CHIP Magazine

J
uly 2014 will go down in

the history books as one of
the worst months of the
year ever because we lost three
planes and the war between Palestine and Israel has reached a
boiling point where many innocent lives are at stake. July was also
the month where we truly witnessed the power of social media
and the World Wide Web and how it was used to rapidly uncover
the identity of a road bully (which then led to plenty of memes).
Things of course got out of hand as upset netizens and Malaysians
started hurling insults and threats at said road bully. If theres one
thing we can take away from this, is that Malaysians are very tech
savvy but we have to learn that cyber-bullying is just as bad as
being a bully on the road.
But other than the very tragic headlines, July was also the
month of forgiveness as our Malay friends celebrated Hari Raya
and I hope you all had a wonderful time spent back in the
kampong with family and friends. I on the other hand, was busy
scouring the net looking for houses to rent and boy was it a
stressful process. But imagine our elders who didnt have the
internet, they must have had to go through so much more.
Enough rambling from me! This month, weve got a ton of
great stuff in store for you as always and as you can tell from the
cover; our cover story is more of a recap of what has happened
ever since Edward Snowden divulged the secrets of the NSA.
Other than that, we also have quite a number of interesting feature
stories and my personal favourite has to be the ones about the
best Google replacements, a look at the features Windows 9 may
have and also the one about Tetris.
On top of all that, we also have a fairly beefy list of products for
review and we hope they help you out when it comes to your
gadget shopping.
Well, thats pretty much all from me this month and I hope you
enjoy the contents in this months issue. Lets all pray that the
month of August would be a more cheerful one. Until next time,
stay safe and live for the moment.
Just Take A
Breather
welcome note
col ophon
Jeremy Cheong

International Members of the Family

China Czech
Republic

Germany India Italy Hungary Indonesia Netherlands Poland

Romania Thailand Ukraine Russia Turkey
Managing Director Noor Azman
Head of Department YK Cheah
EDITORIAL
Editor Jeremy Cheong
Writer Nazrin Zain, Nicolas See Tho
Contributors Anand Tuliani, Azril
Malik, Brian Pereira, Deepti Krishnan,
Dushyant Khilnani, Erick Rustomji,
Fabian von, Keudell, Francis DSa,
Jamshed Avari, M. Biebel, Manfred
Flohr, Markus Hermannsdorfer, Michael
Eckstein, Monali Gaikwad,
Tim Lee,Thomas Littschwager, Valentin
Pletzer
Design & Layout Halijah Ismail
Cover Design Halijah Ismail
SALES & MARKETING
Senior Manager YK Cheah
Consultant Muffadzlee Dato Sufian
ADMINISTRATION
Admin Manager WP Lim
ONLINE

www.chip.com.my
@CHIPMY

CHIP Malaysia
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Under no circumstances whatsoever
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or in tort arising out of or in connection with
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All prices, product versions and URLs are
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contents
august 2014
047
Best Google
Alternatives
Google is known to take our info and sell them for
ads. So if you want out of the world of Google,
we highlight some of the best alternatives to their
services
1,000 Days
Without Steve
Jobs
Ever since Steve Jobs passed away, Apple hasnt
quite been itself and have had their competitors outdo
them. Will this market leader be able to get back to
where they were before?
044
A Year After The NSA
Scandal
It has been a year since Edward Snowden unveiled the dark secrets of the NSA.
We aimed to find out if anything has changed or are things still the same.
061
contents
august 2014
008
FEATURES
032 LegalTech
Now that the PCBS is in place,
users will be able to block
or locate their lost or stolen
devices with its IMEI number
036 Timeline
Tetris is a classic and loved by
gamers of all ages. We take
a look at its beginnings and
evolution

NEWS & TRENDS
008 Local News
Coverage of the latest news
and events right on our shores
023 World Wired Web
All the latest tech happenings
around the world
026 Security Reports
Monthly dose of security news
TEST LAB
071 Test Lab: The Tools
Test Labs tools of the trade
072 Test Lab Contents
Take a pick and get
started!
080 Reviews
Professionally conducted
reviews following our stringent
tests and benchmarks
PRACTICE
111 A Few Simple Tweaks
If you have an aging notebook,
we show you how to breathe
new life into it
LITE & LEISURE
104 Read
We take a look at some of the
must-read comics and novels
for fans of the steampunk
genre
110 Play
If you love beat-em-ups,
Drakengard 3 will be right up
your alley as this game is great
for times when you just want to
button mash
REGULARS
001 Welcome Note
006 Letters
119 Tips and Tricks
032
111 104
036 110
august 14

chip malaysia
004
contents
chi p downl oads
CHIP Downloads
Our list of essentials consists of programs and software such as graphic drivers, browsers, compression software and even Cloud
storage software that will improve a PC users experience. The links on our website wont provide you with the files, instead it will lead
you to the developers official website, where you can find the right file for you.
Were back with our monthly dose of interesting, free and handy tools for you to enhance your PC experience. If you want to know how
you can get these files, follow the instructions below:
1. Head on our website @ www.chip.com.my and right at the top, click on the Downloads tab
2. After that, click on the respective months post (eg. August 2014). You will then be prompted for a password. The password can be
found on this page monthly.
3. Navigate using the tabs and pick the categories you want to download the files from. Once you find the file you want, just click on it
and youre good to go!
And its as easy as that!
PASSWORD FOR AUGUST 2014 - executable
Featured Tools
Essentials
Tails is a live operating system
that can be used and operated
on almost any computer
anywhere from a DVD, USB
Stick or SD card. Its main
purpose is to provide users
with a sense of privacy and
anonymity and it does so by
allowing you to use the internet anonymously and circumvent
censorship as it goes through the Tor network. To further secure
your data, it uses state-of-the art cryptographic tools.
If you ever happen to rely
upon your autofill passwords,
you may sometimes forget
what that password actually is.
This is where this software
comes in as it recovers the
password even though it is in
asterisk form. It has a simple user interface and it is rather easy to
use. Users should take note however that this software does not
work on all websites and should test it out on various sites.
For those working with
programming software or
making mobile applications,
you might want to take note of
the GNU Privacy Guard
(GnuPG). This software is an
encryption engine that
encrypts and signs your data
and communication while featuring a versatile key management
system as well as access modules for all kinds of public key
directories. It also provides easy integration with other applications
making it a viable tool for any application.
Exif Tag Remover allows you
to easily delete all metadata
tags and by doing so, you will
be actively protecting your
privacy each time before
publishing an image on the
internet. This software
removes over 15 different tag
formats, while supporting 35+ image formats, removes thumbnails
and does not alter the actual image data, give full control over
removal tasks, save disk space and server bandwidth.
Tails
IE Asterisk Password
Uncoverer
GnuPG
Exif Tag Remover
chip malaysia

august 14 005
contents
chi p downl oads
August 2014
The Monthly Ten
CoffeeZip 4.5
Operating System: Win XP/ Vista/ 7/ 8
TSR Watermark Image 3.2.0.5
Operating system: Win XP/ Vista/ 7/ 8
mp3DirectCut 2.20
OnTopReplica 3.5.1
FocusWriter 1.5.2
Calligra for Windows 2.6.2.2
Anki 2.0.26
TEncoder 3.9.0
Ultimate Windows Tweaker v3.1
Operating system: Win 8
Wise Caren 365 Free 3.18
Version 4.5 of the CoffeeZip software
supports more than 30 of variants of
archive file formats including DMG
files which are more commonly
known to Mac users. As such, the
software not only opens simple ZIP
files but also unique files such as
LZMA and XAR. With the help of the
software, users will be able to open just about any type of archive.
One of the most important concerns
for photographers is the risk of
people stealing their works. The TSR
watermark software can prevent this
by providing your photos with an
individual and non-removable
watermark.
Downloading text or music entries
from media libraries of public
broadcasting organisations tend to
produce large files. With this
software, you can cut down the size
of the files to a size that suits you. It
also has a Recorder function.
OnTopReplica allows you to avoid
the hassle of opening different
windows next to each other by
copying any given program window
and have it ready at the background.
To view the desired window, the
original window must be open in
the background.
As the name suggest, this software
prevents any unnecessary
distractions while you work on your
texts by getting rid of any
unnecessary menus and
complicated formatting options.
Instead, users can design their own
writing screen and even include an
alarm.
The Calligra Suite is an additional
tool from the Linux world that has
found its way into the Windows
system. Not like its counterparts on
the market, this software comprises
of software modules such as Flow,
which can be used to map circuitry,
puzzles and flow charts as well as
Plan, which can help organise and visualise your projects.
If you are studying for your Diploma,
Masters or State exams, you should
consider trying out Anki. This
program replaces the need for the
old fashioned filing card and allows
you to arrange your card decks
according to subject.
This software makes converting
audio and video files for various end
devices such as consoles,
smartphones and tablets. This tool
completes tasks automatically and
allows you to adjust detailed output
resolution and sound settings.
This mini tool allows users the
access to more than 170 individual
Window options which are clearly
arranged in seven categories such
as Customisation, Performance and
Security, making it possible for you
to quickly change the look of the
desktop by hiding the clock or even
the entire taskbar.
Aside from removing various errors,
the developers have also added an
optimisation routine for SSDs and
even the cleaning routine of the
Windows cache memory can be
improved. Additionally, the Disk
Eraser module has also been
revised.
letters
readers feedback
august 14

chip malaysia
006
Write to us at letters@chip.com.my. Alternatively, log on to the forums at forum.chip.com.my and make yourself heard! The Letters page is an outlet for you to voice your
views and opinions towards the magazine as well as general tech trends. Feedback sent to us may be edited for suitability without altering the intended point-of-view. The
monthly winners for LoTM will be contacted for further details.
Letter of the Month
Head-To-Head Reviews
Dear CHIP,
I am satisfied with the reviews on new gadgets you
have been introducing monthly. I would however like to
share a suggestion and also encourage the improvements
on the review of gadgets and hardware by providing a
side-by-side comparison between the latest gadgets and
hardware. The comparison could be focused on the budget,
features and design. This could help beginners as well as
professionals to select their gadgets better. Thank you very
much CHIP.
Kohshelan
Dear Kohshelan,
We would like to thank you for your patronage to our
magazine, and we will take your suggestion in to serious
consideration as we are constantly looking for ways to
improve our materials to reflect the needs of the readers.
We hope that you can continue to provide us with these
insightful suggestions and we hope that you will continue
to enjoy our future publication.
For your very helpful suggestion, we would also like
to award you as the winner of our Letter of the Month for
the month of August and with that said, we also would
like to award you with a Kingston 16GB Class 10 UHS-I
microSD Card (SDC10/16GB), we hope it would come in
handy to you.
Take It To The Web
Dear CHIP,
I would like to state that your event coverage is very detailed,
and it is also a boon to see how fast the website is being updated
on a daily basis. I thoroughly enjoy the different products that
are being released as well as the coverage provided.
I would also like to know if there is any chance that your
feature articles, such as Tech Spelunk or the cover story will
ever be put up on the website? I really enjoy reading them in the
magazines, but it would also be great if I could read them online
on my commute to work.
Mu Hyung
Dear Mu Hyung,
We are glad to know that you have been following our
magazine and website closely. We take pride in our ability
to cover important events and launches to provide our
readers with the most up to date news while giving precise
information that may be useful to them.
As for your question regarding the featured content, whilst
it is something that weve been mulling for quite some time
now, but weve decided to keep those stories to the magazine
for now as it provides extra value to our readers who have
been supporting us all this while.
We appreciate your feedback, and hope that you can
continue following us and feel free to write to us if you have
any more suggestions..
Just My Two Cents
Dear CHIP,
I am an avid reader of your publication and have recently
been frequenting your website. While the site is more than
satisfactory, I would like suggest that you add in opinion panels
as well as how-to sections to create further variety from the
norm. That is my two cents worth, so thank you once again
CHIP.
Carmilla
Dear Carmilla,
We are excited to find that we have a meticulous reader
such as yourself and we have taken your suggestion into
account. While our activities on the site are still relatively
new, we do intend to expand the site with various different
segments in the foreseeable future. So, continue to stay with
us and grow together with us from now till then. Dont forget
to continue writing to us if you have any suggestions or
feedbacks that you wish to share.
Letters
SDC10/16GB
august 14

chip malaysia
008
news
l ocal news
W
hen it comes to audio products,
not many companies have the
expertise and history that Sony
does. The Japanese electronics company
arguably pioneered portable media player
technology, and alongside its headphones
and speakers, Sony have a veritable
stable of audio pedigree behind them,
and tapping into that expertise, Sony
Malaysia held a Sony Sound Clinic to
announce a slew of new audio products
which include the brand new Sony
Walkman ZX-1, amongst others.
The Sony ZX-1 is Sonys most stylish
and elegant Walkman device yet, with
its chassis milled from a single block of
aluminium, which not only provides great
aesthetics, but also excellent electrical
conductivity, which means better audio
quality.
The ZX-1 utilises its proprietary audio
technologies and support for high-
resolution audio to offer six times the
audio quality than what a CD can deliver.
Sony has developed a high performance
portable music player that takes its
listener right into the recording studio or
concert.
The Sony Walkman ZX-1 is powered
by a OMAP 4 Cortex-A9 1GHz dual-
core processor, and features the latest
S-Master digital amplifier built in as
well, which helps to reduce distortion
and noise at a wide range of frequency
ranges, providing users with ground-
shaking lows to delicate highs, as it is
optimised with the DSEE (Digital Sound
Enhancement Engine) HX technology for
high-resolution audio such as FLAC, ALAC
and AIFF, amongst others.
On top of that, it comes with 128GB
of on-board memory, making it the
Walkman with the biggest storage space
to date. Viewing the large library of music
files is also made easy thanks to Sonys
use of its 4.0-inch (854 x 480 pixels)
TRILUMINOS display.
Also unveiled at the Sound Clinic
The Walkman Gets
A New Lease of Life
Sony Unveils New Line Of Audio Products At Sound
Clinic
Tomoaki Sato and Yuji Nishinosono, lead engineers for the Sony ZX-1 and Sony UDA-1 ampliers posing with their respecve
products
The Sony Walkman XZ-1 is Sonys latest and most stylish
walkman, featuring 128GBs of storage, running Android 4.1
The Walkman XZ-1 has physical buons at the side for easy
access to media controls, such as play, pause and volume
control
The Sony UDA-1 desktop amplier is created to cater to the
most discerning of audiophiles who want beer sound quality
was the Sony UDA-1 desktop amplifier
and the Sony SS-HA3 speakers, which
pair together to create some of the most
magical sounds your ears can listen to.
The UDA-1 desktop amplifier was
meticulously designed, with Sony going
as far as to get component manufacturers
to design special custom capacitors to
be used inside the amps. The SS-HA3
speakers meanwhile are built with an
aluminium chassis, but has the acoustics
of a wood case, thanks to some clever
Japanese engineering.
The Sony Walkman XZ-1 is currently
available in all Sony Store outlets around
Malaysia for RM2,199, whilst the pricing
for the Sony UDA-1 desktop amplifier
and the Sony SS-HA3 speakers will be
revealed later.
www.sony.com/my
august 14

chip malaysia
010
news
l ocal news
M
otorola Solutions, together
with Sams Groceria, a newly
opened chain of premium
grocery stores that have opened up
stores in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Damansara
and Penang have recently announced a
collaboration that would help shoppers
speed up their shopping process in
these stores.
Motorola has equipped Sams
Groceria with devices called the Personal
Shopping System, or PSS, which is a
barcode scanner that scans the products
that youre buying as you shop. Sams
Groceria in Kota Damansara, which is
the fourth branch to implement this
system has two self-check-out counters,
which you can head to with the PSS
system in hand to immediately pay for
your purchases without having to wait
for the cashier to scan your products.
As mentioned earlier, the Kota
Damansara branch of Sams Groceria,
which is located in the Strand Encorp
Mall is the fourth outlet to be decked
with this system, with the first three
being the Sams Groceria in Paragon
Mall, Penang; Nu Sentral Kuala Lumpur
and Mydin hypermarket in Seremban.
According to Ong Beng Hui, Senior
Manager, Enterprise Strategic Accounts
of Motorola Solutions Malaysia, this
Personal Shopping System, or Sams
Self Scanner as the grocery chain calls
it, has been implemented across UK
and Europe many years ago, and has
seen dramatic improvement in shopping
experience in the region.
In order for customers to use the Self
Scanner service, they will need to apply
for a customer card, which will unlock
the scanner from the dock, after which
you can then use the scanner to scan
the barcode of the products you want to
Motorola Solutions
Gets Shoppers
Connected
Motorola and Sams Groceria collaborate to make the
shopping experience a lot more efficient
Malik Murad, IT Director of Sams Groceria and Ong Beng Hui, Senior Manager, Enterprise Mobility of Motorola Soluons
Malaysia with the newly implemented Motorola Personal Shopper System, or Sams Scanner
buy, and at the self-check-out counter,
a cashier will help you to key in the
scanned products into your system and
all you need to do is to just pay for the
products and leave.
The card also acts as a point card
system which will occasionally provide
you with discount coupons that you
can use immediately. Beng Hui also
mentioned that this is only the beginning
as there are plans to create a mobile
apps that allows smartphones to do
exactly what the Self-Scanner can do,
which will actually make it even more
convenient for customers in the long
run.
www.motorolasolutions.com
Sams Groceria in Kota Damansara has 40 Self Scanners which
allows customers to shop and scan their products as they go
Ong Beng Hui, Senior Manager, Enterprise Strategic Accounts
of Motorola Soluons Malaysia showing o how the Personal
Shopping System works
Aer youre done shopping, all you need to do is to pass the
self scanner device to the cashier, and pay straight away,
cu ng unnecessary waing me
august 14

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news
l ocal news
E
arly in the month of July, ZOPO
an international brand from China
marked their landing on to our
shores as they held a grand opening in
View Rooftop in the heart of KL. ZOPO
brings with them a self-innovated selfie
smartphone, the ZP998.
ZOPO was first established in China in
2011 and it has successfully penetrated
the market with their various products
and also for being the first company
to offer the first glass free 3D screen,
and Full HD screen devices as well.
Their success was first recorded in their
successful sale on TianMao.com, to which
they had sold 20,000 units of their devices
within three days. From this success,
ZOPO proceeded to open up markets in
European countries such as Spain, Italy,
France, Ukraine, Russia, and etc. Today,
ZOPO has reached a worldwide brand
of 32 countries and has over 100 Offline
Experience stores.
Their flagship ZP 998 comes with
some very unique specifications, such
as the Octa-Core processor coupled with
a 5.5-inch screen for a business class
smartphone. Furthermore, it comes
with 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM thats is
expandable to 64GB, a 5MP front camera,
14Mp rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and
a dual-SIM card support which makes
communications while traveling all the
more easier.
ZOPO Enters
The Android
Battlegrounds In
Malaysia
A new challenger arrives in the form of ZOPO, another
Chinese telecommunications company, and their
arsenal is the flagship ZP 998
Kevin Xu and Wilson Koay anked by VIPs and celebries at the launch
The ZOPO ZP 998 is the rst Octa-Core smartphone to be
released and it has Micro-SLR capabilies as well
Kevin Xu ,Vice President of ZOPO China (le) and Wilson Koay,
Managing Director of ZOPO Malaysia (right) at the launch event
The event was witnessed by Malaysias
well known event & artiste management,
actor and director, Brian Lee who was the
lauchs master of ceremony and the brand
ambassador. The founder & president of
Glitterama Ladies Charity Group & Mrs
Asian International Beauty 2012/2013 -
Datin Maylene Yong , Founder & Chief
Creative Director of A CUT ABOVE &
Most successful Women 2013 by Jessica
Magazine - Datin Winnie Loo, Singer/
Model/Actress & Miss Beauty Queen of
The World 2001 - Chelsea Chil, Miss Teen
International 2014 & Miss International
Tourism Malaysia 2014 & Miss World
Malaysia 2nd Runner Up 2013 bringing
a huge exposure in the market as ZOPO
Brand Ambassador.
ZOPO products can now be found in
retail stores nationwide and are available
now.
www.zoposhop.com
august 14

chip malaysia
014
news
l ocal news
T
owards the end of June, Samsung
Malaysia Electronics officially
announced the availability of
their latest flagship tablet, the GALAXY
Tab S. To give members of the media
a different way of getting in touch and
experiencing the many features the
GALAXY Tab S, Samsung whisked
members of the media away to the sun
soaked beaches of Langkawi for the My
Tab S Factor challenge on 10 July.
After deciphering some clues and
finding our way to The Westin Langkawi
Resort & Spa and after a tutorial about
the SideSync feature that allows users to
connect a GALAXY S5 via Wi-Fi Direct to
the tablet and controlling it remotely, we
were then given our first challenge.
Each challenge was designed for
members of the media to see how each
feature works. The first was a game
of charades. Members of the media
were paired up into teams of two and
unlike the regular game of charades,
this one involved a member of the team
holding up the tablet to his forehead
and the other having to describe what
was shown, without using certain words
for the other to guess. This was actually
done outdoors under the sun and was
also a way to show the Adaptive Display
feature which automatically changes
the gamma, saturation and sharpness
according to the lighting conditions.
Also, in between playing charades,
members of the media also had to
A Challenge With A
Different Factor
Samsung invites members of to the media to a very
different kind of hands-on session with their
GALAXY Tab S
Victor Ng, Manager, Product Markeng, Mobile Division from Samsung Malaysia Electronics gave us the rundown
of features such as SideSync and adapve display
listen to a song and correctly type out
its chorus. Winners of this challenge,
received a special advantage during the
next, which was a Bluetooth Keyboard
Dock as the second challenge involved
typing out a tongue twister and posting
it online. Those who didnt get the
keyboard dock, had to type using the
virtual on-screen keyboard. Of course,
this was challenge was to showcase how
easy it was to type with and without the
Keyboard dock.
The final challenge of the day was a
simple Q&A round. However, members
of the media had to watch a show
using the GALAXY Tab S and answer
questions that was related to the show.
With a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, the
Full HD video was brilliantly displayed
and colours were easily distinguished.
The speakers were also loud enough that
conversations came out crystal clear.
All in all, this event was truly
something different and allowed us
to find out more about the impressive
GALAXY Tab S in a more fun and
relaxed way.
www.samsung.com/my/
Our tools throughout the challenge was the GALAXY Tab S and Level Over
Seen here is the GALAXY Tab S connected to a GALAXY S5 using the SideSync
feature
august 14

chip malaysia
016
news
l ocal news
A
MD recently held a screening of
Rise of The Planet of The Apes
for members of the media, and
took that opportunity to also unveil a
couple of newly introduced products
that were initially shown at Computex in
Taipei earlier this year.
First of which is the AMD Radeon
R9 295X2, which is a dual-GPU, single
card solution based of AMDs critically-
acclaimed R9 290X graphics card. The
stock card comes equipped with liquid
cooling to effectively cool down the
GPU cores as it crunches graphics
calculations to provide enthusiasts and
gamers alike with the best graphics
experience.
Currently, there is no price set yet
for the AMD R9 295X2, but retailers
at the event mentioned that if it does,
it will likely cost around the RM5,000
price point. This is definitely the card
for seriously hardcore overclocker and
gamer to consider if they want the best
components money can buy.
Besides the R9 295X2, AMD also
showcased its latest Kaveri APU in
the form of a notebook. This latest
APU combines a quad-core computing
processor together with an R7 graphics
processor all in one solution. During its
showcase, the notebook was capable of
playing one of the best-looking games
launched this year, Battlefield 4 with no
issues whatsoever.
The Kaveri APUs are currently
available in Malaysia both as a desktop
and notebook solution, providing casual
A Fun Night with
AMD
AMD shows off brand new products at movie
night
A
llied Telesis, a Japanese provider
of secure IP and Ethernet
switching solutions has recently
unveiled its own Next Generation
Firewall solution that is aimed at keeping
enterprise networks safe and secure.
As cyber-attacks are constantly
growing and evolving with time, it
is important that companies secure
their own networks as well, and the
Allied Telesis Next Generation Firewall
products do just that. Part of the feature
set of these new firewalls are integrated
application control, intrusion prevention
and actionable reporting.
Increased protection is also available
by subscribing to leading security
services that provide web-filtering,
anti-malware and protection against APT
(Advanced Persistent Threat) attacks.
We are seeing
considerable demand from
customers looking for an
integrated solution across
their network from the
edge to the core. Our Next
Generation Firewalls deliver
greater visibility and control
over the enterprise network and provide
a simpler infrastructure to administer and
manage. Said Scott Penno, Allied Telesis
APAC Regional Marketing Manager.
Allied Telesis NGFWs also support the
companys Allied Telesis Management
Framework (AMF) which actually allows
users to deploy networks in a fraction of
the time it would usually take to set one
up, reduce operational expenditure whilst
enabling their staff to focus on improving
service delivery within their organisations.
These features are particularly
beneficial for education, healthcare
and enterprise customers as they are
constantly under pressure to do more
with less.
The first of these NGFWs to be
released is the Allied Telesis AT-AR3050,
with three other models in varying port
configurations and capabilities coming
soon after the AT-AR3050 is released
sometime later this year.
www.alliedtelesis.com/
Next Generation
Digital Security
Allied Telesis Provides Insight Into Next
Generation Firewall Technology
Sco Penno, Markeng Director, Jakub Duch, APAC Regional Director and Paul
Choy, Country Sales Manager (Malaysia) of Allied Telesis unveiled the companys
new Next Generaon Firewall soluon recently
(From third le to right) Yenne Ng, Heather Lennon, Suzanne
Ngiow and Kuan Yee Wai
The AMD R9 295X2 makes its appearance at the AMD Movie
Night for the media to see
users and enthusiasts alike a way to
build a very affordable system for home
and office use.
www.amd.com
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chip malaysia
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news
l ocal news
R
icoh is a brand that should be
familiar with business owners, as
the company is known to make
printers for various business industries.
Ricohs SP 112 compact black and
white laser printer offers an upgrade
in productivity, functionality and paper
handling, providing an elegant solution
to one of the most frustrating work
hindrances in offices: paper jam.
The Ricoh SG 3120B SFNw is the
companys latest GelJet printer, and is
also the companys first battery-driven
GelJet 4-in-1 MFP that is capable of
printing up to six hours, or one thousand
pages of continuous print-outs. The
GelJet features patented fast-drying
viscous pigment-based Liquid GelTM
which results in a smudge-free, water
resistant, and instant-drying ink. It can
also switch from AC to battery without
disrupting any print jobs.
The Ricoh PJ WX4141 ultra short-
throw projector meanwhile is set to
transform the way business people do
presentations as the device can not only
be used with notebooks and laptops, but
is also compatible with mobile devices,
enhancing user experience even further.
Additionally, with the PJ WX4141s
interactive built-in model, information
written with a special stylus pen on the
Ricoh Unveils
New Line of New
Printing Options
Ricohs new printers enhance enterprise printing options
N
ow that were already in the
second half of 2014, we can
expect device manufacturers to
start releasing new waves of devices.
Some could be refreshes and some
could be totally new devices. During
a small get-together, ASUS Malaysia
unveiled that they already have six
new tablets lined up for the second
half. These tablets will be part of their
Transformer, MeMO Pad and FonePad
line.
The six new tablets are the MeMO
Pad 7 ME70, MeMO Pad 8 ME181,
MeMO Pad 8 ME581, FonePad 7
FE375CG, FonePad 8 FE380 and
Transformer Pad TF103. All six of these
devices will be powered by Intels
latest Atom processors such as the
Bay Trail Z3745 and newer quad-core
Moorefield CPUs. Besides just
the powerful CPUs, ASUS have
also incorporated many of their
signature features into these
tablets such as SonicMaster
technology and HD displays.
So even though these may be
affordable devices, users will still
get a fairly premium experience.
Most of these devices are
targeted at the entry-level and
mid-range market so consumers
can expect them to come with very
attractive price tags. No confirmed
prices were released during the
session but we will definitely keep
you updated when these tablets
hit the market.
www.asus.com/my/
An Exciting
Second Half
ASUS Malaysia looks to release six new tablets
for the second half of 2014
Winnie Lim, Markeng Manager of Ricoh (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
and Peter Wee, Chief Operang O cer, of Ricoh (Malaysia)
Sdn. Bhd with the RICOH girls and the with the RICOH PJ
WX4141s Ultra Short Throw series projector
Heres a look at ASUS roadmap for their tablets
Seen here is the Transformer Pad TF103 that is great for users who want
to stay producve when theyre on-the-go. It is powered by a 1.8GHz
Intel Bay Trail Z3745 processor and HD IPS display
projected image is able to complement
products such as RICOHs Interactive
Whiteboard (IWB) and Unified
Communication Systems (UCS), making
boring meetings a thing of the past with
the creation of a new and interactive
environment for easy conference sharing.
The GelJet SG 3120B SFNw is priced
at RM1,999, while the new black and
white multifunction SP112 series is priced
between RM299 to RM669 and is available
in three versions (single function, 3-in-1
and 4-in-1). The PJ WX4141 Ultra Short
Throw Projector meanwhile is priced
between RM6,900 and RM9,000.
www.ricohcopier.com.my
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Innovation
Through
Nature
T
rees are the most important source
of oxygen known to man. As such,
it comes to no surprise that
researchers are attempting to replicate
their oxygen-producing capabilities to
produce the same breathable air for
outer space explorations. Julian
Melchiorri, a student at the Royal College
of Art, has created an artificial leaf that
can provide an infinite amount of oxygen
by using just light and water. This
manmade leaf could be the answer to
space exploration woes as these can be
used as biological air filters and even
oxygen producers back on Earth. Besides
giving us the very air we breathe, trees
are also capable
of giving us
fruits. In this
instance, artist
Sam Van Aken
has produced a
hybridised fruit
tree which can
grow more than 40 different type of
fruits such as peaches, apricots and
almonds
Bees are also another source of
innovation for groundbreaking new
technology. A pair of designers have
suggested that the honey producing
gland of bees can be used to produce
concrete which enables them to print 3D
structures. Even if that theory doesnt
work out, it is said that the honeycomb
structure of the beehive has provided
engineers with a breakthrough in lithium
ion battery design which can lead to
batteries with higher stability for electric
vehicles.
Apple Sued For SMS Service
U
sers of Apples iMessage service who want to switch to devices from other manufacturers, but still want to receive SMS
from iPhone users have hit a snag. Apparently Apples SMS service does not recognise if the corresponding iMessage
number is still active or otherwise, and thus does not know whether the message needs to be sent via SMS or iMessage.
As a result of this problem, these messages, intended to be sent to numbers that used to use the iMessage service are not sent. It
took a lawsuit from a former iPhone user to get Apple to move to find a solution to this problem.
Sony
Prototypes A
185TB Magnetic
Tape
S
onys research and development team has recently created a
breakthrough in data storage technology by increasing the density
of magnetic tapes by about 74 times using a new production
method. Currently magnetic tapes are capable of storing up to 0.3Gbit/
cm3 of data. Sonys new magnetic tape however is capable to store
23Gbit/cm3, which is a world record for Sony. Thanks to this, magnetic
tape cassettes with a storage capacity of 185TB can be manufactured.
The secret behind this is that Sony uses smaller magnetic particles,
with each particle measuring at just 7.7 nanometres in size, with the
typical size coming in at 20-30 nanometres or so.
Google
Glass
Goes
Public
T
o be precise, Google has recently opened
up sales for its Google Glass augmented
reality glasses for USD1,500. The device is
still in its beta phases, and currently has very few
apps which it can be used with. Google decided to
start sales after the positive response it received
during its initial sale earlier this year. Google has
also mentioned that it will be available while
stocks last, and currently, it can only be
purchased via the Google Store in The US.
news
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Facebook
Buys
Tracking
App
Moves
F
acebook has recently bought the
fitness tracking app Moves,
including the Finnish developer
team behind it, ProtoGeo for an
undisclosed amount. This is a big boon
for Facebook as the company gets a
lucrative insight into the motion profile
of Moves users and can use the data for
advertising purposes.
ProtoGeo initially vowed that the
company will not link user information
with Facebook data, but after the
merger, the general terms and
conditions has since been amended to
include clauses that allows this to
happen in the future.
The Skin
Is The
New Key
D
igital tattoos will soon be used to improve
calls, Wi-Fi signals and unlocking our
phones. Silicon Valley firm, VivaInk has
formed a partnership with Motorola to provide a
temporary tattoo that enables you to unlock your
phone with a single tap. The adhesive Digital
Tattoo offers a unique signature synced with your
phone enabling users to easily unlock their phone
without the fumble and hassle. This feature
however, is currently only available for the Moto X
phones currently. The thought process that formed the idea to create this technology came from how a stranger can learn your
unlock code by standing nearby you and watching you use your phone while you are fumbling to get the unlock code. The
concept of the tattoo is to provide a unique digital signature which also makes unlocking a great deal easier. That said, the
tattoos still have some downsides to its usage besides being a Moto x exclusive device; it can only be used for five days before
you need to wear a new tattoo, while the other problem is lack of design makes the term tattoo rather unusable. But as research
continues to advance, we might soon be seeing more of these devices in the future.
SpongeBob
Graphite-pants
R
esearchers at MITs Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a
groundbreaking new graphite and carbon based sponge that has the ability to
soak up water and turning it to steam by heating the soaked sponge using the
rays of the sun. The steam that the sponge produces can be used for water
purification purposes or as a power source. It has an 85 percent efficiency rate and
uses low cost materials to build, which makes this a high potential invention that can
be used as a cost-effective sssource for solar-derived clean water and steam power
for remote and developing areas.
The sponge like structure consists of a layer of graphite flake over a bed of carbon
foam. The carbon foam keeps the structure above water and when the sunlight hits
the structures surface, it creates a hotspot in the graphite which initiates a capillary
action for the water to be drawn up through the materials pores and evaporates as
steam. This sequence is much more effective when there is more sunlight.
This technology has made solar powered steam generation generations ahead of
its time, with past generators
requiring large scale deployment
of mirrors or lenses to
concentrate sunlight. Even with
the latest modern methods used,
it takes up to 1000 times more
intensification to achieve the
intensity of a sunny day. With the
sponge, it will only take 10 times
more effort required to achieve
the same result, reducing costs
and infrastructure required.
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US Navy Develops Secure E-Book
Reader
T
he US Navy has recently developed the most secure e-book reader, and they have called it the Navy e-Reader Device, or
NeRD for short. It comes with a pre-installed library of books, and there is no way for users to add new books to it as there
are no USB ports and WiFi connectivity, but in retrospect, there is no way for it to be misused either. Its because of this the
NeRD is allowed to be on the extremely confidential nuclear submarine, replacing printed books with e-book readers that can
save a lot of space.
Competition For Google Street
View
E
x-Apple employee Jan Erik Solem has recently developed a crowd-sourced model of Street View. Users can send photos of their
surroundings to the new service, called Mapillary, where a software then optimises the image so that they can seamlessly combine
with other photos. One advantage Solem says his service has over Street View is that Mapillary can cover the smallest nooks and
cranies that Street View cant get to.
Rent-A-
Windows
D
ue to commercial success with the Microsoft
Office 365 subscription model, Microsoft is
currently testing out the model with its Windows
operating system, allowing users to pay annually and
monthly to use its operating system. It has been noted
that Microsoft is currently looking for employees who
will help propagate what the company calls Windows
As A Service.
Windows 365 will also only have various pay
options, and one Windows version. This way, Icrosoft
will be able to bring the subscription model to the
market regardless of its release plans in the future.
According to reports, this new version of Windows
should appear in Spring 2015, alongside Windows 9.

Mozilla
Integrates DRM
Module Inside
Firefox
M
ozilla has plans to integrate the DRM standard called
Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) in future versions of
Firefox. Right until now, Firefox has taken care of rights
management for streaming services such as Netflix. EME
meanwhile will be integrated in to the browser directly to display
protected media content, even on mobile devices that no longer
offer support for Flash. Mozilla has resisted using a proprietary
solution for a while now, however as they do not want to lose
users to other web browser competitors.
The Brace of Safety
W
hen an emergency occurs,
people would often be
fumbling for their phones in
order to dial 999. Safelet is a security
bracelet, and is the latest in personal
security devices that allows the wearer
to sound the alarm by calling the police
and alerting their guardians via a
Bluetooth connected app which can be
secretly disguised as wearable jewelry,
Safelet will also incorporate GPS
technology to let other know where you
are and it will also include a microphone
you can speak into.
The device is connected via low
energy Bluetooth to your smartphone
and is controlled by an app in your
phone settings. It can be set up in a way
that allows you to include friends and
family into the alert circle and gives
wearers the control over who gets
contacted when you press both of the
side buttons during an emergency.
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Concept Motorbikes
Silently Keeps Crime Off The
Streets
T
he Los Angeles Police Department currently
has an upper hand against criminals who
commit crimes such as grand theft auto, as
they are currently testing out a new law
enforcement system to sneak up on criminals and
deliver swift and silent justice in the form of
concept motorbikes.
Originally planned for military use, these new
concept motorbikes have proven to be useful in
urban environments such as busy commuter
areas; police officers can chase down a target with
ease and with pin drop silence, giving law
enforcement personnel an advantage with stealth.
This bike is called the Zero MMX Motorcycle and it
has the body of a motocross bike, built using
military grade components. It has a modular
power system with two separate batteries which
can be tuned to only use one should the driver
require a lighter body. It also sports no exhaust
and uses a belt chain system for easy maintenance.
Microsoft Set To Lay Off 18,000
Workers
M
icrosofts Chief Executive Satya Nadella has recently announced that Microsoft will be trimming 14 percent of its
workforce, which totals up to 18,000 jobs over the next year, which is also the largest layoff exercise in the companys
history.
It is also estimated that a significant chunk of the chop will come from the companys phone and tablet department, which
comes from the companys recent acquisition of Nokia. It is stated that the reasoning behind this major layoff is work
simplification as well as shifting the companys focus as a device and software-driven company to one that is focused on mobile
services and the cloud.
This is likely also the biggest hint yet that the company is likely to stop production of Nokia devices running Android, such as
Nokia X and Android-powered Lumia devices.
On top of that, it is also confirmed that Microsoft will be shuttering its Xbox Entertainment division within the same time-
frame. The closure of division is expected to widely affect the companys planning for original Xbox programming, although
Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios Phil Spencer has stated that a number of projects will still go on, such as
NFL on Xbox, as well as Halo: Nightfall.
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Kingston Announces New
V300 Series SSD
K
ingston has been launching SSDs
left, right and center for quite
some time now, and it doesnt look
like they have plans to stop any time
soon. The Taiwanese memory and
storage specialists have recently
announced the latest addition to the
companys SSDNow V300 series, the
V310.
The new V310 SSD uses the Phison
3108 SSD controller, which provides the
drive with 10 times the speed of a 7,200
RPM hard drive, approximately 450MB/s
read and write speeds, which is also
shock-proof, energy-efficient and cooler,
which means that the V310 SSD is less
likely to fail, even when compared to
other SSDs in the market.
Not only that, the V310 SSD also
offers up to 960GB of storage capacity
for users to store movies, music games
and applications. There is enough space
on the V310 to function as a true HDD
replacement so users can migrate their
entire hard drive to the SSD with storage
space to spare.
SSDNow V310 is available in 960GB
as a stand-alone drive or as all-in-one
kits that include all the accessories
needed plus software to clone files and
OS to make for an easy install. SSDNow
V310 is backed by a three-year warranty
and free technical support.
Talking To Your
Wrists
A
ndroid Wear is still finding ways to make an impact on wearables and one
of the ways it is doing so is by getting popular apps like WhatsApp
integrated onto their systems. A new version of WhatsApp has just been
made available for download on its official site, and it brings along some
interesting new features. The update brings forth messaging previews for your
wearable device, reply using a voice dictate function and the ability to read
stacked messages by tapping the device. While the update is not available on
Google Play, users can download it directly from the official WhatsApp page.
Blu-Ray Disk with
512GB Storage
D
igital media device manufacturers Pioneer intends to increase the storage
capacity of the Blu-Ray disk to 512GB. An additional guide layer with information
about the storage location of the data allows this to happen. Currently, the disk
contains four layers in the design, with BDXL featuring 128GBs of memory. The
intended new drive will have a total of eight layers, with each layer having 32GBs of
memory. Of course, these new Blu-Ray disks will require a new drive to read the disks.

