Chip OCTOBER 2013 - NEXT LEVEL HACKING
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- Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 3 phablet and Galaxy Gear smartwatch in Malaysia, touting them as setting new benchmarks in innovation for large screen mobile devices and wearable technology. - The Galaxy Note 3 has upgraded hardware including a 5.7-inch full HD display, 3,200mAh battery and Android 4.3, while retaining Samsung's design language. - Samsung's Galaxy Gear is their first smartwatch, acting as a companion to the Note 3 by providing notifications and allowing users to answer calls and take photos directly from their wrist. - Samsung believes the devices will enable new mobile experiences
![practice
second life for old hardware
SECOND LIFE
For Old Hardware
Instead of letting your old gadgets gather dust, let us show you how you can easily convert
old devices into handy tools in just a few simple steps
By Frederik Niemeyer
MEDIA CLIENT
with an Android device
You don’t need new and expensive devices to create a
wireless media receiver – just use an old Android smartphone
1
1
INSTALLING A MEDIA CLIENT ON AN OLD SMARTPHONE To exchange data,
you must connect all the desired devices to the router. Then, install the BubbleUPnP App
on the old smartphone, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The trial
version is free but the device-remote control is restricted to 30 minutes per launch. The full
version costs RM15. Your media server has remote access to the device, if the option “Allow
remote control” is activated under the “[Menu button] | Settings | Local Renderer”
(Standard). Set the Timeout in “[Menu button] | Settings | Control | Kill on inactivity” to
“never”. Now, you need to connect the phone to your music system with a USB cable,
connect it to the power supply network and remove the battery – your wireless media
receiver is ready.
2
2
STREAMING FROM SMARTPHONE TO SMARTPHONE Install BubbleUPnP on
another smartphone or tablet. The App works as a client and a server at the same time
and is even capable of transferring media files from the network storage. Switch from the
main view in the “Devices” tab and select under “Renderers” the BubbleUPnP client that is
put in point 1. Using “Libraries”, specify where your music is located: “Local Media Server”
is the current device, “BubbleUPnP Media Server” is the old one. Here, you will also find the
released media libraries of the corresponding PCs and the network memory. BubbleUPnP
can now stream music wirelessly from the “Library” tab on the old smartphone.
3
PHOTOS: NIKOLAUS SCHAFFLER
STREAMING FROM PC TO SMARTPHONE Streaming is even easier from a PC: Click
on “Other media libraries” in Windows Media Player, wait for the “BubbleUPnP Media
Server” in the list to appear and select the device. This way, Windows integrates the cell
phone as the playback device in the context menu. Now, stream the music albums and
music files simply by right clicking on the file with “Open with | BubbleUPnP”. To forward
the media library of the PC to the BubbleUPnP receiver using the new smartphone (see point
2), activate “Streaming | Allow automatic playback of the media through devices…” in the
media player. For this to work, the PC must be in the home network group.
3
4
STREAMING SPOTIFY, RDIO & CO Music services with encrypted data cannot be
easily streamed using UPnP. To transfer music from these sources from a PC to a
smartphone, you need the additional program Jamcast Server for Windows (RM98 for the
full version or 14 days trial). Spotify streaming works between devices if you install one of
the android root Apps ‘AirAudio’ or ‘AirPlay on Android AOA service’ on the transmitter
device and ‘AirBubble’ for the receiver device.
116
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![1
practice
second life for old hardware
WLAN-REPEATER
with a Win7 laptop
1
POSITIONING A NOTEBOOK AT A SUITABLE SPOT If
you have Windows 7 Notebook and it has a wireless chip, you
can easily extend your WLAN range with it, for instance, all the
way up to the garden. For this, connect your device to the network
and set it up between the router and the location, where you would
like the new WLAN to be set up.
2
INSTALLING CONNECTIFY The easiest way to set up virtual
Wi-Fi is with the tool Connectify; as Microsoft does not offer a
way or user interface to do so. Install the program and also .NET
4.5 and Visual C++ and restart your computer. When asked, allow
net access for the tool through Firewall and start “Connectify
Hotspot”.
3
SETTING UP AND CONNECTING TO THE ACCESS
POINT Set a password for the new WLAN and select your
network under »Internet to Share«, either the WLAN of your router
or a connection via connected LAN cable. After clicking on »Start
Hotspot«, you can login with other devices in the “Connectify-me”
access point and access the Net.
3
SURVEILLANCE
via Handycam
1
1
SETTING UP NETWORK CAMERA APP With the IP
Webcam App from Google’s Play Store, an old android
smartphone can be used as a surveillance camera that you can
access and control over a network. For this, connect your
smartphone with your WLAN, open the application and tap on the
“Start Server” option. Now, note down the IP address of the
smartphone along with the port, connect it to a power supply and
put it in a suitable place. You will be able to see the network
address in the video image of the App.
2
WATCHING VIDEO STREAMS IN THE BROWSER Type
your IP address (for local connection) or your hostname (for
Internet access) followed by the port number (see right), in the
address bar of the browser. With this method, you can access the
camera via the web interface, capture photos and activate the LED
light.
3
2
WATCHING VIDEO STREAMS ON OTHER DEVICES With
the tinyCAM App, you can keep an eye on events even on
mobile devices. For this, select “Manage cameras |
[Plus-Symbol] | Camera vendor | IP Webcam for Android” in
tinyCAM and under “Hostname”, enter the IP address (or your
DynDNS name) including “Port number” “8080”.
3
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![tips & tricks
windows, applications & hardware
Quick Tips
CHANGING THE NAME IN IE
You can change the names of saved
favourites by clicking on the
“Favourites” tab and then selecting
“Organise Favourites”. You will find
the rename option here.
PHOTOGRAPHY
PORTRAIT PHOTOS
Never go without a reflector for
portrait shooting
07
No other accessory is as important as
the reflector for photos of people. A
reflector perfectly illuminates the model
for backlit photos without disrupting
the mood of the picture. Moreover,
a large piece of fabric is also suitable
for shadowing as a wind screen or as
achanging room substitute. When using
a reflector, be mindful about the color
of the foil: a silver foil creates a cold,
golden area rather than a warm light.
For shooting in strong wind, a stable
model with aluminium edges such
as the one by California Sunbounce
is recommended. For home studios,
a blanket which stretches over the
Styrofoam plate is often enough.
08
PHOTO PLANNING
Collect cool photos ideas for the
future
When it comes to taking photos of an
individual, the quality of the image
depends greatly on the subject and
composition of the photograph. This
why it is important to collect sample
images first and have a discussion
in order to find a common concept.
With this method, you can prepare
specifically, organise the necessary
props and clothes and thus save a
lot of time during the actual shoot.
Photography websites as well as
Facebook, women magazines or Google
are some of the best sources for
collecting ideas.
9
NIGHT PHOTOS
Capture dynamic light traces of
vehicles
To achieve images like these, the
camera must be on a tripod in order
to capture the lights of moving trains,
buses and cars because you require an
exposure time that is two seconds or
longer. The more the traffic, the more
intensive the colors will be. When taking
photos of individual cars, the proper
exposure time plays an important role –
HIDING ZERO VALUES
To hide zero values in Excel sheets,
open “Tools | Options” and deactivate
the “Zero Values” option.
9
The bulb exposures on road scenes look very
spectacular particularly in the evening hours
or at night
experimenting helps. Another important
tip is to always wear reflective clothes
when taking photos by the roadside for
safety purposes.The best thing to wear
would be a reflective vest.
10
NIGHT PHOTOS
The trick with the star-shaped
lights
The star-shaped light reflections of
street lamps and signals contribute
considerably to the mood of an image
especially for night city photos. In
order to capture these beams, set the
aperture to ‘‘f/8’’ or greater. The smaller
the aperture, the more distinct the star
shapes become. For more intensive
beams, you can use a ‘‘Star filter’’. It is
designed with a fine screen in which the
beams are simply reflected.
11
PHOTO ART
Capture the light paintings on
photos with a torchlight or LED
lights
Light paintings are an interesting genre
of night photography. Wear dark clothes
and keep multicolored light sources such
as a torch light or an LED at the ready.
Mount the camera on a tripod, use a
programmable remote shutter and select
an exposure of one to two minutes.
Release the trigger and paint in the
image with the light source. With a little
practice, you will be able successfully
capture amazing pictures.
INTERRUPTING PRESENTATIONS
To interrupt PowerPoint
presentations with a black screen,
press [B] or [.].
