. This means that owners of iOS devices must look a bit harder to find an AAC-compatible Bluetooth device if they want the best Bluetooth audio experience.
3Ζ&785( )5((3Ζ.
SBC
L E A R N
WorldMags.net THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MACHINE LEARNING AND DEEP LEARNING Y , .
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning are all buzz words that seem to be everywhere these days. They’re in your smartphone, your smartwatch, your smart speakers and smart fridge. But what’s the difference between them, and are they really everything they seem to be?
3Ζ&785(6 *22*/(
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
MACHINE LEARNING
DEEP LEARNING
Artificial Intelligence is a general term for any form of computer thinking. It can refer to anything from the AI opponent in a game of Starcraft, to a voice-recognition system like Siri or Google Now interpreting and responding to speech. Furthermore, the technology can broadly be categorized into two groups: Narrow AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Google’s DeepMind AlphaGo AI is an example of narrow AI: one that is skilled at a specific task. In contrast, an AGI is a general purpose AI that, in theory can apply its thinking to any task. A true AGI is much harder to create and while there have been many attempts to make one, so far, no AI can be classified as an AGI.
Machine learning is a subset of AI. It refers specifically to software designed to detect patterns and observe outcomes, then use that analysis to adjust its own behavior. Machine learning doesn’t actually require intelligent thinking in the way we perceive it, it simply requires really good pattern matching and the ability to apply those patterns to its behavior. IBM’s Deep Blue and DeepMind’s Alpha Go are both game-playing Narrow AIs, but only Alpha Go uses Machine Learning. Deep Blue uses rule-based programming, so any changes in its behavior relies on changes in its core programming. On the other hand, Alpha Go was able to beat Go world champion Ke Jie by analyzing expert-level Go matches and applying those strategies.
Deep Learning is a further subset of Machine Learning that uses algorithms inspired by the structure of the human brain called artificial neural networks to solve problems. In Deep Learning, the AI have multiple layers that handle different specific tasks. And even something as simple as identifying a stop sign will have different layers to analyze shape, color, patterns, and text. As such, Deep Learning requires massive datasets to work. For example, Google’s self-driving cars are trained to recognize obstacles and react to them appropriately. But due to the infinite number of variables (other cars, pedestrians, weather and road conditions etc.) involved, Google requires a massive amount of data to analyze.
WorldMags.net
6(37(0%(5 _ +:0
+ 3
WorldMags.net A GOOD PLACE FOR GOOD DESIGN ) & 5 6 L 6 L , Y Alvin Soon
+:0 _ 6(37(0%(5
WorldMags.net
3Î&#x2013;&785( *22' '(6Î&#x2013;*1 6725( 72.<2
Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good Design Awards have been recognizing good design for almost 60 years, and now you can see a curated collection of the award winners in Tokyo. While there are Good Design Stores in Hong Kong and Thailand, this is the ĂŻrst time that a Good Design Store has opened in the awardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; native homeland. The Good Design Store Tokyo is located near the historic Tokyo Station and was designed by the renowned Jasper Morrison. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deĂŻnitely a place to visit to appreciate good design, and maybe even grab a thing or two to bring home.
WorldMags.net Available at all major bookstores/newsstands and in digital edition
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net
WorldMags.net