Googling
In The
Future
S
CiO. This Kickstarter project may just
kickstart a whole new wave of search
engineering. SCiO is a portable
scanning device that is capable of scanning
and identifying materials off surfaces of
objects, such as foodstuff, medicine and
plans, and sends the relevant information
about the scanned materials to your phone.
The device scans items and materials by
using near-infrared spectroscopy, which is
opposed to mid-infrared spectroscopy
which is more commonly used. The former
has a higher level of energy, and as such is
capable of penetrating deeper into the
surface. The material can then be analysed
for their components with a higher degree
of precision. In medicine, this technology is
already being used to determine the level of
oxygen within a patients body.
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chip malaysia
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news
securi ty report
Counterfeit
Certificates
Abound
Researchers examine web connections and finds HTTPS traffic
unsafe
C
omputer scientists have recently
discovered that many encrypted
web connections are built on
forged security certificates. Researchers
at the Carnegie Mellon University
claimed that 3.45 million HTTPS
connections to Facebook as part of
their study. 6,845 of these connections
were operating via certificates that were
forged, or not authorised by Facebook.
This does not sound like such a big deal,
but this number is just a fraction of the
web.
Encrypted connections protect
transferred data such as passwords,
and the certificates are used to confirm
the identity of the website. The biggest
danger here is the fact that the person
who installed the forged certificate on
the browser can read the data transfer,
a method also known as Man-in-the-
Middle.
Good news however is that most
of the 6,845 unauthorised certificates
came from anti-virus programs that
often generate certificates to verify the
authenticity of the websites that are
visited. With that said researchers also
found 112 certificates which contained a
popularly-used malware.
The researchers also warned that
users must always take browser
warnings in regards to security
certificate seriously, especially warnings
about unidentified certificates.
BITLY: DATA AND PASSWORDS
LOST
The URL shortening service Bitly
recently posted an entry on its blog,
mentioning that user accounts had
been compromised. The company
has stated that it has separated all
Bitly accounts from linked Facebook
and Twitter accounts, but stated that
after the users change their password,
they can simply log in and re-link
them again. Bitly also mentioned that
users must secure their accounts by
resetting the API key and the OAuth
tokens which are used for the account
linking feature.
DOGE VAULT: CYBER CURRENCY
HACKED
Early in May this year, an unknown
group of people hacked the Dogecoin
cryptocurrency provider Doge Vault.
As soon as they found out about the
breach, the operators of the service
then blocked all of the accounts of the
new cryptocurrency, but not before
the hackers were able to steal money
from several accounts. At the time of
writing, there is no news on the exact
amount that was stolen.
QUIZDUELL: 50,000 ACCOUNTS
READ
Computer scientist Martin Tschirsich
has found a loophole in the online
registration for the Quizduell TV show.
With it, he was able to access data of
more than 50,000 registered Quizduell
users, which included names,
addresses and date of birth of the
players. He was even able to read the
corresponding email addresses as well.
ITV, the production company of the
show has said that people are urgently
working on finding a solution to this
problem.
Data Theft Of
The Month
Sciensts have found that there are many sites that are built on forged cercates
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august 14 025
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securi ty report
High risk
Medium risk
Low risk
Numer of attacks
with the Android
Trojan Faketoken
has increased six
fold in the first
quarter of 2014
Danger Barometer
127 loopholes were found in mobile
operating systems in the last year most
of them were in Apples iOS
SOURCE: BLUECOAT
N
ot too long after the news broke
that Malaysia Airlines flight
MH17 from Amsterdam crashed
in Ukraine, cyber-criminals were fast in
exploiting the chaos to spread malware
via malicious URLs on social media
platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Trend Micro traced back the origins
of these links, and discovered that the
IP addresses of these malicious links are
connected to ZeuS malware variants. The
ZeuS/ZBOT is known as an information
stealer, while the PE_SALITY is an infector
than infects .exe and .scr files. Once
systems are infected with this file infector,
it can open their systems to other
malware infections thus compromising
their security.
www.trendmicro.com.my
F
ortinet has recently announced that
the companys FortiMail messaging
security solution has earned its
third VBSpam+ certification, the highest
achievable honour in comparative testing,
in the last seven tests conducted by
security magazine Virus Bulletin.
The magazines staff tested FortiMail
alongside 14 other anti-spam products
for spam catch rates, false negative and
positives, as well as newsletter blocking
rates. The test samples consisted of
143,245 emails, 131,030 of which were
spam, all relayed in real time. Fortimail
earned a total combined score of 99.87
percent out of a possible hundred, and
returned with zero false positives.
www.fortinet.com
K
aspersky Lab has recently patented
a technology that establishes a
system and method for filtering
insignificant events during software
analysis, which makes PC scans a lot more
efficient. Kaspersky uses an emulation
approach making it possible to monitor
the behaviour of commands without
compromising the operating system of the
computer.
The process generates an event
log which is then analysed to identify
potentially harmful elements, but it also
contains insignificant events which does
nothing in determining if a program is
malicious. The patented technology puts
in place a special filtration module that
removes insignificant events from the
logs via a constantly updated database of
filtration rules.
www.kaspersky.com.my
Cyber-criminals
Hitchhike On MH17
Disaster
FortiMail Receives
Third VBSpam+
Certification
More Efficient
Security Scans
Loopholes in mobile
systems
108
17
1
1
0
IOS
ANDROID
BLACKBERRY
NOKIA
WINDOWS MOBILE
SOURCE: MCAFEE
Current Symantec statistics show that
cyber gangsters have captured around
552 million identities last year by stealing
data experts expect an increase in such
activity in 2014
requests can be bombarded to a
server within a span of seven hours
with the help of two anti-DDoS
services
630 billion
Identity thefts on the rise
Number of the Month:
Jan.
2013
Feb.
2013
March
2013
Apr.
2013
May
2013
June
2013
July
2013
Aug.
2013
Sept.
2013
Oct.
2013
Nov.
2013
Dec.
2013
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Stolen Identities (In Millions)
No. of thefts
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
august 14

chip malaysia
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news
nvi di a gpu tech workshop 2014
T
he prestigious event was held in
Suntec Convention & Exhibition
Centre for a duration of one day
with the first keynote presentation led by
Marc Hamilton, Vice President of Solution
Architecture & Engineering at NVIDIA,
speaking about GPU Technology: Past,
Present, and Future.
The main highlight of his keynote
speech encompassed the achievements
NVIDIA has achieved over the past
decade such as being ranked as #1 in the
Green500 list of CUDA GPUs powering
supercomputers. His keynote speech also
covered how GPU has improved machine
learning and made big
data applications cheaper.
Hamilton also touched
on the topic of how three
important trends are now
merging with the release
of the Pascal GPU which
are the torrent of data,
deep neural networks
and GPU computing. This
allows for data centres
such as the Googles Brain
to be built cheaply while
maintaining the same
performance. During his
keynote speech, he also
unveiled the Jetson TK1
development kit bringing
supercomputing power to
embedded systems. His
keynote speech also revealed
the NVLINK feature from
the Pascal GPU technology
which provides up to five
times more bandwidth for
GPU scaling in conjunction
with the introduction of the
Pascal GPU family. He ended
his keynote speech with
emphasis on how CUDA is
everywhere and its goals
are to provide Simplicity,
Productivity, Portability, and
Performance.
The second keynote
was delivered by John
Taylor, Director, eResearch
& Computational and
Simulation Sciences, CSIRO
introducing their CSIRO GPU
cluster BRAGG. The BRAGG
is used for computational
and simulation science
applications which heavily
relies on GPU such as Imaging Processing
& Visualisation, Model Data Fusion
& Spatial Modelling, Computational
Material design and Data Constrained
Materials Modelling. The BRAGG also
utilises principles of X-ray Computed
Topography which collects images of
samples at many different rotation angles
spanning from 180 to 360 degrees. He
also delved into topics such as how GPU
applications benefits radiation therapy
because of the fields large computational
discipline which can improve immensely
from improved task and data-parallelism.
According to Taylor, there are already
applications requiring extensive GPU
usage such as CT reconstructions, image
registrations, and treatment planning
and dose computations. The extensive
use of the BRAGG extends further with
GPU applications spanning data such
as quantifying uncertainty and soil
dynamics and sediment loads in to the
Great Barrier Reef. He also explains how
CSIROs Workframe Network coordinates
distributed execution of Open Cl-based
meshing operations with GPU accelerated
meshing workflow.
An Insightful
Workshop
The recent NVIDIA GPU Technology
Workshop held in Singapore had lots of
new innovations and devices on display
and we also got a special look at some of
the upcoming ones that were in the works
By Nicolas See Tho
Marc Hamilton, Vice President, Soluon Architecture & Engineering, NVIDIA
delivering his keynote speech GPU Technology: Past, Present, and Future which
highlights the advances NVIDIA has made throughout the years
John Taylor, Director, eResearch & Computaonal and Simulaon Sciences, CSIRO
introduces the CSIRO GPU Cluster,BRAGG, and also elaborates on how important
GPU technology is to the scienc community
chip malaysia

august 14 027
news
Much like the previous GPU Technology
Workshops, this years event was also used
as a platform to showcase many new and
interesting innovations that incorporate
GPU technology and infrastructure. During
the event, there were a few speakers who
shared their usage of GPU technology
in ways that the general public wont
normally perceive. These are some of
the breakthroughs in GPU technology
advancements used in scientific, financial
and general fields as explained by
professionals.
The first speaker to highlight her project
was Cristina Beldica, PHD, MBA, Blue
Waters Executive Director for the National
Centre for Supercomputing Applications
on the second fastest supercomputer in
the world called Blue Waters. Blue Waters
is a supercomputer that handles Sustained
Petascale computing which provides huge
advances in a broad range of science
and engineering disciplines. Blue Waters
has 13 petaflops of processing speed, 1.5
petabytes of RAM, 26 petabytes disk space
and over 1TB/sec transfer speed. It also
has 500 petabytes of tape storage which
is equivalent to 10 percent of the worlds
spoken in the existence of mankind. This
massive supercomputer utilises 22,640
Cray XE6 nodes and 4,224 Cray XK7 nodes
that include NVIDIA graphics processor
acceleration. To provide a mental image on
the proportions of that power, our standard
laptop only uses 1/16 of XE6 nodes and 1/8
XK7 nodes with only an average of 4GB
RAM and 500GB of storage.
The next speaker on the list was
An Ever-
growing
Influence
Spatz Pierre
from Murex, a
global leader
in financial
and banking
solutions in
the field of risk
management.
He explained
that their job is
to help banks
understand the
value of their
portfolio as well
as providing
software that aids
in performing
risk management data accurately and
efficiently. Their software uses GPU
computing to simulate worst case
scenarios as well as past, present and
future portfolios for financial institutions
dealing in high risk assets. Murex goals are
to convince the traders and risk managers
on the importance software GPU as well
as provide a service that reduces fallacy
and achieve improved productivity.
According to Pierre,
GPU computing for
risk management is
important because in
large scale banking
such as the World
Bank, accurate
simulations are what
helps provide data
that can be used
to save billions of
dollars and reduce
fallacy scenarios.
This company has
started NVIDIA GPU
programming in
2008 and their software is live in several
sites providing advantages such as less
hardware usage, fast accurate results
and is the only company with this type of
software that provides analytics.
Following Murex is the big data
solutions expert Paul Serrano, Senior
Director Marketing, APAC & Japan,
Nutanix. Nutanix provides web scale data
centres at a size that fits any providers
demands. According to Paul, Nutanix
intends to provide companies with Google-
like efficiency in terms of performance.
This is achieved by bringing forward
tech experts from Google into Nutanix to
implement the same source of innovation.
Nutanix is unique to the big data industry
because it runs multiple hypervisors
concurrently and it also reduces physical
space usage by up 10 1/12th the
requirement a
The last featured speaker was Jeremy
Cordeira, Industry Manager, Chaos Group.
Chaos Group provides innovative rendering
solutions for media, entertainment and
design industry. They are the creators of
the innovative V-Ray rendering software
which has set the standard for speed,
quality reliability and usability. During the
session, Jeremy, highlights the advances
of V-Ray technology throughout the years
since 2009 after the release of the V-Ray
RT. V-Ray technology is seen in many
forms of media and it is prevalent in all the
latest movies. V-Ray Technology aims to
create the most realistic rendering for 3D
artists creations bringing them to life in
ways never before seen.
This is a poron of the Blue Waters supercomputer that was highlighted in Crisna Beldicas
presentaon
Paul Serrano from Nutanix giving his presentaon on how
Nutanix has changed the way big data can be sold and
managed in smaller yet e cient scales
Spatz Pierre from Murex giving a presentaon on the vital importance of GPU in risk management
august 14

chip malaysia
028
news
The recent NVIDIA GPU Technology
Workshop 2014 wasnt just keynote
speeches and PowerPoint slides, there
were numerous products placed on display
which harnesses the power of NVIDIA
GPU in some way. These are some of the
companies that provide their services to
regular and corporate consumers. There
were also the latest line-ups in NVIDIAs
latest products such as the Jetson TK 1
and the NVIDIA GRID test drive.
At the NVIDIA booth, there was a sneak
preview of the Jetson TK1 which is a
development kit for Tegra K1 embedded
applications. Within the booth, a product
demo was given on the latest NVIDIA
motion tracking programs such as the
motion estimation, feature tracker and
3D rendering software. The booth also
provides the demo for the latest GPU
visualisation software from NVIDIA called
the GRID, and its specialised embedded
graphic cards. The GRID utilises NVIDIAs
Kepler K1 and K2 boards which provide
A Booth Tour
With Plenty Of
Surprises
rich graphic environments during
virtualisation. The hardware virtualisation
of GRID provides multiple users access
to the standalone GPU improving
user density but without sacrificing PC
performance. GRID allows up to 100 users
on a single board thanks to its K1 board
which features four
GPUs and 16GB of
graphics memory.
The following booth
demonstration was
provided by VMware
which provides cloud
computing on all
platforms providing
services that previously
had platform restrictions
online for all users.
The demonstration
showcased the VMware
Workspace Portal which
is an easy to access
virtualisation software
which can access any application from
any device while enabling it to deliver,
manage and secure data across devices.
Moving on, there was also a product
demo and explanation of the latest
Dell Precision Workstations which are
designed specifically for professionals
with higher demands and needs. The
products on display were the Dell
Precision Mobile, Rack and Desktop
series.
The next featured booth emphasises
the power of mobility in the form of
Citrix, a leader in virtualisation, network
and cloud infrastructure. They provided
a demonstration of their new Citrix
Workspace Suite which aims to deliver
secure access to apps, data and services
from any device. This is a complete
solution that provides instant access to
personalised desktops, mobile, web, and
Window apps, data and services over any
network. This gives users the freedom to
choose how, when and where work can
be done, allowing a mobile yet productive
workforce. Aside from workstations
and cloud computing, we took a look at
the latest SuperServer solutions from
SUPERMICRO which is powered by
NVIDIA GPU/Xeon Phi.
The last featured booth of the day was
HP and their Hyperscale solutions which
caters to customers who require higher
performance, density, efficiency and
cost savings. The devices displayed here
were the HP ProLiant SL family servers
and the HP Apollo systems. These latest
line of servers give users flexibility and
customisations for different node choices
which in turn allows different research to
be done effectively while maintaining the
same architecture.
www.nvidia.com.my
The NVIDIA GRID test drive booth which features the prominent K2 board to power the
visualisaon soware
The NVIDIA GRID K2 on display which is the engine behind the
NVIDIA GRID
A moon tracking soware shown on display to show how it can
tabulate and capture data on moon captured with a webcam
The HP Proliant Scalable System is on display highlighng the
big data soluons provided by HP
SUPERMICRO server towers are powered by NVIDIA GPU/
Xeon Phi processors
august 14

chip malaysia
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feature
i ntervi ew
Many believe that IoT will be
a major game changer and a
big thing in Malaysia, what
are your thoughts on that?
IoT will be a game changer. Its about
doing things better, smarter and more
efficient. IoT will also allow us to gain
more data and provide more efficient
and smarter services that hopefully
everybody will benefit from. The
Malaysian government has realised
how important IoT is and MIMOS has
been working in the IoT space for
years developing sensors and pulling
information together.
The Malaysian Investment
Development Authority (MIDA) has also
committed to a five year project which
sees them committing over RM4 billion
in this space, which is a significant effort
to adopt and also foster the adoption of
IoT with other industry within Malaysia.
The implementation of IoT on
a major scale is predicted to
take a while, why is this so?
Do you think it will be well-
received?
The implementation of IoT is definitely
going to take a while and wont just
happen overnight and this involves
the Four Big Pillars many are talking
about these days. The Four Big Pillars
refers to the Cloud, Big Data, IoT and
Mobility. IoT has dependencies on each
of these other pillars and were now
only beginning to see more and more
companies forge into the Cloud and Big
Data Space. So IoT, will come a bit later
down the road as it has to be built on
those infrastructures.
Its about all about connecting with
devices and collecting information, being
able to act on the information, whether
it is to generate revenue, to provide
communications, alerts or notifications
or to drive higher-level security or
smarter services, so I think everybody is
going to move into the IoT space even
if they dont want to. This is because as
we move forward, things we buy such
as appliances, tools, phones, everything
will be connected, it doesnt matter if
you use it or not. Its much like LTE,
most of the newer smartphones support
LTE, its just up to the user whether they
want to use it or not.
An Enlightening
Exchange About
IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) isnt exactly a new thing
in the tech industry as its concept has been discussed
for more than 10 years ago. However, there were
always certain aspects holding it back such as
technology and infrastructure. Things are a little
different today as companies such as Intel now have
the technology and know-how to make it happen and
with support from the Multimedia Development
Corporation (MDEC), Malaysians will soon be able to
enjoy the many benefits that come with IoT. We got a
chance to speak to Steven Rosen, Chief Information
Officer of Xchanging Malaysia to find out more about
the progress of the implementation of IoT in Malaysia
By Jeremy Cheong
Steven Rosen, Chief Informaon O cer, Xchanging Malaysia
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august 14 031
feature
i ntervi ew
It is said that with IoT in
place, consumers wont have
to call or report on problems
in their products. Take for
example, if an air-conditioner
comes with an IoT chip, the
manufacturer is able to tell
when it needs servicing or
a part replaced. This will of
course raise a bit of issues in
terms of security, what are
your thoughts on this?
That same fear actually exists right now
with the Cloud and there are all types
of efforts that are working to overcome
that. The security, data sovereignty,
theres also a lot of legal aspects to this,
so I think when IoT comes, the whole
concern over security will have been
addressed for the most part and IoT
will just become another capability that
sits on top of these fundamental pieces
that were going through like you said
security, the cloud and big data. I may
be able to get all this data from the
devices but if I cant process that data
and produce something meaningful for
specific purposes, what is the value of
that?
What are some of the
problems you predict will
most likely happen when it
comes to the adoption and
implementation of the IoT?
Its going to be different depending
on the vertical industry, for example,
financial services. They will have quite
a few challenges because they are
a heavily regulated industry here in
Malaysia. They are now struggling to
go to Cloud because of the regulations.
So it will definitely be a little bit
slower for companies in the financial
service industry. Also, one of the most
important elements when it comes to
IoT are Automated Teller Machines
and they are all over the place and the
connectivity to them, the information
that is collected and the control they
have over it is extremely limited, so I
think this is where they will really benefit
from IoT, but of course, it will take a
little bit of time to get implemented.
What will Malaysia stand to
gain when it comes to the
implementation of the IoT?
As a country, Malaysia will understand
the people, their needs and concerns
much better which in turn will allow
them to manage, provide and to address
those elements in a much more efficient
way.
Also, I think every person and every
company that is providing some kind of
product or service will definitely benefit
from IoT. This is because one of the
key ideas behind IoT is the collection of
information to provide better products
and smarter services at a reduced cost.
So as IoT grows, I think every consumer
will benefit from it.
So will IoT actually effect job
opportunities in any way?
The Malaysian government has said
that according to their plans, it will
generate 26,000 - 28,000 additional jobs.
Providing these smarter services and
better capabilities, there will be more
job opportunities as we become more
efficient and effective in what were
doing, our ability to do more things on a
broader landscape grows.
One of the biggest concerns
many users will have with
IoT is security, so what
are some of the methods
organisations should take to
ease the minds of users?
The PDPA requires various
communications that goes out to the
consumers as a notification piece,
but I think companies that are selling
products and services also need to be
proactive in their communication with
their consumers to help reinforce the
mind-set that their data is secure and is
only being used to what its identified
for and nothing more. I think every
company has an implied responsibility
at that proactive communication with
their consumers. They also have to make
sure internally that they have the right
process and controls in place to secure
that data.
If a user/customer finds that
their data has been misused,
is there anything they can do
about it?
Of course they do. The Malaysian
Communications and Multimedia
Commission (MCMC) will be the tip of
the spear. Just like today, if a user has
problems with their Internet Service
Provider (ISP) or telcos, theres already
a very effective process in place for
users to file a complaint. So in a way,
theres already good process, tools and
organisations in place to address any
problems users will have.
Another concern when it
comes to IoT is that since
most of our devices will be
connected to the net, how
easy or difficult will it be
for hackers to hack said
connected devices?
Theres always going to be that risk.
Everyday theres over a million hackers
trying to hack into websites. What they
do is known as port knocking or to
find an open door, once they find it
they then start to work and to exploit
that open door. I think when it comes to
devices and IoT, theres going to be that
same risk as devices will be getting IP
addresses. Right now, our smartphones
use a special protocols that are hard to
access, however, 4G smartphones and
devices that get an IP address, thats
the highway to everything. The risk of
hacking is always going to be there.
Similar to how we put up websites,
its going to come down to our devices
and securing the data in storage,
securing the application that is on the
device itself and then securing the
communications that come to it. So, I
think although the protocols are going to
be different, conceptually, it will just be
like securing a website.
Besides its many advantages
it brings to the table, do
you think that there are any
disadvantages at all to IoT?
This is actually quite a hard question.
There was a recent movie called
Transcendence with Johnny Depp in it
and there was point in the movie where
his wife finds that he is everywhere and
I think we may find ourselves like that in
the near future as IoT comes in and at
some point we may feel like we dont have
any privacy. Thats the only downside I
could see other than the security aspect
of things. The benefits of IoT far outweigh
the disadvantages as the solution is
simple, just turn off your device.
www.xchanging.com
july 14

chip malaysia
032
feature
l egal tech
T
he rapid increase of mobile phone theft cases has
demanded the authorities to take steps to prevent or
reduce these cases and ensure that lost/stolen mobile
phones are immobilised. One of the steps that the authority, in
this case, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia
Commission (MCMC) is taking is to set up a national IMEI
database and introduce a national phone blocking system
using IMEI number.
International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI)
number is essentially a 15-digit unique number that is
assigned to each and every mobile phone in the market, which
is used for identifying a particular mobile phone and its
functionality as a security feature is used extensively
worldwide. Phone blocking system using IMEI number has
been used for many years in many countries including the
Europe, United States as well as Australia. The idea of phone
blocking had first been mooted by the Government since 2008
and was finally rolled out in the 2nd quarter of 2014. Malaysia
is the first country in this region that rolls out this phone
A practicising lawyer specialising
in telecommunications, media
& technology law, Edwin is in a
constant effort to educate users
on the many legal happenings in
the IT world
Losing your smartphone can be quite a traumatic experience
especially if you have a lot of confidential data and private files
stored on your device. Good news is, with the Public Cellular
Blocking Service now available in Malaysia, we can use it to cure our
lost device headaches By Edwin Lee Yong Cieh
blocking system.
According to the Direction on Public Cellular Blocking
Service for Cellular Mobile Access Devices under Required
Application Services (Direction 1 of 2013) issued by the MCMC
on 30 April 2013, each network service provider and
application service provider is required to execute all acts
necessary to prepare and/or facilitate the implementation of
the Public Cellular Blocking Service (PCBS) within three
months from the date of the Direction including, the
installation of an Equipment Identity Register (EIR), ensure
integration and connectivity of the EIR at all times to the
Malaysian Central Equipment Identity Register (MCEIR) for
the transmission of blocking and unblocking requests, ensure
arrangements are in place to deal with the blocking requests of
lost/stolen mobile phones and the unblocking requests for
recovered mobile phones, ensure that all blocking/unblocking
requests are updated to the MCEIR, ensure that all blocking
and unblocking instructions from the MCEIR are updated to the
EIR as well as provide reports as required by the MCMC from
time to time.
PCBS is essentially a service that will enable mobile phone
users to block a lost/stolen mobile phone from making /
Fighting
Phone Thefts
With A Phone
Blocking
System
chip malaysia

july 14 033
feature
l egal tech
receiving calls, sending/receiving SMS/MMS and accessing all
data networks within Malaysia. What it means is that, once the
mobile phone is blocked, the mobile phone becomes unusable
even if a new SIM card is inserted into the mobile phone.
Users are not required to sign up for this service as it is
available to all users free of charge. The MCMC said that the
system was aimed at reducing street crime and mobile phone
theft cases since stolen mobile phones can be sold at half the
retail price in the black market.
A check on the websites of the three main
telecommunication companies (telcos) in Malaysia shows
that they have already put in place some mechanisms to
facilitate the PCBS.
The IMEI number is usually stored automatically on the
telcos system when the users subscribe for the telcos network
service. However, users are encouraged to register their
ownership details on the www.blockmyphone.my portal so
that in the event their lost/stolen mobile phones are found
subsequently, the users can claim back their mobile phones.
The online ownership registration is free of charge.
Only mobile phones that have a valid IMEI number can be
blocked under the PCBS. A valid IMEI number is a unique
identity number for each mobile phone that is recognised by
GSMA. The IMEI number is usually found printed inside the
battery compartment of the mobile phone or on the original
packaging box. A user can also dial *#06# into the keypad on
his mobile phone to obtain the IMEI number on the display
screen. The user will need to contact his telco or walk in to the
participating customer service centre to make a PCBS request.
If the mobile phone is found subsequently, the user can
contact his telco again to request to unblock his mobile phone.
Once the mobile phone is blocked, it will remain blocked until
a legitimate unblock request is received by the telco.
How does PCBS work?
The PCBS uses the IMEI number of the mobile phone to block/
unblock lost/stolen mobile phone. If your mobile phone is lost/
stolen, immediately report the incident to your telco to (i) block
the SIM card (so that your mobile phone number will be
blocked and you will not be charged for any calls made
afterward), and (ii) block your mobile phone under the PCBS
(so that the functionality of your mobile phone will be blocked
even if a new SIM card is inserted into the mobile phone). If a
crime is involved, please also make a police report without
delay and ensure that your mobile phones IMEI number is
included in the police report. If you have registered your
ownership details on the www.blockmyphone.my portal,
remember to update your mobile phones status as lost/stolen.
Upon receiving your PCBS request, your telco will blacklist
your mobile phones IMEI number on its EIR, and then submit
the blacklisted IMEI number to the MCEIR. The MCEIR will then
forward the blacklisted IMEI number to all other telcos in
Malaysia so that they can also blacklist the IMEI number on
their EIRs. Once this is done, your mobile phone will be
immobilised.
Celcom says that it will take about one working day to
process the blocking/unblocking request, but the actual
blocking/unblocking will only take place when Celcoms
network detects the mobile phone. DiGi also states that the
mobile phone will be blocked/unblocked as soon as DiGis
network detects the mobile phone. Maxis, however, does not
state how long it would take for it to block/unblock the mobile
phone.
If subsequently, you have recovered your lost/stolen mobile
phone, you can request your telco to unblock the mobile
phone. You should also update your details on the www.
blockmyphone.my portal to remove your mobile phones lost/
stolen status.
If you sell or give away your mobile phone, you should also
de-register your mobile phone on the www.blockmyphone.my
portal, and update it with the records of your new mobile
phone. Please also remind the purchaser or recipient of your
previous mobile phone to register himself or update his details
on the portal so that he too can enjoy the full benefits of this
free service.
Please note that only the registered owner of the mobile
phone which is registered on the telcos network, prior to the
mobile phone being lost/stolen, can request to block/unblock
the mobile phone. This is to prevent malicious or unscrupulous
people from abusing the system by making false PCBS
request. Besides, the PCBS will only block the mobile phone
from making/receiving calls, sending/receiving SMS/MMS and
accessing all data networks within Malaysia. It will not be able
to help the user to locate/trace the lost/stolen mobile phone.
The Governments initiative to launch the PCBS has
received warm responses from the consumer associations and
the public as it is seen as a move to protect consumers
interests. It is also hoped that with this initiative, it will reduce
street crime, especially snatch thefts, as the thieves will no
longer have incentives to steal mobile phones anymore since
they can no longer sell mobile phones that are unusable.
The view expressed in this article is intended to provide a
general guide to the subject matter and does not constitute
professional legal advice. You are advised to seek proper legal
advice for your specific situation.
The IMEI number of our smartphones and even tablets will now actually be very handy thanks
to the PCBS, so its wise you either keep a copy of this number in case of emergencies
august 14

chip malaysia
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feature
tech spel unk
Overclock-worthy
A major reason why Intels Pentium processors are so sought after back in the day was due to the fact that these processors can be
overclocked up to 100% of their base clock. The Intel Pentium 20th Anniversary Edition processors have unlocked cores too, which
means that they can indeed be overclocked to achieve higher performance than what the stock core speeds are capable of.
The G3258 is clocked lower than its contemporaries, the G3440 and G3450, but if youre a speed enthusiast, youll be happy to
know that Intel has mentioned that it is possible to clock the processor a whole 1GHz higher than its base clock of 3.2GHz. The
processor also functions as a very affordable overclocking processor, so much so that you need not worry about burning it as it is
affordable enough to get off the shelves if you somehow manage to nuke it.
Compatibility
Being a Haswell-based processor, enthusiasts need not
worry about motherboard compatibility as the Pentium
20th Anniversary Edition processor can be used with
motherboards from both the 8 and 9 series, be they the
higher end Z87/Z97 or H87/H97 boards.
This is excellent as overclocking enthusiasts most
likely will already have Z87 or Z97 motherboards
already, and can straight away start on playing around
with the processor without having to spend even more
money on a new motherboard.
Not only that, a variety of component makers, such
as ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE and ASRock have also
announced limited edition 20th Anniversary
motherboards which actually has some pretty cool
features for the new processor. In the case of ASRock,
the motherboard is capable of detecting if the CPU
installed on it is a 20th Anniversary CPU, and once it
does, the motherboard will provide the users with an
extra option to overclock the CPU to 4.2GHz, as opposed
to just 4.0GHz with other CPUs.s
chip malaysia

august 14 035
feature
tech spel unk
What It Is
The Intel Pentium 20th Anniversary Edition processor is a dual-core processor that is based off Intels 22nm Haswell processor. The
highest-end model, which is the Intel Pentium G3256 is clocked at 3.2GHz with 3MB of cache. The processor also comes with basic
on-board graphics and Intel Quick Sync Video for simple video decoding.
That said, the Pentium processor does not come with other Core-series goodies such as Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost, Intel Clear
Video HD, Intel vPro and a number of other instruction sets, which makes this a barebones processor.
As with many, if not most Intel processors, the package the Intel Pentium G3256 processor comes together with the standard Intel
cooler and an instruction manual on how to install the processor and the cooler.
Whats It For?
Ever since the Core series was launched, the Pentium
has taken a bit of a back seat and was relegated to
being a budget processor for low-end computing
systems. Up until now, Pentium processors are used
for office and home computers whose purpose
doesnt go far beyond the usual internet browsing,
text editing and video-watching.
What the Pentium 20th Anniversary Edition
processor provides besides value is an option for you
to have a machine that truly brings value for your
money, instead of just a processor that is cheap for
the sake of affordability. You can overclock the
Pentium G3258 processor if youre looking to build a
small, affordable gaming computer, or just use it to
toy around with various overclocking methods.
Before the arrival of Intels Core series processors, which dates back to the days of the
Core2Duo and Core2Quad, the Pentium line of processors used to be the cream of the
crop of processors that enthusiast system builders would go for. As the Pentiums 20th
anniversary looms closer, Intel has decided that it would be a good idea to announce
and release an Anniversary Edition processor for PC enthusiasts who are looking to build
desktop PC solutions on the cheap. By CHIP Team
W
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august 14

chip malaysia
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feature
ti mel i ne
1988 1985 1982 1987 1984 1981 1986 1983 1980 1989
CHIP TIMELINE
Tetris
This game would probably not have become so popular without Game Boy: Tetris. This
jigsaw puzzle with four squares saw the light of day in 1984
I
t is the most popular Game Boy game
of all time.
Hardly any other game has been
copied and imitated as often as Tetris.
The story of the computer jigsaw puzzle
game begins in the early 1980s. Russian
programmer Alexei Paschitnow
developed the first playable version on
an Elektronika-60 computer at the Soviet
Academy of Sciences in 1984. The first
version lacked the famous Tetris tune
and colourful puzzle stones. The basis
was the computer game implementation
of a popular jigsaw puzzle for kids called
Pentomino. The simple, 27-Kbyte game
was soon adapted by present Google
developer Vadim Gerasimov for the IBM
PC, and the first colour version was
released in 1985. From that point
onwards, the success story of Tetris took
its course. The game was mainly popular
in the former Soviet Union and the
eastern bloc. Paschitnow also ensured
increasing popularity through
cooperation with the software company
Mirrorsoft, subsidiary of the leading
British media company in 1986, Maxwell
Corporation. Also, exporting Hungarian
game manufacturers brought Tetris to
the people because of the prevailing
Tetris-developer A.L.
Paschitnow
Year of origin of Tetris: June 1984
International breakthrough: Launch
of Game Boy, 1989
Developer: Alexei Leonidowitsch
Paschitnow
Tetris for Game
Boy
Nintendo sold the
computer game in
1989 along with its
new handheld device.
1984
Elektronika 60
Alexei Paschitnow
develops the first
playable version of Tetris
chip malaysia

august 14 037
feature
ti mel i ne
2002 1991 2008 1997 2003 1992 2009 2004 1993 2010 1998 2005 1994 2011 1999 2006 1995 2012 2013 2000 2007 1996 2014 2001 1990
high demand for jigsaw puzzles. But
Tetris tasted its commercial
breakthrough only in the year 1989, with
the monochrome version for Game Boy.
Nintendo, the Japanese producer of
hardware and games, offered the title
together with its first portable gaming
console. The jigsaw puzzle could now be
played for the first time in pairs using
the Game Boys connected via the link
cable. The opponent then received the
solved puzzle series. The tiny speakers
of millions of Game Boys sold played the
8-bit music of the enclosed game. The
catchy tune, based on the Russian dance
song Korobeinki, crept in A-minor
into millions of ears.
Children and adults rotated and piled
up the falling bricks depicted in their
Game Boy displays, to Russian-sounding
music, till the rows still not removed
piled up to reach the upper edge of the
gaming field.
The success of Alexei Paschitnows
game did not pass other manufacturers
by, either. For example, Tetris was
included in 1989 in the first Microsoft
Windows Entertainment Pack for
Windows 3.0. In the new millennium,
more versions appeared for Nintendo DS
and Nintendo 3DS. Tetris has been sold
more than 100 million times so far also
as a mobile app for smartphones and
tablets. The current gaming hits like
Candy Crush would hardly be
imaginable without Tetris. It therefore is
one of the most successful cross-
platform gaming titles.
1985
IBM-PC
Vadim Gerasimov
programmes the first colour
version
1989
Game Boy
Nintendo offers Tetris along
with its first handheld device
2006
Nintendo DS
Tetris appears in a revised
version for Nintendos new
gaming console
20014
Android and iOS
The jigsaw puzzle is available
as a mobile App on
smartphones and tablets
1989
Windows
Microsoft introduces a
version of Tetris for PCs
running on Windows 3.0
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1985
IBM-PC
Vadim Gerasimov
programmes the f
version
feature
ti mel i ne
2006
Ni t d DS
feature
techni c l exi con
More
frequencies
With a frequency range of 50 to
7,000 Hz, HD Voice covers, unlike
conventional telephone
transmissions (300 to 3,400 Hz),
the entire typical speech
perception range of the human
ear. The voice on the telephone
sounds clearer and more natural.
It is also easier to distinguish
between different letters.
Technical
implementation
In the conventional telephone (landline)
network, the G.722 codec is responsible
for the HD Voice transmission, while
G.722.2 (AMR-WB) is used in mobile
communications. When it comes to
conventional telephone network, HD Voice
makes use of the internet, since
conventional telephone networks still use
the G.711 codec. Both end devices must
support HD Voice and use the same
providers network.
Hardware
integration
As for smartphones, support for
HD Voice is at a relatively high
level. Certain premium models
(especially Android) have been
equipped with the AMR-WB
technology since 2011. On the
other hand, when it comes to
conventional telephone networks,
only a few of the latest models
support the G.722 codec.
Codec G.711 G.722 G.722.2 (AMR-WB)
Application area E.g. VoIP, ISDN, mobile communications VoIP, CAT-iq (DECT) Mobile communications, CAT-iq (DECT)
Bandwidth 64 KBit/s Up to 64 KBit/s 1.25 KBit/s to 23.85 KBit/s
Sampling rate 8 kHz 16 kHz 16 kHz
Frequency transmission 3003,400 Hz 507,000 Hz 507,000 Hz mis
Brand Smartphones with HD Voice
Apple iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s
BlackBerry
Z10, Z30, Q5, Q10, Torch 9810 and newer
models
HTC
Android models from 2011/12 onwards,
Incredible, Radar, Titan, 8x, 8s
Huawei P-series, G-series etc.
LG
L-series (from 5 onwards), G-series, Nexus
4/5, 3D series, Prada 3.0 etc.
Motorola Razr, Razri, Quench, Moto G
Nokia Lumia models etc.
Samsung
S-series, Note-series, Ace-series, Mini-
series, Nexus, etc.
Sony All Xperia models (Android)
HD Voice covers the entire speech perception range
HD Voice in fixed-line networks HD Voice in mobile communications
Only possible in the same providers network Only possible in the same providers network
VoIP
G.722 G.722 G.722.2 G.722.2
UMTS
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 11,000 12,000
200 Hz
300 Hz 3,400 Hz 7,000 Hz 50 HZ
5,000 Hz 12,000 Hz 50 Hz
Frequency
in Hz
Speech frequencies
Speech perception
Normal telephone
Bra
Ap
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feature
techni c l exi con
chip malaysia