DISPLAYING PARAGRAPH MARKS
To do this, press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [+]
in Word for viewing all non printable
characters.
RETAIN TABLE FORMAT IN EXCEL
In Excel, when you paste a table from
one sheet to another, at the end you
will see a small box. Clicking on it,
you will find several useful options
that will help you retain the original
table format.
12
Before taking a picture of the local people in
another country, always ask for permission
politely and you might get more interesting
photos
12
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
Approach the locals
The faces and the habits of natives
often reflect the history and the culture
of a country in a unique way. Be brave
and ask the locals for their permission
to take a photo. The portrait would
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Chip OCTOBER 2013 - NEXT LEVEL HACKING
- 3. welcome note colophon The Excitement Never Stops W ow! Has it been my second month here already? Time truly flies doesn’t it? Next thing you during the convention, do check out his 6 page article on the event. If that’s not enough, we’ve also compiled a list of some of the coolest gadgets that made their debuts at IFA 2013 in Berlin and we also take a closer look at Intel’s upcoming mobile CPU, know, 2013 will be drawing to a close. This month has been a very Silvermont. Another really cool thing that we got to feature this exciting one for us here at CHIP Malaysia as there was just non- month is a custom gaming rig called the “Gold Digger”. If you stop action in the tech industry back here in Boleh Land and also in thought the modding scene was dead, think again. other parts of the world. Aside from our features, we’ve also got a glorious spread of So since it has been so exciting, we hear you asking us what exactly do we have in store for you this month? First up, as you reviews for you, which include some of the things that got us jumping out of our seats. can see from our cover, we set our sights on hackers. Yes, I know Well, that’s really about it for this month, please continue that we’ve done quite a few articles on this before, but this time, writing to us and don’t forget to check out our website, like us on we are taking a look at how hackers have moved on from just Facebook and follow us on Twitter as we are constantly finding hacking your PCs and are now targetting your smart devices. So its ways to bring the latest updates to you as fast as possible. time to get those security solutions up and running. So that’s all from me this month, enjoy the content we have Other than that, my very lucky colleague Nazrin also managed to get a flight to Japan and also to grace the halls of this year’s prepared for you inside and remember to stay safe and live for the moment. Tokyo Game Show. So if you want to know what went down Jeremy Cheong Managing Director Noor Azman ONLINE Head of Department YK Cheah DISTRIBUTED BY www.chip.com.my EDITORIAL @CHIPMY Editor Jeremy Cheong Writer Nazrin Zain Contributors Anand Tuliani, Azril Malik, Brian Pereira, Deepti Krishnan, Dushyant Khilnani, Erick Rustomji, Fabian von, Keudell, Francis D’Sa, Jamshed Avari, M. Biebel, Manfred Flohr, Markus Hermannsdorfer, Michael Eckstein, Monali Gaikwad, Tim Lee,Thomas Littschwager, Valentin Pletzer, Tan Jee Yee Design & Layout Halijah Ismail Cover Design Halijah Ismail MPH Distributors Sdn. Bhd. Ground Floor Warehouse, Lot 2, Bangunan TH, No. 5, Jalana Bersatu, Section 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tel: (03) 7958 1688 Fax: (03) 7956 5995 CHIP Malaysia SALES & MARKETING Senior Manager YK Cheah Consultant Muffadzlee Dato’ Sufian ADMINISTRATION Admin Manager WP Lim PUBLISHER Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. A-5-07 Block A, Neo Damansara Bandar Damansara Perdana, Jalan PJU 8/1 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: (03) 7727 6554 Fax: (03) 7727 3554 PRINTED BY Unipress Printer Sdn. Bhd. 117-G, Jalan Tiaj 1/4, Taman Industri Alam Jaya, 42300 Bandar Punchak Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel: (03) 6038 5578 Fax: (03) 6038 3944 © This edition of CHIP is a publication of Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. licensed by Vögel Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich, Germany. © Copyright of the trademark “CHIP” by Vögel Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich, Germany. No part of CHIP magazine / free CD shall be reproduced without thepublisher’s written permission. The use of the programs in the free CD is subject to the reader’s acceptance of the terms and conditions found in the CD. All information in the magazine / free CD is provided ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ and CHIP magazine / the publisher makes no representations and gives no warranty of any kind, implied, express or statutory as to the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, non-infringement of 3rd party rights, title, merchantability and / or suitability / fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the said information. Under no circumstances whatsoever shall the CHIP magazine / the publisher be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages whether in contract or in tort arising out of or in connection with the use of the information made available in CHIP magazine / free CD. All prices, product versions and URLs’ are correct at the time of printing. All views expressed in the magazine are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of CHIP magazine / the publisher. International Members of the Family China Czech Republic Germany Hungary India Indonesia Italy Netherlands Poland Romania Russia Thailand Turkey Ukraine
- 4. content september 2013 065 Next-Level Hacking Even with all our latest gadgets, there’s still no way we are safe from prying eyes and hands of hackers as they evolve just as quick as our technology. These days, its not just our PCs that are vulnerable, as anything connected to the internet is fair game for hackers 058 Coolest Gadgets From IFA 2013 This consumer electronics show in Berlin is the place to be when it comes to the latest device and this year was no different 050 It’s All About Games Check out what we saw and experienced at this year’s TGS
- 5. content september 2013 008 116 044 038 106 109 FEATURES 038 LegalTECH Instead of just relying on technology to play games, we find out how they can lower the crime rates 044 The Evolution of A.I. Ever wondered how far Artificial Intelligence has come? We’ll show you NEWS & TRENDS 008 Local News Coverage of the latest news and events right on our shores 032 World Wired Web All the latest tech happenings around the world 038 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 sit and gather dust. Here are some handy tips for you to get the best out of older devices LITE & LEISURE 106 Watch If you love dinosaurs, here are some of the best movies that feature them 109 Company Of Heroes 2 Ever wanted to know what it feels like to lead an army? You can in Company Of Heroes 2 REGULARS PRACTICE 116 Second Life For Old Devices Don’t let that old gadget just 001 Welcome Note 006 Letters 119 Tips and Tricks
- 6. content chip cd CHIP CD Featured Tool: Connectify Networking is all about things and people getting together, but we all know that there are hurdles to leap to reach total connectivity. Connectify is a powerful tool that provides two innovative functions that will enhance your networking life -one in turning your PC into a wi-fi hotspot, and another in allowing you to combine bandwidth from all of your computer’s Internet connection. We may be bringing it to you for our Practice session this issue, is but you can’t deny that this is one indispensable tool to keep around. session. speeds, on top of CPU usage and memory usage. Entertainment nt Game Demo Gunpoint A unique stealth puzzle spin in a noir-inspired 2D world, Gunpoint puts you in the shoes of a freelance spy that breaks into high security buildings to steal sensitive data. Get past security by making use of the Crosslink, which allows you to rewire the levels and outmaneuver the guards. And once you’re done with the main storyline, the level editor will allow you to create your own devious puzzles for other people to solve. Movie Trailer Thor: The Dark World 004 october 13 chip malaysia The Monthly 10 Ashampoo WinOptimizer AIMP Gaia Family Tree ChanS ChanSort Multi Commander Perfect PDF Reader Perf W Wiztree Format Factory Novicorp WinToFlash Universal Viewer PC Essentials Graphics Drivers NVIDIA (Windows 7) AMD Catalyst (Windows 7) Internet Browsers Firefox Google Chrome Installer Safari Opera Compressions Software WinZIP WinRAR