august 14 039
feature
techni c l exi con
H
DTV, lossless audio formats, Blu-rays with HD surround
and action cams with a 4K resolution: enjoying audios
and videos in High Definition has now become standard
in almost all market segments. But when it comes to making
calls, we still use the post-war technology with poor voice
quality. HD Voice is a technology that enables crystal clear
calls in Hi-Fi quality. Many smartphones and landline phones
are compatible with this standard and it is the same with most
current routers. Some providers even provide this service
without any additional costs. Yet, there is only a slim chance
of actually making calls in HD. The reasons for that are
technical old and neglected problems in the telephone network
coupled with the providers reluctance to upgrade their
networks.
Although the technology used for HD Voice is different for
mobile communications and landlines, the result is the same
in both cases: if frequencies of only 300 to 3,400 Hz are
transmitted during normal telephone calls, the range for HD
Voice is 50 to 7,000 Hz, which is more than twice as much. This
extension exceeds the typical speech perception of humans,
which is around 200 to 5,000 Hz. As a result, HD Voice enables
better differentiation between the letters S and F, whose
information for acoustic perception is above 3,400 Hz. The
problem in differentiating between different letters with the
old technology was and still is so bad that one has to use the
phonetic alphabet la Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. Automatic
noise suppression improves the voice quality in HD calls even
more. Visit gsma.com/network2020/hd-voice to listen to how
clear and audible HD Voice calls actually are.
In theory, the HD Voice transmission should get
automatically activated if all prerequisites have been fulfilled.
In practice however, this is seldom the case. For example, in
Germany, Telekom, Vodafone and Eplus provide HD telephony
in their networks. While Telekom has been provided this
service since the end of 2011, Vodafone and Eplus have been
doing so only since the middle of 2013 and March 2014
respectively. O2 still refuses to use the HD Voice standard and
as per official information, this will not change for some time.
HD Voice in landlines is provided only via VoIP and in mobile
communications only via UMTS. From the point of view of
technology, Hi-Fi calls are also possible via GSM. However so
far, no provider offers the service in this network. But the
biggest handicap of HD Voice lies elsewhere: HD calls work
only in the network of their provider. As a result, high-def calls
between the Telekom and Vodafone for instance are not
possible. This holds true for landlines as well. But thats not
all; calls from a landline to a mobile phone are also not
possible even if the provider is the same. This is because of
the different codecs used for the HD transmission. Landline
devices use the G.722 standard, while smartphones use the
G722.2 codec. Apart from the similarity in the name, these two
technologies have little in common. G722.2, which is also
called AMR-WB (Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband), brings a
scalable data rate for resource-efficient use in mobile
networks. This rate is maximum 23.85 KBit/s and falls to 1.25
KBit/s (Silence Descriptor) during the period of silence. The
different codecs is just half the problem because all calls are
still processed via the G.711 codec, which was used in the 70s.
To establish an HD connection between UMTS and landline as
well as between the providers with it, suitable interfaces need
to be developed and these are quite expensive. However, the
three providers have unanimously stated that they are working
on the problem but have not disclosed a concrete start date. In
the long run, HD Voice calls would also be processed via the
LTE network. German mobile communication providers are
already working on the necessary VoLTE technology but
havent mentioned a start date.
Many smartphones support HD Voice
Since HD Voice works only bi-directionally, both subscribers
need a device that is compatible to this standard. The chances
of having a smartphone model that supports AMR-WB are
higher; although HD Voice was initially reserved for premium
models, it is now available in midrange models as well.
Therefore many Android smartphones released since 2011, the
latest BlackBerrys and Nokias Lumia models as well as
iPhones starting from version 5 are all equipped with this
standard. However, since new standards take time to establish
themselves in the landline market, very few stationary
telephones support the technology. Manufacturer Gigaset
offers the widest selection of HD Voice compatible telephones
and sells this technology as HDSP (High Definition Sound
Performance).
It will take time till HD Voice becomes a standard globally
and to-date Malaysian telcos such as Maxis, DiGi, Celcom and
tohers havent announced anything about HD telephony just
yet. Consumers could definitely profit from high-def
transmission; in the PESQ tests (Perceptual Evaluation of
Speech Quality) as per the ITU-T standard, German has
regularly been rated as quite a poorly comprehensible phone
language. French is worse, while Spanish is rated as a very
easy to understand phone language.
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HD Voice Calls: Sounds
With Crystal Clarity
HD Voice is a standard technology that enables you to make telephone calls in crystal clear
quality. The only problem is that providers are having a hard time implementing it
feature
Nest smoke
detectors in the
house
communicate via
the Nest server
and report alarms
and movements to
each other
Both devices exchange the
information they have
collected, for example, which
rooms have people in it
The thermostat receives the
local weather info as well as
control commands of the user
via the server
3 Nest servers
Data from the sensors is analysed on
Nest servers. The reason for this is that
these have adequate power for
calculation
1 Nest Protect
Before sounding an alarm, the
smoke detector emits a warning
with a voice response and by
stating the location of the alarm.
It uses the motion sensor and the
CO sensors for this
Advantages of
the Nest system
With the Nest sensors, Nest
thermostat 1 and smoke
detector 2 users can save
120 Euros (RM526) on
heating costs per year,
receive warnings about fires
and enjoy better comfort
Movement
A light and motion sensor
detects the presence of
people within a 150 degree
angle in front of the
thermostat and turns off the
heating in rooms that are
not being used
Weather
The Nest thermostat
regularly checks the local
weather and can adjust the
heating and cooling of the
house to an optimal
condition based on this
data
Temperature
A sensor measures the
current room temperature
and adjusts this according
to the values set by the
user. This requires a
separate thermostat for
each room
Fire alarm
The smoke detector detects
smoke with the help of the
carbon monoxide sensor
and sounds the alarm only
in rooms that have people
How Nest
functions
Thermostats that independently adjust themselves to the
users specifications; smoke detectors that warn about a
fire threat Nest devices provide all these functionalities.
However, the intelligent components are also huge data
collectors
feature
a messy nest
O
ne of the first things that the Nest
CEO Tony Fadell wrote in his blog
after Google took over his company
for US$3.2 billion (RM10 billion) was: Nest
customer data is only meant for improving
Nest products. The more diplomatic it
sounds, the less credible it is because with
this acquisition, Google has overcome a
huge problem: while the web giant collects
huge quantities of user data on the web, the
source of information dwindles abruptly
when people shut down their computers or
put their smart mobile devices aside.
However Google can now monitor its
users at all times thanks to Nest products
and their sensors. The web giant knows
when you are at home, how much time
you spend in your bedroom or bathroom
per day, when you feel cold, which light in
a specific room is on in your house and
much more. Usually, this knowledge can
be useful: for example, if the services are
interlinked to the Google calendar, the
heating can be controlled exactly as per
your schedule. However, the acquisition is
a disaster from the point of view of data
security because even though Nest
products will be launched in many
countries some time this year, the
collected information is stored on servers
in USA. Hence, most countries data
protection laws arent applicable.
Surveillance in the
future
Gigaset Elements
The home alarm system
sends alarms on a linked
smartphone and sends the
data via a Siemens server.
Price: approx. 180 Euros
(RM790)
Nest alternatives
The solutions given below are as
convenient as Nest but use German
servers and are Open Source
r Tado Like Nest, the Munich based
company provides a learning
thermostat. The device checks if
someone is at home with the help of
linked smartphones.
r Spark This is the Open Source
version of Nest. However, one can only
order a development kit for around 30
Euros (RM131) on the Spark website.
r Qivicon The home automation
technology developed by the Deutsche
Telekom controls heating, lighting and
smoke detectors using an app.
Cube sensors
The small cubes measure
temperature as well as air
pressure, humidity and
ambient noise. Two cubes
will cost 235 Euros
(RM1,031)
Philips Hue
If the LED lights are linked to
a smartphone, the device
constantly transmits its
position to the Philips
server. The hue lamps cost
approx. 200 Euros (RM877)
LG Smart TV
TVs spied on their users
and sent their viewing
behavior to LG this fact
was discovered about LG
TVs in November 2013.
Price: 550 Euros (RM2,500)
and up
The Qivicon solution from the Deutsche
Telekom comes closest to the Nest
solution
Disadvantages
of the Nest
system
Data recorded by Nest
sensors is sent to servers
in USA this not only
impacts data security but
also opens up gateways for
hackers
Data security
Within a week, the Nest system knows
what its users normal daily routine
looks like. With the help of the sensors,
even Nest knows how many people
stay in the house, when are they in the
house and which rooms do they
occupy. All this information is stored on
a Nest server that can now be accessed
by Google as well. Most countries data
security laws are not applicable here
Cyber crime
As recently as January this year, a
web-enabled fridge sent spam mails
because it was part of a botnet. To
prevent such incidents, users must
also update the firmware of the
thermostat and smoke detector in
future. Otherwise thieves will be able
to tell when you are not at home
2 Nest thermostat
After a learning phase of just a week,
the thermostat perfectly adjusts itself
to the daily routine of the user and his/
her family
I
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A Deceiving
Little Device
After purchasing the home automation brand Nest, Google
can now record all data outside the Internet and inside your
house By Fabian von Keudell
MORE SPYING
feature
open-source securi ty peri l s
300,000
global SERVERS have not been
repaired even one month after the
discovery of Heartbleed
8
permanent EMPLOYEES are currently
working on OpenSSL; only a third are
paid as full-time employees
66 %
of all WEB SERVERS worldwide use
the OpenSSL encryption software
Small errors,
big
consequences
The Heartbleed loophole in the source code of
OpenSSL provided cyber criminals the chance to
hack the encryption systems of thousands of
websites and gave them the opportunity to steal
personal data, emails, passwords, documents,
account and credit card numbers of users across
the globe.
Four-eyes principle failed in terms of
OpenSSL
The small team of developers missed the error in the source code of
the software that has been installed by mistake by a co-worker
OpenSSL in every third website
The most popular web services including portals of
banks and authorities are encrypted with OpenSSL. The
security loophole wasnt discovered by any IT employee here
as well
Heartbleed
X
Companies use the faulty code
Banks Authorities
Email
Online
Shopping
Social
Networks
feature
open-source securi ty peri l s
O
pen Source has been considered as
a flexible, cost-saving and secure
alternative to proprietary software
for a long time now: it is platform-
independent and can be operated with
reasonably priced licenses or even free of
cost and is therefore constantly attended to
and further developed by many employees.
However, most Open Source software
come with the risk of so-called back doors,
i.e., hidden security loopholes, through
which secret services like the NSA can gain
access to IT systems without being noticed
seemed to be lower than for instance in
Windows systems. Programming errors
were supposed to have been caught and
resolved quickly owing to the Four-Eyes
principle. But then there was Heartbleed, an
error in the code of the OpenSSL
encryption software, which is used by
about two-thirds of the worlds web
services. The tiny bug had disastrous
impacts on the data security of the World
Wide Web and made the world question
the security of Open Source. Actually
quite secure, says IT specialist Peter
Hofmann, who introduced the Linux based
Open Source operating system Li-Mux in
the Munich City Council around ten years
back: LiMux is constantly maintained by a
permanent team of developers. We have
regular Patch Days and an external service
provider supports us when it comes to
problems or large updates, explains
Hofmann. The OpenSSL situation is
completely different: most employees work
on the software voluntarily, parallel to their
primary jobs. They are motivated by the
philosophy of open source systems or a
sheer joy of programming. The project
itself is financed by means of donations,
which amount to about US$2,000
(RM6,404) a year. In his blog, Steve
Marques, chairman of the OpenSSL
Software Foundation, describes this
situation as neither realistic nor
appropriate and explains that something
like Heartbleed is therefore not surprising.
He calls on companies and governments,
which use OpenSSL as a matter of course,
without doing anything for it in return for
help. His call for help was heeded:
companies like Google, Facebook and
Amazon want to donate several millions to
support the new initiative of the Linux
Foundation for promoting Open Source
projects. The foundation justifies this
gesture by stating that any software,
whether open or proprietary, can only be as
good as its funding and thus the quality of
its support.
INFO
Hidden dangers in Open
Source projects
Firefox
In 2010, a Zero Day Exploit, i.e., an
acute, un-patched security loophole in
the Windows versions of the web
browser, enabled cyber criminals to
gain complete control over a system it
had attacked.
Apache
In 2013, hackers introduced the
malware Darkleech on tens of
thousands of the most widespread
web servers. Ransom Trojans were
thus circulated they encrypt files on
the victims PC and release it only after
receiving a ransom.
MySQL
In 2012, a bug in the globally used
database server allowed incorrect
password entries. Internet criminals
could thus obtain millions of passwords
and profiles of the users of Flickr,
YouTube, Google, Facebook and Twitter.
OpenID
In 2014, this third-party provider login
protocol had a security loophole,
through which hackers could access
confidential user data. Web services
such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft
and PayPal are affected by it.
The Federal Foreign Office
In 2007, 230 diplomatic missions with 11,000 workstations migrated
to Linux. But the logistical expenditure was too high, so in 2011, the
Office initiated a reverse migration to Microsoft Windows.
NASA
In 2012, the NASA launched the
satellite TechEdSat with a Linux
based board computer and
OpenRISC processors.
Pentagon
Since 2005, the American
Defence Ministry has been
using Linux for server
applications, web services,
databases and networks.
OpenID based web
portals enable login
with data from external
profiles like Google or
Facebook
Open Source
Security Risk
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Thousands of web services use open source software, ma-
king it susceptible for another Heartbleed By Claudia Linscheid
feature
1,000 days wi thout steve jobs
feature
chip malaysia

august 14 045
feature
W
hen Steve Jobs died of cancer on 5 October 2011, many
people predicted it would be the end of Apple as a
revolutionary tech company. Without its chief magician,
the master of distorted reality, Apple would first lose its focus, then
its glory and finally its magic this was the apprehension of many
bloggers, analysts and journalists.
Although it is wrong to break down as complex a group as
Apple to just one person, this apprehension was not a baseless
one: Apple is clearly undergoing a crisis after 1,000 days of being
without Steve Jobs. The enigmatic period of magical new releases
and spectacular visions is over. The once revolutionary enterprise
is in need of a revolution itself. And there are many reasons to
believe that Steve Jobs chose Tim Cook as his successor because
he not only saw in him a rescuer of his company but also his vision.
Never ask yourself what I would have done in your place, told
the dying Steve Jobs to his successor on his death bed. Jobs was
worried that Apple would follow the footsteps of Disney after the
death of its founder and mastermind Walt Disney. The company
was as if it was paralysed; everyone constantly thought about what
Walt would have done. Just do what you think is right, Jobs told
Cook.
But how can one do the right thing on his own when the
predecessor has evidently done everything right and that too in a
magically perfect way? Cook had inherited an enchanted paradise
from Jobs; a company which had the reputation of a miracle healer
for the starving tech industry but which was facing huge
structural problems. The company had grown too big too soon and
Tim Cook had to rectify this error.
The groundbreaking force behind the glory
Apple experienced an immense ascent after Steve Jobs came back
to it in 1997. In just five years, the company from Cupertino in
California thoroughly revolutionised business models and markets
and succeeded in whatever it did. This takeoff the groundbreaking
force of Apple had many reasons. Apples products were so
brilliant because the technical market at that time was ready for a
revolution. Jobs had an easy game against his rather dusty
competitors. He came on strong with his designs and quality while
the others were still offering dull products at cheap prices. He
understood the business of digital goods as well as the trinity of
design, usefulness and utility. Another reason for Apples success
is so simple that it almost chips away at its image of being a
wonder-company: Apples unique company structure! It also
explains the challenges that first Jobs and then Tim Cook had to
struggle with because this structure of a company that is lead by
military-like hierarchies was their joint project in 2000 and the
following years.
Horace Dediu has been at the receiving end of Apples punch.
The free mobile-analyst and Apple-fan worked as Business
Development Manager with Nokia till 2009, where he experienced
how fast a tech-enterprise can change from a renowned market
leader into a pitiful misfit in the industry. When he speaks, it is
evident that he is in awe of Apples entrepreneurial chutzpah:
Even today, Apple works like a start-up, raves Dediu. Although
Apple has long been a global corporation, its structure is similar to
that of any small, new company. This contradicts almost everything
one learns at a business school.
Organised like an army
Business experts call this structure a functional organisation;
almost every company starts off like this. The company operates
based on the equivalent cooperation between all divisions and has
not yet disintegrated into business units and sub-companies. The
management holds everything together; Senior Vice Presidents,
who head independent areas such as Design, Production or
Research, report to the management. All divisions work on
products as a joint project; there is little competition and very less
communication between the divisions. These silos cultivate
experts, who should make a career in that company and absorb the
spirit of the company.
This organisational form is not perfect but can have tremendous
advantages if it is mastered. I dont know any company that is so
big and that follows this approach, says Dediu. Apples structure
can only be compared to the US army or perhaps Hollywood. He
considered it a great achievement of Steve Jobs that he maintained
this structure even when Apple was no longer a small company.
Jobs knew what he was doing. He himself had said that the
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Apple
functions like
a start-up
even today
Horace Dediu,
Analyst
1,000 Days Without
Steve Jobs
For years, Apple seemed to be unbreakable; however, after the loss of its founder, they
seem to be on unstable grounds. Does current CEO Tim Cook have what it takes to re-
revolutionise the once unbeatable giant? By Felix Knoke
august 14

chip malaysia
046
feature
INFO
Apple keeps growing
The absence of Steve Jobs has not harmed the economic success of
the company yet. Its turnover has doubled in the period between
the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2014.
Apple CEO Tim Cook may seem slightly plain but is exactly the man who
can ensure Apples economic success without abandoning Steve Jobs
vision
rapid growth could be problematic for Apple. But he took
precautions to preserve the magic of the initial days even after his
death: he created Apple University, where Apple tries to identify
and understand its success factors. What is more important
however is that the relatively nondescript Cook became CEO and
not Apples poster child and Design Guru Jonathan Ive or the iOS
head Scott Forstall. Dediu believes that only Cook understood Jobs
radical approach.
Never get old and sluggish
When Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998 as Senior Vice President of
Operations, his most important task was to modernise Apples
supplier chains and production business or rather turn them
upside down. Cook tidied up swell and made tough demands from
his employees and customers. Internally, he came to be known as
the creative but cold production management (or Operations)
genius. Cook was definitely as important for Apples success as
Jobs and perhaps even designer Jonathan Ive and the other
Senior Vice Presidents. But without Cooks Operations genius,
Steve Jobs grand Apple visions would never have become a
reality. Cooks brilliant production management allowed the
enterprise to secure a lead over its competitors. Like Jobs, he
tolerated no mistakes the Apple books are full of stories about his
stubborn perfectionism, his ascetic penchant for caffeine-lemonade
and sports nutrition bars and his nerve-racking pedantry. But the
most important thing is that Cook and Jobs shared a bold vision
that Apple as an organisation should never be allowed to grow old
and sluggish and that one should be ready to ignore the standard
knowledge provided in business schools to achieve this, even if that
meant taking a huge risk.
The experiment was successful and this holds true even today.
But it had already reached its limits before Jobs death. Even the
self-image of the company no longer matched reality. Perhaps
thats the reason why even the remaining strands of success
snapped out after Jobs: Apple slid from one hitch to the other first
the Maps disaster, the Siri letdown and the controversies
surrounding the working and environmental conditions in
production plants and then Cooks inability to pull interesting
products out of his sleeve to subtend this situation to some extent.
Had the innovation-candle in Cupertino gone out? As if these
episodes were not enough, Cook had to extinguish internal fires:
after Jobs was gone, the company lost the person who had held it
together with a lot of impact and charisma. In the months after
Jobs death, many employees left the company, Cooks leadership
qualities came under criticism and there were power struggles
within the company. To add insult to injury, Apple started facing a
whole new set of problems related to its image; it was no longer the
rebellious company that revolted against the bigger powers, but
rather a reckless juggernaut. If its aggressive approach towards
competition and customers was once considered cool, it now
seemed paranoid and aggressive. Moreover, Apple had now turned
into what it once challenged: a Big Brother.
Overtaking the overtaken
If one looks back at the last three years with the intention to find
indications of the future rather than Apples lost magic, one would
perhaps understand Tim Cooks plans for Apple in the last few
years. He had the task of uniting its actual role as an established
global corporation with the paradoxical self-image of a
groundbreaking force. Apple is mainstream and on the verge of
overtaking those who had once overtaken it. Microsoft for instance
had learnt about functional organisation from Apple; Samsung
brings cheaper versions of Apples high-value, niche products into
the mass market. The recent price cut of MacBook Air, the plastic
iPhone 5c and the annexation of the headphone manufacturer and
streaming provider Beats indicate that Apple is preparing itself for
the masses. And this should not be a problem for anyone: Apples
highest product claim was to manufacture excellent products to
make the world a better place. This claim can also be true for the
mass market.
Apples greatest miracle could therefore have already happened:
the claim of manufacturing products that are not just good and
widely sold but the best has long been true in varied measures
for a large part of the electronic market. Apple once set the
benchmark but the others are now raising the bar further. It is now
up to Tim Cook to defend Apple in front of this powerful
competition without abandoning Steve Jobs vision of the future.
That is also why Tim Cook succeeded him: he can steer a global
company in the right direction without watering down Steve Jobs
legacy, the idea behind Apple.
Q1
2011
Q2
2011
Q3
2011
Q4
2011
Q1
2012
Q2
2012
Q3
2012
Q4
2012
Q1
2013
Q2
2013
Q3
2013
Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Apples turnover in billion US dollars
10
20
50
40
30
60
chip malaysia

august 14 047
feature
goodbye googl e
I
f I were to lose my memory and not remember who I am, I only
need to look at my Google profile! As long as I remember my
login details, the Dashboard can tell me what I looked for on
the Internet, with whom and how often I exchanged emails, which
places I visited and when, which mobile devices I own and which
apps run on them, which documents I have created, which photos
I have clicked, what appointments have been scheduled for me
and much more. To cut a long story short, I can see a whole part
of my life, has been recorded digitally. This could be helpful in
such a hypothetical case of amnesia. But the extent to which
Google has parked itself into our lives with its admittedly practical
services, is alarming. Especially when one knows that Google uses
the data for advertising and for researching AI systems and
secret services such as NSA (with or without the knowledge of
Google) can access some of this data - time to get rid of the data
octopus.
We present here the best alternatives for 27 Google services,
many of which collect significantly less data and all of which are
free. If you distribute your online activities over different providers,
a company cannot create a comprehensive profile of you.
Furthermore, we explain how you can export your data from
Google and integrate it with new services. For those who want to
bid a perfect adieu to Google, we also explain how absolutely all
traces of a Google profile can be erased.
The data sponge Google has
crept into our lives with many
practical services its time to
get rid of it because there are
a slew of top quality
alternatives available
By Claudio Mller
Goodbye
Google
august 14

chip malaysia
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feature
goodbye googl e
OTHER GOOGLE ALTERNATIVES
PicSearch instead of Google Images
Picsearch.com offers similar search tools as Google, but the results are quite
different because PicSearch always shows different subjects.
HRS instead of Hotel Finder
You can conduct more detailed searches on hrs.com, than on the Google
variant. HRS often offers special deals and prices for numerous hotels.
Bing News instead of Google News
Although bing.com/news offers fewer options for setting the news stream, it
provides news on various topics from all major media sites.
Base instead of Scholar
base-search.net sifts through about 60 million language texts from around
3,000 sources when you search for scientific texts.
Twenga instead of Shopping
Unlike in Google Shopping, the ranking of products on twenga.com is not (at
least officially) influenced by deals with the manufacturers.
Talkwalker instead of Alerts
You have to simply specify an email address to receive notifications about
search words. Talkwalker.com/alerts searches news sites, blogs and forums.
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Mobile OS: CyanogenMod
Free your smartphone from the shackles
of Android
Delayed or no updates, forced login from a Google account, many
pre-installed and often redundant apps from Google and the
manufacturers the standard Android can be quite a nuisance. If
you find this a nuisance, it would be better to root the device and
install CyanogenMod. The Android derivative, which is regularly
developed by the community, offers more functions than Android
4.4 in its latest version 11 and works without Google. Thus you
neither need to use Google Apps nor the Play Store. In the app
stores that you can install later, such as F-Droid or GetJar, you will
find many apps, including those for the services that we introduce
in the next few pages.
In selected Samsung, Google and HTC models, it is possible
to install CyanogenMod from the PC, thanks to the Windows
installer and the relevant app. For other devices, you will find
instructions on the Flashing process at wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/
Devices. Before installing the new firmware, you should create a
backup of your personal data such as contacts on the computer
with the help of the tool MyPhone-Explorer. CyanogenMod not
only cuts the connection to Google but also frees the phone from
unwanted apps and the customised interfaces of the manufacturer.
This makes the phone faster and conserves battery power. You can
now actually use an Android, in which you can decide who can see
what information about you.
Web search: Qwant
Online search without ad tracking
Besides Android, the web search is the largest data source for
Google. Everything we search, what we are interested in, is used
by Google for personalised advertising. Moreover, the algorithm
shows us search hits, which it thinks will interest us because we
have visited similar sites in the past the so-called filter bubble.
The search engine Qwant (qwant.com) that was created in
Germany in March intends to do all this better than Google. It
doesnt collect any data for advertising purposes; the French
operating company finances itself by providing its technology to
other companies and websites. Moreover, Qwant does not show
personalised search results but the same results for all users when
they look for a particular search term.
By default, the search hits are arranged in five columns: general
web hits (Web), latest news articles (News), a field called
Qnowledge Graph with information (mostly from Wikipedia),
shopping results (Shopping) and publicly visible content from
Facebook and Twitter (Social). In the individual columns, one can
also refine the search by typing additional terms. The view can also
be changed the List View which is similar to Google or the
Mosaic View (which looks quite messy). But it underlines Qwants
approach of encouraging its users to dig around and discover
things. That is why you can directly view videos on the site, a
function that has been missing in Google for a long time.
If you are not satisfied with the search results of Qwant, you
should try Startpage by Ixquick (startpage.com). Startpage
provides Google hits that have been anonymised via a proxy
service. Here, the search queries are sent to Google, but without
the transmission of personal data.
Before installing CyanogenMod,
you need to activate USB
debugging the app
automatically takes you to the
menu
The CyanogenMod interface
gives you a clear view after it is
successfully installed
The layout of the search results in Qwant gives you more options for
discovering new web contents compared to Google
Browser: SRWare Iron
Chrome technology with data protection
Iron is based on the same programme code as Chrome. But unlike
Googles browser, it refrains from unambiguous user identification
and does not forward the address bar entries to Google. Iron uses
DuckDuckGo as the standard search engine, which processes
search queries anonymously. You can obviously change the
standard search (for example to Qwant). The settings menus are
similar to Chrome, so this would not be a problem for those
making the switch. A practical feature of Iron is that it adopts your
Chrome add-ons; you just need to activate them once. An ad
blocker is already integrated in Iron. However, it occasionally
shows hideous, albeit small, placeholder graphics instead of ad
banners. Another thing that distinguishes it from Chrome is that
Iron does not get updated automatically; you need to regularly look
for software updates under About Iron in the settings menu.
Email: Outlook.com
Smarter and clearer than Gmaill
With Hotmails successor Outlook.com, Microsoft has shown how
a modern webmail client can look. Tidy and unpretentious but with
all the important functions Gmail is no competition to the new
Outlook. It will be much easier to understand with an example: if
you want to delete mails or file them in a category all routine
tasks , you just need to move the cursor over the mail and these
options are displayed as icons. In Gmail, you need to either open
the mail or select it and then select the action from the menu bar.
Similar to Googles client, you can also manage additional
accounts (under Options | Import email accounts via the
cogwheel at the top right). We also recommend the use of the
calendar integrated in Outlook to replace the Google calendar. This
is because Outlook will then remind you about important dates, for
example, the entered birthdays, via mail. Read our tutorial to find
out how you can transfer data to the new calendar.
Office: Zoho Docs
More functions than Google Drive
Zoho Docs (zoho.com/docs) is part of the comprehensive Zoho
Suite. Although it is primarily designed for companies, the basic
version is free to use. The Office services (a writing program,
spreadsheet and presentations) provide all the important functions,
which are easier to find than in Google Drive, which hides many
options in the menus. Overall, the operation and interface of Zoho
are very similar to Microsoft Office programs and this is a positive
thing. In the 5GB storage space offered by the free version, you can
store and edit all the current Office file formats. However, a single
file may not be larger than 100MB. If you require more storage
space, you can extend it by integrating Dropbox. Users of this
Cloud storage service can synchronise it either completely or for
individual folders with Zoho via the Zoho settings menu. If you
prefer storing your data locally, Zoho can also synchronise with
Windows desktop with the help of a software client. This is ideal if
you want to work offline on your notebook while travelling. Zoho
also provides iOS and Android apps for online access via
smartphone and tablet.
SRWare Iron is as fast and easy as the Chrome browser but treats user
data more confidentially
With the help of the menu bar on top in Outlook.com, you can find other
Office services, for example the calendar
Zoho looks very similar to the interface of Microsoft Word and offers all
the important functions for using Office
TextSecure instead of Hangouts
The messenger app TextSecure replaces Hangouts, which is the standard
app for chats and SMSs since Android 4.4. You can do both with TextSecure
as well as also encrypt the data on the end devices if you want. TextSecure
also offers a group function like the one in WhatsApp.
Wordpress instead of Blogger
On wordpress.com, you can host blogs free of cost and base them on
different layout templates. You can also benefit from the numerous widgets
with additional functions.
MetaScan instead of VirusTotal
The online scanner metascan-online.com checks individual files for virus
attack with the help of about 40 scan engines. The size of the files can be up
to 80 MB.
Promt instead of Translator
Compared to its Google counterpart, Promt (online-translator.com) often
translates better and also offers a spell check and a dictionary.
Delicious instead of Bookmarks
With delicious.com, you can save bookmarks online and call them up on any
computer, with various browsers as well as by using an app on mobile
devices.
august 14

chip malaysia
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goodbye googl e
In bigger places, OpenStreetMap shows the house number of each building
a feature that Google Maps still doesnt have
XnView manages your photos, edits them using different tools and effect
templates and presents them in the form of a slide show
Vimeo offers a vast number of high-value (short) films, which provide a
more sophisticated film watching experience than YouTube
Maps: OpenStreetMap
More detailed and up-to-date than Maps
OpenStreetMap (openstreetmap.com) is a free world map, offers
much more than Google Maps for larger locations. In the map
view, OpenStreetMap (OSM) shows house numbers or the type of
shops in a building and the information is more up-to-date than in
Google Maps. Such level of detail is sometimes not available for
smaller places because a community of active users takes care of
the mapping. This is why OpenStreetMap does not provide
satellite imagery either.
But then the street view is also available as a cyclist view
with all cycle ways and as public transport map with all bus, tram,
suburban train and underground train lines. OSM also provides
three route planners that can be found in the Route drop-down
menu at the top near the search bar. These are OSMs own
services based on the open OSM maps. We recommend Mapquest
due to the easy route entry and the option to choose between car,
bicycle and pedestrian.
Web videos: Vimeo
Class instead of the YouTube mass
While YouTube is the largest goldmine for videos, Vimeo (vimeo.
com) follows another approach. Founded by film makers ten years
ago, Vimeo has established itself as a platform for high-value short
films, documentations and animation films that are mostly
produced in HD. In the Couch Mode, you can allow yourself to
be entertained by a continuous, constantly updated selection of
operators similar to TV programs. However, you can also browse
through the various categories and channels. Unlike YouTube,
there are no disturbances in the form of ad videos or GEMA
restrictions.
For those looking for a wider choice, we recommend
dailymotion.com, which offers an equally wild mix of videos as
YouTube, but does not have a mandatory link to Google+, without
which one cannot add comments in YouTube.
Photo management:
XnView
Picasas offline alternative
Googles Picasa is still quite a popular among the free photo
managers. But an alternative is urgently required since Google has
by default transported the Picasa web albums linked to the
software in the image gallery of the Google+ profile. XnView offers
all the important management and editing functions for quick
optimisation of your photos starting from batch processing to
brightness and tonal value corrections to various filters or the
option of creating an HTML website from photos. For those looking
for more effective tools to make the most of their photos, we
recommend a program like Adobe Lightroom (approx. 130 Euros
(RM556). XnView supports about 500 file formats, converts these
into about 70 output formats, supports the search for duplicate
files and also offers numerous slide show effects to pep up your
photo demonstration. Thus, XnView is definitely adequate for
sorting your photos and is in no way less than Picasa.
Marble instead of Earth
As a 3D world exploration tool (including the moon and other planets),
Marble provides various maps, a route planner, weather info and images of
places.
Wikitude instead of Goggles
The app Wikitude available for Android and iOS displays information about
the surroundings recorded in a handy cam via Augmented Reality.
Spotify instead of Play Music
Spotify.com has been the first option for music streaming especially since it
switched to permanent and free use of about 20 million songs.
Project Gutenberg instead of Books
On gutenberg.org, you will find thousands of free literature classics, whose
copyright has expired. The books can be read online as e-books.
Amerry Smart TV Connector instead of Chromecast
The 50 Euro (RM216) device streams content from a PC or mobile device on
your TV via DLNA, Miracast or AirPlay. The sending device requires the EZ
Cast tool for this.
Actual life instead of Google+
Should we recommend Facebook as an alternative? Or Twitter? No, we would
rather that you actually meet your friends. Thats more fun and protects you
from web spies!
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1
2
Moving
Google data
Once you have selected your Google
alternatives, you need to transfer your data
into the new services. The most important
tips are shown below
1 Archiving Google data
As a logged-in user on a Google site, click your profile picture at
the top right and then click Account | Data tools | Select data to
download. After clicking Create an archive, select the Google
services, and the content you want to download into a ZIP archive.
For Contacts, click Edit to change the format to CSV so that
Outlook can import these later. By default, the content of Drive is
exported as DOC, XLS or PPT files; for the import, mails are
integrated into mail clients other than MBOX file. Calendars are
saved in the ICS format, which can be directly imported in Outlook.
2 Importing data in Outlook
In Outlook.com, open the People with the arrow at the top left
and click Import from file | Another Outlook.com account | Choose
file | Import contacts. This file is the CSV file from the Google
archive. For importing the calendar, open Calendar with the bar
at the top and click Import | Choose file. This is the ICS file from
the archive. You can now modify the name and colour of the
calendar and integrate it with Outlook by clicking Import. Now to
import your mails, click the cogwheel at the top right of your
Outlook.com inbox and then Options | Import email accounts.
Select your Google account and the mails are synchronised with
the Outlook account.
3 Importing documents in Zoho
Uploading the Google Drive documents you have saved to Zoho is
remarkably easy. In the main view of Zoho Docs, click the small
arrow to the right of the Upload button and then click Bulk
upload. In the new window, select the files (Select File(s)) and
folders (Select Folder). In the free Zoho version, you can upload
up to 100 files at once.
4 The final step: deleting Google profiles
You now need to delete your profile to get rid of Google once and
for all. But beware: ensure that you have changed to another email
address for you to receive bills and other important things! You
can log into web services even with a deleted address but you will
not receive any notifications and can no longer reset passwords.
So you should switch these services too in due time! To delete the
Google profile, open the profile settings and go to Data tools |
Account management | Delete account and data. In the next
window, you need to select every service, enter your password
and confirm the deletion. You also need to agree that you are still
responsible for any pending charges. You can finally click Delete
Google account!
3
4
9
th
Wonder Of
Windows
Windows 8 is clearly a flop - despite the new additions and updates. Heres how
Microsoft looks to redeem themselves with Windows 9 By Jrg Geiger
October 2013 Threshold
The first rumours surface on the
web about the Windows 8 successor
with code name Threshold
January 2014 New name
Windows 9 appears as a concept
for the first time in discussions
about new features
February 2014 Preview
Important partners said to have
received a secret pre-version of
Windows 9
May 2014 Alpha
Possible deadline for the first
alpha version conceived for
developers 9
august 14

chip malaysia
052
feature
features of wi ndows 9
W
hat a setback for Microsoft. At this years developer
conference Build, the most celebrated features were the
Start menu that has made a comeback and the options
of running modern apps in a window on the desktop a big
applause to Microsoft for taking important steps back to combining
the modern UI and the classic desktop in an effort to revise the
basic design shortcomings in Windows 8. Both functions are not
available yet; they were briefly shown in the presentation.
Microsoft has not made any statement about when the new Start
menu and the flexible apps will be launched.
All Microsoft employees at the conference had to bite their
tongues when the subject of Windows 9 was broached, although a
plan for the Windows 8 successor has long been brewing behind
the scenes. It is quite urgently needed too because users are out of
favour with Win8. It has been criticised ever since it was introduced
in September 2011 at the developer conference that year. Microsoft
is now backpedalling step by step. The fact that Windows 8 is a
flop is evident from its market shares in comparison to those of the
previous version (see diagram at the top right). Despite discount
offers for Windows 8 Pro in the initial months, it never achieved
the same reach as Windows 7. Naturally, classic desktop PCs and
notebooks are no longer as much in demand as in 2009 when
Windows 7 was introduced. Yet with Win8, Microsoft wanted to
reach out to hybrid devices with touch inputs and thus boost its
sales. Even though Windows tablets and hybrid devices have been
taken into account in the above statistics, the diagram shows that
Windows 8 took 15 whole months to reach a market share of ten
percent, while Windows 7 had already achieved within six months.
Ending XP didnt help Windows 8 either; buyers instead opted to
switch to Windows 7.
Tiptoeing to version 9
Whats interesting is that Microsoft wants to put an end to the
negative trend of Windows 8, but is not ready to speak officially
about Windows 9. Not even the name has been confirmed,
although it is a known fact since the Vista time that the classic
numbering of operating systems is the best solution. The new start
menu and the modern apps in the desktop window have only been
seen in the Microsoft presentation so far. Microsoft has not even
commented on whether these features, which are so important for
users, will be introduced as an update for Windows 8.1 or whether
there would be a new version number, for example, Windows 8.2.
It is also possible that Microsoft will hold back the Start menu and
desktop apps for Windows 9 in order to reconcile with its patrons
(desktop users) with this fresh start. As of now, the only certainty is
that the Start menu is no longer in discussion and that it will be an
integral component of Windows 9. Despite all the criticism targeted
at Microsoft, the new Start menu has an interesting detail: it
combines classic Windows elements with the modern UI and
displays live tiles along with the familiar program list. This is not
the case in the various Start menu replicas, since Microsoft does
not allow access to the live display of tiles in its programming
interfaces. In the screenshot on this page, we have modified the
existing Windows 8.1 using additional software to make it look like
the one in the presentation at the Build conference. It is possible to
already have apps in the window mode using the five-dollar
software ModernMix (stardock.com) and the start menu can be
entirely replicated with the help of Start Menu Reviver (reviversoft.
com).
Roadmap for the next Windows
At Build 2014, many had expected Microsoft to provide a roadmap
for Windows 9; however they did not do so. However, Microsoft
has not changed the basic procedure of developing new operating
systems. Rumours have it that Windows 9 will appear in April
2015. This would be two and a half years after the previous version
a tad earlier than the update from Windows 7 to 8, which took
three years. The Windows 9 release, which has been code named
Threshold, will be much more than just a standard update for
Windows 8: Threshold will make Windows available everywhere,
Some upcoming new Windows features can be replicated using
some software even now: use Start Menu Reviver 1 for the start
menu and ModernMix 2 for running apps on the desktop
1
2
Windows 8 grows slower than Windows 7
The diagram below depicts the development of the market share of
Windows 7 and Windows 8 over the initial release months. Despite a
very good discount for Windows 8 Pro, Windows 7 was much more
popular right from the start.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Market share (in percent)
Months
5 %
10 %
15 %
20 %
25 %
March 2010
Over 10% after
6 months
December 2013
Over 10% after
15 months
Windows 7
Windows 8, 8.1
SOURCE: NET APPLICATIONS
Launch
of sales
October 2014 Beta
Targeted deadline for a consumer
preview a version for interested
users
December 2014 RC
Release Preview alias Release
Candidate comes with all the
functions of Windows 9
February 2015 RTM
Windows 9 is ready; the errors in the
RC have been eliminated
April 2015 Launch
Targeted launch of sales for Windows
9, two and a half years after releasing
Windows 8
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i.e., from smartphones to servers and increasingly also in the
embedded domain, which has recently been described as the
Internet of Things. In concrete terms, this means that Windows
would get a foothold in the field of car and home automation and
everywhere else where operating systems are needed. In order
for Windows to establish itself in the new markets that are
supposed to include about 50 billion devices by 2020, Microsoft
is also giving away its operating system. Windows shall be
handed over free of cost to hardware partners for devices with a
screen size less than nine inches. As for the Internet of Things,
hardware manufacturers will not have to pay license charges to
Microsoft in future. The prices for the classic Windows shall
witness a drop too: an ad-financed version called Windows 8.1
with Bing is already in the offerings. It has been conceived for
hardware manufacturers intending to launch very low-cost
Windows devices. This version corresponds to a fully functional
Windows 8.1. Although Microsoft is not giving it away, it is being
offered at a very attractive price. In return, Microsoft has
integrated Bing as the standard search and is thus following the
footsteps of its competitors: even Apple has switched to a free
update model with OS X, Linux has made most variants available
free of cost and Google simply installs the operating system for
its Chrome books.
Experts anticipate that Microsoft is planning three so-called
milestones for the universally usable Windows 9. Like when it
came to Win8, a developer version (Developer Preview) shall
appear about one year before the launch of sales. If the intended
release deadline of April 2015 is to be met, then this version
should be available in the coming few weeks. The beta version
alias Consumer Preview shall be ready seven to eight months
before the release, i.e., in October/November 2014. The Release
Candidate, which shall be available for the general public shall
be available no later than five months before the launch of sales,
i.e., as per the current schedule, it would be a pre-Christmas
present for Windows fans in December 2014. A slight delay at the
end of the development process must be taken into account: if
Microsoft starts the sale of Windows 9 in April 2015, the product
must be ready by February 2015. This so-called RTM (Release to
Manufacturing) is the starting signal for all Microsoft partners.
New system features
The touch operation was introduced in Windows 8; at the Build
conference, Microsoft demonstrated Cortana, a voice control for
Windows that reminds us of the iOS secretary Siri. It is clear that
operation with a mouse and keyboard is still quite important and
that Windows 9 will again bring unsatisfied Win8 users on board.
In special devices, Windows shall also provide the fourth option
of gesture control. Thus, all the latest operating concepts shall be
combined in one Windows, but Windows 9 shall not offer all
these at all times. Tablets and smartphones would primarily be
touch-operated supported by voice control. The classic desktop
shall continue to be operated using the mouse and keyboard. If
the hardware is available, then gesture control is provided too.
A technical highlight in the basic infrastructure is that all
Windows systems share a core. Microsoft has been aiming for
this for a long time and has finally succeeded with Windows 9.
The universal apps provide a foretaste of its advantages for the
users. They function on Windows devices of all sizes. The apps
could include games, which would work the same way on
smartphones as on tablets, notebooks or TVs with Xbox. For this,
Microsoft uses established features such as a new DirectX, which
will work on all platforms from 2015. Microsoft has already
delivered the first benchmarks (see diagram above).
Computations on the same hardware with DirectX 12 are 50
percent faster than with the previous version. DirectX 12 equally
distributes the computing load on the available CPU cores. This
allows huge performance gains during multi-threading.
Microsoft wants to reduce the overhead significantly for that. Its
leap from Vista to Win7 is proof that Microsoft knows how to
tackle a setback. Windows 9, which is optimised for desktops and
which shows a performance boost will make many mouths
water.
Universal
apps: in future,
tools shall be
available on
all devices
with Windows
across all
platforms and
device sizes
0 ms 2.50 ms 5.00 ms 7.50 ms
2.50 ms 0 ms
Thread 3
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 2
Thread 1
Thread 0
Thread 0
Thread 1
Games turbo for Windows 9
The forthcoming DirectX 12 processes game codes as efficiently as
XBox One and significantly faster than DirectX 11. The example
below shows that DirectX 12 computes a game frame twice as fast.
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Display
CPU with DirectX 11
CPU with DirectX 12
august 14

chip malaysia
054
feature
feature
the top hacker tri cks
The New Tricks
Of Hackers
Destroying computers, manipulating port cranes and emptying ATMs CHIP shows you
the tricks that hackers use to take control of industrial machinery as well By Uli Ries
Loading cranes
ATMs
Printers Routers
august 14

chip malaysia
056
feature
P
ut your hand on your heart and say when was the last time
you installed a firmware update on your printer or on your
Voice-over-IP telephone? Very few users know that there are
software updates for these devices as well. Hackers easily take
advantage of this lack of knowledge as demonstrated by security
researchers: at the RSA Conference in February 2014, the team of
American security expert Ang Cui, a doctorate candidate at the
Columbia University in America, showed on stage how easy it is to
remotely convert network printers into break-in tools. The White
Hat hackers remotely sketched the complete network of a fictitious
company and even recorded conversations taking place in the
office without infecting even a single PC or smartphone with
malware.
The demonstrated scenario could well be the screenplay for a
film: a hacker first infects a network printer, model HP Laserjet
2055. He sends the required malware, camouflaged as a PDF
document, to an employee of the target company via email. In
principle, it is also possible to send malware to private users, who
find spam mails containing infected file attachments in their inbox
daily.
This PDF file is not an innocent resume of a supposed job
applicant; it attacks the printer and if the printer executes the order,
the malware infects the operating system (firmware) of the
machine. Such attacks have been identified for a good two years
now. According to Ang Cui, very few companies or households
install firmware updates on their printers. As a result, highly
vulnerable devices are out there in the open for hackers to attack
although manufacturers offer updates.
Printer makes calls home
Once the malware is active, it builds an encrypted tunnel to a
control server and waits for further commands from there. Since
the printer has a full-fledged operating system, the hacker can scan
the internal network and send the results to himself via the tunnel.
If there are VoIP telephones in the network such as the one
used during the demonstration, an Avaya (One X 96x1 series),
whose firmware also has loopholes the attacker infects these
with malware too and can thus control them remotely. The result:
at the push of a button, the telephone gets converted into a
bugging device, which records all conversations in the room as
well as telephone calls. The recordings are again smuggled out via
the tunnel. To avoid the consumption of unnecessary bandwidth
and thus getting noticed by an administrator, the malware can
convert the language of the recordings into text documents. Unlike
audio files, these take up only a few kilobytes and hence in all
probability will go unnoticed in the huge network traffic.
As Cui explains, a printer firmware that has been infected with
malware can survive further updates and the device can therefore
remain infected permanently: the program code that controls the
upload of updates is in the firmware that has been modified by the
attacker and hence the criminal can control whether the malignant
part of the software can be overwritten or omitted by the update.
The researchers taught the hacked telephone another
astonishing trick with the help of new software. The hackers used
an impressive trick to avoid any outgoing network traffic and yet
access the recordings of telephone conversations. In their
Funtenna concept, the researchers turned the telephones into
radio transmitters with the firmware update. The firmware
manipulates the line inside the telephone that determines if the
receiver is on the cradle, and then turns it into a sender. The radio
frequency is up to 30 metres provided that the recipient has an
adequately efficient antenna. With a cable antenna of sorts, the
researchers could manage a few metres during the demonstration.
Remotely controlled DSL routers
The security experts in team Cymru showed how real the risk of an
attack on non-PC hardware is by analysing a full-scale attack on
European Internet users. As the researchers discovered in the
beginning of May, criminal hackers remotely manipulated more
than 300,000 routers from different manufacturers, including
ASUS, D-Link, Cisco, Linksys, Netgear and TP-Link. No malware
was installed, but the hackers could modify the DNS (Domain
Name System) settings through various loopholes in the operating
systems of the routers.
They changed the entries in a way that the routers asked for a
name server controlled by the criminals for every name resolution.
This way they could control which website is de facto accessed
and loaded by the browser when a URL, for example www.google.
com or www.chip.com.my, is typed the perfect basis for
accessing substantial login data through well-made copies of
banking, e-commerce or social networking sites.
SMS to the ATM
The virus experts from Symantec discovered a Trojan called
Ploutus on computers that are installed in ATMs. Once active, the
first version of the malware waits till a specific 16-digit code has
been entered via the numeric keys on the machine and will then
spit out the full content of one of the cash boxes. The virus experts
have now written on their blog that the latest version of the digital
bank robber doesnt wait for any code to get entered. The
advantage of this for the brains behind it is that they no longer
need to share the confidential character sequence with their
accomplices, who they have engaged for cleaning out the
machines. When infecting an ATM, which requires physical access
and a boot CD, the criminals also hide a smartphone in the guise of
an ATM.
Connected via USB to the Windows PC inside the machine, the
smartphone communicates with the computer and provides itself
with power. If the mobile phone receives an SMS in a suitable
format, it sends a data packet via USB to the computer, where,
Ploutus lies in wait for this exact packet. It then reads the
command, processes it and spits out the money.
Well-known and still in use: ZeuS
ZeuS is also a malware specialised in fishing out data. It is the
prime father of all online banking Trojans and now appears in
numerous variants in the digital underworld and on millions of
infected PCs worldwide.
Very few users install
security updates for their
printers
Ang Cui,
Security Researcher, Columbia University
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The speciality of ZeuS & co. is that they smuggle in additional
fields in legitimate websites. The malware manipulates the display
in the browser on the victims PC and inserts a perfectly imitated
field in an online banking website for instance, where the user
needs to enter, say, his mobile phone number apparently due to
security reasons. The anti-virus manufacturer now warns of
another version of the malware, which no longer manipulates only
banking sites but also online job portals such as Monster.com or
CareerBuilder. A ZeuS-controlled site appears after the user logs
in. Here he is asked to answer various security-related questions,
which include questions like Which was the city of your first job
or What was your first concert. With the help of these details, the
wirepullers can access other online accounts of the victim, which
ask exactly these questions.
Now a notebook, now a mere paper weight
There are hacker attacks that use very different methods to extort
money: during their talk at the RSA Conference, the security
experts physically destroyed an Apple MacBook Pro with modified
firmware. It is impossible to save the device by updating the
firmware; the only solution is to change the motherboard, which is
time-consuming and expensive.
By the end of the demonstration, the 13-inch MacBook Pro was
reduced to an expensive paper weight: the battery did not charge
and an SMC (System Management Controller) reset or pressing
the power button did not help. Dmitri Alperovitch, CTO of the
security company CrowdStrike, explained that an update destroys
the SMC firmware. He and his colleague George Kurtz did not want
to divulge the details about the exact modification. They only said
that an original Apple firmware was used as basis. They didnt
want to give criminal imitators a template.
However, the researchers fear that, in principle, the attack can
work on any modern hardware. The firmware of the ACPI EC
(Embedded Controller) probably needs to be attacked to destroy a
Windows machine from any manufacturer. In practice, hackers
could easily infect any Windows computer with malware and
render the computer completely useless. However, this is more
difficult when compared to the Apple computers. The reason is
that due to the various hardware models, a new bug needs to be
written for every version, especially in case of the ACPI-EC types.
These controllers are responsible for power management and
computer configuration and can thus turn off the fan for instance
and thereby easily overheat the PC. This can destroy the computer
within a matter of minutes.
Hackers do the groundwork for drug runners
The fact that criminal hackers offer their expertise to support
organised crime was demonstrated by the Dutch police at the
Security Analysts Summit organised by Kaspersky. The scene of
crime was the second largest port in Europe. 8.5 million tons of
goods disappeared from the port in Antwerp in 2013. The police
seized at least one ton: they were drugs from South America,
hidden in containers of shipping companies, who knew nothing of
these additions to their freight.
The identified cocaine alone is worth over 150 million Euros
(RM641 million). Before the owners transported their containers,
the criminals would pick up the drugs from the port in a cloak-and-
dagger operation. They learned about the exact location of the
containers in the premises by infecting PCs that were used by the
transport companies concerned to manage the storage spaces.
The criminals shifted up a gear after these infections blew up:
according to Peter Zinn from the Dutch police, drug traffickers in
the digital underworld hired Belgian hackers. As Zinn narrated
during his talk, the hackers were clever enough to manipulate the
control system of the automatic loading crane on the port: instead
of dropping off the containers with drugs at the control point of the
authorities, the crane directly loaded these onto a waiting lorry.
The driver of the lorry, who was in the dark about all this, was later
forced to pull over by Kalaschnikov shots and the drugs were
unloaded. This time, the crane controls were not manipulated via
infected PCs but by mini computers that were smuggled in and
hidden in multiple sockets for instance and placed in the offices of
the carriers by burglars.
Much more than infecting a PC with malware for recording
keyboard entries was needed for pulling off this second level of
attack: the hackers were evidently familiar with the SCADA
(Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system, which controls
the crane and thus enables its fully automatic operation.
Virtual attacks, real consequences
Attacks on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
systems have long been the causes of apocalypse scenarios:
power failures, exploding chemical plants, valleys flooded with
running off reservoirs, etc. In all these cases, it should be enough
to take over and manipulate the system controls, which are
facilitated by SCADA hardware and software say the augurs.
Eugene Kaspersky, head of the anti-virus manufacturer Kaspersky,
envisages a real threat: I presume that terrorists are already
working with willing hackers to attack critical infrastructure,
Kaspersky said in a conversation. Furthermore: Critical
infrastructure is secured very poorly at present. The engineers
responsible for it havent understood how inventive and creative
the attackers can be. Since decades, they have been hacking
checklists and saying that your systems are secure.
Total breakdown due to firmware update
At the RSA security conference, hackers demonstrated a
perfidious trick. They installed a malicious firmware update on
a MacBook, which quickly destroyed the laptop mainboard due
to excess heat
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chip malaysia
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feature
The Seven Most
Dangerous Hacker Tricks
The methods used by hackers are getting craftier by the day. They collect personal details
of potential victims for Spear Phishing, attack smart TVs and transmit malware via sound
even without an Internet connection
Clickjacking
In clickjacking, the content of one website is
invisibly superimposed with components
of another website. In a normal case of
clickjacking, browser users unknowingly
grant hackers access to their webcams and
microphones. For this, the hackers loaded
the settings page of the Adobe Flash
browser plug-in in an invisible iFrame.
While the victim clicked seemingly
harmless buttons on a website, each Flash
animation in the foreground granted access
to the webcam and microphone of the
computer.
Precautions: The latest browsers provide
protection against clickjacking. They read
the page headers and block harmful
frames.
Spear phishing
Spear phishing is a specific form of
phishing. In the past, phishing was
primarily aimed at making masses of users
fall into the trap. Spam mails were not
personalised, but as general as possible. By
contrast, spear phishing attempts to use as
many personal details in an email as
possible. Thus spammers scour through
public directories such as Facebook and
other databases to be able to address
recipients by their names. Combined with
deceptively genuine looking designs of
banks, PayPal or Amazon, such emails give
the impression of being legitimate and
mislead recipients into clicking a phishing
link in the email. The more appropriate the
information about the victim, the more
underhanded the attacks get. If a phisher
has information about the area of
responsibility of the victim in his company,
he sends him an email with a
corresponding meeting invite. If a
malicious code has to be sent via an
attachment, the attackers increasingly use
manipulated documents that prefer to
make use of Zero-Day exploits. The
documents pass through most spam filters
and due to security loopholes, they often
grant comprehensive access rights.
Precautions: Regularly install updates for
Windows and always check the source of
unknown data.
Smart-TV attacks
Modern smart-TVs display Internet-based
content of content providers such as
television stations via the HbbTV platform.
Unlike desktop browsers, there are no
security protocols for TVs. It is not possible
for users to determine whether the content,
which is displayed on the TV via HbbTV, is
legitimate or whether it has been
manipulated. Hackers could, for instance,
integrate fake URLs in the DVB or control
signal for packet-based video networks
(DSM CC) and force the television to call up
fake websites and not the media library of
the TV station when the red button on the
remote control is pressed. Even content
spoofing, i.e., the substitution of legitimate
content by manipulated content via Man-in-
the-Middle attacks is possible, because
hardly any TV station uses the SSL
encryption for transmitting its HbbTV
content.
Precautions: Always use up-to-date
firmware provided by TV manufacturers on
their websites.
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AR exploitation
According to security companies, hackers
are increasingly focusing on AR
(Augmented Reality) devices like Google
Glass, which display useful information to
the user. The targets of attack are the
cameras integrated in such devices:
hackers can intercept images when PINs or
passwords are entered and misuse them.
Glass & co. provide detailed information
about the daily activities of the user as well.
Anti-virus manufacturer Trend Micro thinks
that in the coming years, AR devices shall
become the preferred targets of attack to
obtain personal information.
Precautions: Always use updated firmware
for these devices.
Camfecting
It is not a pleasant thought: hackers access
the laptop webcam via a remote connection
and record intimate details from the lives of
their victims. Bugging a users webcam is
called camfecting. To tap the camera, the
hacker must first infect the victims
computer with corresponding malware. In
most cases, this task is accomplished by
using a Trojan, which is sent as an
attachment (via phishing), installed as
drive-by download or hidden in
manipulated video files.
Precautions: Avoid opening attachments,
use firewalls and virus scanners as well as
a secure WLAN.
Audio virus
It sounds like the script for a science fiction
film: to steal information, audio viruses use
low frequency sound signals, which link
PCs that are not connected at the network
level. The malware bridges distances of up
to 20 metres as the crow flies as the
researchers of the Fraunhofer FKIE showed
in an experiment, in which they built an ad-
hoc computer network using audio signals.
Then they let the data, which they had
intercepted via a keylogger, to hop into
the adjacent offices via PCs. They used
software that was originally developed for
underwater communication. It seems
however, that the method functions
perfectly well even outside the laboratory.
The security advisor Dragos Ruiu recently
reported that his MacBook was behaving
strangely. The system that he had newly
installed surprisingly executed a BIOS
update. It then transmitted data even after
Ruiu has removed the network and
Bluetooth card. The device did not allow
booting from a CD ROM and reset
configuration changes. Shortly thereafter,
the other laptops nearby showed the same
behaviour.
Precautions: To stop the infection, you just
need to switch off the sound card and
microphone because the virus spreads via
high frequency sounds. However, since
then there has not been another case with
a similar nature.
Watering hole attack
In watering hole attacks, legitimate
websites, such online shops or banks, are
manipulated directly. The hackers exploit
security loopholes of older server operating
systems and smuggle a code into the
websites. Hackers select the web server to
be manipulated depending on the target of
attack. For mass attacks, they prefer to
change popular websites. When it comes
to targeted attacks such as industrial
espionage, hackers infect those sites that
the selected victims feel are safe to open,
for example, the website of a law firm or a
development tool. In 2013, some unknown
hackers attacked Facebook and Apple
employees via their developer websites.
However, most attacks of such nature, i.e.
almost 25%, are targeted at porn websites.
Precautions: Server operators can take
some action to protect themselves from
watering hole attacks. For example, server
hardening, components and functions
that are not necessarily required for
executing tasks are removed from the
operating system. Programs and web
applications such as forum software of
admins must always be up-to-date. It is
also important to have strong and
individual passwords for clients and
servers.

Date which Facebook started 4 February 2004
Facebooks rank in the Alexa Top 500 Global Sites Rank 2 (after Google)
Amount of money spent by the Zuckerberg family in the summer of 2004 to sustain the company US$85,000 (RM271,000)
Approximate market value of the company on the day it went public (18 May 2012) US$104 billion (RM332 billion)
Amount paid by Facebook in 2005 for changing the domain name to www.facebook.com US$200,000 (RM640,000)
Company shares received by the Napster founder Sean Parker for his consultation of Facebook 7 percent
No. of Facebook users in 2008 100 million
No. of users in 2014 (and no. of monthly active users) 1.28 (1.23) billion
Estimated number of forged Facebook profiles 81 million
No. of users, who (also) access Facebook via mobile devices 945 million
Turnover of Facebook in 2013 US$7.87 billion (RM25 billion)
Profit gained from the year 2013 US$1.5 billion (RM4.7 billion)
Profit made by Facebook in 2012 US$53 million (RM169 million)
Percentage of users, who are friends with their parents on Facebook 70 percent
No. of Facebook users in China despite the national ban on Facebook 95 million
The most discussed topic on Facebook in 2013 Pope Francis
Time spent daily by an average user on Facebook 18 minutes
Average number of friends of every Facebook user 130
Percentage of Facebook users, who have less than 100 friends 39 percent
Percentage of users, who are afraid that they or others share too much about themselves 36 percent
Rank for viewing photos and videos of friends works as a motivation for using Facebook Rank 1
The Like button was originally going to be called the Awesome button
Percentage of web users, who dont use Facebook but live with someone who uses it 52 percent
No. of photos that are uploaded on Facebook daily 350 million
Amount of total user data that Facebook stores 300 Petabytes
Percentage of Americans, who get their daily news updates via Facebook 30 percent
The Phenomenal Facebook
Ten years ago, Mark Zuckerberg founded what has now become the largest social network
in the world. CHIP shares the most interesting, funniest and most incredible facts about
Facebook By Niels Held
P
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august 14

chip malaysia
060
feature
know i t al l
cover story
nsa - the si ni ster threat
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A Sinister
Threat
One thing is clear after a year of the NSA debacle: surveillance was clearly just the
beginning. Sadly, no one seems to be really interested By Benjamin Hartlmaier
cover story
august 14

chip malaysia
062
cover story
ESPIONAGE PROGRAMS
The surveillance lexicon
Numerous secret espionage programs used by the NSA and the
British secret service GCHQ have been uncovered. We show you
what they do and who uses them.
W
hen Edward Snowden revealed himself to be an
NSA whistleblower in an interview about a year
back, he said, My worst fear about the revelations
is that nothing will change. Shortly before that he had
revealed that the American secret service, the National
Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart, the
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), monitor
international communication as well as save and analyse vast
numbers of telephone conversations, emails and other data
even in the absence of suspicion. The numbers, which have
now been disclosed, is far from the real extent of this
surveillance: the NSA alone, whose 40,000 employees can
access a data pool of 40 to 50 billion stored telephone
conversations and emails, has a yearly budget of US$10.8
billion (RM34.5 million).
Although the actual extent of the Internet surveillance
comes to light much clearer with every publication of a new
number, a new surveillance program or a new link between
companies and secret services, Edward Snowdens worst fear
seems to be coming true: media interest has died off, many
users continue to believe that they have nothing to fear and
the political overhauling for mass espionage inches along. In
short, nothing seems to be changing.
General Keith... so great to see you...!
There are an increasing number of indications that the network
of secret services is reaching further than anticipated thus far.
The long arms of spies are clearly reaching the executive floors
of American Internet giants such as Google, Microsoft and
Apple. When the Prism program was revealed, the companies
pretended to be outraged and ignorant about the NSA
espionage. But the emails that have now been published by
the news channel Al Jazeera show that Google had worked
with the NSA as part of the Enduring Security Framework (ESF)
in 2012, i.e., even before the Snowden revelations. As per the
published mails, ESF is a secret initiative started by the
American Ministry of Defence and the Department of
Homeland Security, which is supposed to solve security related
problems together with technology companies.
In one of the emails, the former NSA chief Keith Alexander
invited the then Google chief Eric Schmidt to participate in a
confidential meeting with the heads of other companies,
including Apples CEO Tim Cook and the former Microsoft CEO
Steve Ballmer. The email proves that Google (represented by
Sergey Brin), Apple and Microsoft among others have
discussed about the security of mobile devices with the NSA
and other authorities. The most striking feature of the email
correspondence is the friendly tone between the NSA and the
Chronicle of the
revelations
From Prism to Handygate from
super basic right to Angry Birds:
this CHIP timeline compiles the
most important events from the
year of the espionage scandal.
7 June 2013 Prism is unmasked
The first NSA slides on Prism are
published. The source of the material
is still unknown.
9 June 2013 Snowden reveals himself
From his temporary exile in Hong
Kong, Edward Snowden reveals
himself as the NSA whistleblower.
16 July 2013 Super basic right
After a meeting about Prism, Home
Secretary Hans-Peter Friedrich declares
security as a super basic right
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Boundless
Informant
Analyses data volumes that are recorded by other
programs and provides a graphic overview of the
surveillance level of individual countries.
q q
Bullrun
Collects and decodes encrypted data on the Internet by
manipulating hardware and software through backdoors.
The budget is US$255 million (RM816 million).
q q q
Co-Traveler
Analytics
Several hundred million mobile telephones are monitored
for movement and relationship profiles. Over five million
data sets are accumulated daily.
q q q
Dishfire
Stored around 200 million SMSs per day in 2012 to
receive information about personal contacts, financial
transactions and places of residence.
q q
Edgehill British equivalent of Bullrun q q q
Genie
In 2008, the botnet comprised 21,252 computers worldwide
under this pseudonym. The purpose was to capture specific
computer networks.
q q
Muscular
Records communication between the data centres of
Google and Yahoo. 181 million data sets were collected
within a period of 30 days.
q q q
Prism
User data is recorded directly from the servers of IT
service providers such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
The companies deny this.
q q
Quantum-
theory
Tailor-made attacks were made on computer systems
using the sub-programs QuantumInsert, Quantumcopper
and Quantumbot.
q q q
Royal
Concierge
Monitors the reservation processes of 350 top hotels
worldwide to equip hotel rooms of diplomats with
surveillance equipment before their visit.
q q q
Squeaky
Dolphin
Tracks activities on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube,
Twitter and Blogspot in real time to enable forecasts of
protests such as the one in the Arab Spring.
q q
Tempora
Taps Internet and telephone communication that passes
through fibre optic cables on British territory.
q q
Upstream
Collection
Contains the sub-programs Fairview, Blarney,
Stormbrew and Oakstar: through cooperation with
American providers, the NSA accesses data from foreign
telecommunication networks.
q q
XKeyscore
Combination of servers, databases and software suites,
with which agents can selectively analyse previously
collected information. XKeyscore is also used by BND.
q q
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chip malaysia

august 14 063
SURVEY
We asked our readers: the NSA scandal is
almost a year old now. Has surveillance
changed your behaviour on the Internet?
We asked our readers this question on Facebook. The answers
show that the revelations have not been able to sensitise most users
so far: 78 percent believe that they are not targets of surveillance or
that they are too lazy to do anything about it.
company bosses. In response to the email, the former Google
chief Eric Schmidt greets the director of the NSA with the
words: General Keithso great to see you!
Emails such as these show how closely the secret
services are interlinked with the Internet and its kingpins. It
almost seems that the only way to escape the supervision of
these services is to renounce the Internet completely. But even
this cannot ward off the spies: in April, the news agency
Associated Press (AP) published investigations into an
undercover operation of the US government in Cuba. In this
operation, which was organised and funded by the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID), a
network of front companies had been building the Twitter-like
short message service ZunZuneo on the Caribbean island since
2009. The main point of distinction from the original Twitter
was that information was exchanged via SMSs instead of the
Internet. The reason for this was that most Cubans dont have
access to the strictly regulated Internet unlike classic
mobile phones, smartphones are officially banned on the
island.
There was something that the young members of ZunZuneo
more than 40,000 at peak hours didnt know: the purpose of
the American government was to start by building a critical
mass of members by sharing harmless content such as music
or football news. As soon as this was attained, agents of the
American government would start introducing political
information in the network to set the inhabitants against the
communist government. According to a USAID document cited
by AP, it was USAs long-term aim of bringing the Cuban
population to re-negotiate the balance of power between the
state and society, i.e., to kick off a Cuban spring of sorts.
Propaganda and deception
Unlike in Cuba, social networks in most parts of the world
arent built by the US government for conspiratorial purposes:
it is hard to imagine the non-regulated part of the Internet
without Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. However this does
not mean that these services are any less interesting for secret
services. Quite the contrary; NSA and GCHQ have long been
using Twitter and co. to influence public opinion on the
Internet. As the documents published in April 2014 by
journalist and Snowden-confidant Glenn Greenwald show,
secret services send vast numbers of messages and
multimedia contents through the social network or try to start
news campaigns that go viral at best, i.e., they are
redistributed on their own. According to a GCHQ paper, such
online operations aim at spreading propaganda and deception
in the public.
The British Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group,
12 August 2013 Affair ends?
Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery Ronald
Pofalla says that the accusations of mass spying
of Germans are are off the table.
13 Sept. 2013 Data for the NSA
The Bundesamt fr Verfassungsschutz
(BfV) regularly delivers data to NSA.
BfV chief agrees.
15 Sept. 2013 NSA vs. Visa
The NSA monitors global transactions
to a large extent payments via Visa
in Europe as well.
8 August 2013 Lavabit shuts down
The crypto email service Lavabit, which was
also used by Snowden, shuts down under
the pressure of the American government.
abbreviated as JTRIG, forms the epicentre of infiltration into
social networks. With five percent of all operations of the
GCHQ, it has now become the main element of the
(espionage) business. Thats what a file labelled TOP
SECRET says.
However according to a presentation made by the secret
services, the consequences of such Computer Network
Information Operations carried out by JTRIG shall not be
limited to the digital sphere: one of the slides presented by the
British GCHQ at a secret meeting of the Five-Eyes states in
2010 to its partner services including the NSA states that
the effects of concealed manipulation of social media should
have an impact in the real world in the best-case scenario.
However, the documents didnt directly describe the concrete
impacts on the real world outside the Internet. On the other
hand, the revelations on the Cuban SMS service ZunZuneo
clearly show that the American government is also trying to
provoke revolutions and upheavals by purposefully influencing
No, I dont think that secret
services are interested in my data
I would protect my data better
but it is a very complicated pro-
cess
No, I used such tools even be-
fore that
Yes, I use more encryption and
anonymisation tools since then
I dont know how to protect
my data in a better way
11 %
60 %
18 %
8 %
3 %
The worst would
be that nothing will
change
Edward Snowden
in his first interview in Hong Kong
august 14

chip malaysia
064
cover story
BOOKS TO READ
No Place to Hide
The investigative journalist Glenn
Greenwald, to whom Edward
Snowden sent the confidential NSA
documents and who published
these, has not only brought new,
explosive revelations to light in his
book, but has
also narrated how
Edward Snowden
escaped from the
NSA.
Der NSA-
Komplex
(The NSA Complex)
Spiegel authors Marcel Rosenbach
and Holger Stark, who had viewed
most of Snowdens documents,
show among other things how
Edward Snowden became a
whistleblower and how Germany
became the top target of NSA in
Europe.
public discussions on social media.
Yann Ormanns from the Department of Social and
Communication Psychology at the University of Gttingen
knows that secret services dont really actively intervene to
cause social changes: A state of permanent surveillance can
lead to stress and anxiety. In such cases, it doesnt make a
difference if one is not actually being monitored the mere
feeling of being monitored is enough, says Ormanns.
Furthermore, there is another form of conformity of behaviour:
surveillance measures weaken faith in the state and the
communication media. This can lead to an increased attempt
at conformity as per the motto If you are doing nothing
wrong, you have nothing to be scared of, explains Ormanns
in a conversation with CHIP.
The Snowden documents which Greenwald published in
February 2014, which have not experienced much publicity so
far, described the exact tactics used by secret services such as
GCHQ and NSA to infiltrate social networks to influence the
opinions and sentiments prevailing there in their favour. One
of the methods called False Flag Operations in secret
service jargon is to spread information on the Internet in the
name of another person or institution. Moreover, the secret
GCHQ unit JTRIG has developed detailed methods of
discrediting an individual or an entire company.
How to ruin business relations
According to one of the documents, one of the ways of
destroying a persons reputation is to write a blog pretending
to be a victim (of the targeted person). Moreover, one can
also change the photos (of the targeted person) on social
network pages or directly send emails or SMSs containing
defamatory information to colleagues, neighbours, or
friends.
Secret services dont just have disagreeable individuals in
their sight; they dont even spare companies if they are under
suspicion. To ruin their business relations as given in one
of the documents the services can pass on confidential
information [] via blogs and other channels to competitors
or to the press or post negative information in relevant
forums. The probability that the NSA carries out industrial
espionage in Germany is high: If Siemens has information
that USA believes is advantageous for national interests and
not just for national security it will chase this information and
get it, Edward Snowden said in an interview with the NDR at
the start of the year.
These recent revelations show that the secret services have
more access to the Internet than suspected. Surveillance has
long turned into manipulation.
31
st
Oct. 2013 Strbele in Moscow
Hans-Christian Strbele, (member of the
Bundestag), is the first German
parliamentarian to meet Snowden in Moscow.
5
th
Nov. 2013 Espionage message
A suspicious structure on the roof of
the British Embassy in Berlin refers to
tapping measures.
9
th
Dec. 2013 Spies in a game
Guardian and New York Times report
that NSA and GCHQ also spy on online
games such as World of Warcraft.
23
rd
October 2013 Handygate
The German government informs that
the NSA has spied on the mobile
phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
And yet, very few Internet users seem to think that they are
affected by this. Despite the information about the overarching
and suspicion-independent surveillance program of NSA and
co. that has been published within the last year, majority of
Internet users still think that secret services are not interested
in their data. Sociologist Ormanns has an explanation for this.
The key word is cognitive dissonance. This phenomenon can
occur when for instance someone, who likes to eat meat, sees
a documentary on slaughterhouses but doesnt want to believe
that animals have to suffer for his meat consumption,
explains Ormanns. The phenomenon can be explained in
technical terms as follows: Cognitive dissonance is an
extremely unpleasant condition that is triggered by
contradictory perceptions. The example of the meat lover can
be carried over to the surveillance scandal according to
Ormanns: No one likes to be monitored, but many still want
to be able to communicate online just as easily as before, he
chip malaysia