- 8. letters readers’ feedback Letters Letter of the Month Stuck In A Rut Dear CHIP, I have bought and read your magazine since 2005 and whilst I enjoy reading your magazines every month since I started, I’m currently stuck in a bit of a predicament. I currently have a pile of your magazines in my room, and due to storage issues, I need to let them go, but at the same time I still like to re-read them whenever I like. I understand that you guys also have released digital copies of the magazine on Zinio for Android and iOS devices, but unfortunately I have neither of those. Is it possible for me to have the digital copy of the magazines without the Zinio app? Zach CF Facing The Music Dear CHIP, It was good to see my favourite movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” included in your article “The Music of Sci-Fi” in the August 2013 issue. However could you please point out to the author (and to readers that may have been misled) that the tone poem “Also Sprach Zarathustra” was witten by Richard Strauss who was totally unrelated to Johann Strauss Jr., who wrote “The Blue Danube”. It appears that the author thought they were one and the same, as the line “Strauss’ work as also used elsewhere ...” implies. Errol Mathams Dear Errol, After a bit of verification and some input from our very own in-house movie buffs, you are absolutely right! The author of the article did indeed make a mistake about the two, and we do profusely apologise about that. We’ll be sure to send him to remedial classes about movie music and ensure that we don’t commit the same mistake again. And as a sign of our appreciation for your education in this matter, here’s a little gift from us to you - a Kingston Data Traveler GE9 16GB thumb drive! Dear Zach, Thanks for being such a long-time reader and loyal support of our magazine! We appreciate your support and hope that you’d continue to peruse our publication as your favourite! It is unfortunate, but we have to sadly inform you that our Zinio subscription does not go back till 2005, and the more recent issues are not distributed outside of the service. Our archives are all production copies and we don’t typically give those out to the public. Your best bet would still be to keep the older copies, as you can still get the newer copies whenever you do get yourself an Android or iOS device. We do apologise, and hope that you understand our reasoning behind this. The TGS Pilgrimage Dear CHIP, I read with great interest in last month’s issue where you mentioned that you guys will be attending the Tokyo Game Show this month! This is of relevant interest to me as I am quite enthusiastic about the event. It’s also one of those rare times where new gaming consoles are being showcased before they hit store shelves, and I’m deeply interested in what both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One has to offer! Hairil Dear Hairil, It is indeed a great time of the year for gamers. Having only seen and heard about these new consoles through websites on the internet made us appreciate that we were lucky enough to be able to attend the event this year. The Sony and Microsoft showcase had plenty of games from current and next-gen consoles, and they all look very very impressive. We tried out games such as KNACK, Titanfall, Final Fantasy XIII-3 and even some new fighting games that we’re sure a lot of people would love! We have an extensive 6-page coverage of the event this month in our Features section, so do check it out! 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. 006 september 13 chip malaysia
- 10. news local news Like its predecessors, this phablet packs the latest hardware and sports a 2.3GHz Quad-Core CPU, 3GB worth of RAM, 32GB worth of internal storage, runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and has a 13-megapixel rear camera. (From le ): Vincent Chong, Director, HHP Division, Samsung Malaysia Electronics; Kwon Jae Hoon, Managing Director, Samsung Malaysia Electronics; Jus n Joo, Business Manager, HHP Division, Samsung Malaysia Electronics; and Ma hew Ng, Head of Sales, HHP Division, Samsung Malaysia Electronics pose with the new GALAXY Note 3 and GALAXY Gear Geared Up To Explore The GALAXY Samsung’s GALAXY Note 3 and Gear makes their grand entrance T hroughout the last nine months, Samsung has been doing what they do best and that is by providing consumers with a constant stream of smartphones that cater to every type of user. Their previous flagship the Samsung GALAXY S4 alone came in multiple iterations and is one of the hottest selling devices all around. But for consumers who know Samsung, they would have waited till the GALAXY Note 3 arrived, which arrived on 20 September and it was definitely worth the wait. “With the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 and GALAXY Gear, we are proud to set a new benchmark of innovation in the large screen mobile and wearable device category. Samsung’s ongoing smart device leadership reflects our commitment to listen to our 008 october 13 chip malaysia consumers, who want their daily lives to be easier and more enjoyable. The devices enable users to tell the stories of their lives through dynamic and seamless expression of their passions across work, play and life experiences,” said Kwon Jae Hoon, Managing Director, Samsung Malaysia Electronics. Like the previous iterations that came before it, the GALAXY Note 3 is truly a remarkable device as Samsung have once again packed it with the latest hardware and features. Despite its 8.3mm thinness and 168g lightweight, the GALAXY Note 3 is actually a 5.7inch device that sports a Full HD Super AMOLED display and also 3,200mAh battery. In terms of design, the GALAXY Note 3 retains much of Samsung’s now iconic The GALAXY Gear will be available in available in other colours such as Jet Black, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange, Oatmeal Beige, Rose Gold and Lime Green design language but comes with a touch of class due to the soft and texturedtouch back cover that emulates leather. Even the S Pen has gone through a slight redesign and is much slimmer and comes with many new functions such as Air Command, which will allow users to easily access features for all their note taking needs. Launched alongside the GALAXY Note 3 was the GALAXY Gear, Samsung’s first foray into the wearable technology market and also the perfect companion to the phablet. The GALAXY Gear may look just like a very stylish watch but it actually provides users with notifications and quick previews of incoming texts, emails and more from the GALAXY Note 3. It can also be used to answer calls and even record videos and take still images with its 1.9-megapixel camera. “Samsung GALAXY Gear benefits consumers by integrating smart device technology even deeper into their everyday lives, and bridges the gap between the mobile device and fashion worlds to create truly wearable technology,” added Kwon. www.samsung.com.my
- 12. news local news Lenovo’s A1000 is the ideal tablet for those who love listening to music, watching movies and gaming during their daily commutes Seen here with the new tablets and models are Khoo Hung Chuan, Country General Manager, Lenovo Malaysia (2nd from le ) and Jimmy Chin, Consumer Segment Lead, Lenovo Malaysia (3rd from le ) Tablets Big And Small For All Lenovo launches new and affordable Android tablets T he Android tablet space has grown tremendously over the past few years and with so many choices to choose from, many consumers are now finding it hard to pick the right one for them but the good thing is, Lenovo recently launched three new tablets that come in different configurations and has the features that will satisfy the many different users. “With these latest additions to our tablet portfolio, we’ve created devices that address these customers’ needs, as well as devices for more demanding gamers and multimedia users,” said Khoo Hung Chuan, Country General Manager, Lenovo Malaysia. First up on the list, is the A1000, a seven-inch tablet that is ideal for first time buyer as it only costs RM499. Other than the very attractive price tag, the A1000 also comes with features such as Dolby Digital Plus integrated into the device and 010 october 13 chip malaysia large, front-facing speakers that provides users with unprecedented audio clarity. The A1000 also runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, has 1GB worth of RAM and on-board storage of up to 16GB. Then for those who want more processing power, they can always look to the A3000. Priced at RM699, this seven-inch lightweight device features a 1.2GHz quadcore MTK processor, 1GB worth of DDR2 RAM, 3,500mAh battery and 16GB internal storage. It also comes with a 1024x600 IPS display and has an optional support for 3G HSPA+ so users can stay connected and stay productive while on-the-go. Finally, for those who prefer large tablets for content consumption and creation, Lenovo also launched the S6000, a 10.1-inch tablet that boasts a 1280x800 LED IPS display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 32GB internal storage and 6,340mAh battery. It also has The A3000 is for those who tend to do much more on their tablets such as mul -tasking and possibly even document and photo edi ng With this mobile “home entertainment” centre, users can switch seamlessly from entertainment to social media and more as the S6000 packs quite impressive hardware optional support for HSPA+ connectivity, which means users won’t have to search high and low for a WiFi hotspot as they can stay connected wherever they go. Even with all these features, the S6000 costs only RM1,099. www.lenovo.com/my/en
- 14. news local news The Best To Come From Sony Sony brings a bit of IFA here to Malaysia S ony Mobile has finally taken its gloves off, and is introducing a wide variety of smart devices that are sure to bring out the inner geek in you. In conjunction with IFA, which was held in Berlin recently, Sony Mobile Malaysia brought a few of the devices showcased at the German tech event to Malaysia as a regional launch. First off the block is the Sony Xperia Z1, a premium waterproof smartphone, which features the best of Sony’s technologies The Z1 features a Full HD five-inch display and uses Sony’s TRILUMINOS display for mobile, creating rich natural colours that are reminiscent of Sony’s own HDTVs. Powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, Sony has included an equally powerful 3,000mAh battery for long lasting power. Sony’s Battery Stamina mode meanwhile automatically turns off functions that aren’t used when it goes idle to save power, and can be turned back on. Sony has also implemented its acclaimed OmniBalance design using a solid one-piece aluminium frame with tempered glass to ensure that the build retains its precise and premium feel. Much like its predecessors the Z and Z Ultra, the Z1 is waterproof and dust resistant (IP55 & IP58), Besides that, the Z1 is also equipped with a 20.7MP G Lens, that has an aperture count of f/2.0, and a 3x clear image zoom, all powered by a 1/2.3 Exmor RS sensor. To go with the Xperia Z1, Sony has also announced a number of new companion devices, which include the Sony SmartWatch 2, which can be used as a second screen for the Xperia Z1, as it is able to access notifications, act as the Z1’s camera shutter trigger and more. The other star of the show has got to be the Sony DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 devices, both of which are highperformance lens-style cameras, which are designed to be mounted on smartphones, and operated via the smartphone screen, connecting to the devices via NFC. The Sony Xperia Z1 is slated to arrive in Malaysian stores early October, whilst the Sony Smartwatch 2 and QX10 and QX100 cameras will be available sometime in the middle of next month. www.sony.com.my The Sony Smart Watch 2 is compa ble with a wide variety of Android smartphones The new lens-style camera, Sony DSC-QX100 can be a ached to any smartphone or used as a point and shoot camera Introducing the brand new Sony Xperia Z1 Jason Smith, Director of Marke ng, Southeast Asia & Oceania, Sony Mobile Communica ons (fi h from le ); Cheong Wah Tong, Head of Market, Malaysia, Sony Mobile Communica ons (centre); and Ma hew Lang, Corporate Vice President and Head of Southeast Asia & Oceania, Sony Mobile Communica ons (fi h from right), together with models posing on stage with the new Xperia Z1. 012 october 13 chip malaysia
- 16. news local news (From le ): Serena Yong, General Manager Prin ng & Personal Systems Group Singapore & Malaysia, Loh Wai Mun, Country Category Manager Prin ng & Personal Systems Group and James Low, Market Development Manager Consumer Notebook Prin ng and Personal Systems Group Slates Of All Kinds HP’s Android-based devices finally arrive on Malaysian shores F irst announced at HP World in Beijing this year, a number of Android-powered HP devices have begun making their way here to Malaysia, where the company aims to give people more flexibility in how users access and share their information on the move. First of these devices is the HP Slate 7, a seven-inch tablet that weighs in at a very light 370g, which is also the first of HP’s tablets to offer Beats Audio for the best-sounding, richest audio experience on a tablet device. It is powered by a 1.6GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and uses a High-aperture ratio Field Fringe Switching (HFFS) panel which offers wide viewing angles and excellent brightness, regardless whether you’re indoors or out. The HP SlateBook x2 meanwhile is perfect for people who want a 2-in-1 device for both work and play, as the SlateBook x2 is an Android tablet that 014 october 13 chip malaysia comes with a keyboard dock that also serves as a second set of batteries for the device. The SlateBook x2 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, which is excellent for both work and play, and the 64GBs of storage inside of it ensures that you have enough space for both. For those looking for a more permanent fixture to the house, HP also has the HP Slate 21 All-In-One PC, featuring a 21.5-inch Full HD touch screen display, perfect for family and friends activities. Also powered by a Tegra 4 processor, the Slate 21 includes DTS Sound technology and has the HP TrueVision HD webcam and Wireless Direct which allows users to share videos, photos and data between devices without the need for an internet connection. All three devices are already available in the Malaysian market right now, with the HP Slate 7 selling for RM499, the HP AIO Slate 21 SlateBook x2 -1 SlateBook x2 for RM1,499 and the HP Slate 21 All-in-One for RM1,099. www.hp.com.my
- 18. news local news It’s All About The Latitude And Precision The Malaysian workforce gets upgrades from Dell T o do their part in meeting the demands of the commercial market, Dell launched a slew of new Latitude Ultrabooks and laptops as well as Precision workstations and laptops. These new offerings from Dell come with all the latest hardware and features, making them some of the most ideal choices for organisations. “The new Latitude 7000 series builds on the success of the award winning XPS and Latitude 6430u to redefine the corporate laptop, complete with security, manageability, reliability and beautiful design. And with the Latitude 5000 and 3000 series, we’ve addressed the needs of today’s dynamic workforce by enabling easy entry into businessclass computing,” said KT Ong, General Manager, Commercial Business, Dell Malaysia. With the new Latitude series of devices, Dell has done a great job at balancing sophisticated design, quality construction and uncompromised durability to offer businesses of all sizes a wide variety of solutions. Reliability is something Dell focused on as these devices are built with hardy materials. The added Corning Gorilla Glass NBT that protects the touch display, StrikeZone shock absorbers, Fast Response Free-Fall sensors and rubber hard drive isolation adds to the devices’ overall durability. The Dell Latitude 7000 series begins at RM3,800 while the Latitude 3000 series has a price tag that begins at RM1,900. Both are already available to purchase. The Latitude 5000 series will be available sometime in October. Dell also delivered what are now their most powerful workstations. Part of the Precision series comes two mobile workstations, the Precision M4800 and M6800 and three new tower workstations, the T3610; T5610 and T7610 that are packed with cutting-edge The La tude 7000 series Ultrabooks come in two different designs, the sleek brushed aluminium design features the touch display while the one in carbon fibre has a nonreflec ve display Despite being the more affordable of new La tude line-up, the 3000 series devices are s ll packed with features that make them ideal for educa on and small business users performance with new workstation-class storage solutions; graphics and scientific and other professional software applications. www.dell.com.my (From le ): Norhizam Kadir, Na onal Sales Manager, Intel Malaysia; KT Ong, General Manager, Commercial Business, Dell Malaysia; Deepak S. Se y, Director, Technology Solu on Group, Enterprise & Partner Group, Microso (Malaysia) and Wee Liam So, Client Business Development Manager, End User Compu ng Solu ons, Dell Malaysia with the new device 016 october 13 chip malaysia
- 20. news local news Sun, Sea, Sand and Samsung Samsung’s brings us to an island getaway to try out their latest Android-powered camera S amsung is not done with their camera launches just yet as they have unveiled the latest in their series of Android-powered cameras in the form of the Samsung Galaxy NX, the first interchangeable lens camera that runs Google’s Android operating system. Featuring a 20.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, the Galaxy NX camera is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and runs Android 4.2, with a 4.8inch TFT LCD touch display at the back. The Galaxy NX also uses the DRIMe IV imaging engine, which enables better colour reproduction and greater noise control. According to Julian Thean, Marketing Leader for Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics, the Galaxy NX also features support for an array of wireless connectivity, including 3G, 4G and WiFi so that you can share your photos instantly on the internet without having to transfer them to a computer first. The Galaxy NX’s Hybrid Auto Focus system meanwhile combines phase and contrast detection auto focus types to create crisp and vibrant shots. On top of that, users of the Galaxy NX get to choose between 13 lenses, which include ultra-compact pancake lenses to a versatile zoom to a portrait lens. Equipped with a Samsung Galaxy NX each and a wide variety of lenses, all courtesy of Samsung, we made our way through the island of Pangkor, shooting a wide variety of photos, including streets, people and even animals. Having the freedom to choose lenses when shooting is definitely one of the Galaxy NX’s greatest strengths, besides being able to connect to the internet via 3G and WiFi. The Samsung Galaxy NX will be available in stores starting 30th of Julian Thean, Marke ng Leader for Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia September, and will retail for RM4,199 for the camera body and a 16-50mm Electronics zoom lens. www.samsung.com.my The Samsung Galaxy NX is capable of using Samsung’s wide variety of lenses 018 october 13 chip malaysia
- 22. news local news This here is the Cyber-shot DSC-QX100, which made huge waves at the recent IFA event in Germany. This 20.2-megapixel lens styled camera can also greatly enhance a smartphones shooter (From le ): Ivy Goh, Head of Marke ng, Sony Malaysia; Satoshi Hatano, Director, Sony Malaysia; Kikuo Okura, Managing Director, Sony Malaysia; Zizan Razak, Sony Brand Ambassador; Lisa Surihani, Sony Camera Brand Ambassador; and Masahiko Ishida, Head of Digital Imaging Department, Sony Malaysia A Camera For Every Occasion And Every User Sony brings out their latest shooters W hile smartphones have replaced cameras as the go-to device for taking photos for many consumers, there are just some things a smartphone can’t do such as swapping out lenses or manually setting all the aspects of a camera to achieve creative shots. So to cater to consumers who agree with those points, Sony Malaysia recently launched a bevy of new cameras that caters to almost every user demographic. First in the spotlight was the new NEX-5T. This camera retains many of the same features as the previous NEX-5 such as the large Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor with 16.1-megapixels and Fast Hybrid Auto Focus; these features alone ensure that image quality is still top-notch. What’s new with the NEX-5T is the ability 020 october 13 chip malaysia to connect directly to a WiFi connection so users can easily connect the camera to a smartphone, PC or TV to wirelessly transfer photos or videos and is also the first interchangeable lens E-mount camera from Sony with NFC that allows it to easily connect with Android devices with just a touch. The NEX-5T has a recommended retail price of RM2,299. For the shutterbug who prefers a more “serious” device like a DSLR, Sony also launched the α3000. With 18 interchangeable E-mount lenses, photographers will definitely be able to adapt quickly to their environments and shots they want to achieve. This DSLR is built with a 20.1-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that has higher light sensitivity, which means it is able Designed for those who are passionate about photography, the Sony α3000 is versa le as it has a slew of features and can be equipped with a wide selec on of lenses to grab more light thus reducing image noise. This light weight DSLR also has a new electronic Tru-Finder that boasts a generous 100% field coverage. While the NEX-5T and α3000 were the main stars of the show, some of their limelight was definitely stolen by the Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 len-styled cameras which made headlines at the recent IFA in Berlin. These two devices can either be used independently or paired with a smartphone via NFC. Both these devices will be available in October. The DSC-QX10 features a 18.