august 14 065
explains. The unpleasant condition of this cognitive
dissonance is then mitigated by way of a compromise such as
I have nothing to fear or No one is interested in my data.
Espionage is punishable in Germany
Even the German government seems to have no great interest
in the NSA scandal, at least thats how it looks from its
statement, which is indicative of the comment that the
government made for the NSA investigation committee of the
Bundestag at the start of May. In the comment, it clearly turned
down the questioning of Snowden on German soil because
this could jeopardise the welfare of the state. And that is not
all: a legal opinion that was issued by an American solicitors
office on behalf of the German government states that
questioning the ex-NSA employee is a criminal rendezvous
irrespective of where it is conducted. The legal opinion also
insinuates that the members of the committee could lose their
diplomatic privilege, which could result in a possible arrest
during the next USA visit.
However, the committee does not intend to be impressed
by this: I dont think that this investigation committee is doing
anything that is punishable as per the American law. If this
were to be true, this would not be the first decision that we
would have to consider, the chairman of the committee
Patrick Sensburg, told CHIP The important thing is to explain
criminal offences against the Federal Republic of Germany.
Espionage is punishable in Germany. And we have to explain
the interference with the fundamental rights of the citizens
this is the most important task we have before us, says
Sensburg. The legal opinion should not stop the investigation
committee from doing its job, a CDU politician explains.
Meanwhile, the politics in the United States of America is
trying to get a grip on the NSA using flowery language. A new
law called USA Freedom Act should at least make the
storage of mass data from telephone connections difficult.
According to this law, the NSA must not only show that the
data is relevant for its investigations but also prove that it is
connected to a possible foreign threat in order to request
providers for telephone data in future. The NSA on the other
hand doesnt seem to think that anything would change. At a
Reuters conference on cyber security in Washington, the new
head of the National Security Agency, Mike Rogers, who took
over the reins of the secret service in April from Keith
Alexander, evaded all criticism against his predecessor and
defended the wiretapping programs of the NSA. They need to
be better explained to the citizens rather than being revised,
Rogers said. He instructed the employees of the security
agency to continue working just like before.
27 January 2014 Angry Spies
NSA and GCHQ intercept data that
popular games apps such as Angry
Birds collect about their users.
23 Feb. 2014 Ministers monitored
The NSA monitors 320 senior decision
makers in Germany including Home
Secretary Thomas de Maizire.
27 Feb. 2014 Yahoo video chats
Guardian reports that the GCHQ has
intercepted and saved millions of
video chats via Yahoo Messenger.
17 January 2014 The Obama speech
In a keynote speech about
surveillance, US President Obama
announces stricter rules for NSA & co.
1975: The
first NSA
scandal
There is actually nothing new about the fact
that NSA is hell-bent on spying; there was a
similar scandal 40 years back with clear
similarities
The press receives confidential information about mass spying of
innocent citizens from an informant. The secret services first try to
downplay the issue. The parliament then appoints an investigation
committee for explaining this matter. But the chairman of the
committee steps down after a short while. All this sounds familiar
however, we are neither in Germany nor in the year 2014. We are
actually in USA and these events date back almost 40 years. That
was when the wheelings and dealings of the NSA came to light for
the first time. The parallels to the current scandal are astonishing.
An especially persistent proponent was the New York
member Otis G. Pike, who became the chairman of the Pike
Committee (named after him) after his predecessor Lucien Nedzi
withdrew from office. This committee was commissioned by the
House of Representatives to throw light on the background of
American secret services. And Pike was extremely thorough about
his job: in August 1975, he called the then Director of CIA, William
Colby, to his committee to learn more about the data sources of
the CIA. During this interview, Colby admitted that the NSA
regularly taps telephone connections of American citizens.
Shamrock, Minaret and Chaos
A few days later, Pike managed to question the then head of the
NSA, Lew Allen Jr. Allen not only confirmed the statement of the
CIA President Colby, but also threw in that the NSA monitors the
complete telex traffic in addition to monitoring telephone
connections. The code names of the programs using which the
NSA tapped the communication of American citizens in the 1960s
and 1970s were revealed through the investigations of the Church
committee that was working simultaneously. They were Project
Shamrock and Project Minaret. The purpose of both programs was
to intercept the communication of disagreeable people such as
civil rights campaigners or Vietnam War opponents based on an
observation list. Apart from prominent personalities such as Martin
Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali, the chairman of the
august 14

chip malaysia
066
Blackphone
Espionage programs such as Co-Traveller Analytics as well as the
scandal surrounding the tapping of the German chancellors
mobile phone show that smartphones are a rewarding target for
secret services. A new, tap-proof smartphone is about to come to
everyones rescue: the Blackphone. The mid-range smartphone is
the result of the cooperation between the Spanish manufacturer
Geeksphone and the American service provider Silent Circle, which
specialises in crypto communication. The Blackphone runs on a
highly customised Android version called PrivatOS. It allows the
user to grant specific access rights to every app or even withdraw
them. This helps the user have individual control over which app
collects what data about him.
A do-it-yourself tap-proof mobile phone
The Silent Circle apps that are pre-installed on the Blackphone
should ensure secure calls, video calls and SMSs as well as
protected data exchange. The recipient needs to have the same
apps. The price of about US$630 (RM2,016) includes a two-year
subscription to the Silent Circle apps among other things. If you
dont want to do without encryption, you need to pay about 90
Euros (RM386) a year. The phone can be ordered from blackphone.
ch. However, the first batch has already been sold out. If you think
that the crypto apps are too expensive or if you dont want to wait
for the next shipment, you can build your own Blackphone. There
are plenty of tutorials online on how you can do so.
A PROPONENT RIGHT FROM THE START
Pike, Church and Abzug
The names Otis G. Pike, Frank Church and Bella Abzug are fairly
obscure to most people these days. But 40 years back, these
American politicians unmasked the NSA for the first time.
The Democratic member who fought the
NSA
Otis G. Pike, the chairman of the Pike Committee, made no friends
in the NSA owing to his meticulous investigation. He died at the age
of 92 in January 2014.
8 April 2014 Snowden speaks
Via Google Hangout, Snowden speaks in front
of the Council of Europe he also talks about
the close cooperation between BND and NSA.
9 April 2014 Quick resignation
The chairman of the NSA committee,
Clemens Binninger, resigns after
spending only a few days in office.
8 May 2014 Snowden as witness
The NSA investigation committee
unanimously decides to question
Snowden as witness.
20 March 2014 NSA committee
With the consent of all parliamentary
parties, the Bundestag appoints an
investigation committee for the NSA affair.
investigating committee, Frank Church, was a target of Project
Minaret too. The information tapped by Minaret and Shamrock
was passed on to the CIA, the FBI and other law enforcement
agencies by the NSA. The data subsequently flowed into the so-
called Operation Chaos, in which the CIA chased political
opponents in USA.
Neither the Church nor the Pike Committee could find the exact
method used by the NSA to access communication data. In the
middle of 1975, the member of the US House of Representatives
Bella Abzug received information about both NSA programs. She
then started an enquiry. She found out that big telecommunication
companies such as Western Union had provided the NSA access to
the communication of their customers based on unofficial
agreements.
After the investigations were completed, the collective demand
of the investigation committees was to subject the NSA to state
supervision, which was not the case so far. The Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act, abbreviated as FISA, which was issued in 1978,
forms the legal basis of the NSA espionage till date.
Blackphone
chip malaysia

august 14 067
cover story
PGP: how it
works
Using an end-to-end encryption technology such as Pretty Good
Privacy (PGP) ensures that no one intercepts your mails.
1 Installing the encryption software
First install the email client Thunderbird (TB) and create an email
account. Then install the GNU Privacyguard (available for download
at chip.com.my), an Open Source version of PGP. Now you need to
install Enigmail in TB via the add-on menu. With the cogwheel
button, you can go to Install add-on from file (Image 1). Select the
previously unzipped Enigmail file. Restart TB. Let the OpenPGP
wizard help you with the installation. All the necessary tools are
now installed.
2 Sending encrypted emails
Before starting, you need the public key of the recipient. In the key
management (TB application menu | Open PGP | Manage key),
either look for it on a key server or import an existing key file. To
send an encrypted email, select Compose in the main window of
TB and then check the Encrypt mail option in the OpenPGP tab
(Image 2).
1
2
Tails: the
Snowden OS
There are numerous tools that help you surf safely and
anonymously on the Internet. But the problem is that although
many of them provide high security standards, they are not very
convenient to operate. The Linux operating system Tails is an
exception to this. This tool was also used by Edward Snowden to
protect his communication from the NSA. Tails is easy to operate
and contains some security tools like the modified Firefox browser
Iceweasel, which uses the anonymisation network Tor by default.
The integrated email client Claws Mail works with GnuPG that can
encrypt mails (see the page on the right).
Tails is a live system, which means that it is operated from a
DVD or a USB drive. To use Tails, save the Image file on your
computer and burn it on a DVD. Let your computer boot from the
DVD drive with the Tails disk inserted (you may need to change the
boot sequence in BIOS before that). Tails only uses the RAM. This
means that any traces that are generated disappear from the
computer once it is shut down. You should always keep Tails at
arms length if you want to work in a more protected environment
when performing confidential tasks on the Internet, for example,
online banking.
Importing Tails from a DVD to a USB stick
You can transfer Tails to a USB drive if you dont want to
constantly move around with a DVD. The Tails Installer under
Applications/Tails helps with the import.
Phil Zimmermann, the inventor of PGP, is the co-founder and president
of Silent Circle
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TEST LAB: The Tools
Here at the CHIP Test Labs, we adhere to the high requirements set by the CHIP International
Testcenter standards. This means that everything here -- from our own personal knowledge and
to our trusted tools of the trade -- are meant to provide the most optimised, unbiased and
comprehensive review to every product that comes through our doors. As thus, our test bed
tools are specifically picked to get the most out of every test we perform

Motherboards
Intel DZ77GA-70K
MSI Z87 MPower
Processors
Intel Core i7-3770K
Intel Core i7-4770K
Graphics
Processing Unit
MSI GeForce GTX
680 Lightning

CPU Cooler
Cooler Master X6
Motherboards
ASUS Sabertooth 990FX
MSI A75MA-G55
Processors
AMD FX-8150
AMD A8-3850
Graphics
Processing Unit
ASUS AMD Radeon HD
6970
CPU Cooler
Cooler Master Hyper 212
EVO
Power Supply
Cooler Master Silent Pro
Hybrid (1300W)
Storage
Western Digital Black
Dual Drive
Western Digital My Book
Live Duo
Memory
Kingston HyperX
KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX
Kingston HyperX FURY
HX318C10FWK2/8
Operating
System
Windows 7 Ultimate
(64-bit)
Futuremark
PCMark 7
PCMark 8
3DMark 11
3DMark
Industry
Standard
Benchmark
Tools
AIDA64
SiSoftware SANDRA
Speccy
Unigine Heaven
PSU, Storage & RAM
AMD Platform
Benchmark Software
Intel Platform
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1

HTC Desire 610
2

ASUS Z97-Deluxe (NFC & WLC)
3

GAMDIAS Hermes Gaming Keyboard
4

MSI WT60-20J
5

Western Digital My Cloud Mirror
6

UTOO Extreme4
7

Dell Inspiron 15 3000
8

ASUS PB287Q UHD Monitor
9

Motorola Moto E
10

Cooler Master Sirus-C
11

Samsung GALAXY Camera 2
12

MSI Z97 XPOWER AC
13

TDK TREK A26
14

AOC G2460PQU Gaming Monitor
15

Audiobox Thor 900
16

ASUS RT-N18U
078
079
080
081
082
083
084
085
086
087
088
089
090
091
092
093
TEST LAB
The
Technologica
Crux
Selamat Hari Raya everyone! The month
of July brought some much-needed rest
after the onslaught of events in June.
That said, some unexpected events
transpired in the tech industry, such as
Microsofts plans to lay off several
thousand workers after the companys
acquisition of Nokia was complete.
Another big news that hit the Internet
recently is YouTubes (or Googles)
acquisition of Twitch.TV. Many fans are
up in arms about this deal because
theyre wary of possible policy changes
that will ruin the way live streams will be
run, and for very good reasons. Anyone
remember YouTubes Content ID policy?
Xiaomi continues its push to provide
consumers with affordable phones by
announcing the Xiaomi Mi 4, and were
fairly certain the big players in the
smartphone industry, and its marketing
strategy of weekly blitz sales seems to be
working extremely well so far, with
phones and power banks snapped up in the
blink of an eye.
Were hoping that the pace will pick up in
August, as companies will want to make
full use of the post-festive season and
launch a lot of products while everyones
still well-fed and happy. Theres also the
matter of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3
coming to Malaysia that were very
curious about.
14 8
7 4
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CHIP Editors Choice Award
Awarded to products that receive unanimous
endorsement from all CHIP editors for its overall
brilliance
CHIP Outstanding Award
Reserved for products that combine astute technical
performance with good quality and design
CHIP Recommended Award
Given to products that possess singular quality
worthy of a recommendation
CHIP Awards Ratings
PERFORMANCE : Refers to the efficiency of execution
FEATURES : Rates the abilities and unique characteristics
available
DESIGN : Varies according to product. Finished products -
form factor and build quality. Hardware components -
layout, size and cooling solution. Software - user interface
VALUE : Calculated from the performance and features of
the product in relation to the price
Each product review is rated on a scale
of 1 to 5 for different key parameters:
CONTENTS
17

Xiaomi Redmi Note
18

ASRock Z97 Anniversary
19

BlackBerry Z3
20

ASUS ZenFone 6
21

Sony RX100 MkIII
22

ASUS Maximus VII Formula
097
098
099
094
095
096
18
15
6
10
3
22 2 12
16
13
11
21
5
19 1 9
20 17
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Keeping Business Connected
Jabra is a solution specialist for CIOs, knowledge workers, remote teams and employees
office workers who require an increase in productivity without the need to sacrifice
flexibility. Recently, they released the Biz 2300 headphone. It has 50 percent better noise
cancellation and is 20 percent lighter compared to other headphones out on the market. It
is also comes with Kevlar cords and is mass deployment ready.
Jabra Biz 2300
Price: For pricing information, please contact listed distributors
Contact: Advance Digital Solutions Sdn. Bhd., Ingram Micro Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 8076 4833, (03) 7952 8084
Info: www.jabra.com
With Power Comes Great 4G
Aztech is no stranger when it comes to delivering network solutions, and recently, they
revealed their latest product the MWR647, a 4G Mi-Fi with a built-in power bank. This
device comes with a 5,200mAh battery that is specially designed to let users enjoy up to
12 hours of use. The MWR647 provides you with the ability to share your 4G connection
simultaneously up to ten devices. It is also backward compatible with 3G and 2G
networks ensuring a consistent coverage regardless of area. Moreover, it comes
with 802.11n standard for fast and reliable network speeds. Additionally,
the device also comes with an Ethernet port for you to connect to your
desktop for added accessibility.
Aztech MWR647 4G Mi-Fi
Price: RM399
Contact: Az-Technology Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7804 8450
Info: www.aztech.com.my
Thin Typing By Logitech
Logitech has recently released an expansion of its award winning tablet accessories
lineup with the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for the new Samsung GALAXY Tab
4 10.1. Built with precision engineered materials, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard
Folio is a thin and light protective case with a built-in Bluetooth keyboard with Android
shortcuts. It also has a dual view stand for two ideal positions for typing and browsing.
The SecureLock system will keep it secured to the case while still being easy
to remove and insert. As a plus, it is also water-repellant and resistant against
accidental bumps, scratches and spills.
Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for Samsung GALAXY Tab 4
10.1
Price: RM299
Contact: Ingram Micro Sdn. Bhd., MCL Sdn. Bhd., M-Link Sdn. Bhd., Kaira
Technologies Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7955 8188, (03) 8023 3800, (03) 7728 9003, (03) 7955 3669
Info: www.logitech.com/en-my
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Safe Data Travels
Kingston, the defacto world leader in memory products has recently revealed the release of the
DataTraveler microDuo 3.0. It has the latest small form factor which is a combination of USB 3.0
and microUSB flash drive which enables users to expand the storage on their Android tablets and
smartphones by transferring files to and from their PC. The DataTraveler microDuo 3.0 expands
the storage of Android devices up to 64GB and it will maintain the USB OTG standard giving host
functionality in certain phones/tablets with microUSB ports. It also boasts 2-in-1 functionality
with and easy Plug and Play setup for hassle free usage.
Kingston DataTraveler microDuo 3.0
Price: TBA
Contact: Amble Action Sdn. Bhd., Convergent Distribution (M) Sdn. Bhd., Ingram Micro Malaysia
Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7665 3939, (03) 2144 1881, (03) 7952 8188
Info: www.kingston.com
Bring The TV To You
Western Digital, one of the world leaders in connected storage solutions recently
unveiled their latest WD TV-Personal Edition which is an easy to use Wi-Fi enabled
media player that allows users to play virtually any media file stored on USB and
network storage devices or any computer within the home network. This device can
support a wide variety of file formats such as MKV, MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV and
many more. It will also support Miracast which enables consumers to
use their MIracast enabled devices onto their TV in Full HD. Additionally,
it will also allow users to stream movies from apps like Youtube, Hulu
Plus, VUDU and more. It can also make your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
and Android device a remote control with the WD TV Remote App.
WD TV-Personal Edition
Price: RM359
Contact: Amble Action Sdn. Bhd., Eternal Asia (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7955 1768, (03) 5613 5600
Info: www.wd.com.my
Gaming Like A Pro
ASUS has always had the answer to gamers needs, and they look to continuing to do so
with their latest ATX motherboard, the H97-Pro Gamer. Besides being based on the latest
Intel 9-series chipset, it also boast M.2 and SATA express connectivity, Intel Gigabit
Ethernet and the exclusive GameFirst II networking technology. Gamers will
also enjoy the SupremeFX technology on the motherboard which provides
near lossless audio. The H97-Pro Gamer is engineered with premium
quality components tested for real-world protection dubbed the
ASUS Gamers Guardian. It covers on-board resettable fuses,
capacitors, USB ports, audio connectors and LAN ports. Like many
of ASUS newer offerings, it also incorporates the ASUS exclusive DIGI+
voltage regulator module to enhance performance, efficiency and reliability.
ASUS H97-Pro Gamer
Price: RM459
Contact: Build Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd., Servex (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7955 3699, (03) 8024 6688
Info: www.asus.com/my/
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Stay SMART With The NX
The latest addition to the award-winning Samsung NX series of cameras,
the NX3000 is a state of the art compact system camera with 20.3MP APS-C
CMOS Sensor, 1/4000 shutter speed and 5fps continuous shooting. Selfie
aware individuals will find the 3.0-inch Flip up Display with Wink Shot the
perfect companion. It also brings back certain standards such as the industry
leading Tag & Go integration that utilises NFC and Wi-Fi. Much like the
recent slew of Samsungs cameras, it also features the SMART mode that
can add effects and edit your pictures with beautiful results.
Samsung SMART Camera NX3000
Price: RM1,699
Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 88 9999
Info: www.samsung.com.my
Desire For More
HTC is known for their stylish and powerful smartphones and recently they unveiled the
HTC Desire 816. Their newest addition to their attractive mid-range device comes with a
5.5-inch 720p display and is powered by the 1.6GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon
400 CPU. It runs on Android with HTC sense with 1.5GB RAM and 8GB storage which can
be expanded with a microSD memory card up to 128GB. Additionally, it houses a 13MP
rear camera and a 5MP front camera for high quality photos. Akin to most HTC these days,
it also boasts HTC BoomSound dual front-facing speakers that provide immersive audio for
movie and video watching. It also supports 4G LTE network for fast browsing and Internet
accessibility.
HTC Desire 816
Price: RM1,199
Contact: HTC Careline
Phone: 1 800 88 9855
Info: www.htc.com/sea
Send Your Enemies To The Underworld With Ease
GAMDIAS the professional gaming peripheral company that has taken gaming devices to
new heights has recently released the HADES which is an ambidextrous gaming mouse
that now levels the competition for left handed users. It has an 8200 DPI for precision,
256K onboard memory that enables users to store up to six different profiles on the
mouse itself, macro assignments and muscle memory achievements. It also has eight
Smart Keys with seven that are customisable for strategic reassignment for macros,
profiles, media controls and Windows functions. Besides that, it will also have three
sets of interchangeable side panels as well as a heavy duty 10 million click lifecycle
for long term gameplay.
GAMDIAS HADES GMS7011
Price: RM249
Contact: Nation-Tech Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 4280 6636
Info: www.gamdias.com.my
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Feel The Power
Sony recently unveiled a whole new series of power banks which varies depending on
the need of the user. These USB portable chargers have capacities that range from
5,000mAh up to 10,000mAh. These power banks will have an output of 1.5A-3.6A
which allows users to charge their mobile devices incredibly fast. These devices
are fitted with the Sony manufactured Lithium-ion polymer battery which can be
recharged up to a thousand times providing reliability and security. Depending on the
size of the power bank, some of the devices will be able to charge more than one device at
any one time giving users double the utility within a single power bank.
Sony PowerBank
Price: RM139 (5000mAh), RM189 (7000mAh), RM269 (10,000mAh)
Contact: Digital Paper Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 5569 2002
Info: www.dpaper.com.my
Bring Your Music Everywhere
Audiobox, the sister company to SonicGear, recently released their latest
portable audio solution in the form of the P5000 BTMI portable speaker.
It features Bluetooth 3.0 support with a range of up to 10 meters and
has a built-in 1,000mAh Lithium-Ion Battery for portable reliability. It
also features stereo audio playback from SD-card and USB flash Drive for
added versatility. Additionally, it will also come with a Built-in FM Radio and
extendable antenna for those with the nostalgic urge to listen to mainstream
radio stations. Other than that, it will also be able to support basic outlets such as
PC, MP3 players, portable players and more.
Audiobox P5000 BTMI
Price: RM79
Contact: Leapfrog Distribution Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7803 6703
Info: leapfrogglobal.com/amg/
Roll-ing All Day With Targus
Targus, the world leading laptop computer case and accessories maker recently unveiled
their latest Geo 15.6-inch Roll Top Backpack which is part of the new Geo collection series.
The latest innovative backpack has a creative aesthetic when compared to the regular
backpack. It features a large opening with magnetic closures that can be rolled and secured
with a toggle and stopper. It also has a unique side-loading feature which enables secure
and flexible storage regardless of baggage size. To top it off, it will also have a soft carry
handle and padded shoulder straps which sits comfortably on shoulders without adding
pressure.
Targus Geo 15.6 Roll Top Backpack
Price: RM338
Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn. Bhd., Innoteq Apex Sdn. Bhd., M-Link System (M)
Sdn. Bhd, Servex (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7956 6300, (03) 9286 5128/5768, (03) 7728 9003, (03) 8024 6688
Info: www.targus.com/my/
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In 2 The Core
The Samsung GALAXY series has provided many powerful devices throughout the years.
Recently, Samsung revealed the new GALAXY Core 2 which is an affordable and stylish
smartphone for users who are on a budget. It runs on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and
has a 4.5-inch TFT display. It will run on the latest Android 4.4 operating system and has
0.75GB RAM with 4GB storage expandable with a microSD card up to 64GB. It sports a
CMOS 5.0MP camera and has connectivity function such as 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth v4.0.
The GALAXY Core 2 will also have an Easy Mode feature which makes setting up the
home screen much more accessible.
Samsung GALAXY Core 2
Price: RM599
Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 88 9999
Info: www.samsung.com/my
New Challenger Has Arrived
The latest Chinese smart mobile device company to arrive at our shores, ZOPO enter the
market with a bang as they recently released their flagship smartphone, the ZOPO ZP 998.
It has a 5.5-inch Capacitive Multi-Touch Full HD screen and is powered by a 1.7GHz octa-
core MTK6592 processor and runs on the latest Android 4.4 KitKat. It also has 2GB of RAM
and an internal memory of 16GB which is expandable up to 64GB with a microSD card.
This smartphone also comes with Dual-SIM 3G Standby technology and has NFC, Wi-Fi
and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. Camera-wise, it has a 14MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture
and a 5MP front camera with wide angle lens. It will also feature its unique Dual Yamaha
audio and Microphone noise reduction for better call clarity.
ZOPO ZP 998
Price: RM1,098
Contact: ZOPO Mobile Malaysia
Phone: (03) 7497 5555
Info: www.zoposhop.com
Walk With Music
The long forgotten era of the Walkman gets a reboot with the next generation Walkman XZ-1
from Sony. This audio device sports a 4-inch FWVGA display and storage of up to 128GB.
It supports formats such as PCM (WAV/AIFF) and lossless formats like FLAC and ALAC.
Developed with the High Resolution Audio, it comes with the S-Master HX digital amplifier
which reduces distortion and noise through a wide frequency range thus enabling a detailed
reproduction of high frequency sound. Besides that, it also comes with the Sony DSEE HX
technology that upscale your musics audio quality to near High Resolution Audio while
retaining its original tones. It will also be NFC Capable and has USB 3.0 support. It can also
last up to 32 hours with continuous music playback.
Sony Walkman XZ-1
Price: RM2,199
Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 300 88 1233
Info: www.sony.com.my
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Shields Up, Spears Forward
NVIDIA, is no stranger in the gaming department, and recently, they have released the
NVIDIA SHIELD tablet as a full gaming companion to the harsh modern wildlife that is the
city. This portable gaming device has an 8-inch 1,920 x 1,200 multi-touch Full HD display
powered by the NVIDIA Tegra K1 192 Kepler GPU and the 2.2GHz ARM Cortex A15 CPU with
2GB RAM. It will also house front facing stereo speakers with dual bass reflex port with a
built-in microphone. This device will support both PC and Android games as well as provide
a console capability to play games onto your TV screen via the NVIDIA Console mode with
the separate SHIELD wireless controller.
NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet
Price: 16GB - US$299 (RM957)
Info: www.nvidia.com
The Resonating Storm
Cooler Master, a renowned company for their desktop components and peripherals
recently revealed the CM Storm Resonar which is their first of a kind patented Bass FX
Technology for gaming and enhanced audio needs. It comes with 8mm drivers that
provide a deep bass and clear sound with adjustable bass boost dials. It will also provide
comfortable lightweight earbuds and cushion for passive noise cancellation. These
earphones are also built with premium quality aluminium housing and tangle free
cables complete with inline remote and microphone for music and phone calls.
CM Storm Resonar
Price: RM250
Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn. Bhd., Build Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7956 6300, (03) 7955 3699
Info: www.coolermaster.com
Is That 4 Mi?
The ever popular Xiaomi is back with yet another treat, this time with their latest
flagship, the Mi 4. The Mi 4 has a 5-inch 1,080 x 1,920 IPS LCD Capacitive Touchscreen
display and is powered by a 2.5GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
and runs on 3GB RAM with 16GB internal storage. It will run on the
Android 4.4 KitKat and it maintains the use of MIUI 6. It will also
sport a 13MP rear camera with flash and an 8 MP front camera for
taking HD selfies. Camera features will include CMOS image sensor,
Autofocus, Touch to focus, Face detection, Smile detection, Geo Tagging and
High Dynamic Range mode.
Xiaomi Mi 4
Price: RM1,099 (16GB), RM1,299 (32GB)
Contact: Xiaomi
Phone: 1 800 28 1882
Info: www.xiaomi.com/my/
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B
efore HTC had their Ones, their
most desirable range of devices
came from the aptly named Desire
range. This line has since been relegated
to mid-range offerings, which hardly gets
any attention. This is quite sad though as
although they may be mid-range devices,
most of them come with HTCs signature
features and attention to build quality.
And with competition from China offering
devices at a fraction of the price, maybe it
is the right time for devices like the Desire
610 to stop hiding behind the curtains.
While it may not look as elegant as the
One (M8), the 4.7-inch device is built using
a very funky two-tone plastic combination.
Despite being plastic, the Desire 610 feels
sturdy albeit being a bit thick and chunky.
The front and sides are surrounded by a
very rubbery like matte plastic that gives
the device extra grip. The back however
is glossy and attracts fingerprints and
smudges quite easily. Similar to most
HTC devices, it comes in a unibody form
factor, which means that the battery is not
removable and SIM card and microSD card
slots are hidden under flaps on the left side
of the device.
Our first little gripe with the Desire 610
is the fact that although it has a 4.7-inch
display, it is only has a resolution of 540
x 960 pixels. Colour accuracy and viewing
Secondary
Desires
HTCs Desire range of devices have been getting quite
a bit of limelight as of late and that is definitely a
good thing By Jeremy Cheong
HTC Desire 610
Price
Info
Phone
Contact
RM999
HTC Careline
1 800 88 9855
www.htc.com/sea/
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Processor: 1.2GHz Quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 400
Frequency: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz,
HSPA 850/900/2100MHz, LTE
700/900/1800/2100/2600MHz
Screen: 4.7-inch qHD (540 x 960)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz),
Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA, microUSB 2.0
Memory: 1GB
Storage: 8GB, microSD (up to 128GB)
Others: 8-megapixel rear camera,
1.3-megapixel front camera, HTC BoomSound
Dimensions: 143.1 x 70.5 x 9.6mm
Weight: 143.5g
CHIP CONCLUDE :
As mentioned at the start of this
review, we are actually quite glad to
see HTC putting a little more attention
in their Desire range of devices.
However, while the Desire 610 may be
a good mid-range device as it comes
with a good set of features, which
include BoomSound and support
for 4G LTE, its price tag of RM999 is
definitely still steep considering the
competition thats in the market now.
angles are decent but the lack of detail
in videos and photos are quite obvious.
Text were quite crisp but gets fuzzy when
zoomed in. Brightness and visibility were
commendable as we could still use the
device even when under direct sunlight.
On the performance side of the fence,
the Desire 610 comes with a fairly good
set of hardware. It performed admirably
in our standard suite of benchmarks and
could even run games like Dead Trigger 2
and Asphalt 8 with no major issues. Even
multitasking proved not to be a problem
for the Desire 610s combination of 1.2GHz
quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM. The
2,040mAh batterys performance was also
satisfactory as the device managed to last
a full day with medium to heavy usage
before needing a charge.
The 8-megapixel rear camera outdoes many
other mid-range devices cameras as it
produces photos with accurate colours and
good amount of details
AnTuTu:
3DMark (Ice Storm):
3DMark (Ice Storm Extreme):
3DMark (Ice Storm Unlimited):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
17,743 points
5,799 points
2,893 points
4,850 points
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Decent overall
performance
Good camera
HTC BoomSound
Supports 4G LTE
Pricey for mid-range
device
No HD/Full HD display
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PCMark 8 (Home):
PCMark 8 (Creative):
PCMark 8 (Work):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
5,432 points
4,113 points
4,803 points
The ASUS Z97-Deluxe is another high-end
motherboard that aims to give users the best of
everything By Nicolas See Tho
ASUS Z97-
Deluxe (NFC
& WLC)
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,299
Build Technology Supply Sdn.
Bhd., Servex (Malaysia) Sdn.
Bhd.
(03) 7955 3699, (03) 8024 6688
www.asus.com/my
In addition to the usual ports, the Z97-Deluxe
also uses a Thunderbolt port enabling faster
rate of transfer for files using the Thunderbolt
2 technology
The Z97-Deluxe continues the tradition of
placing the ASUS logo on the heatsink and
with the gold scheme for a deluxe look
Specifications
CPU Support: Intel Core Processor
CPU Socket: LGA1150
Chipset: Intel Z97 Express Chipset
Memory Type: Dual Channel Memory
A
SUS is well known for making high
performance motherboards for a
variety of users. This time around,
they brought forth the ASUS Z97 Deluxe
with NFC and WLC capabilities to whet the
appetites of tech savvy users.
The Z97-Deluxe has three PCIe x16 slots
and four PCIe x1 slots coupled with four
DIMM slots that supports up to 32GB of
RAM. The bottom edge of the board has
a variety of buttons for testing and the
motherboard also provides a header for
the Thunderbolt card. Another interesting
feature note to add is that the motherboard
has native 4K support via HDMI or
DisplayPort.
This motherboard comes with some
cool new features that befits its Deluxe
status such as the Fan Xpert 3 system
which places 4-pin and 3-pin CPU and case
fan controls all in one place and it can scan
each fan characteristic to deliver custom
settings to each fan based on the dedicated
area temperatures detected by hardware
thermal sensors. The Thunderbolt support
on the motherboard provides Thunderbolt
2 technology access to bi-directional
speeds of up to 20Gbits/s. Besides that,
the Z97 Deluxe also has a Turbo App
which is an intuitive tuning panel that can
boost everything by CPU overclocking,
game data prioritisation and optimisation
to provide a premium gaming and media
viewing experience.
The Z97-Deluxe does not lack in the
performance department. During our
benchmark testing, this motherboard
passed Futuremarks PCMark 8 tests with
flying colours. It was able to handle most
computing tasks with ease and it has a
user-friendly BIOS that makes tweaking
the motherboard relatively easy for the
average user. Those with premium quality
headphones can fully utilise the advantage
of Crystal Sound 2 from this motherboard
as it enhances your audio settings
regardless of activity.
Building A
Deluxe PC
CHIP CONCLUDE :
Overall, the ASUS Z97 Deluxe is
a powerful motherboard that can
be used for any purpose and the
additional functions from the NFC and
WLC adds on to its utility. However,
it does come with a hefty price tag,
thus certain consumers may feel
that the price would be an entry
barrier. Regardless, for those looking
for a motherboard that can deliver
premium quality performance, this
should be on your watch list.
Has Thunderbolt support
NFC EXPRESS 2 and
Wireless charger
Price
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
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G
aming mechanical keyboards are
aplenty these days, and if youre
looking for an option that comes
with a number of bells and whistles,
GAMDIAS has just the thing for you
with its latest option in the form of the
GAMDIAS Hermes gaming keyboard.
The Hermes is a tank of a keyboard, and
its immediately noticeable when you carry
the box its packaged in. Using Cherry MX
Blue switches, the Hermes has a very clicky
feel to it, which is somewhat dampened
by the GAMDIAS Element dampener,
which not only reduces the noise, but also
increases response time by 20 percent.
Were not entirely convinced about the
response time, but the keyboard is certainly
less clicky than many other Cherry MX Blue
keyboards.
The Hermes size is not for show
either, as it is packed with many bells
and whistles, chief of which is the
inclusion of a whopping 13 macro keys, all
customisable to 10 different profile options
via the software that is downloadable via
GAMDIAS website.
Whilst this certainly gives gamers an
edge over the competition in-game, some
of the keys are positioned awkwardly to
make proper use of. The keyboard also has
backlighting options, but throughout our
time with the keyboard, it appears that the
A Keyboard That
Does Gaming
And More
The Hermes from GAMDIAS is a tank of a gaming
keyboard that comes with plenty of features By Nazrin Zain
GAMDIAS
Hermes Gaming
Keyboard
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM419
Nation-Tech Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 4280 6636
www.gamdias.com.my
Specifications
Switches: Cherry MX Blue/Brown/Red
NKRO: USB 2.0/PS2
Interface: USB 2.0
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The GAMDIAS Hermes gaming
keyboard is one heck of a keyboard.
The only unfortunate thing is that
it only comes in one choice of
Cherry MX switches, as it would
be great if potential buyers had the
option to choose different switch
configurations
lighting options can only be changed via
software, despite the fact that every other
multimedia option and profile setting can
be changed from the keyboard itself.
The Hermes keyboard also comes
with a number of other nice features,
such as a USB passthrough port as well
as 3.5mm audio ports for headphones
and microphone. There is also a large
detachable palm rest that doubles as a
cover for the keyboard as well, if you need
it.
Cherry MX Blue switches are some of
the nicest switches to use on a mechanical
keyboard, and with the Hermes, it is no
different. Typing and clicking furiously on
the keyboard is not a chore thanks to the
early actuation point. Gaming is a breeze
as well, although wed deactivate the six
macro keys at the bottom of the keyboard
as theyre more of a nuisance than
anything else.
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Great performance
Feature-packed
Akwardly-positioned macro
keys
Lighting options can only be
changed via software
It also has a USB pass-through port and audio
ports for flash drives and headphones
The GAMDIAS Hermes comes with a wide
array of macro keys, perfect for gaming
enthusiasts
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Using their gaming GT series as a base, MSI have
gone and created a mobile workstation that performs
and looks great By Nicolas See Tho
MSI WT60-20J
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM6,999
MSI Malaysia Office
1 300 22 1386
my.msi.com
Bundled with the WT60-20J is an MSI Gaming
Mouse which gives users the complete set
required for work and play
Specifications
CPU: 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4810MQ
Processor (2.8GHz Turbo Boost up to 3.8Ghz,
6MB cache)
Memory: 8GB DDR3 RAM
Storage: 1TB HDD (7200rpm)
OS: Windows 7 Professional
Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-
glare 95% NTSC Colour Gamut LED backlight
LCD panel
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2GB
GDDR5
Connectivity: LAN, WLAN, SD card
reader, Bluetooth 4.0, Blu-Ray, HDMI, mini
DisplayPort
M
SI has a penchant for releasing
big laptops with big power and
this latest model here is no
exception. The WT60-20J is a workstation
laptop and a desktop replacement that is
designed specifically for designers and
3D artists. So if you have been looking
for a mobile workstation that is powerful
enough to run simulations, calculations
and more intensive activities, you definitely
have to read on to find out if this mobile
workstation is right for you.
Design-wise, the WT60-20J has its
design origins from the GT series of
laptops which was focused on gaming. It
has a 15.6-inch anti-glare NTSC display
which is really useful when in a bright light
environment. On the back and side of the
laptop we have the usual assortment of
inputs and outputs such as four USB ports
consisting of 3.0 and 2.0, SD card reader,
Killer Doubleshot Gaming LAN and Wi-Fi,
HDMI, and DisplayPort.
The most interesting aspect about this
laptop is that while it looks like a high-end
gaming laptop, it is actually a high-end
workstation which focuses more on
providing the powerful hardware required.
With its variety of display ports, it can
support up to three external independent
displays simultaneously allowing users to
multi-task with ease. It also features the
exclusive Cooler Booster 2 technology
which improves cooling performance by
up to 15 percent while reducing stress on
the processor allowing the workstation
to operate efficiently. Additionally, it also
features the Killer DoubleShot which
combines Wi-Fi and LAN for amazing
network speed which can handle multiple
data streams all at once.
When it comes to getting the job
done, the WT60-20J provides users with
a significant amount of power to handle
computing tasks. Thanks to its unique
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, it is able to
handle graphic intensive software such as
Autodesk, Cinema4D and video rendering
software. Because of its unique graphics
card, our benchmarks cannot fully assess
its full capabilities as it is designed for
simulation purposes.
Work Never Felt
So Fun
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The MSI WT60-20J is definitely
a worthy companion for graphic
designers and digital artist who wants
a device that is portable yet powerful
enough to carry around. Although
it has a restrictive price tag, it is
definitely worth the sacrifice if you
are looking for a powerful device that
can handle your demanding designing
tasks on the road.
Can handle highly
complex design software
Anti-Glare screen is good
for outdoors
Powerful performance
Bulky
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
3DMark (Cloudgate):
3DMark (FireStrike Extreme):
3DMark (FireStrike):
3DMark (Icestorm):
PCMark 8 (Work):
PCMark 8 (Home):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
10,342 points
733 points
1,549 points
64,166 points
3,537 points
3,469 point
4,335 points
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W
estern Digital are going strong
with their line of networked
storage solutions as of late,
launching products for both home and
business users as well, allowing them to
have their own cloud storage solution at
home, without having to spend money
monthly on expensive services. The
Western Digital My Cloud Mirror is one
such device, and its built for both home
and office users
The My Cloud Mirror is a two-bay
NAS, that looks like many of WDs
previous offerings, and while the design
is rather common, its one of the very few
WD NAS devices that offer hot-swappable
bays, which allows you to swap drives
when needed.
At the back, besides the power port,
there are two USB 3.0 ports, which you
can use to expand the storage of your
NAS, or back up data from your USB flash
drive to the My Cloud Mirror. There is
also a Gigabit Ethernet port which allows
you to stream content from the My Cloud
Mirror to your PC, notebooks, tablets and
smartphones.
Not only that, with the My Cloud
Mirror, you can access content even when
youre away from home, as long as you
and the My Cloud Mirror is connected to
Private Cloud
Just Got More
Personal
The My Cloud Mirror works as a personal cloud
device and a compact backup machine By Nazrin Zain
Western Digital
My Cloud Mirror
Specifications
Storage Size: 4TB, 6TB, 8TB
Interface: 2x USB 3.0, 1x RJ-45 CAT5
Disk Management: RAID 0,1; JBOD &
spanning
Features: WD Smartware Pro, Android, iOS
app
Dimension: 170.6 x 49 x 139.3mm
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The Western Digital My Cloud Mirror
is a great personal cloud storage
and backup device that works great
for both home and office users.
Multimedia hoarders, designers
and video editors alike would love
how it can be used both locally and
remotely, allowing you to access all
your files at your fingertips, no matter
where you are.
the Internet. This allows users to utilise it
as a personal cloud storage device, much
like other similar cloud storage services.
The main feature of the My Cloud
Mirror however is in its backup and
mirroring capabilities. The NAS can be
setup into a RAID 1 configuration, and
the storage will be split in two, where a
redundant copy of the data will be stored,
in case a drive failure happens.
Transfer speeds via Wi-Fi connectivity
is highly dependent on the modem
and router youre using, but based on
our tests, we managed to average out
at about 30MB/s over Wi-Fi, which is
pretty fast for streaming data over LAN.
Uploading photos from the phone to the
My Cloud Mirror also took nearly no time
whatsoever.
Besides a Gigabit Ethernet port, it also comes
with two USB 3.0 ports which allows you to
back up storage from a flash drive to the My
Cloud Mirror, or expand the storage
The WD My Cloud Mirror features two
hot-swappable bays that allows you to use
whatever drive you want inside it
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Functions as your own
personal cloud storage
service
Hotswappable drives
No 4-bay option
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,099
Achieva Technology Sdn. Bhd.,
eSys Distribution Sdn. Bhd.,
Geniuine C & C (M) Sdn. Bhd.,
Servex (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 7955 1768, (03) 7889 8094, (03)
7880 8622, (03) 8024 6688
www.wdc.com
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Charging multiple devices have just become a lot
easier thanks to the UTOO Extreme 4 By Jeremy Cheong
UTOO
Extreme 4
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM59
UTOO Technology Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 5569 1010
www.utoo.com
Specifications
Input: AC100-240V 50/60Hz
Output: 2x 1 Amp output, 2x 2.1 Amp output
Wire length: 1.5m
Dimension: 117.5 x 72.5 x 25mm
I
n last months issue, we had a very
interesting Timeline feature article
that was about the Universal Serial
Bus, more commonly known as the USB.
The article highlighted how it has made
our digital lives a little easier and that is
actually quite true especially when it comes
to our other gadgets and gizmos.
Most of us these days are equipped
with more than a single device and most
are built with a microUSB port for charging
and transferring data. For those with
more than two devices, one of the most
common problems is finding power outlets
to charge them all. If you are one of those
that encounter this same issue, then the
UTOO Extreme 4 USB charger is just what
the doctor ordered.
What the Extreme 4 does is quite
a no-brainer; it enables users to easily
charge four devices with the help of just
one power outlet. This not only helps
you save space and keep your desk or
floor tidy, it also alleviates the headache
of having to charge devices in different
rooms and looking for four power outlets.
During our time with it, we managed to
use it to charge simultaneously charge
smartphones, tablets, power banks and
portable gaming consoles with no issues
whatsoever. The duration to get all these
devices battery to full was more or less
the same when used with an individual
charger.
Instead of just equipping the Extreme
4 with all USB 2.0 ports, UTOO have
actually included two USB 3.0 ports which
is great for users who have devices that
take advantage of the newer standard. The
overall design of the Extreme 4 is pretty
simple save for the colour coded ports.
The device is also very portable and light,
which makes it a great travel companion.
While it may look simple on the outside,
theres actually quite a bit of engineering
mastery going on inside to ensure
accidents and damage wont occur. The
Extreme 4 has an embedded Electronic
Stability Program (ESP) intelligent control
that adjusts current output according to
the connected devices, a smart chip that
improves charging speed and auto voltage
regulation and also fireproof material
inside and out.
A Charge For
You Too
CHIP CONCLUDE :
All in all, we have to say that the
UTOO Extreme 4 is a really great
accessory to have especially for
those with loads of gadgets and
also the avid traveller. With its super
affordable price tag, were quite sure
many users will soon have this in
their homes and offices.
It may be a little thick but the Extreme 4 is still
very portable
Instead of just USB 2.0 ports, the Extreme 4
is future-proofed as it comes with two USB
3.0 ports
Ports for USB 3.0
Sturdy build
Lightweight and portable
Affordable
Cant charge without
power source
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
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3DMark 11 (Cloudgate):
3DMark 11 (Fire Strike):
3DMark 11 (Ice Storm):
3DMark 11 (Ice Storm):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
2,557 points
312 points
27,670 points
2,584 points
D
ell has a history with their laptops,
and they are known for making
laptops that suit user productivity
and lifestyle. With the Dell Inspiron 15
3000, they are aiming to entice the home
users, students and even the working
individuals. We were given the chance to
take this laptop for a variety of tests.
After getting a feel from its exterior, we
find a simplistic design with a plastic build
that is thin and feels a little delicate. It has
corner edges that make it uncomfortable
for prolonged travels. However, the laptop
makes up for that with a lightweight
body and firm hinges for the screen. It
has comfortable keys for typing with the
addition of a Numpad area which in our
opinion has keys that are spaced too
closely. As we take a look on the sides,
there are a variety of ports like an SD card
reader, USB ports, Ethernet ports, HDMI
ports and audio ports.
The laptop does have some multimedia
features that seem enticing such as the HD
screen that can play movies and videos
with amazing visuals. Besides a HD screen,
it also sports a HD web cam allowing you
to let your friends and family enjoy video
calls with high visual clarity. It has a large
storage space as it is equipped with a 1TB
hard drive, you can be sure you will have
An Inspiration To
Some
Dell targets the home users, students and daily
workers here with their latest Inspiron 15 3000 laptop
series. But can it handle the hustle and bustle of daily
life? By Nicolas See Tho
Dell Inspiron
15 3000
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM2,049
Dell Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd.
1 800 88 0301, 1 800 88 2888
www.dell.com.my
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i5-4210U @ 1.7GHz (Turbo
Boost up to 2.7GHz)
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 1TB
OS: Windows 8.1
Display: 15.6-inch (1,366 x 768)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 820M 2GB, Intel HD
Graphics Family
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, DVD
drive, SD card reader, Ethernet port, USB 2.0,
USB 3.0
CHIP CONCLUDE :
All in all, this is a handy entry-level
laptop that should serve students and
light users well with its durability and
wide range of media features. For
those looking for a laptop for work
and multimedia leisure, this might be
the right choice for you.
an ample amount of space to store your
music, videos and photos. It also comes
with the Waves MaxxAudio technology
which provides users with an audio system
that wont disappoint.
Performance wise, the results are
varied depending on the user preference.
It produced scores that were a mix of high
and lows during our benchmark testing.
We tried to play games on it and from
the results; it was only able to handle less
taxing games such as DoTA 2 or Facebook
flash games. This wouldnt be a problem
for the light and average user as when it
comes to long term productivity, the laptop
delivers with its long lasting battery life
of up to 7 hours before needing to run to
the power outlet. We also tested the audio
system for the laptop and we found that
when it is played at an optimum level, it
provides amazing audio but tends to distort
at higher volume levels.
Dell managed to equip the Inspiron 15 3000
with a wide variety of ports such as USB,
HDMI, LAN and audio peripherals
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Lightweight
Beautiful display
HD camera
Long Battery life
Numpad is spaced too
closely
Poor max volume
Plastic build
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The PB287Q from ASUS takes on the other 4K
monitor contenders and we find out where it stands
in the crowd By Nazrin Zain
ASUS PB287Q
UHD Monitor
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM2,599
Bhd., ECS Astar Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222
www.asus.com/my
The monitors stand allows you to tilt, swivel,
pivot and exchange the height of your display
according to your needs
The PB287Q comes with two HDMI 1.4 ports
and one DisplayPort 1.2 port. The DisplayPort
allows the display to have a refresh rate of
60Hz while outputting at 4K resolution
Specifications
Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 @ 30Hz
Screen: 28-inch
Response time: 1ms (GTG)
Contrast Ratio: 1,000:1 (Native), 10M:1
(ASUS SMART Contrast Ratio)
Stand: Tilt, swivel, pivot
Connectivity: 2x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort
1.2
A
SUS business scope does not
only include PC components and
notebooks, theyve also expanded
their portfolio to include things such as
networking products and desktop monitors
as well. The ASUS PB287Q is one such
example of ASUS endeavour in pushing
the envelope of display technology, and
were here to take a look at what makes the
monitor a great display.
As its model name mentions, the ASUS
PB287Q is a 28-inch monitor, with a UHD
resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, featuring
60Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time
(Grey-to-Grey). The monitor utilises a
TN panel, but is capable of outputting
10-bit colours, providing smooth colour
gradations for a natural-looking transition
between hues.
ASUS has also put some thought into
user comfort with the monitor, and the
PB287Q can have its height adjusted,
swivel left to right, tilt up and down, and
even pivot into portrait mode if so desired.
The PB287Q also comes with a variety
of display modes, such as gaming and
sRGB presets which can be modified to
your choosing. These modes allow you to
quickly switch to the most optimal display
setting for what you want to view.
Our favourite feature however has got
to be the Picture-by-Picture and Picture-in-
Picture modes. Both these modes allows
users to view content from two different
sources simultaneously.
The image quality of the PB287Q is
simply astounding, and even with the use
of the TN panel, the colours are simply
vibrant and look great regardless if youre
watching a movie, playing games or
designing a poster.
That being said, whilst testing this
monitor with various types of media, there
were no noticeable framerate issues or
tearing that we could discern, but having
said that, youd still need a relatively
powerful GPU to run games at anything
higher than Full HD.
Whilst the PB287Q looks absolutely
brilliant in 4K, one thing to note is that the
UHD resolution may not scale well with
quite a number of applications, and as
such, may cause some complications when
youre trying to do work in this resolution.
ASUS Goes Ultra
HD
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The ASUS PB287Q UHD monitor
provides users with an upgrade
path for long-term usage. The only
downside we feel when using this
and any UHD display for that matter
is that youll need a powerful GPU
to make full use of it. Otherwise, the
image quality and performance of this
display is excellent.
Excellent colour
reproduction
60Hz refresh rate at 4K
resolution via DisplayPort
Great features like Picture-
by-Picture and Picture-in-
Picture
Many applications dont
scale well with 4K resolution
Price
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
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I
t has been a rough few years for
Motorola but despite the many troubles
they have had, they still arent taking
a back seat and continue to release
feature-packed Android smartphones with
affordable price tags. For users who want
a high-end experience, they can look to the
Moto X and for a mid-range device, theres
the Moto G. Now finally, for those who are
on a very tight budget, they have the Moto
E to look forward to.
In terms of looks, the Moto E isnt quite
as flashy or fancy compared to many
other smartphones but we actually like its
subtlety. We also didnt really mind that
it was a little on the thicker and heavier
side as it made the phone feel sturdy and
durable. For users who dont want a little
personality and colour to their device, they
can always invest in Motorola Shells that
come in various colours. The Shells or
covers have that rubberised texture to it
which is great as it gives the device a little
more grip.
As a budget-friendly device, some
sacrifices had to be made and one of them
happens to be with the display. On that
note though, the 4.3-inch qHD display is
still great for surfing, reading and watching
videos and as it is sharp and colours are
quite accurate. Smaller fonts are a little
blurry and pixelated though. Another nice
touch added to the display is of course
Easy On The
Budget
Motorola gives users on a budget a device to look
forward to By Jeremy Cheong
Motorola Moto E
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
TBA
Brightstar Distribution Sdn. Bhd.,
Lazada Malaysia
1 300 88 2744, (03) 2027 4766
www.motorola.com
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
(upgradable to 4.4.4)
Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 200
HSDPA 850/1700/1900/2100MHz
Screen: 4.3-inch qHD (540 x 960) Corning
Gorilla Glass 3
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
LE, microUSB 2.0,
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 4GB (expandable up to 32GB via
microSD)
Others: 5-megapixel rear camera, Dual-SIM
Weight: 142g
CHIP CONCLUDE :
Out of the many budget smartphones
available today, the Motorola Moto
E is easily one of the best. It may
have had a few compromises here
and there but with a price tag under
RM400, we wont complain as
the Moto E does all the essentials
well and should keep first-time
smartphone owners or any user for
that matter happy.
the tough Corning Gorilla Glass 3 which
protects it from drops and scratches.
For its internal hardware, the Moto E
sports older hardware but for what its
worth, the combination of the 1.2GHz dual-
core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 CPU and
1GB RAM makes the device run smooth
and snappy and even feels better than
certain mid-range devices. We had no
problems with it even when multi-tasking.
Despite the lower-end hardware, the Moto
E was able to handle games like Dead
Trigger 2, although there was a bit of lag
during more busy moments of the game.
Another great thing about the Moto E is
its battery life. While many users many turn
away once they find out that the battery is
non-removable, we say dont let that fool
you as the 1,980mAh can easily last you a
day even with medium usage or more for
those who arent really heavy users.
The 5-megapixel camera is just so-so as its
focus is fixed and also theres no flash
Performance
Features
Design
RATINGS
Dual-SIM
Small but brilliant display
microSD card support
Basic camera with no
flash
Non-removable battery
No front-facing camera
Lower-end CPU
3DMark (Ice Storm):
AnTuTu:
BENCHMARK RESULTS
4,053 points
2,213 points
3,705 points
12,862 points
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Cooler Masters Sirus-C provides gamers with both
comfort and clarity By Nazrin Zain
Cooler Master
Sirus-C
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM349
Ban Leong Technologies Sdn.
Bhd.
(03) 7956 6300
www.coolermaster.com
Comfort is also one of the Sirus-Cs strong
points, and users will be able to use the
headphones for long periods of time without
feeling uncomfortable
The Sirus-C comes with an in-line volume
control which allows users to easily control
the audio level
Specifications
Driver size: 2x 44mm, 2x 40mm
Frequency response: 20Hz 20kHz
Impedance: 50 ohm
Connector: 3.5mm audio/mic connector
Cable length: 3.0 metres
H
ere at CHIP Malaysia, weve seen
many headphones, gaming or
otherwise come through our labs,
but this is perhaps the first time anyones
ever sent us a 2.2 channel headset. CM
Storm has done exactly that with its
CM Storm Sirus-C headphones, which
promises not only powerful and crystal
clear audio quality, but also comfort that
allows you to keep going for hours without
your ears feeling sweaty.
What distinguishes the Sirus-C from
its brethren is the fact that each side is
equipped with not one, but two drivers.
One 44mm driver and one 40mm driver
each for treble and bass, providing users
with Hi-Fi quality audio that does not lose
out in both power and clarity.
It also has a built-in amplifier which
boosts signal power to deliver deep and
rich bass that works not only for gaming,
but music-listening as well. The Sirus-C
also comes with a built-in Hi-Fi amplifier
which boosts the signal power of the audio
that helps the headphone deliver deep and
rich bass.
In terms of sound quality, the Sirus-C
definitely does not disappoint. The usage
of stand-alone 40mm drivers for the
bass really shows as it is both deep and
powerful, but does not overpower the
treble. The audio separation on the Sirus-C
is also excellent, and this is especially
important for gamers, who will want to
be able to tell where the enemy is coming
from.
Listening to music with the Sirus-C is
also a joy, as the medium and high notes
harmonise with each other very well, with
low notes being quite audible as well. The
bass levels are also quite punchy, again
thanks to the standalone bass drivers, and
as mentioned before, do not muddle with
the rest with the audio.
Comfort is yet another important aspect
when it comes to headphones, and the
Sirus-C is also very comfortable. Its over-
ear, breathable mesh cups are paired with
the ultra-flexible headband which provide
gamers and music listeners with not only
some of the most comfortable headphone
experiences weve had to date, but it also
functions as an excellent passive noise-
cancelling feature.
The Sirus-C can also be used with
gaming consoles, such as the PS3 and
the Xbox 360 as well, and comes with an
in-line controller that allows you to switch
between PC and console usage.
Hi-Fi In Your
Head
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The CM Storm Sirus-C is one of the
nicest headphones weve had the
pleasure of testing to date. If youre
looking for a solution that works for
both the PC and your gaming console,
this is one of few options to consider.
Excellent audio quality
Comfortable
Bulky
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
august 14