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor with high-quality Sony G Lens while the DSC-QX100 features a large 1.0-type Exmor R CMOS sensor with 20.2-megapixels and has a wideaperture Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens. But that wasn’t all, as Sony also showcased three other cameras, one for those who live a more active life, the Action Cam HDR-AS30V; another for those who dream of becoming a singer, the HDR-MV1 Music Video Recorder and the last for those who are part of a production house that is looking to start recording in Ultra High-Definition 4K videos, the FDR-AX1. www.sony.com.my
- 24. news local news Protecting And Preparing The Herd ZebraCON 2013, a look into IT security and risk management C ondition Zebra Inc., held its inaugural “ZebraCON 2013: International Conference on IT Security and Risk Management” from the 27 to 29 August at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel and Convention Centre. The theme of the convention this year was “Defining the Role of IT Security & Risk Management” was attended by over 300 IT Security & Risk Management professionals from local and international organisations. “The conference this year was a platform for us to achieve greater things next year. We had tremendous support from our partners, media as well as our invited speakers around the world that have made this year’s conference possible. It was the first conference of its kind and with its success this year, we will be hosting ZebraCON 2014 in Malaysia and Australia” said Condition Zebra managing director, Wilson Wong. Throughout the event, besides the very informative and interesting keynote sessions, attendants could also take part in round table discussions where they were given the opportunity to pose their questions and doubts to industry experts who were at the event. The topics and trends that were debated during the conference and two-day workshop included informative risk management, strategy development, and PCI DSS V2.0 compliance. The conference day ended with a special panel discussion on managing risk in critical infrastructure. Wong explained that “Internet security has created a recent buzz in the news due to the rising cases of hack-related events that had emerged over the past year. This conference was organized in creating awareness for participants in realizing what are the threats involved and the solutions that participants are able to implement to their business the next day” Besides just the workshops and discussions, attendants of ZebraCON 2013 also had the chance to meet and rub shoulders with leading industry experts such as Chris Farrow, Office of Risk Management – Compassion International & SANS Community Instructor; Jim Manico, VP Security Architecture of WhiteHat Security, and Dennis Moreau, Senior Technology Strategist at RSA Security and many more. There were plenty of other highlights during the conference but one of the best had to be the live demonstration by Jim Manico as he highlighted the vulnerabilities of hacking a user’s credit card credentials to the audience. The live hacking demonstration showed that anyone equipped with the skills are able to alter sensitive information with relative ease. www.zebra-con.com During his presenta on, Jim Manico showed the crowd how easy it is to hack and steal one’s credit card info Panel discussion: Failing to plan means planning to fail ZebraCON 2013 Organisers and Keynote Speakers The highly sought-a er Expert-led training 022 october 13 chip malaysia
- 26. news local news The DocuCentre S1810 (le ) and DocuCentre S2010 (right), look iden cal and share many features but both have a difference when it comes to Copy Speed and Print Speed Simon King, Value Product Segment Manager, Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific (le ) and Ken Lee, General Manager of Print Channels, Fuji Xerox Malaysia (right) giving the new DocuCentre Mul -func on devices a thumbs up Multi-Faceted Devices Ideal For SMBs Fuji Xerox launches affordable, high-quality and efficient DocuCentres I n an event held in their very own headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. officially launched their award-winning trio of A3 DocuCentre multi-function devices. These new S1810, S2010 and S2420 were designed to meet all the requirements of small and medium businesses and come with the abilities to copy, print and scan and much more. “The DocuCentre S2010, S1810 are easy-to-use multifunction solutions that are perfect for small businesses seeking to upgrade their daily productivity without having to bear significant upgrade costs. They are very high-quality, entry-level A3 monochrome multifunction devices, and the stylish design will make them a welcome addition to any office,” said Ken Lee, General Manager, Fuji Xerox Printer Channel Malaysia. “The DocuCentre S2420 will meet the high-volume demands of small to mediumsized business, managing continuous 024 october 13 chip malaysia usage and large print jobs with ease, without costing a fortune. The devices allow businesses to quickly and efficiently print quality and professional documents in house.” One of the many appeals of the new DocuCentres includes the fact that they are very user-friendly and easy-to-use. This is because Fuji Xerox has designed the new printers in such a way that everything is right at the fingertips of users thanks to the control and display panel. All three devices also come with one touch keys that provide users with easy access to the most common operations; they also come with an exclusive key for ID card copying and paper settings. This three new devices also feature an all new design language as they now sport a wider output space and dark blue output tray, which offers users better visibility so that they can quickly and easily locate print jobs. All three also come with an electronic Like most devices designed for SMBs, they are expandable and can be fi ed with op onal accessories. Seen here is the DocuCentre S2420 with accessories such as the stand, one tray module and two tray modules fi ed sort function that makes print large number of documents a simpler affair. Efficiency also happens to be one of the key focus points of the new DocuCentres and Fuji Xerox have made certain improvements that helps reduce the running costs without compromising quality. One of the ways this is achieve is that all three have a special tank that collects unused toner and recycles it, in turn saving on waste and also time. For the more eco-conscious organisations, the DocuCentre S2010 and S1810 also use EA-Eco toner, which fuses to the page at temperatures at up to 20-degrees Celcius, this feature alone helps reduce the printers’ power consumption up to 20%. These three impressive DocuCenters are already available in the market and are price at RM5,299 for the DocuCentre S1810, RM5,599 for the DocuCentre S2010 and RM6,999 for the DocuCentre S2420. www.fujixerox.com.my
- 27. news local news Caring & Helping Hands Acer Malaysia exceeds goals for Stop Hunger Now A cer Malaysia has made good on their promise to help the poor as not only did they manage to raise RM60,000 for Stop Hunger Now but on 21 September, which was also World Peace Day, Acer with the help of caring and generous Malaysians managed to pack 60,000 meals in 6 hours. By the end of the day, Acer Malaysia with the help of over 250 volunteers churned out an average of 27.8 meal packs or 166.7 meals a minute. Remy Wong, 25, an Advertising and Promotion Executive from Kuala Lumpur, who lent a hand to help pack the meals said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to do my small part in giving back to society. My daily lunch costs almost RM10. While it is just one meal for me, the same amount can feed up to 10 people via Stop Hunger Now meal packs. Until now, I didn’t realise that my one lunch can make a difference to so many people. I am inspired by this deed by Acer Malaysia and Stop Hunger Now to do Carynne Ooi, Regional Marke ng Manager of Acer Asia Pacific banging the gong to my part to help. And I will announce that the 30888th meals packed definitely be making more effort to not waste food now!” Ever since they started this programme with Stop Hunger Now in July this year, Acer Malaysia has held various activities such as product auctions where RM5 from every product sold at the PIKOM PC Fair, Malaysian IT Fair and Acer roadshows went to the cause. Acer themselves also donated RM10,000 as a kick-off fund. www.acer.com.my Volunteers adding dehydrated vegetables to the meal pack Coming Of A New Age Lenovo ushers in the PC+ Era with Do+ devices T he IT landscape is an ever-changing and rapidly evolving one and to keep up with consumers’ needs and wants, manufacturers such as Lenovo have to be constantly on their toes. On 19 September, Lenovo invited members of the media to a session where they shared their plans on how they plan to lead the PC Plus space. PC Plus is Lenovo’s way of categorising smart connected devices, which include devices such as convertible tablets/laptops. According to Kevin Beck, Senior Worldwide Competitive Analyst, Lenovo Customer Centers, the ever-growing trend of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Consumerisation has brought about new IT challenges. Because of these trends, users are now very reliant on their personal devices especially at work, this in turn has caused quite a bit of headaches for IT managers especially in terms of security as a poorly secured Kevin Beck, Senior Worldwide Compe ve Analyst, Lenovo Customer Centers (le ) and Khoo Hung Chuan, Country General Manager, Lenovo Malaysia were the hosts and speakers for the device can cause session data leakage and also becomes a loophole for malware to information but also cloud services to store enter an office’s backend. their files. Other key points highlighted by Beck To cater to these ever-changing needs, is also the trend of mobile computing Lenovo already has a strong line-up of PC and how many workspaces are now devices that will enable users to do more. adopting a more flexible stance in terms Many of these new PC Plus devices are of productivity and entertainment in part of the ThinkPad family and retain the the office. Then there’s also the need same durability, manageability and security for constant connection as employees that Lenovo is famous for. rely heavily on the World Wide Web for www.lenovo.com/my/en chip malaysia october 13 025