chip malaysia
088
test lab
revi ew
E
arly last year, Samsung released
their very first Android-powered
SMART camera, the GALAXY
Camera to lukewarm response from
consumers and critics. Around the same
time this year, the Korean tech powerhouse
unveiled the successor to the GALAXY
Camera 2 that comes with a slew of
improvements but is it worth getting if you
already have a smartphone? Thats what
we attempt to find out with this review.
Surprisingly, instead of going smaller,
the GALAXY Camera 2 is actually a little
bigger compared to its predecessor. So
unless you have a backpack or handbag
with you, dont expect to walk around
comfortably with this in your jeans pocket.
With that said though, the device is still
very attractive as it has looks that mimic
retro cameras with a faux-leather front.
Much like its predecessor, the GALAXY
Camera 2 doesnt come with the standard
set of physical keys found on a camera; all
you get here are buttons for the shutter,
power/lock and flash buttons. This is
because most of the features are controlled
using the 4.8-inch touchscreen and while
it is very responsive, it will take a bit of
getting used to as in our testing our palms
and fingers had a tendency to accidentally
open up menus or launch apps. As were
Decent Second
Attempt
The successor to the GALAXY Camera is now bigger
but does it outdo its predecessor by leaps and
bounds? By Jeremy Cheong
Samsung
GALAXY
Camera 2
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,699
Samsung Malaysia Electronics
Sdn. Bhd.
1 800 88 9999
www.samsung.com/my/
Specifications
Image Sensor: 16.3 effective megapixel 1/2.3
BSI Sensor
Lens: 21x Optical Zoom Lens, 23mm Wide
Angle, f/2.8 (W) ~ 5.9 (T)
Operating System: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Processor: 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor
Screen: 4.8-inch HD (1,280 x 720) Super Clear
Touch LCD
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi HT40,
GPS/GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
Memory: 2GB
Storage: 8GB, microSD (up to 64GB)
Weight: 283g
CHIP CONCLUDE :
At the end of the day, we have to say
that Samsungs GALAXY Camera 2
is quite a decent camera. However,
with its price, we think many users
would opt for a smartphone instead
since most smartphones today have
pretty impressive optics and can
easily produce images that are on
par or even better than the GALAXY
Camera 2.
on the subject of the display, we have to
say that bright and vibrant and even under
direct sunlight.
If you are a current or previous user
of Samsungs smartphone, you would be
quite familiar with the camera application.
Theres really quite a bit of features in here
in terms of shooting modes and things
like creative filters. As for photo quality,
we found the photos produced by the
GALAXY Camera 2 are just slightly better
than a smartphone such as the GALAXY
S5. All in all though, images under bright
lighting had accurate colours, retained a
good amount of details and were sharp. In
dimmer conditions, the pop-up flash will
do a good job in lighting up an area with
no problem so images will still look good.
Hidden in the bottom lies with the 2,000mAh
battery is the microSD slot and micro HDMI
port
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Responsive and large
touchscreen
Loads of connectivity options
21x optical zoom
Good battery life
Just decent image quality
No physical controls
Big and bulky size
Price
chip malaysia

august 14 089
test lab
revi ew
PCMark 8 (Home):
PCMark 8 (Work):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
5,440 points
4,618 points
5,161 points
MSIs Z97 XPOWER AC is a beast of a motherboard,
and is a treat for enthusiasts who love taking their
systems to the limit By Nazrin Zain
MSI Z97
XPOWER AC
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
TBA
Media Forte (Malaysia) Sdn.
Bhd., JW Power Marketing Sdn.
Bhd., AMT PC Distributors Sdn.
Bhd.
(03) 2287 1177, (03) 2148 1307,
(03) 3344 1124
my.msi.com
MSI are generous with the ports on the Z97
XPOWER AC as it comes with a whopping 10
SATA ports and five PCIe ports
Specifications
CPU Socket: LGA 1150
Chipset: Intel Z87 Chipset, Intel Z97 Chipset
M
arket analysts and experts have
deduced some time ago that the
market for desktop computers
have been shrinking rapidly. However, PC
components manufacturers MSI defy this
convention by arguing that the market
for enthusiast-level hardware is still at an
all-time high, and launched the MSI Z97
XPOWER AC to prove it.
The XPOWER AC is an overclockers
dreams come true. Every component, right
down to the capacitors, PWMs and even
the PCB used to engineer this motherboard
has been meticulously picked to ensure the
best overclocking performance money can
buy.
On the board itself are four DDR3 DIMM
slots, capable of supporting up to 32GBs
of RAM clocked to 3,300MHz, 10 SATA III
6.0Gbps ports and a whopping five PCIe
3.0 ports, which can be used to power
four GPUs in a 4-way NVIDIA SLI or AMD
CrossFireX multi-GPU configuration.
Whilst it is perfectly fine to use the
motherboard with a standard air-cooling
system, the XPOWER AC is designed with
watercooling in mind. Watercooling blocks
are built into the heatsinks around the CPU,
which makes it a lot easier for enthusiasts
to install tubes without the hassle of
getting a waterblock onto the motherboard.
Performance-wise, the XPOWER AC
is a beast. Testing it with our Intel Devils
Canyon processor, we managed to push
the processor to about 4.3GHz from its
base 4.0GHz clockspeed, and with the right
water-cooling options, were fairly certain
it will be very possible to push beyond the
4.5GHz mark.
More features on the XPOWER AC
includes the Delid Die Guard, which makes
it easier to mount a CPU which has had
its thermal cooling interface removed,
allowing overclockers to squeeze out every
last megahertz out of the CPU.
The V-Check Points also received an
upgrade in the form of two extra ground
connectors, allowing overclockers to use
three multi-meters to view voltage levels at
various points of the motherboard.
Breaking
Overclocking
CHIP CONCLUDE :
As far as overclocking motherboards
are concerned, youll be hard-
pressed to find one that is as robust
and feature-packed as the MSI Z97
XPOWER AC. When released, the
board will definitely be on the pricey
side, sure, but for the money you
pay, what youre getting is the base
for you to start chasing overclocking
world records.
Packed with overclocking
features
Numerous ports both for
storage and graphics
None
Performance
Features
Design
RATINGS
august 14

chip malaysia
090
test lab
revi ew
TDK brings forth their slightly larger portable
speaker in the form of the TREK, will it perform up to
par? By Nicolas See Tho
TDK TREK A26
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM399
Digital Paper Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 5569 2002
www.tdkperformance.com
With easy access buttons for volume,
Bluetooth, Auxiliary and NFC functions the
TREK is super easy to use
The TREK features a built-in stand that allows
users to place the speaker at any elevated
angle
Specifications
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.0, NFC, auxiliary
input
Stereo configuration: 2x front active drivers,
2x passive radiators
Others: Built-in Stand
T
DK is no stranger when it comes to
creating quality audio devices and
peripherals, and with the TDK TREK,
they intend to bring quality audio on the
move and into our picnic baskets, gyms
and our favourite hangouts. But how does
it perform? Well, we were given the chance
to take one on a test run and heres what
we found out.
In the looks department, the TREK does
not portray a flashy outlook, as it displays
a simple black look. It has a retractable
stand located on the rear which gives
users a way to place the device at different
elevations; however the stand is quite
flimsy and is prone to detaching itself
from the speaker. On the top side of the
device, there are Bluetooth and auxiliary
buttons as well as the volume control and
the power button. The ports available on
the speakers are the USB connector and
auxiliary inputs. We really liked the fact
that TDK opted for a USB port as this will
allow users to charge it very easily with a
phone charger or even keep it charged with
a power bank.
The TREK has some of the prominent
features common on TDK products,
such as the IP64 rating which signifies
its trademark protection against water
and dust, useful for the outgoing users.
It also utilises NFC technology providing
easy access to music on NFC enabled
smartphones. This device also has an
integrated speakerphone which allows it
to double as a speakerphone that can be
used in conference calls. The Bluetooth 4.0
that is built in to the speaker also provides
an option for many Bluetooth devices
to connect to for instant access to your
favourite music anytime, anyplace.
Performance-wise, the TREK does
produce good sound quality as it can
easily fill up the room with rich sounds. It
does lack in certain aspects such as bass
where music that utilises higher bass
cannot truly be appreciated without the
deep bass requires. The speaker however
does well in acoustic environments and
the ease of the Bluetooth and NFC setup
makes its portability all the more enticing.
While the speaker does have an integrated
microphone, it is advisable to use the
microphone in a quiet environment as
external noise does diminish the quality of
your voice to the receiver in a conference
call. It also has a good battery life span of
six hours which is great for road trips and
vacations.
Staying On TREK
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The TDK TREK A26 is a worthy audio
companion to bring along for trips
and outdoor events. Its portability
and user friendly interface makes
this a viable option for those looking
for an audio solution that has good
sound quality and portability.
Portable
Good sound quality
Durable
Flimsy stand
Soft microphone
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
chip malaysia

august 14 091
test lab
revi ew
The AOC G2460PQU seems to have everything a
gamer needs but does it really live up to the hype?
By Nicolas See Tho
AOC G2460PQU
Gaming Monitor
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM888
Adventure Multi Devices Sdn.
Bhd., Eternal Asia (M) Sdn. Bhd.
03 7955 7788, 03 5569 2200
www.aoc.com
AOC have equipped this gaming monitor with
the standard range of outputs and inputs
The monitor comes with inline rails that
make adjusting viewing height easier as well
as multi-directional swivels making screen
positioning easier
Specifications
Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 @ 144Hz
Screen size: 24-inch
Response time: 1ms
Contrast Ratio: 80,000,000:1 (DCR)
Stand: 4-way
Connectivity: 1x DVI-D, 1x DisplayPort, 1x
D-Sub, 1x HDMI
Dimensions: 565.4 x 403.05 x 219.3mm
Weight: 4.61kg
A
OC is a well renowned brand when
it comes to monitors and over
the years they have been making
quite the mark in the gaming market with
monitors that are built to satisfy even
the most discerning gamer. Their latest
offerings come in the form of the AOC
G2460PQU gaming monitor and this
month we go to find out if it continues
to live up to the hype and if its worth a
gamers time and money.
Design-wise, the AOC G2460PQU looks
deceptively like your average monitor and
doesnt look too out of the ordinary, but
it does have a smooth matte finish on its
LED which does help reduce glare and eye
strain during usage. It has a four way stand
with built-in rails to easily manipulate
the height and angle of the monitor to
any direction. Behind the unit, lie all the
available ports such as the DVI-D, HDMI
and D-Sub. The right side of the monitor
also houses two USB ports with one
port being a fast charge port, which is a
major plus point as it gives users another
solution to charge their USB equipped
devices.
This monitor has some interesting
features for both gamers and the average
users such as the incorporation of i-Care
technology which reduces eye strain and
fatigue through a sensor which measure
ambient light around the monitor and
adjusts it accordingly for optimum comfort.
Seeing as the G2460PQU uses a LED panel,
it does not use Mercury (Hg) therefore it
doesnt produce gas which is poisonous to
the environment, making it eco-friendly.
Performance-wise, the AOC G2460PQU
displays pictures in magnificent detail;
however, the colours are not as vivid
when compared to others on the market
as the colours felt washed out. The matte
finish however, made viewing movies and
games a pleasure, because it made it easy
on the eyes during long periods of work,
movie watching and gaming comfortable.
The matte finish also reduces the glare
significantly which makes viewing the
monitor in bright environments immensely
better without sudden glares. Gaming on
this monitor proves enjoyable with each
pixel in superb definition and frames
rendered seamlessly.
Spectate The
Blaze
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The AOC G2460PQU Gaming monitor
is a definite competitor in the
all-rounder monitor market, with its
easy on the eyes display, as well as
immersive visual display coupled with
an affordable price tag, this should
definitely be on your watch list for
mid-range gaming monitors.
Matte panel reduces
glare and eye strain
DisplayPort available
High refresh rate
Colours are a bit
washed out
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
august 14

chip malaysia
092
test lab
revi ew
Specifications
Satellite driver: 2x 4-inch
Subwoofer driver: 6.5-inch
Satellite output power: 2x 15 W
Subwoofer output power: 30W
Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
Signal to Noise ratio: over 70dB
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Powerful Bass
SD card support
Easy to use
Price
None
The Audiobox Thor 900 brings back the atmosphere
of powerful bass coupled with integration with
modern accessibility By Nicolas See Tho
Audiobox
Thor 900
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM259
Leapfrog Distribution Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 7803 6703
leapfrogglobal.com/amg/
The Audiobox Thor 900 surrenders control to
the user on how much they would like to shake
the house
The Thor 900 has an additional variety of
input in the form of a USB port and an SD card
reader
A
udiobox, the sister company
for SonicGear, has brought the
party back to your homes with
the Audiobox Thor 900, and it does
not surprise many as to its namesake
symbolising the God of Thunder. But can it
live up to that name, thats where we come
in to take a look.
Removing the speaker from the box
was not as hard as we thought, and at
first glance, the speaker does have some
intricate designs on the subwoofer, which
has some grooves on the front creating
the illusion of a rib cage. It comes with two
satellite speakers and has multiple cables
bundled with it to connect to your PC, TV
and DVD player. On the front of the speaker
is an LED display and a spin dial volume
control. Should you decide to lay back, it
also has a remote control which provides
wider options.
This beast of a speaker has several key
features such as its high excursion bass
driver which provides deep and powerful
bass for the tremor effect. It also has a
fully functional LED display which displays
time, FM functions and auxiliary functions.
Additionally, you can purchase a Bluetooth
adapter separately to upgrade this speaker
into a Bluetooth capable device providing
you with wireless access to the speaker.
One of the unique aspect of the Thor 900
is the SD card reader on the bottom of the
subwoofer which makes it one of the few
speakers thats has SD card support.
During our tests, the Thor 900
performed amazingly well. During our
tests, we tested out the external bass
controls and tuned it to maximum settings.
We received an earth shattering tremor
while listening to electronic and techno
beats. Its satellite speakers also provide
a good sense of sound direction when
watching movies or videos on your TV or
PC. The speaker also has a good optimum
maximum volume whereby you can
achieve high levels of volume without
sound distortions. Additionally, it also
provides the illusion of surround sound
when playing games in an enclosed room
for that additional cinematic feel.
Bring Back The
Boom
CHIP CONCLUDE :
All in all, the Audiobox Thor 900
is definitely a powerful mid-range
speaker with exceptionally powerful
bass. So for those users who are
looking for a speaker with satisfying
levels of bass and treble and a wide
variety of accessibility options, this
might be one device you would want
on your wishlist.
chip malaysia

august 14 093
test lab
revi ew
The ASUS RT-N18U is a single band router that has
high quality parts at a reasonable price, but how does
it perform? By Nicolas See Tho
ASUS RT-N18U
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM409
AV Future Link (KL) Sdn. Bhd.,
ScanArt Data System (M) Sdn.
Bhd.
(03) 7783 2010, (03) 7782 4700
www.asus.com/my
The RT-N18U also comes with USB ports
making it a suitable media bridge between
wireless devices
Specifications
Network Standard: IEE 802.11b/g/n
Operating Frequency: 2.4GHz
Encryption: 64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP, WPA2-
PSK, WPA-PSK, WPA-Enterprise , WPA2-
Enterprise , WPS support
Ports: 4x RJ45 for 10/100/1000/Gigabits BaseT
for LAN, 1x RJ45 for 10/100/1000/Gigabits
BaseT for WAN, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0
Dimensions: 207 x 150 x 37mm
Weight: 520g
A
SUS has been a game-changer
in many markets and each time
they set foot in a new one, they
end up very quickly becoming one of the
top choices as they constantly innovate
and improve on previous technology.
The router is one such market that the
Taiwanese tech giant have made a name
for themselves as they continue to release
devices that meets the consumers needs
in terms of price and features. This month,
we look at their latest router the RT-N18U,
which looks to continue that tradition.
At first glance, the router has the same
black exterior found on most of the other
high-end ASUS router. It comes with three
detachable antennas bundled together
with the device. It has four Ethernet ports
and one WAN port for different types
of access as well as USB 3.0 and 2.0 for
integration with printers, file sharing, 3G
and 4G utilisation all located at the back of
the router.
The RT-N18U comes packed with handy
features that give users a variety of ways
to utilise the device. It has an extensive
customisation software that allows users
to micromanage every small detail within
the router such as VPN access, parental
controls, port forwarding and much more.
It also has a professional setting menu
which allows users to troubleshoot any
problems encountered with features
such as TX Bursting, reducing USB 3.0
interference and Explicit Beamforming.
It also features powerful hardware such
as the Cortex-A9 800Mhz Processor with
128MB Flash and 256MB RAM. This device
is will also act as your extender and media
bridge with the AiRadar and USB ports.
When it comes to delivering high
quality performance, the RT-N18U does
not disappoint. Due to its single band
technology, it is able to provide faster
and more stable connections without
interference from other frequencies. The
wide Wi-Fi coverage was also another
benefit we found enticing, as it can easily
reach into many corners of the house
with little loss in services. Its powerful
processors also make multitasking between
activities seamless and lag free. During
our testing, we were able to enjoy playing
games online while downloading several
files simultaneously without interruption.
When One Band
Is All You Need
CHIP CONCLUDE :
In conclusion, this is a powerful
router that provides high quality
performance with high quality
features at a mid-ranged price. Users
who dont have 5.0GHz devices would
do well to place this router on their
shopping list should they need a new
replacement.
Powerful performance
Versatile
Only has single band
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
august 14

chip malaysia
094
test lab
revi ew
W
henever Xiaomi releases a new
product, it is always wise to pay
attention because their products
tend to offer more than what users
bargained for. This month it is in the form
of the Redmi Note which is actually a larger
Redmi that is packed with a larger screen
and remains affordable just like the rest of
the Xiaomi products.
After manoeuvring the phone out of
the box, we get a first feel of the phone.
The 5.5-inch screen is definitely an
improvement for visual purposes and it
has a sturdy plastic back casing that is
slippery to the touch but looks great on the
phone. The rounded edges of the phone
make it easy to grip especially when using
applications in a landscape orientation.
The features on the Redmi Note brings
back some old nostalgic memories as well
as new ones. Firstly, it runs on the older
version of Android but comes with MIUI
on top, which gives it that iOS like feel.
This means every app will appear on the
home screen. MIUI is also a pleasure to use
and it can be customised with the various
themes available using the Mi Account
to access the theme store. The Lite mode
makes a comeback here, and it makes icon
sizes bigger which is suitable for people
with receding eyesight to navigate through
Its Time To Take
Some Notes
The insanely popular Xiaomi brand is back with a
bigger version of the Redmi and it brings value
without sacrificing performance By Nicolas See Tho
Xiaomi
Redmi Note
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM509
Xiaomi
1 800 28 1182
www.mi.com.my
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Processor: 1.7GHz Octa-core Cortex A7
Mediatek MT6592
Frequency: GSM 900/1800/1900 SIM 1 & SIM
2, HSPDA 1900/2100
Screen: 5.5-inch (720 x 1,280), IPS LCD
capacitive touchscreen,
Connectivity: 2G,3G ,HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11
b/g/n, microUSB v2.0
Memory: 2GB
Storage: 8GB (expandable up to 32GB via
microSD)
Others: Dual-SIM, 13MP rear camera, 5MP
front camera
Dimensions: 154 x 78.7 x 9.5mm
Weight: 199G
CHIP CONCLUDE :
When it comes down to devices with
value for power, Xiaomis Redmi
Note does not disappoint. With its
powerful camera, fast performance
and long battery life, this phone
would be the ideal smartphone for
power users on a budget.
the smartphone easier. The camera for the
Redmi Note is a powerful 13MP shooter
and the picture quality shows a lot of detail
except in low lighting due to the lack of a
backlit-illuminated sensor.
Looking at its price, you would think
that Xiaomi would have cut back on certain
performance factors to meet its price
range, but that would hardly be the case
as it packs a powerful Octa-core processor
which all run concurrently providing a
faster and better performance than other
smartphones with the same processor.
During our tests, the navigation throughout
different apps was seamless and minimal
lag was encountered. It also scored above
average in our benchmark tests. One of the
amazing qualities of the Redmi Note is the
amazing battery life which can easily last
you for a full day and beyond. Couple that
with different power settings and you are
set for the long haul.
Despite its affordable price, the Redmi Note
has a powerful 13-megapixel camera which
can capture crisp, high quality images
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Outstanding battery life
Beautiful MIUI
Amazing performance
High quality camera
No LTE
No multitouch
touchscreen
Lack of backlit sensor for
camera.
Old Android OS
AnTuTu:
3DMark (Icestorm Extreme):
3DMark (Icestorm):
3DMark (Icestorm Unlimited):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
25,090 points
4,029 points
5,679 points
6,073 points
chip malaysia