- 28. news local news The First Round Of Fun MSI organises get-together for fans of their Gaming series devices O n a bright and sunny Saturday morning, MSI Malaysia decided to do a little something to show their appreciation to their fans who are also gamers. So on 14 September, they organised a little gamers’ gathering for their fans of their Facebook page. This event was also MSI’s way of getting closer to their fans and getting to know them better so that they can further fine-tune their products to suit their fan’s requests. Before the event was kicked into high-gear, two lucky fans were invited to play a round of DOTA 2 with pro-gamers from the DuskBin team. This gave them a chance to learn from the pros and also interact with them. After their game was over, that was when things started to get a little more exciting. First up, Suriya Konkham, Marketing Manager, MSI South Asia was invited up on stage to give a presentation Jerry Lu, Country Manager, MSI Malaysia (5th from le ) was all smiles when he was on what makes MSI’s asked to pose for a photo with some of MSI’s most hardcore fans who arrived at the gaming notebooks event even before it began such as the GT70 and Among these accessories, the lucky ones GE40 2OC Dragon Eyes stand out were those who took home with them against other gaming notebooks from the limited edition Siberia headphones competing brands. His presentation which bore MSI’s Gaming logo and covered features the likes of the Killer colour scheme. E2200 Game Networking, SteelSeries All in all, it was definitely a great day Keyboard, Cooler Boost technology and for gamers who made their way down to NOS design. the event but for those who couldn’t join After his presentation was done, them, MSI looks to have more events MSI then proceeded to a quiz session like these throughout the year. where fans got a chance to take home my.msi.com SteelSeries accessories such as gaming keyboards, mice and headphones. Decked To The Nines Ninetology opens its first flagship touch point at Low Yat Plaza T he Ninetology U9 series of smartphones were launched not too long ago by the ASEAN company, and just recently, they’ve also opened up their flagship touch point store in Low Yat Plaza, one of the country’s biggest IT malls here in Kuala Lumpur. Eddy Tay, Head of Channel of Ninetology Malaysia (From le ): Celebrity, Iqwal Hafiz; Ang Ciang Teng ,CEO of Awesome Produc on; Vijian Chan, Chief Marke ng said that the launch of the store had a significant Officer, Ninetology Malaysia; Shian, Chief Finance Officer, Ninetology Malaysia; Sean Ng, Chief Execu ve bearing on the company’s rapid growth as one of Officer, Ninetology Malaysia; Ninetology Spokesperson, Z-Chen; Marco Beh, Chief Opera ons Officer, ASEAN’s up-and-coming mobile device maker, having Ninetology Malaysia; Michael Lee, General Manager, Property Management and Opera ons of Plaza Low Yat; made its mark in the ASEAN region during the past two Eddy Tay, Head of Channel, Ninetology Malaysia and Celebrity, Sasi the Don years, and thanked the government for fostering an environment that is conducive for business. “Our flagship Touch Point celebrates this freedom of business and expression with a wide offering of smartphones that caters to consumers with a wide variety of interests including technology, fashion, sports and so on.” Said Tay. Ninetology has also stated that this is only the first of many touch point stores that they will open, with plans for eight more stores in Klang Valley underway, and eight more around Malaysia to follow soon after. Ninetology’s Flagship Touch Point Store is located on the Ground Floor of Low Yat Plaza and opens from 10am to 10pm every day. www.ninetology.com 026 october 13 chip malaysia
- 29. news local news ATIV-ate Your Life Samsung launches the new ATIV Book 9 Lite ultra-thin notebook in two variants W ith all the smartphones and tablets that they’ve been launching over the past few months, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the company also has a notebook division that’s just as robust as their mobile devices department. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite is the Korean tech giant’s answer to your ultra-thin notebook needs. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite features a 13.3-inch 1366x768 pixel display in two variants, one with a multi-touch screen, and one without. Both these models are powered by the same 1.4GHz quad-core processor, which is a collaboration between AMD and Samsung, as it also features a shared AMD Radeon HD 8250 discrete GPU. It is also fitted with a 128GB SSD and 4GBs of (From le ): Alec Khor, Head of NPC Product Marke ng, Samsung Malaysia Electronics; Wong Man Ngee, DDR3 RAM Director of Informa on Technology Solu ons Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics; Kwon Jae Hoon, to provide Managing Director, Samsung Malaysia Electronics; Kim JunHak, Business Manager of Informa on Technology users with Solu ons Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics in turn allow them to view maps, photos a fast boot speed of eight seconds, and and even edit files on their phones via the a wake up time of two seconds. Even notebook. with just a 2-cell 30Wh battery, Samsung The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite is has claimed that the ATIV Book 9 Lite is available in two colours, Marble White for capable of lasting up to eight hours on a the non-touch variant and Mineral Ash full charge. Black for the touch variant, both of which On top of that, the notebook also are available at Samsung retail outlets for comes with a feature called Samsung RM1,999 and RM2,399 respectively. SideSync, which allows users to connect www.samsung.com.my their smartphones to the notebook and The Next Stage In Evolution For The Z10 Malaysia one of the first countries to get first dibs on the BlackBerry Z30 I t seems that BlackBerry really likes Malaysia as one of their key markets as they announce the availability of the widely anticipated BlackBerry Z30 here in Malaysia. The phone is BlackBerry’s biggest yet, featuring a five-inch display and BlackBerry 10.2 operating system, which offers a number of new features and refinements compared to its predecessors. The BlackBerry Z30 is powered by a 1.7GHz, which is propped up by a 2,880mAh battery, the most powerful processor and largest battery yet on a BlackBerry smartphone. As mentioned earlier, the Z30 also has a five-inch screen, which consists of a Super AMOLED display that helps makes colours on Deborah Priya Henry, Annamalai Muthu, Managing Director, Malaysia, BlackBerry; the smartphone clearer and Adrian Faull, Regional Managing Director, Southeast Asia & ANZ, BlackBerry and Damian Tay, Senior Director, Product Management, Asia Pacific, BlackBerry with the more vivid. all new BlackBerry Z30 at the launch Some of the new features introduced in BlackBerry using, without actually leaving the app. It’s 10.2 include BlackBerry Priority Hub, an certainly a very convenient way to get to improved version of the BlackBerry Hub, your messages quickly without having to which now allows you to set which e-mails abruptly stop whatever you’re doing. and messages are more important to you, Malaysia is one of the first few countries so that you can get to them faster than the in the world that will receive the BlackBerry rest of the messages. Z30 device, and will be available first BBM has also been improved, and can through Celcom on the fifth of October, now be accessed from any app that you’re with the other telcos joining in two weeks currently running using the Peek feature, later. The BlackBerry Z30 will retail for which also allows you to instantly get to RM1,998. the message from whatever app you’re www.blackberry.com.my chip malaysia october 13 027