august 14 095
test lab
revi ew
Celebrations are in order, as ASRock celebrates Intels
20th Anniversary with the Z97 Anniversary
motherboard which provides one final hurrah
By Nicolas See Tho
ASRock Z97
Anniversary
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM399
AMT PC Distributors Sdn. Bhd.,
Cudo Technologies (M) Sdn.
Bhd., Ingens Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 3344 1124, (03) 2148 1177,
(03) 7688 9888
www.asrock.com
The Premium Alloy Choke is a high grade
material that is used on the Z97 Anniversary
motherboard that reduces 70 percent core loss
compared to iron chokes
The ASRock Z97 Anniversary motherboard
will come with all the usual ports you would
find on motherboard on the markets today
Specifications
CPU socket: LGA 1150
Chipset: Intel Z97 Chipset
Memory: 4 DDR3 3100+(OC)
I
ntel Pentium processors have lasted
over two decades since its first
introduction. The Pentium was a
monumental success and has helped
mould Intel into the worlds largest and
highest valued semiconductor chip makers.
As with all things, technology continues to
evolve, and Pentium is now obsolete with
Intel Core CPUs being the frontrunners.
However, as part of the 20th year
anniversary, Intel has released a special
Pentium processor to commemorate
the occasion and ASRock has the ideal
motherboard, the Z97 Anniversary for this
processor.
At first glance, the motherboard looks
like a high-end motherboard despite being
placed in the budget motherboard tier. It
also provides users with one PCIe 3.0 x16
slot and two PCIe 2.0 x1 slots. One distinct
factor lacking is its reduction of I/Os as a
cost for lower pricing hence only providing
one PS/2 mouse/keyboard port, one HDMI
port, two USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.0
ports one RJ-45 LAN ports and HD audio
connectors.
As a motherboard celebrating Intels
20th anniversary, it has some interesting
features that comes along with this
motherboard. It has support for the latest
Intel Devils Canyon processor chips which
makes it tempting for modern rigs. It also
has a unique Anniversary Boost function
which uses the limited edition Intel
Anniversary processor chip. This function
enables the system to easily overclock the
CPU to a maximum of 4.2GHz from 3.2GHz
in a single push of a button.
Performance-wise, the motherboard did
surprisingly well despite being a budget
tier motherboard. For our performance
benchmarks, we were using the latest
Intel Anniversary processor chip and the
performance was astounding. It scored
high during our PCMark 8 benchmarks
and after using the Anniversary Boost,
we could really feel the difference in
performance.
Its A Rocking
Anniversary
CHIP CONCLUDE :
In conclusion, the ASRock Z97
Anniversary motherboard is packed
full of surprises and it really signifies
the years Intel has gone through. For
those looking for a motherboard that
doesnt break the wallet yet being
able to support the latest processos,
this would be a viable option. If you
are able to get your hands on the Intel
Anniversary processor chip, then this
would be the perfect choice.
Easy overclocking
Powerful features
Premium components
Lack of I/O ports
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
PCMark 8 Home:
PCMark 8 Creative:
PCMark 8 Work:
PCMark 8 Home (Overclocked):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
4,297 points
3,460 points
4,843 points
4,738 points
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B
lackBerry is chugging along slowly,
refusing to give up the fight despite
losing many of its strongholds
across the world. The BlackBerry Z10
was launched around the world to critical
acclaim, but bad pricing strategies left the
Canadian phone makers stranded even
more. The BlackBerry Z3 is the companys
latest answer to calls for a more affordable
smartphone solution.
The BlackBerry Z3 is very similar to the
Z10 in terms of looks and build quality,
featuring a smooth rubbery back and a
5.0-inch display with a resolution of 540 x
960 pixels. Powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core
processor and 1.5GB of RAM, the Z3 is also
equipped with 8GB of storage space, which
is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD
card.
At the back meanwhile is a
5.0-megapixel camera with flash, capable
of recording 1080p videos as well. The Z3
also comes with a 2,500mAh battery, which
lasts for about a day with average usage.
If youre familiar with the BlackBerry
10 mobile operating system, the Z3 is
relatively simple to use, as the swiping
gestures and Peek work well on the Z3.
For typical, day-to-day business usage of
checking emails and messages, the Z3
All Business, Not
Much Pleasure
BlackBerrys latest mobile device brings us back to
simpler times By Nazrin Zain
BlackBerry Z3
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM699
Brightstar Corp Malaysia,
BrightPoint Malaysia
(03) 7960 4877, (03) 9274 6000
www.blackberry.com.my
Specifications
Operating System: BlackBerry 10 OS
Processor: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
HSPA 900/1900/2100MHz
Screen: 5.0-inch LCD (540 x 960)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth,
USB
Memory: 1.5GB
Storage: 8GB (expandable to 128GB via
MicroSD)
Others: 5MP rear camera, 2,500mAh battery
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The BlackBerry Z3 is far from
being the companys be-all, end-
all solution, but what it lacks in
specifications, it makes up for it
in terms of affordability, usability
and functionality. Definitely one to
consider as a purely business phone.
does a great job as a personal reminder.
The phone also doesnt heat up too
quickly when used for extended periods
of time, and the touch screen is sensitive
enough that it picks up all your inputs
without too much of an issue.
The occasional lag still occurs from time
to time, but it is not bad enough to the
point where the phone cant be properly
used. The most unfortunate thing about
this phone however is the fact that the
display resolution is very low. The fonts
on the Z3 have serious aliasing issues, and
as a result, text messages on the phone
appear to be quite pixelated, and are quite
difficult to read, and not very good for the
eyes.
All in all, if youre looking for a simple,
business-oriented smartphone that is both
affordable and functional, the BlackBerry
Z3 is one to consider.
A 5MP camera adorns the rear of the Z3, good
enough for taking candid photos
The rear cover of the Z3 cant be opened, so a
flap at the side houses the SIM and microSD
card slots
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Affordable
Functions well as a
business phone
Lacklustre display
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We finally get our hands on the largest variant of the
ZenFone and find out why it has got everyone raving
about it By Jeremy Cheong
ASUS ZenFone 6
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM899
Dynamics Distribution Sdn. Bhd.,
ECS Astar Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 8024 2100, (03) 6286 8222
www.asus.com/my
With the ASUS Pixelmaster technology, the
ZenFone 6s 13MP rear camera is great to
use and produces images that have accurate
colours and good amount of detail
Specifications
OS: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
CPU: 2.0GHz Intel Atom Z2580
RAM: 2GB LPDDR2
Storage: 16GB, microSD (up to 64GB), 5GB
ASUS Webstorage
Display: 6-inch (1,280 x 800) HD IPS with
ASUS TruVivid technology
Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, HSPA
850/900/1900/2100MHz
Connectivity: WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth
4.0, Miracast, microUSB
Extras: 13-megapixel Rear Camera,
2-megapixel Front Camera, ASUS
SonicMaster technology, Dual-SIM
Weight: 196g
B
ack in April when ASUS launched
the ZenFones in Jakarta, it was quite
obvious to us that the Taiwanese
powerhouse has really come a long
way from their days of just making PC
components. The company has put in
quite a lot of effort to be one of the top
contenders in the smart mobile device
segment and if they continue bringing
devices like the ZenFone 6 to the table,
then they may very well soon be part of the
upper echelons in the smartphone market.
The whole idea of the ZenFone line is
to give consumers an affordable device
that still feels like a premium one and with
the ZenFone 6; ASUS have knocked it out
of the park. Despite being made out of
polycarbonate, the ZenFone 6 feels super
sturdy and looks great. Its stylishness is
very subtle and we really liked the rounded
edges and also the metallic spiral effect on
the bottom bezel.
Being the largest of the trio, the
ZenFone 6 has a 6-inch display and this
could be a fifty-fifty thing for many users
as it is a little unwieldy and hard to operate
one handed. However, if you like large and
clear displays, then the one on the ZenFone
6 wont disappoint as it is brilliant. It has a
good balance between colour saturation
and vibrancy and brightness and viewing
angles are also good. If you love watching
videos or reading on your smartphone,
the ZenFone 6 will make those activities
enjoyable.
Seeing as this is the frontrunner of
the ZenFone line, it comes with the best
hardware customisation and it shines
through as we found the device to be
smooth and snappy even when multi-
tasking. It produced decent scores in our
standard suite of benchmarks and we
were able to play graphic intensive games
like Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8 with no
major problems but on and off there were
some noticeable lags.
Another great thing about the ZenFone
6 is its large 3,300mAh battery and
combined with Intels clever engineering,
the device is a power sipper and easily
lasted us a full day with medium to heavy
usage and slightly more than a day on
very light usage. The only downside to the
battery is that it is non-removable but that
really shouldnt be an issue.
The Largest
Source Of Zen
CHIP CONCLUDE :
For a mid-range smartphone and a
very attractive price tag, the ASUS
ZenFone 6 is definitely one of the
best money can buy out there thanks
to its great balance of features and
performance.
Stylish and sturdy build
Affordable
Good camera
Dual SIM
Loudspeaker is tinny
Can be hard to hold for
some
No 4G LTE
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
AnTuTu:
3DMark (Ice Storm):
3DMark (Ice Storm Unlimited):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
19,340 points
6,487 points
3,637 points
5,737 points
r
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T
he Sony RX100 series of compact
cameras is one of the best compact
cameras money can get you. The
previous two iterations of the camera has
shown that you dont need a clunky, big
DSLR to take great photos when youre
out and about. The RX100 MkIII, the third
version of this excellent camera retains
many aesthetics and functionalities, whilst
adding a few more features.
The Sony RX100 MkIII, much like its
predecessors, is housed in a compact
black chassis that features a one
inch 20MP Exmor R CMOS sensor, a
24-70mm-equivalent ZEISS Vario-Sonnar
f/1.8-4.9 lens, powered by Sonys own
BIONZ X image processor.
The buttons on the RX100 MkIII are
well-placed, and makes it easy for users
to access the various functionalities the
camera has to offer, and the 3.0-inch
WhiteMagic LCD display is also capable of
tilting 180 degrees upwards, allowing users
to take selfies with no effort.
The camera takes some excellent
pictures, be it during the day time or
under less than ideal lighting conditions,
as photos still look very usable even when
taken at ISO 3,200, and whilst noise is
hardly an issue here, discolouration and
loss of detail can be quite prominent when
shot at higher ISO ranges.
For macro shot junkies, the RX100 MkIII
Portable Bokeh
Machine
Sonys RX100 MkIII pushes the envelope of what
compact cameras can do By Nazrin Zain
Sony RX100
MkIII
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM2,999
Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
1 300 88 1233
www.sony.com.my
Specifications
Sensor: 20.9MP Exmor R CMOS Sensor
Display: 3.0-inch multi-angle X-tra Fine LCD
Processor: Sony BIONZ X
Video Recording: 1080p
Storage: SDHC, SDXC
Connectivity: HDMI, USB, WiFi, NFC
CHIP CONCLUDE :
With the RX100 MkIII, Sony
has proven again that compact
cameras can compete with flashier
competition. The price point might
be an issue for many, but as far as
were concerned, there arent many
compact cameras out there that can
do what it can.
does provide users with an electronic
viewfinder, coupled with manual focusing
on the ring lens as well as focus-peaking,
a feature that is more prominent in DSLRs,
mirrorless and micro 4/3 interchangeable
lens cameras.
Indeed, if there is one thing the RX100
MkIII is excellent at, it is at taking close
up macro shots at high apertures for
that creamy smooth bokeh effect and
shallow depth of field. For those who
want to instantly share their photos to
social networking services, Android and
iOS smart device users can download the
Sony PlayMemories app for free from the
respective app stores, and send the photos
to these devices either via Bluetooth, WiFi
and even NFC, if your smartphone has it.
That being said, for a compact camera,
its price tag may just be the only thing that
will hold potential buyers back from taking
out their wallet for it.
The multi-angle LCD display also allows you
to shoot photos in various positions, including
selfies
The Sony RX-100 MkIII has an electronic
viewfinder that works awesomely well
especially when youre shooting in Manual
mode with focus-peaking turned on
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Takes great photos,
especially macro shots and
portraits
Easy to use share features
Price
nd
es
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ASUS Maximus VII Formula is the motherboard for
enthusiasts and digital junkies alike By Nazrin Zain
ASUS Maximus
VII Formula
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,720
Bhd., ECS Astar Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222
www.asus.com/my
ASUS were also kind enough to provide the
motherboard with a wide selection of ports to
satisfy the most hardcore multimedia junkies
The Maximus VII Formula comes with the ROG
Thermal Armor that protects the board from
high temperatures and warping
Specifications
CPU Socket: LGA 1150
Chipset: Intel Z97 Chipset
A
SUS line of Republic of Gamers
components and accessories
continue to evolve every chance it
gets. The motherboards deserve special
mention as ASUS never seems to run out
of ideas to come up with new ones, with
one such product being one of its flagship
models, the ASUS Maximus VII Formula.
Being a premium gaming motherboard,
ASUS spared no resources in ensuring
that users get the most out of every ringgit
they spend when buying the Maximus
VII Formula. The four DDR3 DIMM slots
are capable of supporting up to 32GB of
memory thats overclocked up to 3,300MHz
in dual channel configuration. It also has
six SATA III 6.0 Gbps ports, one SATA
Express port and one M2 SATA port. The
SATA ports support RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10
configurations, so you have the option to
either have redundant back up for your
data or combine your drives into one
massive storage dump.
The Maximus VII borrows some
aesthetic cues from ASUS TUF line of
motherboards and comes equipped with
the ROG Thermal Armor which not only
protects the motherboard from dust, but
also improves airflow by redirecting hot air
away from the motherboard.
Performance-wise, we were able to
clock our Intel Devils Canyon processor
to around the 4.2GHz mark, which is
great since we were using a third party
air cooling system. Thanks to the newly
designed UEFI BIOS and various on-board
options, overclocking with the Maximus
VII Formula was pretty straight forward as
well, perfect for both newbies and hardcore
overclockers alike.
Gamers will also appreciate features
such as the GameFirst III network
optimisation software, SupremeFX
Formula 2014 for excellent gaming audio,
and KeyBot, an ROG-only feature where
you can set macros and map function keys
to your keyboard even if they dont have
any extra keys.
The Maximus VII Formula is also
compatible with the OC Panel and Front
Base, a monitoring device for your
components numbers, such as processor
speed, fan RPM and even voltage numbers.
Overclocking is also made so much simpler
thanks to ASUS own UEFI BIOS, which
includes both EZ and Advanced modes
which allows you to find your way around
the BIOS quickly and easily.
The Formula To A
Gaming Success
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The ASUS Maximus VII Formula is
a great gaming and overclocking
motherboard. ASUS are very
generous with both the components
and features in this motherboard,
which will definitely satisfy even the
most hardcore of multimedia junkies.
Feature-packed
Excellent performance
Price
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
PCMark 8 (Home):
PCMark 8 (Work):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
3,923 points
4,473 points
3,869 points
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A Rice Tale
THINK
Regular readers of this column would recognise that Im a sucker for cheap stuff that gives the most bang
for the buck By Tim Lee
the thoughts of our uncertified tech junkie
I
n the world of mobile gadgetry, that usually means delving
into products near their end of life date or taking a risk with
secondhand stuff in order to get smartphones and tablets
with decent specifications. Nowadays I cant justify spending
RM2,000 or more on a flagship smartphone when I know that a
better device will replace it just six months later. Trawling the
bottom end isnt an option either as most manufacturers low-
end devices use the nastiest, oldest components they can get
their hands on, compromising user satisfaction for profit
margins. Its no fun buying a cheap
phone and immediately wanting to
throw it against the wall because its
the slowest, junkiest thing youve ever
got your hands on. Penny wise and
pound foolish, that.
Now for a measly entrance fee of a
little over RM400, Ive been inducted
into the strange little tribe of Xiaomi
fans. Xiaomi the name literally
means little rice or millet - is a
Chinese smartphone manufacturer
that has gone from zero to third in the
Chinese market in a few scant years
and is now branching out into
Malaysia, Singapore, India and
beyond. Its phones run a heavily-
skinned version of Android called MIUI
that borrows heavily from iOSs look
and offers customisable themes like
what Symbian had.
Their phones are also amazing
value, offering top components at
bargain prices the upcoming Mi 4
should retail at a little over RM1,000
while offering specifications
comparable to the Samsung GALAXY
S5 or iPhone costing double that.
Theyre also keeping their previous Mi
3 flagship on sale and slashing its
price down to less than RM800.
Getting top smartphones for entry-
level prices used to be unheard of.
And me being me, I decided go for their cheapest offering, a
Redmi 1S. Its not a looker at all, being a generic black plastic
slab with a 720p 4.7-inch LCD screen, quad-core Snapdragon
400 chip, 1GB RAM, just 8GB on-board storage and a microSD
slot. Those numbers might not be exciting but at RM420, its
like the company is giving away stuff for free. Its perfect for
my daily smartphone dose of emails, chats, Web surfing and
listening to music, with the 2,000mAh battery easily lasting
beyond one day. Google Play is baked in so the full Android
ecosystem is available.
The screen is sharp and bright with good viewing angles;
the phones ARM Cortex A7 cores are snappy enough for apps
and keeping the system fluid while the Adreno 305 GPU is no
slouch for 3D gaming. Crucially, it also has two SIM slots for
GSM and WCDMA networks when roaming overseas; I can
buy a local card for cheap data while having my Malaysian
card in the second slot to handle calls from home.
Tech analysts say the phones bill
of materials (BOM) cost is around
RM300 so the company could be
making a decent profit from each
device. Xiaomi also doesnt have huge
overheads like the majors all sales
are done from its online store, it
doesnt splash money on TV and print
advertising and it doesnt have a
complicated distribution network, so
all orders are shipped directly by
Fedex from their warehouse in China.
They also keep older models on sale
even as new ones arrive to target
scrimping consumers who dont mind
paying less for last years top tech. In
the Chinese market, a batch of 200,000
phones can be sold out in a matter of
minutes. Xiaomi has sold more than
26 million devices worldwide in the
first half of this year and theyre on
target to outselling HTC and Samsung
in the massive Chinese mobile market
soon.
Im not sure how long this can last.
The company states that it sells
phones cheap and plans to make
money through accessories and apps
and services on the MIUI platform, but
only Google and Apple have made
any money from platforms. The
commoditisation of mobile
components leads to lower prices and ever-shrinking margins
so only those with the most volume can survive, the same rut
the PC industry has ended up in. The future could see monster
Lenovos and Dells of the mobile world battling for razor-thin
margins while a few premium makers command a devoted
following for their high-priced products, leaving no room for
new entrants.
No matter, as long as consumers win by getting the most
tech for their bucks.
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Candy Crush Saga
Developer: King
Platform: Android, iOS, Windows Phone
This was one of the few apps that took the mobile industry by
surprise. It was basically a puzzle game about sweets and you
solve the puzzle by matching rows and lines of the generic sweet
types, with special sweets giving you power-ups and special
abilities. It has colours and designs that make your sweet tooth
implode with impunity while giving yourself a good image on how
diabetes could happen if those sweets were real. But like real
candy, the sugar rush eventually crashes and Candy Crush Saga is
now on the pay to play stage in which players have to pay for
additional access. But still, it was a game about candy, imagine
that.
Fruit Ninja
Developer: Halfbrick Studios
Platform: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Bada
An all-time favourite, Fruit Ninja was one of those games whereby
you could burn the hours away slashing fruit like your existence
depended on it. The game works by slashing fruits being thrown
up in the air and swiping on your screen to slash the fruits
providing points. It adds an element of danger by adding bombs
and increasing the number of fruits as well as the speed of the
thrown projectile. This game was one of the very first prominent
apps that made its mark on the App scene. Today, it still has a
loyal following although with only half the number of active users
it once had.
QuizUp
Developer: Plain Vanilla Games Corp
Throwback August:
The One Hit Wonders
Throughout the short history of mobile apps, there were many apps that took the world by storm, breaking
sale records and creating trends. But these are also the apps, that quietly disappeared as the months
went by, creating an illusion of non-existence. This month, we bring you back to the top 5 apps that came,
trended and faded By Nicolas See Tho
TOUCH
the best apps to spice up your day
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Dubbed the largest trivia app in the world, QuizUp is an app that
pits you with people around the globe in a battle of wits and
reading speed. It takes categories that range from pop culture, to
science to history. It has a broad range of topics and it constantly
updates every month with new topics. Players are required to
answer a range of objective questions based on the topic as fast as
possible, with the fastest accurate answer rewarding the player the
most points. This game created a big buzz a few months back
which till recently has not made any news. Nonetheless, they still
have a reasonable sized community that you can join for a fast
paced trivia lesson.
Flappy Bird
Developer: Dong Nguyen
Platform: Android, iOS
This years Flappy Bird is bound to make the list due to the
massive hype that got even the game developer to withdraw the
game from the Google Play store months later. The game was
simplistic in nature, but hard to master. Players control a bird by
tapping on their screen to control the flight of the bird taking care
not to touch any pillars. In theory, it sounds easier than it seems.
With YouTube videos expressing how this app brought out the
inner berserker within us, it comes with great surprise how this
game managed to captivate so many players. Sadly, after the
original game was taken down, the clones were hardly good
alternatives to the real deal, and thus ends the legend of Flappy
Bird.
Flight Control
Developer: Bandai Namco
One of the few app fads that went out of control was the air traffic
control simulator, Flight Control. In this game, players will need to
strategise on how to land the planes and occasional helicopter
without crashing into each other. To do this, players will designate
flight paths for various types of planes in different airports and
runways. This game was insanely popular in its hay-day due to its
easy to learn manoeuvres but hard to master learning curves. The
only downfall was that after a while, the gameplay becomes
repetitive and boring thus losing players in the long run.
Temple Run
Developer: Imangi Studios
Behold the game that made running addictive, Temple Run. This
was the 2011 game that set endless running games into a
moneymaking genre for the mobile gaming industry. The goal of
the game is to run as far and as long as you can without hitting
obstacles or falling of the map while escaping demonic monkeys
and traps set throughout the map. This was the game that your
family is raving about and it was also that one game that each
family reunion is bound to have back in its glory days. This game
will also make use of your smartphones motion sensor through tilt
controls and swiping on the screen to fully utilize your
smartphones features.
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read
Steam And Glory
READ
Full Metal Alchemist
Author: Hiromu Arakawa (manga) /
Makoto Inoue (light novel)
Publisher: Enix (2001 - 2003), Square
Enix (2003 - 2010)
Published: Manga (2001 2010) / Light
Novel (2003 2010)
The golden era of manga and anime
brought this piece of gem to light in the
early 2000s and it showed how the
steampunk genre can be merged with
magic or alchemy to create a story with
deep character involvement and
complex plot twists. This story revolves
around two brothers Edward and
Alphonse Elric who are alchemist
brothers looking for the magical effects
of the Philosophers Stone. In an effort to
revive their dead mother, they
committed the taboo of human
transmutation, resulting with the loss of
Alphonses physical body and Elrics
right arm to disastrous results. After this
tragedy, they begin their quest to return
Alphonses body while managing to affix
his soul to a metal body temporarily.
This award winning manga highlights
how alchemy has transformed their
universe hand in hand with steam
technology creating weaponry which
creates devices that produce different
effects for different situations. The era
shown in the manga, portrays the late
Victorian age with a heavy European
vibe to the characters setting and names.
Other themes that are touched in this
manga are racial discrimination,
oppression and the journey to salvation.
This is nonetheless a good read for
anyone of any age.
The Time Machine
Author: H.G Wells
Published: 1895
This novel was one of the earliest
manifestations of the steam punk genre.
It is also the first time the term time
machine was coined. It was set in the
Steam Age of England when many
discoveries were yet to be found and
innovations were popping up constantly.
This novel sheds light on the primal
nature of humanity and the effects of
time travel. While the term steampunk
was not evident here, the novel portrays
the environment accurately for the
genre.
The story revolves around an English
professor testing his latest time
travelling device in a journey which
Imagine an alternate timeline where humanity stagnated in the days of steam technology with elements of
fantasy and magic. Combine both and you get a realm filled with conflicting themes. This genre is called
steampunk and it brings to light life in an era where magic and technology merge, or in some instances,
the reimagining of life without modern sources of energy. These are some of the mangas and novels
which made the steampunk genre more vivid and well-known by audiences today By Nicolas See Tho
the books that shape our world of stories
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takes him to A.D 802,701 where he
meets two evolved races called the Eloi
and the Morlocks which are successors
to the life forms once known as humans.
The Morlocks and the Eloi are both
creatures of two extremes, depicting
different sides of human nature in their
primal forms. As the story progresses,
the time traveller witnesses the aging of
the planet and the death of the Sun.
After being overwhelmed by this
experience, he returns to Victorian time
back to his normal life, but with the
experience changing his outlook of the
world.
Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack
On Titan)
Author: Hajime Isayama
Publisher: Kodansha
Published: 2009 - ongoing
The recent manga that exploded in
popularity in both manga and anime
form to audiences of all genres and
different continents. Shingeki no Kyojin
is a gritty, gory and fast paced manga on
an alternate reality in which humanity is
now a race near extinction, due to giant
humanoids known as Titans. In order to
combat these Titans, the characters in
this manga utilise a steam powered
grappling hook called Vertical
Manoeuvring Equipment which enables
them to move in virtually any direction
to slash the back of the neck of the
Titans which is their only weakness,
Humanitys only refuge now lies within
enclosed walls which represent the last
settlements of humans left in the world.
The story starts off with the introduction
of Eren Jaeger and the destruction of his
town caused by abnormally different
Titans which can breach the walls with
ease. As a result of the towns
destruction, Eren and his companions
flee the town but at the expense of his
mothers death. He vows vengeance for
his mother and grows up to join the
Survey Corps which hunts down these
Titans. The manga portrays different
characters with powerful
characterisation and deep intertwining
plots and spares no expense at the
bloody details of each Titan encounter.
The pulling factor of this series is the
battle scenes with the Vertical
Manoeuvring Equipment which will
bring readers to non-stop action.
Readers with a faint heart are advised
to skip this manga but for those
looking for a thrill set in a steampunk
setting; this would be a good read.
Northern Lights Trilogy
Author: Phillip Pullman
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Published: July 1995
In a different take on steampunk,
these series of novels places a storyline
focused on Deism with elements of a
steampunk culture. The Northern Lights
trilogy takes place in the theocratic
dominated world in which daemons
exists with their partners. Daemons are
considered the physical soul of humans
and the rule is that one should not touch
anothers daemon without dire
consequences. It is a world filled with all
the machinations of steampunk culture
such as zeppelins, steam ships, a coal
powered city and massive steel
contraptions.
This story revolves around the young
Lyra who embarks on an Artic
Exploration to find her father which
leads her into a journey of epic
proportions involving worlds from
different dimensions and fantasy
elements like magic, spirits and
geomancy. The novel also places a lot of
emphasis on its fictional element called
Dust which is the equivalent to dark
matter in modern physics which can aid
in inter-dimensional travels. This
element is the main plot driver of the
series and readers looking for a book
with steampunk and theological
elements will find this an interesting
read.
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watch
The Era Of Gamecasting
WATCH
Machinima
Genre: Videocasting, Gamecasting, Web Series
Machinima is one of the more notable names on YouTube
known for their videos which are comprised form YouTube
casters that revolve around gaming reviews and scripted
cinematic taken from in-game environments. They have also
produced original web series such as the recent Street Fighter
remake and the Mortal Kombat Series. Machinima also covers
all the latest games released such as GTA V, Dragon Age:
Inquisition, Battlefield 4 and many more. They are also known
for creating cool videos such as the Matrix movie in GTA V,
Obama Plays Titanfall and many more interesting takes on
modern gaming.
PewDiePie
Genre: Gamecasting
PewDiePie is currently the number one YouTuber and there is
no doubt on the reason why. His real name is Felix Arvid Ulf
Kjellberg, and he started of making videos of himself playing
horror games such as Amnesia, The Evil Within, Dead Space
and many more. The lure of his casting series is the funny
reactions and self-monologues within the game to which he
connects with the audiences unlike other gaming videos which
may take a more elitist view on the games. He has then moved
on to playing a variety of games such as Watch Dogs, and the
gory Happy Wheels series to which he adds in his own humor
providing a fresh perspective on the game.
Smosh
Genre: Videocasting, Gamecasting
Another popular YouTube channel to watch is Smosh. Created
by Anthony Padilla and Anthony Hecox, they usually create
random web series based on pop culture. Recently however,
they had ventured into the Lets Play style of videos in which
they commentate on their video game exploits usually with
hilarious outcomes. At times, they would also invite their
friends to join them or invite other YouTubers such as
PewDiePie and Husky for additional fun and humour in their
webcasts. Viewers will also enjoy the laid back nature of their
The trend nowadays is no longer just recording your achievements of your gaming exploits and posting
them online, but rather commentating on either your own gaming experience or others and post that
video up on YouTube. This month, we take a look at some of the more prolific game-casters on YouTube
who made watching others play a form of entertainment By Nicolas See Tho
the movies that becomes us
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videos which do not emphasize so much on how to win but
just rather how to
have fun with the
game.
HuskyStarcraft
Genre: Gamecasting
For athletic sports
such as Football,
Basketball and Mixed
Martial Arts, you will
often listen to the
hyped up
commentators who
are constantly
streaming to you
events happening on
the field to provide a
better explanation on
whats going on.
HuskyStarcraft
applies that same
philosophy into his
gamecasts, by providing detailed in-game commentary on
professional StarCraft 2 games which from an outsiders point
of view may prove to be an overwhelming load of information.
He keeps the fast pace nature of the game into account and
lays it out with words that even the non-gamer can understand
while hardly missing a beat. For those who love the StarCraft
series and are looking for a good video channel to watch,
HuskyStarcraft might be the right place.
Node (LAN Party)
Genre: Videocasting, Gamecasting, Web Series
When it comes to gaming as a team, one of the most
entertaining bunch of gamers to watch are the guys from
NODE. Viewers may recognise them as the guys who brought
high quality cinematic action onto YouTube with personalities
like Freddiew and the RocketJump team creating shows like
Video Game High School, and different other web shorts. In
their LAN party segment, they usually take a game and play it
out as a team in a live action scenario with little improvisation.
Their gamecasts are usually more serious and appeal to the
hardcore gamers while they sometimes stray from the norm
and entertain the viewer through funny antics with hilarious
results.
Geek And Sundry
Genre: Tabletop, Game Host
The term gaming wasnt always virtual, as it used to be all
about getting together and playing boardgames and card
games. This web series is hosted by the renowned Wil
Wheaton of Star Trek fame. In this series, he hosts a different
type of boardgame in each episode with stars from TV series
or web series in an attempt to explain how the game works as
well as how it looks like during gameplay. This web series
provides a breather from the barrage of video game casting
and brings back some nostalgia on the days of old while
urging you to run to your nearest hobby store to get a set of
your own.
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W
e know that you must be
thinking, how did a mobile
game get to be on our one
of reviewed games of the month? We
can give you a simple answer to that,
it is good, and it is ridiculously hard to
play. So let us take you on an adventure
through deep space on a journey filled
with peril and micromanagement.
The story begins with you as an
astronaut that has been sent to deep
space via cryostasis, keeping you in
deep slumber until now. You then awake
with a vision of an alien force telling
you it is your destiny to travel to a
predetermined location in outer space.
And to do that, you will have to hop
through different solar systems with
meager resources in your spaceship to
reach your destiny. It is of course, easier
said than done.
There are a few key mechanics
that this game has provided the
player with; these are resource
management, space allocation,
and timing. You are given three
important resources that you
have to keep on hand at all times,
and these are your fuel, oxygen
and iron, which are cleverly
labeled according to the Periodic
Table of Elements for those who
remember their high school chemistry
lessons. Players will also have to take
note on the storage slots on their ships.
The space allocation is made more
daunting when you realize that all your
advance technology that runs the ship
takes up more than half the space.
In the realm of deep space, players
are met with an unending stream of
choices as it would if we ever venture
into the great unknown. These choices
often come at a great cost, but most of
them tend to reward the players with
rare technology or even new knowledge
to help progress through the game.
As you are traveling through different
systems, you will have the chance to
resupply or meet new alien species in
the different planets. Heck, you can even
OUT THERE
Is Anything Out There
By Nicolas See Tho
Out There
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PLATFORM : Androidm iOS, PC
DEVELOPER
INFO
PRICE
Mi-Clod Studios
www.outheregames.com
RM7.50
STRATEGY
Deep Gameplay, Beautiful
soundtrack, Many ways to play the
game
Difficult to master, No save point
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Replayability
RATINGS
Somemes you will meet aliens in your travels, and in order to
understand their language you need to learn the dierent words
The clever wring and tough choices are one of the factors that makes Out There such an engrossing game
land on the sun if you have the correct
technology. However, you should take
note that the goal of the game is to
reach your end destination and each
time you visit a system, you use up
resources.
Now, with the gameplay already
being this hard and meticulous, Out
There throws another crazy factor into
the mix which is there are not save
points. You can leave the game on
standby, but you are never truly safe,
one wrong move means certain demise
and you have to restart your journey all
over again. It is comforting however,
that this game has good background
music to accompany your travels as
well as the thematic pulp fiction feel of
the game. Each encounter and dialogue
meets the theme.
Overall, this is an affordably priced
game which gives the player more
than they bargained for with limitless
replayability and an intensely deep
gameplay. The fact that we have yet to
finish the game is tribute to just how
immense the scope of the game is. Try
this game out if you are looking for a
mobile game that will last weeks on
end.
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game revi ew
T
hese days, we seem to get a fair
share of MOBA games like DoTA 2
and League of Legends being the
frontrunner, and the various other titles.
The average gamer tends to get bored of
the genre when all is said and done. Thus,
we bring you Dead Island: Epidemic or DIE,
in short. DIE is not your average run of the
mill MOBA game. The game focuses less
on killing each other and more on surviving
together to get out of the undead horde.
This game brings the teamwork
strategies from Left 4 Dead and the
gameplay style of the titular Dead Island
to bring players a new take on what the
developer calls a ZOMBA game which
translates to a Zombie Online Battle Arena.
There are currently three game modes
players can choose from which are scout,
horde and scavenge modes. The Scout
mode sees four players enter a dungeon
instance in which they have to complete
for cash and experience points. The Horde
mode is a harder map than the Scout
Mode with the addition of a massive boss
fight at the end of each instance. The last
mode is a battle of epic proportions called
Scavenge in which four teams of three will
battle it out to gain supplies against each
other with the addition of the massive
zombies interfering each teams progress.
Those who played the original Dead
Island game will recognise certain weapons
available in this game with the comical
combination of items that can be used to
craft exaggerated weapons. Players can
also unlock a variety of different characters
that play different roles in the game as they
progress further in the game.
Another interesting aspect of this game
is compared to other MOBA games which
use point and click movement system,
DIE uses WASD movements with your
mouse pointer determining the characters
directional view. This provides a deeper
game immersion when compared to just
chucking spells and waiting for that half
a minute cool down. The skill buttons are
also reasonably placed around the WASD
keys for easy access.
DEAD ISLAND: EPIDEMIC
Fun Turns Epidemic
For The Undead
By Nicolas See Tho
Dead Island:
Epidemic
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PLATFORM : PC
DEVELOPER
INFO
STUNLOCK Studios
www.deadislandepidemic.
com/
ZOMBA
Different from other MOBA styled
games, Less PVP centric and more
PVE centric
Very repetitive, Closed beta stage
means limited content available
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Replayability
RATINGS
The bosses in Dead Island: Epidemic are no easy pickings, as
they can slam, grab and throw you before you even get close
to them, while some bosses can kill of the enre team within
minutes
The mayhem in Dead Island: Epidemic is matched by the havoc each character can create through their unique skills
When it comes down to the gameplay
elements, DIE does resemble dungeon
slaying maps of Diablo 3 yet retains the
interactivity between players in a zombie
survival game. In Horde mode, players
really do need to communicate which each
other as each class of characters will have
different abilities that can best be used
to impact the environment. An example
of this is the starter character called Berg
which is the tank support class of the
game. Players use him to bully zombies
into manageable groups while taking the
bulk of the damage, ensuring that your
range characters are safe to deal their
high damage effectively. Combine this
with an alert healing class type character,
your team will be nigh unstoppable. The
Boss battles however, are another thing
altogether, because teamwork alone is not
enough. Each Boss has a definitive type
of attacks and traits, but players need to
find out which is the most suitable way
to slay these bosses, and from what we
experienced, it is not at all easy.
Despite all the fun gameplay, this game
is still in close beta phase which means
that most of the content that you will play
will get repetitive after an hour or two.
There are also limited amount of stages
which means a lot of grinding. However,
if you are looking for a zombie game that
requires teamwork and plays like DoTA 2,
then Dead Island: Epidemic could be the
answer to your problems.
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Y
oull be forgiven if youre not
familiar with the Drakengard
franchise of games. Drakengard 3,
the latest in the series, is a prequel to the
original game, which first came out in 2003
for the PlayStation 2. Its cult hit popularity
meant that Square Enix green-lit two more
games in the form of Drakengard 2 and
Nier, one of the best sleeper hits for the
Japanese game console.
Drakengard 3 tells the story of Zero, the
20-something female lead who is hell-bent
on killing her five sisters. For most of the
game, Zero is portrayed as the antagonist,
as her sisters are benevolent rulers of five
lands, called Intoners, all of whom have
numbers for names (One through Five),
much like Zero.
As far as gameplay goes, Drakengard
3 is a typical beat-em-up much in the vein
of Dynasty Warriors and the like. Whilst
Koei-Tecmo has more or less perfected the
art and science behind Dynasty Warriors
to a T, Drakengard 3 feels very far from
polished.
The graphics in
Drakengard 3 felt like
it came from the early
PlayStation 3 era, with
very pixelated grunts,
dodgy fight mechanics
and frame rate issues.
Gameplay also suffers
from very bad aiming,
which is further
hampered by what can
only be described as one
of the most infuriating
camera angles in
modern gaming.
The combo system is shallow and
passable at best, and as you kill more
enemies, a rose-shaped bar will fill up,
allowing you access to Intoner Mode, which
boosts your attack powers, and renders you
invincible as long as the mode is activated.
One thing we do like about the game
however is the enemy variety. Besides the
typical foot soldiers, you also get enemies
like ghouls, wolves, trolls, titans and even
centaurs, all requiring different strategies
to defeat.
Zero gets to equip four types of
weapons to be used in battle, which include
a sword, gloves, spears and chakrams.
Each weapon comes with pros and cons.
The spear, for instance boasts the highest
attacking power in-game, but is slow, while
the chakram, which boasts the lowest
attacking power, can be used to bring down
enemies that are a bit more difficult to
reach.
There are over 40 weapons to collect in
game, and each of them can be levelled up
multiple times, which actually changes the
weapons appearance. The weapons also
have different sizes, which affects the way
each weapon performs. Small weapons are
faster, but have less attacking power, and
vice versa for medium and large weapons.
Each Intoner, save for One have
disciples, and as you defeat the Intoners
throughout the game, their disciples will
join your side, giving you a weapon.
DRAKENGARD 3
A Beat-em-Up Game
Like No Other By Nazrin Zain
Drakengard 3
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PLATFORM : PlayStation 3
DEVELOPER
INFO
Access Games
drakengardgame.com/
BEAT-EM-UP
Very interesting characters and
story, Great replay value, if you can
stomach the graphics and gameplay
Subpar graphics, Basic gameplay
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Replayability
RATINGS
Some missions allow you to ride your dragon Mikhail and
torch poor unfortunate souls l there's nothing le but ashes
Drakengard's ght mechanics are woefully archaic, but it's sll fun to mindlessly send
hundreds of soldiers to their doom
You will also be able to bring two out of
four disciples to help you out during the
missions.
Zero is also accompanied by her dragon,
Mikhail, who is instrumental in the games
other gameplay mode, dragon-riding.
This segment is broken into two portions,
on-rails and free-roaming. In the on-rails
segment, you shoot down enemy ships
and wyverns from the sky, while the free
roaming mode does more of the same, but
gives you the freedom to roam anywhere
within the map.
The true gem of this game, however
lies in its characters, and the interaction
between them. Drakengard 3 features
some of the raunchiest dialogues in any
game, and it trivialises fetishes and sexual
innuendos like its nothing. One example
of this is the games description of one of
the disciples, Octa, as an old man who has
the sexual libido of a horse and a member
thats equally as impressive.
Each disciple has their own quirks, and
the dialogues that happen throughout
the game explains each of their and the
Intoners idiosyncrasies, which makes for
some really interesting moments between
Zero, Mikhail and the disciples.
As a game, Drakengard 3 is quite the
underperformer, and we dont blame
anyone who finds it difficult to play past the
end of the first route, but as an experience,
not many titles manage to pull off the
kind of character interaction and story as
outlandish as Drakengard 3.
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practice
notebook upgrades
T
wo or three years is usually enough to make a notebook that
is actually still in a good condition seem old. It boots up
slowly despite the multi-core processor, and not be able to
make use of the speed and range of a new ac-WLAN router and
the USB 2.0 interface has been an annoying bottleneck in data
transmissions for the last 14 years.
Unlike desktop PCs, notebooks are not intended to easily
tinkered with. Most users put up with these shortcomings until
they buy a new laptop. In the meantime, you can also make some
partial improvements in just a few steps, as shown in this article.
Just like an SD card, simply insert an Expresscard with USB 3.0
ports into your notebook. It is also just as simple to replace a
sluggish magnetic hard disk with a fast SATA-SSD. This also
applies for the RAM. It is somewhat more complex to reach the
Mini-PCI-Express slot that is required when you want to install an
additional mSATA-SSD on top of the hard disk, or when you want
to replace the existing WLAN card with a better model. The mini-
PCIe slot can also accommodate a Broadcom HD decoder chip
which enables fluid and battery-friendly HD playback also with
Flash videos in the latest version. A hobbyist mechanic who
doesnt have much experience can do all this tinkering with a mini
Philips screwdriver. Putting up additional WLAN antennae in the
notebook is an uphill task however because one has to improvise
and look for space in the narrow confines of the casing for the
antennae. For this reason, it becomes necessary to disassemble
the entire display frame which is a delicate matter.
Tinkering with notebooks has its limits
You cannot tinker with a notebook to the extent to which you can
tinker with a PC: The motherboard and the graphics card
technically cannot be replaced at all. You can only replace the
processor, if at all, with specific models, which must be compatible
with the motherboard board and the cooling system of the
notebook. And last but not least, the task of replacing the items in
question should only be carried out by experienced tinkerers,
since one has to dismantle the motherboard in most of these
procedures.