- 30. news local news Another Idol Born Alcatel launches the OneTouch Idol X smartphone W ant a powerful, yet affordable smartphone to amp-up your mobile and social media life? Alcatel has recently announced their latest flagship OneTouch smartphone in the form of the Alcatel OneTouch Idol X, featuring a five-inch, Full (From le ): Jason Khor, Business Development Manager, TCT Mobile Malaysia Sdn Bhd, KL Kong, Country HD IPS display and a 1.5GHz quad-core processor in a Manager, TCT Mobile Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Alan Bong, Execu ve Director, Ten Ten Telecommunica ons Sdn Bhd, flanked by brand ambassadors slim chassis, running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Idol X is made to look even more impressive thanks to Alcatel’s “0” bezel which affords the phone an even bigger display area in a more portable form factor, thanks to the full lamination technology that leaves no air gap in between the LCD and touch panel. The IPS technology used with the phone also gives the Idol X the best viewing angles, which come in at more than 170 degrees. A 13.1-megapixel camera also allows users to take stunning images with the Idol X, whilst the OneTouch LIVE brings great apps to the phone, expanding its usability even further. “We are very optimistic with the Malaysian market after having two successful launches and market acceptance since the end of last year. We want to thank the consumers for their trust with the Alcatel OneTouch.” Said Mr. KL Kong, Country Manager of TCT Mobile Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The Alcatel OneTouch Idol X is available at authorized retailers nationwide for the price of RM1,099 and comes in the colours red and black. www.alcatelonetouch.com/ml/ The New Breeds Siemens Malaysia uncovers talented next generation of game developers created the SieMyCity Competition to get the youth of today thinking about a sustainable Seen here with President & CEO of Siemens Malaysia, Prakash Chandran and Tan Chin Ike, tomorrow. We wanted Chairman of MyGameDev2020 are the teams from various universi es and ins tu ons who took part in the compe on. the young participants to understand the trade-offs involved in addressing real he gaming industry is one of the challenges that cities face – climate fastest growing industries and change, urbanisation, globalisation, many education institutions are safety and security. We wanted to offering game design as a syllabus. To encourage the youth to translate their help grow the local game developer approaches to urban sustainability community, Siemens Malaysia into a platform that would be fun, yet organised the SieMyCity: Build Your educational and informative”. Ideal KL Competition and the winners Participants of the contest were of the competition were awarded on 12 tasked to create a game that also served September. as an educational tool that would clearly Prakash Chandran, President and CEO visualise the effects of sustainable of Siemens Malaysia, commented, “We T 028 october 13 chip malaysia development as well as spread a more relatable vision of sustainability to the Malaysian public. SieMyCity saw 11 teams represent eight different local tertiary institutions but at the end of the competition, the team called The Rook from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia who walked away with the first prize, which was an all-expense paid trip to attend a short sustainability course in Berlin. They and the first and second runner ups also took home cash prizes and earned the mentorship of MyGameDev2020 and the technical support and guidance of Microsoft. Their games will also have the opportunity to turn their concepts into full-fledged games. www.siemens.com.my
- 31. news local news More Than Just A Store Samsung ups the ante with its flagship store in Gardens Mid Valley A s Samsung Malaysia launches new products almost every other week, the company has New Samsung Experience Store makes its mark in Malaysia – The ribbon-cu ng ceremony conducted by Ma hew deemed it necessary to upgrade its store in Ng, Head of Sales Mobile Phone Division, Samsung Malaysia Electronics (third from le ), Vincent Chong, Head Gardens Mid Valley to accommodate it all. Deciding of Mobile Phone Division, Samsung Malaysia Electronics (fi h from le ), Kwon Jae Hoon, Managing Director, that just refurbishing the store would be kind of boring, Samsung Malaysia Electronics (sixth from le ), Wilson Wee, Managing Director, Welfon Telecommunica on (seventh from le ) and Jus n Joo, Business Manager, Mobile Phone Division, Samsung Malaysia Electronics the Korean tech giant also decided to leverage its wide (eighth from le ) variety of devices to turn the shop into an Experience Store for all to enjoy. Located on the third floor of Gardens Mid Valley, Samsung’s new Experience Store is more than just a shop with a lot of gadgets. Besides rows upon rows of Samsung devices, which include a wide variety of smartphones and cameras, Samsung has also set up Experience Zones such as the Product Experiential Zone, which houses Samsung’s latest products and devices for users to check out. Other sections include the Kids Zone, where kids can unleash their creativity via Samsung devices, the Smart Home that recreates a living room environment that is equipped with a wide variety of Samsung products, and even the Smart Academy, where customers get to learn how to use Samsung devices, including smartphones, cameras and notebooks. www.samsung.com.my A Celebration For Change HTC Malaysia celebrates 17 years of change with their very own day F or 17 years, HTC has been a company that constantly innovates through their smartphones and to celebrate this milestone, HTC Malaysia officially launched HTC Day at their concept kiosk at The Gardens Mall on 21 September. Seen here with the HTC Malaysia team is Vince Chong, local celebrity and emcee for “HTC has always been the trend-setter in challenging the status the event (1st from le ); Sirpa Ikola, Senior Marke ng Director of HTC South Asia (3rd from le ) and SK Wong, Country Manager of HTC Malaysia (3rd from right) with the HTC quo in smartphone technology. We produced the first Android Malaysia team smartphone and also pioneered the touch-screen feature in smartphones,” said SK Wong. “This commitment definitely did not end there as we launched the flagship HTC One that introduced a full-aluminium unibody and a dual front speaker that no one has done before.” During this celebratory event, HTC also introduced the HTC Switch program as well as a new customer service procedure in support of the Here’s to Change campaign that was rolled out recently. “HTC’s first ‘Here’s to Change’ advertisement featuring Robert Downey Jr., carries the creative message that HTC caters to a variety of different people through the actor’s creative, quirky and rebellious attitude. Robert Downey, Jr. is given creative control and has heavily defined the direction of the ad,” said Sirpa Ikola, Senior Marketing Director of HTC South Asia. Other than that, HTC One X owners also had a chance to upgrade their older device to a new HTC One with a special trade in program on that day. Finally, HTC also introduced their new customer service whereby customers can have their misbehaving devices diagnosed or sent for repairs without leaving their doorstep. All it takes is just a call to the new HTC Careline. www.htc.com/sea/ chip malaysia october 13 029
- 32. news local news Infinity In Your Hands ASUS announces availability of the ASUS PadFone Infinity in Malaysia T ablets and smartphones are hot-selling commodities in the Malaysian tech space. Whilst both devices are equally as lustworthy, wouldn’t it be a lot more convenient and cost-saving if you could have both at once? ASUS has just the solution for you in the form of the ASUS PadFone Infinity. The PadFone infinity is as sleek as it is powerful. Featuring a slender unibody which is crafted from aerospace-grade aluminium and a 5.0-inch full HD display, it is powered by a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor and runs Android 4.1. ASUS is also generous with the storage space as they have provided users with 64GBs worth of digital space to use. The main draw of the PadFone Infinity however, is that it comes with a 10.1 inch tablet dock called the PadFone Infinity Station, which also offers users a sleek aluminum unibody build and full HD display much like the phone. By itself, the PadFone Infinity provides users with 19 hours of talktime, but when docked into the Infinity Station, you get a massive 20 hour boost in battery life, bringing it to 40 hours when both devices are fully charged. The ASUS FonePad infinity is available at all ASUS retail outlets and participating stores since and has a recommended retail price of RM2,699. www.asus.com/my/ The ASUS PadFone Infinity con nues on ASUS‘ tradi ons of mul -faceted devices The Latest Quartet of PowerShot Canon launches new PowerShot cameras for both pros and newbies A fter the launch of a few new DSLRs such as the 70D and the 700D, Canon has also announced the availability of four new point and shoot cameras in their PowerShot Series. Made for professionals and semiprofessionals in mind, the PowerShot G16 and PowerShot S120 are Canon’s top-of-the-line cameras that feature the fastest auto focus (AF) speeds in any Canon compact camera today. Powered by Canon’s DIGIC 6 image processor and a new 12.1MP CMOS sensor, the PowerShot G16 is capable of capturing image at full resolution of up to 12.2 fps in P mode and 5.7 fps with AF, while the PowerShot S120 reaches up to 12.1 fps in P mode and 5.5 fps with the new AF. The PowerShot SX510 HS and SX170 030 october 13 chip malaysia IS meanwhile was made for those who want something even more compact in mind. Featuring a similar 12.1MP CMOS sensor seen on the PowerShot G16 and S120, the SX510 HS has a 24mm 30x optical zoom lens and has Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor inside. The PowerShot SX170 IS is a 16MP shooter with a 28mm 16x optical zoom lens, and is able to go up to 32x thanks to the ZoomPlus function. Similar to the SX510 HS, the SX170 IS is powered by a DIGIC 4 processor. All four PowerShot Cameras are available at participating retail outlets now, with the Canon PowerShot G16 retailing for RM1,899, the PowerShot S120 for RM1,599, the SX510 HS for RM1,099 and the SX170 S for RM699. www.canon.com.my With its impressive capabil es, the PowerShot G16 will sa sfy just about any photographer For such a compact device, the PowerShot SX170 IS packs quite an impressive list of features