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Old Notebooks
If a laptop becomes sluggish, it can actually be easily upgraded. Well show you how to do
just that and how it works By Christoph Schmidt
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notebook upgrades
UPGRADING
step by step
From simple to tricky: The more your
notebook needs to be disassembled to
install a component, the more difficult it gets
1 Inserting the USB 3.0 plug-in card
The sluggish USB 2.0 interface isnt the best for transferring large
quantities of data. This isnt much of a problem, if your notebook
has an Expresscard slot. Buy a USB 3.0 Expresscard, which can be
obtained from various suppliers at affordable prices. 34mm cards
that can fit into 34- and 54mm Expresscard slots are commonly
used as upgrade options. Power is supplied to the USB sockets via
the enclosed cable from a USB port of the notebook. Then,
download install the necessary driver from the manufacturers
website.
2 Upgrading the RAM
If you have a RAM of 4GB or less, upgrading to 8GB is worth it.
Using the CPU-Z tool, check which memory has been built in
(Memory tab), and whether there are still any free slots left
(SPD tab). Then, get some SO-DIMM modules, so that you will
finally have an even number of modules of the same size and
parameters, e.g. 2x 4GB DDR3-1333. To install the upgrade, open
the flap above the RAM, which is usually marked by a
corresponding symbol. Push both fastening clips aside till the bolt
snaps out and pull it out of the slot. The insertion process can be
carried out by executing the same steps in the reverse order.
3 Installing the SATA-SSD
For all the notebooks with a SATA hard disk, a switch to SSD is one
of the best ways to upgrade your laptop: With it, the operating
system and applications start up a lot quicker. The hard disk is
usually under a flap at the base or at the side of the notebook.
Open the cover and remove the disk from its SATA ports. Make a
note of the position in which the disk was installed, and dismantle
its support (image 3a). While buying an SSD, it makes sense to
shell out a few extra ringgit for a faster and larger capacity model.
Thats because you can carry the disk drive over to the next
computer. Install the SSD so that it is positioned identically to how
the previous hard disk was first positioned (image 3b). For optimal
performance, reinstall the operating system on the SSD. It would
be best if you buy an external USB casing for 2.5-inch disk drives
along with the SSD and install the hard disk in it, in order to
transfer the user data to the new SSD.
4 Installing the mSATA-SSD
Many notebooks have two mini-PCIe slots one for the WLAN card
and a free slot, which is intended for something like a 3G/UMTS
modem. The slots are either below the bottom plate or below the
keyboard/trackball pad, which can be removed along with the
keyboard after the marked screws on the rear side have been
removed. Inside more recent computers, these slots are also
compatible with mSATA-SSDs, which can be most easily
ascertained through an internet search (search term: [notebook
model] mSATA).
1
2
3
a
3
b
4
7
5
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If that is the case, you can install an mSATA-SSD in addition to the
hard disk. Insert this into the slot and secure it with a screw. Install
the operating system and the programs on the SSD, so that there
is ample space for videos, photos and music on the hard disk. The
performance of mSATA-SSDs are just a good when compared to
SATA versions. After installing the SSD, set it up as the first boot
drive in BIOS.
5 Using an HD accelerator
If the playback of HD videos is jerky on your notebook or if it only
works in conjunction with a high CPU load, a howling fan and
short battery runtimes, an HD accelerator will prove to be useful.
Broadcom Crystal HD is the only available solution, and its latest
version, i.e. BCM-70015, also accelerates Flash-HD videos. You can
get it on eBay or Amazon as a mini-PCIe module for about RM150.
Install the module like an mSATA-SSD in your notebook.
Download the driver from broadcom.com/support/crystal_hd and
install the 32- and then the 64-bit version. Windows Media Player
uses the acceleration automatically in most cases. To force Media
Player Classic Home Cinema to run on the HD accelerator: Click
View > Options > External Filter > Add and select Broadcom
Video Decoder. Click this option, and click the Prefer option that
is next to it. To accelerate Flash, we had to reinstall Adobe Flash
after installing the Broadcom driver. The DTS-info.exe (C:\
Programme\Broadcom\DTSinfo.exe) tool shows whether the chip
is active.
6 Replacing the WLAN card
If the WLAN reception is the weak point of your notebook, you can
easily install a better WLAN card. The Intel AC7260 is currently the
most modern and efficient card in the market. Before removing the
old card (see step 4), make a note of which antenna is connected to
which connector. Insert the new card and reconnect the antennae
in the same manner. If your notebook has only one antenna
connector (and thus only one antenna), you can improve your
reception with the next step.
7 Retrofitting the WLAN antenna
It could be that your notebook has only one antenna or it does not
support the 5GHz band and the ac-mode. In situations like these,
experienced tinkerers can retrofit WLAN antennae. You can find
these by using the search term WLAN Antenna Notebook on eBay
and other sites. Make sure that it supports the 2.4- and 5GHz
bands. It would be more optimal if you placed it behind the display
in the cover, so that it sits as tall as possible when the notebook is
open. When it came to our notebook, to open the display frame,
you will have to unscrew three screws at the lower edge, unclip the
frame all around from the inside towards the outside and unscrew
the display from the cover. When the notebook is open, the display
can then be lifted from the cover (as shown in the image) so that
the antennae can be attached without having to remove the filigree
display cabling. Attach the antennae in a way that one is vertical
and the other is horizontal. Lead the cables of the new antennae
along the present cable, from the display cover to the WLAN card
in the casing, which is quite tricky to do. Regardless of whether
you manage to reassemble your notebook after such complex
mechanical surgery or after one of the simpler measures, you will
definitely see a huge difference in terms of performance, which will
definitely feel as if you just purchased a new notebook.
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M
ornings in San Francisco are sort of a mixed bag for
street photography. The weather is dry, but the weather
always looks like its going to rain, and the lighting is
everything but perfect for photography. It is very frustrating to see
that there are so many photogenic subjects out and about, but the
weather couldnt be any less accommodating to your urges to
push the shutter button.
As I was changing the lenses to one with long focal length to
capture the details, street signs and the crowd, a man came up to
me and said Hi, I am Danny the poet, a poor poet who is in
search of recognition and alms.
Dannys poems are critical of society and full of
incomprehensible metaphors, but as I am there to take photos, we
had a small chat, as Danny talks about himself and the weather,
and me about my journey and my job, which also happened to be
my passport to take his photo. But I must be quick, as I also want
to capture the city in the background, which means not hiking the
aperture up too much. Oh no! A delivery van suddenly moved
past in the background and part of it is in the photo. I already know
that this shot is going to require some serious editing, After I
tipped him a few dollars for his time, its time for some
experimentation in Photoshop. Thanks a lot, Danny!
The process
1 Load the original picture
Load your photo in Photoshop Elements and edit it as you see fit.
First think about the image geometry (Golden ratio or rule of
thirds) and cut the image accordingly. It is important that you do
all this before editing the image.
2 Adjust levels and white balancing
Regardless of whether it is a RAW or JPEG photo, a higher colour
temperature can make the image appear bright and colourful.
Now, in order to ensure more prominent facial features, you
Striking Portraits
In The City
You never know what will happen in random encounters. But a portrait means something
special for photographers if there is a story behind it By Florian Schuster
practice
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6
7
should darken the Lights option a bit and not touch the depths at
all. A general increase in the tonal values will ensure better
contrast.
3 Rotate and cut the image
Before you bring the image into a new format, you must first
straighten the photo. Draw a line along an edge using the
Measurement tool (right-click on the pipette) and confirm the
rotation under Image > Rotate canvas > Arbitrary.
4 Brighten the eyes
Whenever you are taking photos of people in bad lighting
conditions, the eyes will always appear to be dark. The easiest
way to fix this is to select the eye using the Lasso and adjust the
Feather with 3 to 5 pixels and via Level Correction or
Curves. You can also use the Dodge tool (Lights/Midtones) for
the eyes but do not brighten them too much.
5 Darken the background
I decided that the surroundings should be a part of the final picture;
otherwise you could blur the background by increasing the
aperture. The main subject should however be brighter than the
background. The lows and mids can be darkened using the Burn
tool and a very large brush as well as Exposure of 50 percent.
6 Increase contrast for the face and beard
Now that the background has been adjusted, you should
concentrate of on the foreground. Does it stand out enough? How
do the colours look? Increasing the contrast is a good way to make
the face appear a bit more striking.
7 Remove annoying elements
Random background elements in a photo have a tendency to be
very distracting from the main subject. Look out for bright and dark
points and objects and try to edit it so that it is less distracting.
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he world economy is limping and the job market - at least
feels like it is getting smaller and smaller. If you are
looking for a job then you have to come up with
something that will make you stand out positively from the
crowd of applicants. Today, almost all applications are in
electronic format. If you wish to do something like that, then
you can create a private application homepage.
You can present your professional experience, qualifications,
work samples in any scope here. What may be too much of a
good thing in a classic application folder or also in an electronic
application under certain circumstances, can patiently wait on
your website for the HR Manager who is interested in a
particular aspect of your profile.
Google Sites: Can do a lot and costs nothing
Not everyone is a web programmer and perhaps you wish to try
everything once without jumping straight to spending money
for webspace or content management systems. A quick, truly
easy and mainly free-of-cost solution can be found with Google.
Under sites.google.com, Google offers a small website tool for
the quick and easy creation of your Internet presence.
Moreover, you will receive an address and the corresponding
webspace free-of-cost.
Obviously you will not get any super-professional results
with the Google sites application. But the application is easy to
operate without any extensive training. If you invest more time
and work with it intensively, you can integrate professional
elements easily, for example, statistics tools that log the access,
can evaluate in various ways or can act as connections to
various social media communities.
This tip sets the focus on the technical options that the
service offers. From the creative aspect, our results are indeed
not yet ready for a convincing web presence.
How It Works
1 Register or create a Google account
You cannot proceed without a Google account. However, if you
have an Android smartphone or have already worked with
Google Docs in the past, you will definitely have an account by
default and can easily log on to it. After logging in, you will be
taken to the Google Sites portal.
2 Create and manage own websites
The Google Sites portal appears to be nothing spectacular at
first as you have not yet created any webpages or you have
been able to accomplish only half-finished designs. Just go to
the Create button.
3 Select template and name
You can now proceed without a template or select one from a
Create A Website
For A Stellar Career
Webspaces today are very affordable. So you should definitely use the medium of the
Internet to boost your career By Gunnar Troitsch
practice
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6
7
gallery of templates on various themes. We decided to go for a
blank template so that it is easier to explain the basic functions.
You can obviously modify an existing website as you wish.
4 Select the layout
Generally, websites are segmented so that the reader has more
clarity and gives the reader a logical reading guidance. Pay
attention as to where what columns and rows will be located
while selecting the template. You can also change your selection
later but it is logical to be clear about the distribution, visible
elements and the basic number of subpages in advance. Before
you start storyboarding with a paper and pencil, you should look
at the options offered by Google.
5 Add subpages
Using the Page icon on the top right, you can add new subpage
where you can put information regarding individual sub-aspects.
For example, a bio-data, imprint and contact data. While using
images, take care that they are no copyright issues or you own
the rights to the pictures.
6 Provide downloads
You have two options to provide downloads on your website:
Either you specify links to other source on the Internet or you
load the documents on the webspace provided by the website.
The whole process is much easier if the data is already on your
Google Drive webspace.
7 Publish website
By clicking on Save, you will see a preview of the webpage
and all subpages. If everything is to your liking, you can make it
available for publishing by clicking on Publish. If you wish,
Google can send website-launching messages to various social
networks.
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wi ndows, appl i cations & hardware
AUGUST 2014
Tips
Tricks
WINDOWS
01
WINDOWS 7
Permanently disable user
account controls in Windows
If you disable the user account control,
then all the security questions will be
disabled. For example, you wont need
to grant admin rights separately during
the installation of new programs. This,
initially, sounds very comfortable but
having user account control protects
your system against unwanted changes.
Therefore you should deactivate it only
when you are familiar with the subjects.
Basically there are two options to
achieve your goal: The easiest is when
you change the setting via the Control
Panel. Open up the Control Panel and
type Action Center in the search field
on the top right. Now click on Action
Center and navigate to the lower bar to
Change user control settings. A new
window will open. Pull the slider right
to the bottom. Then confirm the setting
with OK. You may need to restart the
computer. Your user account settings
will be disabled once your system
restarts.
02
WINDOWS 7
Minimising almost every active
window using key combinations
You need a key combination of three
different keys to minimise a single
window in Windows: Press and hold
the keys [Alt], [Space] and [N]. This
shortcut works in almost all programs -
obviously, the window to be minimised
must be the active window.
Note In multiple cases, you have
to press the Enter key after the key
combination, to confirm the action, for
example, in Google Chrome.
03
WINDOWS 7
Track and remove temporary
files in Windows
Temporary files help only in the
intermediate data storage in order to
relieve the RAM and to prepare for the
transfer of files to other programs.
Although, most of the temporary
files are deleted after terminating a
program, a few of these files do remain
on the hard disk. They keep piling
up over time and occupy memory
unnecessarily. There are hard disk
cleaners that specialise in deletion of
unnecessary files, one good example
would be CCleanr. It is recommended
that you download and install such a
tool. Once installed, you can then select
all programs and the temporary files
you wish to delete. You system will then
search for these files and will delete
them.
04
WINDOWS 7
Fix the Recycle Bin on the
Taskbar to keep it always at
hand
If you use your Recycle Bin often, it
can be easily placed in the Taskbar in
Windows 7. Thus you can always access
it easily.
While the original Recycle Bin
cannot be inserted in the Taskbar from
the desktop, you must first create a
new shortcut: To do this, right-click
on an empty space on your desktop
and open New | Shortcut.You may
now enter the following file path
to create a shortcut for the Recycle
Bin: %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe
shell:RecycleBinFolder. Then click
on Next and name the shortcut as
Recycle Bin or whatever you fancy.
Then press the Finish button. Now
right-click on the shortcut created and
select Properties | Shortcut. Search
for the Recycle Bin symbol. Confirm
the selection with OK. You must then
select the shortcut using the right mouse
button and Place it on the taskbar.
Go directly to the settings menu via the
command useraccountcontrolsettings
01
Completely stop messages but there is a risk
of not being notified of dangers
01
Hard disk cleaners such as CCleaner reliably
delete old temporary files from the hard disk
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05
WINDOWS
Identify the file rthdcpl.exe and
disable it
The application rthdcpl.exe is the user
interface Realtek HD Control Panel
that you can use to configure and
control your Realtek sound card. Actually
this file and the corresponding process
doesnt pose any risk to your computer
but it is part of your Realtek HD Audio
Manager. If you do not reconfigure
your sound card often, then you can
simply terminate the rthdcpl process
as the sound card can work perfectly
even without rthdcpl.exe. If you do
not want to start the process at all, then
follows these steps, for Windows 7: Click
on Start and type "msconfig". Press
[Enter]. A dialog window for the system
configuration will appear. Go to the tab
Systemstart. Here you will see many
programs that are automatically loaded
when your system starts. Find rthdcpl.
exe and remove the checkmark next to
it. Then restart the system.
If you use Windows XP then proceed
as follows: Press the key combination
[Windows] + [R]. A dialog window
will open. Type "msconfig" here.
Another dialog window for the system
configuration will open up. Select
the tab Systemstart. Now look for
rthdcpl.exe in the overview on the
screen and remove the checkmark next
to it. Once done, restart your system.
06
WINDOWS 8.1
Display libraries for easy access
in the Explorer
The libraries Pictures, Documents,
Music and Videos were found
in the Explorer in Windows 8 by
default. However, they seemed to have
disappeared after the Windows 8.1
update. Many users are so used to the
practical group folders that they do
not want to miss these folders. You
can re-activate these folders even in
Windows 8.1 with just a few steps. To
do this, open Explorer using the key
combination [Win] + [E]. Then right-click
on an empty place in the left sidebar
and set a checkmark on Display
libraries. The libraries will be displayed
immediately. Restarting the system is
not required.
07
WINDOWS
Identifying dangerous fakes
using the csrss process
If your computer becomes slow or does
unexpected things, then it is a must to
check the Task Manager from time to
time. All the currently running programs
and services are listed here and they
also can be sorted according to the
CPU load caused by them. Using this
method, you can find programs that
are stuck in a loop and unnecessarily
engage the CPU. Viruses and other
malware programs can also be seen as
all the currently running programs and
processes are listed here. Moreover,
the Task Manager provides the option
to manually terminate the processes or
even the execution of programs.
For many tools or processes, just by
reading the name it becomes clear as
to what it is for. However, the process
Csrss.exe does not reveal information
so easily. The abbreviation Csrss stands
for Client/Server Run-Time Subsystem.
The process sets up windows for
applications and takes on their
management in the system. Moreover,
the Windows process starts and
terminates individual threads of current
applications. It is also an important
component in the Windows system
and not a malware. However, it may
happen that viruses and trojans disguise
themselves as csrss.exe in order to work
without being disturbed.
Generally, only the displayed name is
identical: you can find out if the process
is real by checking the storage location
as csrss.exe is usually found in the
Windows folder C:\Windows\System32.
If the file is not seen there then it may
be a virus or a worm and you should let
an anti-virus tool check your computer.
08
WINDOWS 8
Easily store links to websites as
tiles on the Desktop
Apart from the programs, you can also
attach websites as tiles in the Start
menu of Windows 8. However the latter
can be done only via a detour: Usually,
files or programs can be attached via
a right-click and then Attach to Start
in Windows 8. For files with the ending
*.url i.e. an Internet link, this entry is,
however, hidden in the context menu.
Proceed as follows to attach the link as
a tile to the Start menu. First call the
following link via Windows Explorer: C:\
Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\
Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu. Then
right-click in an empty area and select
the option New and then Shorcut
in the context menu. Now, in the new
window, type the desired website, for
example, "www.google.com" and click
on Next. In the next step, assign a
name to the shortcut, ideally that of
the website itself i.e. "Google". Then
The libraries are, by default, hidden in
Windows 8.1 but it is very easy to make them
visible
06
You will find the csrss process in the Task
Manager and can also see the location of the
file
07
The command msconfig gets you directly to
the Control Panel
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go to the Start menu by pressing the
Windows key. Now right-click again in
an empty area and select All Apps on
the bottom right. You should now be
able to see your newly created link on
the left side between all the Windows
8 apps. Right-click on your link and
select Attach to Start. It may happen
that the tiles of Windows 8 may get the
icon of the standard browser as their
icon. If you wish to have an icon of the
corresponding website, then proceed
as follows: Search for a suitable image
(*.ico) on the Internet. Again go to
the folder C:\Users\%USERNAME%\
AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\
Start Menu and right-click on a
shortcut. In the context menu, select
the option Properties. Click on Other
icon under the tab Web Document.
Click on Search in the new window
and then select the new desired icon.
OFFICE
09
WORD
Create a personalised invitation
cards by customising a format
pre-installed template
You do not need any expensive software
to design invitation cards yourself. You
can create attractive invitation cards
with the use of Word. Open Word and
click on the Office button in the top left
corner. You will then see the New
option. In the search bar, type the word
"Invitation" and you will receive several
format templates for your search. You
must now decide on one of these
templates and modify it to your liking.
10
EXCEL
Insert the current date in an
Excel document via a function
Bills and other documents that are
created with Excel, often require the
current date. Using a simple function,
Excel can create the current date and
also automatically update it accordingly
whenever the file is opened. Excel
creates the date via the function
=TODAY(). If you wish to have an
older or a future date then you can
change the day with +x or -x. It
is illustrated in the following example:
Type the day with =TODAY() and the
date will appear as 18.05.2014. Save this
document and on opening it again, you
will see the current date in the cell. To
get the date of the previous day, extend
the function with a -1. The formula,
then, becomes TODAY()-1. Excel will
now display 17.05.2014. Similar to the
basic function, Excel also automatically
updates the date: Open the document
on some other day and Excel will
calculate the date of the previous day.
You will get a random date in the past
using higher numbers.
11
WORD
Printing envelopes directly with
Word and your printer
Labelling an envelope by hand is easy
but printing it via Word is much more
professional. Follow the tips here
to print an envelope as you desire:
Click in the header row on the tab
Mailings. Then go to the left to
Envelopes. A dialog window will
open where you will again have to
select Envelopes. You can enter the
recipient above and the sender below.
If you wish to avoid the sender then
set the tick mark next to Skip. When
the addresses are entered, review the
print properties so that nothing goes
wrong: To do this, click below on
Options in the dialog window. The
first tab Envelope options will open.
You can set the format of the envelope
here, for example, DL for DIN-long.
DL corresponds to the standard letter
format where a DIN-A4 sheet is folded
into one-third. Under the Printing
options you can define how the
envelope should be fed into the printer.
When you have configured everything
as you would like it to be, you can
proceed directly to Print the envelope
or to Add it to the document as its
first page. The envelope can then also
be printed multiple times.
PHOTOGRAPHY
12
CAPTURING TECHNIQUE
Taking perfect photos in and
with the fog
Photography in foggy environment is
often a unique challenge: It is quite
A small diversion can help store individual
websites as tiles
08
There are many templates in Word that you
can modify individually
09
With Microsoft Word, you can print your own
customised envelopes
11
Excel can display the current date and for days
before and after
10
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easy to work with: Be near a water
body in the evenings or early morning
so that you can work with the rising
sun as a backlight. This works best if
you are close to a position from where
the source of light is directly visible i.e.
where the sun is rising or setting. Thus,
you can get the light rays and capture
particularly interesting colour effects
caused by the fog. Do keep in mind:
when it comes to fog, the contrast is
drastically reduced making the focussing
difficult. Therefore, look for a subject
with staggered trees, street lamps,
poles or other objects that are present
at various distances from you. This will
give depth to the picture.
Perhaps it is even logical to
completely avoid using the automatic
focussing. The automatic exposure and
the flash should also be shut off. Adjust
the exposure manually and set it a bit
higher than what the light meter shows
as it often misinterprets the situation
due to the light reflections of the fog.
A half or full step more prevents an
insipid grey tinge. The diffused light
ratios for the fog need more exposure
times; therefore the best option is to
work with a tripod and a remote trigger.
13
PHOTOS
Deleting metadata from photos
to protect your privacy
Most photos, taken with a smartphone
contain a boatload of metadata. This
sensitive data should be deleted
before you upload the images as the
information may include details about
your smartphone or GPS data.
Windows has a function that allows
you to delete metadata completely from
your pictures. Open the properties of
the image by
right-clicking
on it. Now
go to the tab
Details. Click
on Remove
properties
and personal
information
right at the
bottom which
will delete
the personal
metadata from
your photo.
There are obviously numerous free
programs that you can use to delete
metadata (also called EXIF data). These
programs mainly have the advantage
that allow users to delete this data
from several pictures at once. Such a
program is the "Exif Tag Remover".
Deleting the data is very easy with this
tool: After you have installed the EFIX
Remover, open the program and click
on Add. Go to the images you wish
to cleanup in the opened window and
open these images by double-clicking on
them. The images should now appear
in a list in the program. When you have
selected all the photos, click on Next.
In the next step, you can select whether
you wish to overwrite the original photo
(Overwrite Original), select a folder
to store the cleaned copies or let the
copies be stored next to the original
image with the addition of cleaned
in the name. After you click on Next,
you will then be able select the
metadata to be deleted.
14
SELFIES
Turn your self-portraits into real
miniature art with just a few
tricks
"Selfies" was chosen as the Word of the
Year in England in 2013. And it really
isnt a surprise as the phenomenon
has taken over the world. Selfies - the
self-portraits taken with a smartphone
- belong to the most popular photo
formats on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest,
Facebook, etc. But it is not easy to take
a photo of yourself with a stretched
arm. The following tips will make your
photos really eye-catching. Look up! It
often helps to hold the camera a bit
higher so that you do not to stay in the
shadow because most light comes from
above. This perspective is also better as
your face looks slimmer compared to
when a photo is captured from below.
Hold your breath! Because shaky
images look really bad. So just do not
breathe. This helps you to take a stiff
pose. Pay attention to the surroundings!
Spontaneous selfies are obviously
funny. Nevertheless, you might not
want to display a messy table or things
on your bedside table to the public.
The best option is to use a smooth,
plain background in the scene and
use the front camera! You will have
the advantage of being able to see
what you are capturing and thus can
choose how the photo will turn out. But
maintain your dignity!! The net is full of
really embarrassing selfie. Do not add to
it. Be smart in configuring your phone!
Some smartphones give you the option
to change the trigger button so that
you can take photos using the hardware
button. The selfie quality can, thus,
improve significantly. Assess the results
Windows offers the option to delete metadata
from digital photos
13
The morning mist lends a diffused surreality to the redness of the sun rays
12
"Selfies" are flooding social networks. Use
the front camera for an easier and more well-
composed shot
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realistically: What will your future boss
see when he checks out your social
media picture? Is it harmless or could
it end your career even before it has
begun? And finally: No video selfies!
They are the in-thing now but are not a
good idea at all.
15
MAINTENANCE
Clean lenses thoroughly and
gently using cleaning agents
If the lenses of your camera are
gathering dust then you should first take
the lens brush and carefully remove
the dust so that there are no scratches
on the lens. The other option is to use
a pair of bellows/air pumps that are
specially designed for camera lenses.
If the dirt is stubborn then use a soft
cloths for cleaning spectacles or special
lens cleaning sets that have a cleaning
agent and different tissues.
16
PHOTO ART
With these tricks you can create
night shots during the day
In order to simulate night or dawn
shots in daylight, you will need a
neutral density and a blue filter. It will
also be helpful if you view the images
immediately in a darker environment.
Fit the ND filter on to the camera and
rotate it so that only very little light
reaches the lens. Position yourself so
that the sun is far behind you. The
lesser the light, the better the result
will be. Use the blue filter to simulate
the cold blue colour of the night sky.
The attachment darkens all the bright
colours of the day simultaneously. Also,
take some underexposed photos. It is
important that the foreground of your
picture and the front side of the subject
to be highly underexposed. This will
generate a dark night effect. Create an
exposure bracketing of the same subject
so that you can find the correct lighting.
17
GOPRO HERO
Download and manually update
the Firmware yourself
Before attempting to update your
GoPro3 this please ensure that your it
has a fully-charged battery and empty
SD card. Go to the GoPro homepage
and download the latest firmware. Unzip
the ZIP file on to the empty SD card
and insert it into the GoPro while it
is switched off. Hold down the trigger
button and at the same time press the
select button on the front once. If the
camera switches on then you have
press the select button three times
consecutively. You will then see UP
on the camera display. The camera will
update itself automatically. The process
lasts for approx. 10 seconds. The GoPro
Hero 3 will subsequently shut down.a
MOBILE
18
ANDROID PHONE
Permanently disable the startup
tone of your smartphone
There are many options to disable
the startup tone that comes on when
switching-on your smartphone. The
easiest method is to put the smartphone
on mute before you switch it off. So
when you restart your device, the tone
is not played back. However, this will
cause all sounds to be muted. If you
don't want this, then you can reduce
the system volume: Generally the
startup tone cannot be switched off
in the volume settings but the system
sounds can be switched off. Apart
from the starting tone, it also includes
the notification sound that is used to
indicate that the batteries are fully
charged.
Proceed as follows to change the
system volume: Go to the settings menu
of your smartphone. Select the Sounds
menu. Now click on Volume which
will open a window where you can
adjust the volume for various functions.
Set the system volume here to zero.
If you really wish to disable the
startup tone and do not have any root
rights, then you have only one option:
There are special apps that will solve
this problem. Since Android phones
vary from manufacturer to manufacturer
and from Android version to Android
version, these apps may be a little hit
and miss in terms of compatibility. As
these apps are generally free, the trial
and error hardly turns out be risky.
Just give it a try! If your smartphone is
rooted then you can disabled the startup
tone by renaming the corresponding
OGG file: You will usually find this file
under /system/media/audio/ui. All that
you need for it is a Root explorer. Go to
the above mentioned directory and look
for the OGG file named Startup.ogg,
Power-on.ogg or similar and rename it
for example with a capital X in its new
name. In this case, the only problem is
that you cannot undo the changes.
The ND filter alone prevents blooming. A bit
darker and the night scene becomes perfect.
16
The GoPro Hero3 firmware can be updated
without actually connecting it to the PC
17
Great care and the correct equipment are
necessities when cleaning lenses
15
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19
GOOGLE PLAY
Returning apps in the PlayStore
is very easy
If you do not like the purchased
app, then you have only 15 minutes
to return it to the PlayStore. To do
this, go to PlayStore and look for the
submenu "Installed" that is hidden
under down-arrow. Search for your
installed applications that you have just
bought in the list and click on them.
You will see the button "Refund" in
the upper screen area. Click on it and
after a brief confirmation, click "Yes",
the purchased app will be uninstalled
from your device and your payment
will be refunded. Asking for a refund
via the web browser is worthwhile only
for complaints that arise outside the 15
minute window. If you experience an
error in the app after you have used it
for a long time, then you can ask for a
refund from Google but this only works
in certain exceptions. In such cases, go
to the Google Play website and log in
with your credentials. Select the option
"My Orders". The last purchased app
will appear first on the list. The option
"Report problem" can be seen hidden
behind three vertical options. You can
compose and send your complaints
by clicking on "Report problem. The
complaint will be reviewed and your
case will be evaluated. If Google finds
that it is a valid complaint, then you will
receive a refund.
20
IOS7
Use the built-in feature to check
your data usage in iOS7
Using the built-in feature in iOS7, it is
very easy to find out whether you are
about to use up your data volume. The
latest operating system for the iPhone
and iPad counts each and every byte
you have used since the last counter
reset. Open the Settings App on your
iPhone or iPad. Select the tab Mobile/
Cellular network (iPhone) or Mobile/
Cellular Data (iPad). The data volume
consumed since the last reset will be
displayed here.
The apps that use mobile data
network will also be displayed here.
Thus it is easy to identify which app
consumes the most data.
SOCIAL NETWORKS
21
FACEBOOK
Change your privacy settings
directly from your phone
Click on the menu button. This is
made up of the three horizontal lines.
Scroll down a bit and you will see the
Privacy Shortcuts. First select Who
can see my stuff. Under Who can see
my future posts? you can select the
people permitted to see your posts on
Facebook. You can select between the
options Public, Friends, Only me
or one of your lists. If you have special
friends' lists then you can also exclude
certain groups of people specifically
from some posts. You can access your
Activity Log under the second option.
Here you will get an overview of all
your Likes, comments, posts and other
messages which you wish to hide or
delete.
You should activate the Basic filters
under Who can contact me? so that
people who are not yet your friends, can
contact you. You can isolate yourself
from all unknown requests with the help
of Strict Filtering. When it comes to
friend requests, you can decide who can
send you a request. You have the option
between All or Friends of Friends.
People who can see your profile should
also be permitted to send you a friend
request. Particularly, if a friend has just
registered himself on Facebook then this
friend must first find you to be able to
contact you. In this case, the rules can
be a little more relaxed unless you have
all your friends on Facebook together.
22
INTERNET EXPLORER
An easy way to recover your
passwords stored in IE
To accomplish this task, you will need
a small, free-of-cost tool "IE Asterisk
Password Uncover" to display the
passwords stored in Internet Explorer.
Start the program and click on the green
button in the upper left corner. Now
open the page which you need the login
data in IE and the password will be
displayed to you in cleartext.
By clicking on Refund, the app purchase is
revoked - without any ifs and buts
19
If you have a volume-based tariff plan, then
you should keep a check on Data usage
20
It takes a simple tool to display passwords
stored by IE in cleartext
22
Secure your privacy effectively with just a few
clicks
21
august 14

chip malaysia
126
picture perfect
events & happeni ngs
10/07/2014 - AMD showing off their highest-end flagship graphics card, the
AMD R9 295X2 at a movie night event recently
23/07/2014 - Tomoaki Sato, the lead engineer
behind the team that designed the Sony Walkman
ZX1 showing off its insides
11/07/2014 - Winnie Lim demonstrating the smooth writing
features of the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) and its convenient
interconnectivity Unified Communications Systems (UCS)
11/07/2014 - Winnie lim showing off the water resistant prints of the
Ricoh SG 3120 SFNw
23/07/2014 - A model showing of one of Zopos
smartphones at a product launch event.
10/07/2014 - A fully-decked ASUS AMD rig, made
specifically for gaming
chip malaysia

august 14 127
picture perfect
events & happeni ngs
23/07/2014 - Sony custom-ordered these large capacitors to be put into
their Sony UDA-1 amplifier
22/07/2014 - A cashier explaining how the Personal Shopper System, or
Sams Scanner works
23/07/2014 - Zopo launched more than just one
phone when they introduced themselves at a launch
event in KL recently
23/07/2014 - The Sony SS-HA3 speakers use some
really innovative technology to create a housing that
is long lasting, yet acoustically brilliant
26/06/2014 - Exercising has never felt more rewarding with the
Samsung Gear Fit
26/06/2014 - Participants getting their
details taken down before they join in the exercise
august 14

chip malaysia
128
in the next issue
september 2014
Next Issue
Facebook is currently facing a storage problem, but its not the
kind you might think. With over a billion users worldwide, the
social media platform is currently having trouble trying to
archive its data. The company has thousands of terabytes of
data which is currently sitting untouched, but the problem is
not so much storage space as it is data preservation.
In this article, we take a look at alternative solutions to
digital storage other than disk drives, such as magnetic tape,
glass, flash and even Tungsten, which apparently can store
data longer than most civilisations can survive.
Data For Eternity
Wireless connections are a dime a dozen, especially on your
smartphones. The one device is capable of connecting to
cellular data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and in some cases, NFC.
Bluetooth is one of the oldest wireless connectivity standards
around, which is often used to transfer data from one device
to another, even before Wi-Fi and NFC came around.
With the arrival of the latest standard, Bluetooth 4.1, we take a
look at why this update is one of the most important upgrades
the standard has received over the past few years.
Technic Lexicon
Most of us know Google as either the company who started off as a search engine, before delving into other
endeavours such as social media, and the mobile operating system, Android. Both Sergey Brin and Larry Page are
adamant to push Google into the future with a foray into the world of Artificial Intelligence. To quote Larry Page, AI is
the ultimate version of Google.
Between Genius and Madness

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