- 33. news local news As Clear As Day BenQ’s new monitors give gamers a visual advantage F or a gamer, choosing a monitor can be as important as choosing the right t components for a computer, as looks, visuals and features all come into play as the monitor is the thing you’ll be looking at the longest when on the computer, after all. BenQ Malaysia has finally announced the availability of the BenQ XL Series of gaming monitors aimed at giving the gamers the best displays money can buy. The two monitors from this series now available here include the BenQ XL2420T and the BenQ XL2411T. Alongside this, BenQ is also launching GROM - Gaming Refresh Rate Optimization Management, the key improvement incorporated into this new XL monitor, which they describe as a game-changing display innovation that takes competitive gaming to new heights. Both these monitors feature BenQ’s Flicker-free technology that reduces eyestrain from looking at the monitor for long hours. There are also the Display and Smart Scaling modes that allow users to customize the displays’ refresh rate which ranges from 100, 120 and 144Hz, resolution and also screen size. The BenQ XL2420T and XL2411T monitors are both available in local stores right now, for the price of RM1,699 for the XL2420T and RM1,499 for the XL2411T. www.benq.com.my Seen here is the BenQ XL2411T For those who want something that looks cooler, there‘s the BenQ XL2420T Portable Storage For Your Mobile Devices Seagate ups the ante with portable HDDs for your mobile devices L ack of storage space is a problem that is starting to creep up with a lot of smartphone and tablet users as of late. Whilst services such as Dropbox and Box.net do help, accessing these cloud storage services require an internet connection which may not always be available to you, or is sometimes just too slow. Seagate has just the solution for you in the form of the Seagate Ultra Mobile HDD, which is designed specifically for smartphones and tablets. It is also integrated with the Seagate Mobile Enhancement Kit, which includes Seagate’s Dynamic Data Driver software technology and this allows the portable drive be used with smart devices. The Ultra Mobile HDD has up to 500GBs of storage and uses only about 01.4W of battery power, which is great as a lot of smartphones and tablets aren’t exactly known for long-lasting battery power. In order to make the pair work, the Ultra Mobile HDD also comes with the Seagate Mobile Enablement Kit, which makes the connection between the two devices possible. For those who simply want the Ultra Mobile HDD for its thinness, there is also an option where users can opt out of the Mobile Enablement Kit. www.seagate.com S Seagate‘s latest storage solu on is perfect for the got ‘ l t t t l i f t f th ge er who relies heavily on his or her smartphone and tablet for work and entertainment chip malaysia october 13 031
- 34. news world wired web A Pen That Detects Errors During Writing Microsoft Opens More Of Its Own Stores Microsoft wants to open more new stores worldwide in the future so that interested consumers can try out products of this Redmond company before purchasing them. To date, Microsoft already has 75 stores just in America alone. During Microsoft’s worldwide partner conference, they announced that there will be more than a 100 stores worldwide. According to a report in the Financial Times, Microsoft was reported to be in negotiations with shop owners in England, late last year. As compared to Apple stores, the number of a 100 stores planned by Microsoft are considered to be small. The company from Palo Alto already has 400 stores worldwide. Monitor Movements Using WLAN The Kickstarter project known as Lernstift is for a pen that has a built-in vibrator, which vibrates when a user makes a mistake when writing. To achieve this, the developers have packed a small Linux computer in the pen and equipped it with a motion sensor. It doesn’t matter what surface you write on, the pen is able to recognise these errors. In the upcoming version of the Lernstift, it will be integrated with grammar rules. In addition, the pen will also be fitted with a WLAN module so that it can be used by children to play educational games. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a technology, which allows them monitor movements of people through walls. To do so, they used a device called Wi-Vi that sends out WLAN radio signals which is then processed the signals, so that the developers can understand the movements in a room. The portable Wi-Vi device is supposed to aid rescue services. With this technology trapped victims can be found quickly and easily in case of natural disasters. First Details Of Microsoft’s Smart watch MSI Announces AMD FM2+ Military Class 4 Motherboard MSI have not forgotten AMD just yet, as they have just announced that their latest FM2+ motherboard, the AMD A88X-G43 motherboard will be in the market soon. The motherboard will support all current FM2 Trinity, Richland and the upcoming Kaveri APUs, alongside 3+1 screen Eyefinity without the need of an external GPU. MSI is also utilising its Military Class 4 components for this motherboard, together with OC-Genie 4, the CLICK BIOS 4 UEFI BIOS and the Control Center software which combines monitoring, tuning and remote controlling functionalities. 032 october 13 chip malaysia Details of Microsoft’s upcoming Smartwatch have surfaced and according to the information, the watch will feature a 1.5-inch display and a detachable strap. Apparently, the display will not be made of glass but is actually transparent aluminium oxynitride, which is four time harder. The Smartwatch will also run on a special version of Windows 8, has an internal flash memory and will be LTE compatible. Unfortunately, there is still no news yet on when they will be available. 11% IS HOW MUCH THE PC MARKET SHRANK IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2013. IN THE FIRST QUARTER IT SHRANK AS MUCH AS 14 %
- 36. news world wired web Microsoft Assisted NSA In Spying Intel Launches New Multicore SoC The software company was not only the first co-operation partner of Prism but also the most forthcoming made this messenger interception friendly. Thanks to a technical adjustment, NSA could read Skype chats three times more than before. Microsoft announced in a statement to The Guardian that it would work with the government only “in cases required by law”. Furthermore, the company also stressed that the government agency received access to user data “only in isolated cases”. It was revealed in June that the government agency was informed of the security gaps in products from the users. In addition, Microsoft has been co-operating with the US secret service since December 2007. Hence, it was the first amongst the new IT companies to participate in this. A small note on the side: Microsoft’s tagline is: “Your privacy is our priority”. Facebook Graph Search: Privacy risk Facebook has enabled its social search, known as Graph Search for everyone who has their profiles with the language setting in English (US). Unlike Google, it does not comb through the Internet but through the Social Graph, i.e. all the data shared by users on Facebook. Graph Search does not only detect key words but it also understands the context. For example, if users search for “Friends living in Munich who like BMW”, Facebook draws up a list of contacts matching the description. However, the capacity of meaningful data linking can be dangerous. Most of the “Like” details regarding private information can put the users in a bad light. The search for “Single ladies living in Berlin who like to drink” produces up to a dozen hits. Most of these exposures can put off potential employers. You can be protected against this in just three steps: 1. It is advisable to make the status updates and personal information visible only to friends. The options for this is given in the Menu “Info” and in the privacy settings. 2. Even the visibility of old posts, photos and activities must be set to “Private” or “Only to friends”. This can be done in the “Photos” menu as well as in the activity protocols. 3. Moreover the potentially embarrassing “Like” details can be deleted. 034 october 13 chip malaysia American Authorities Unwelcomed At Def Con During the recent hacking conference, Def Con held in Las Vegas on August, organisers of the conference, asked government service employees to stay away for the first time in its 21 year history. The reason for this is due to the spying programs of NSA. Def Con founder, Jeff Moss was afraid that some of the conference participants would feel uneasy because of the presence of government representatives. However, there wasn’t a “Witch hunt” for the government employees. 45 IS THE APPARENT NUMBER OF ASSASINATION PLOTS THAT WAS DISCOVERED BY PRISM SINCE 2007. PHOTO: REUTERS/ROBERT GALBRAITH A pparently Microsoft was a model student amongst the co-operation partners of the NSA. The English newspaper, The Guardian found out in July, Microsoft readily revealed to the secret service on how the coding of user data can be dealt with. Even before the start of the Webmail service Outlook.com, the authorities knew about on how its information exchange was achieved. Even the time when the service was still Hotmail, NSA monitored the correspondences of its 420 million users. However, Microsoft not only handed the general key for encoded messages to the secret services: It also worked at facilitating access for the FBI to all the data saved in the Cloud SkyDrive. It is predicted that 250 million users were affected by this. Only nine months after buying Skype, Microsoft Built on its leading 22nm tri-gate technology and the new Silvermont microarchitecture, Intel launched three new multicore SoCs for tablets, 2-in-1 devices, all-in-ones, laptops and desktops. The Intel Atom Z3000 series, is currently the most powerful SoC for tablets to date and delivers and ideal balance of performance, battery life, graphics and features for consumers and businesses.
- 37. news world wired web IN BRIEF INSTAGRAM CAN DO MORE NOW Facebook has upgraded the features of its PhotoApp, Instagram with two new functions. Users can now record 15 second videos that can be edited and enhanced with filters, clips and photos can also be integrated on Blogs and Websites. HOLLAND WANTS TO BE FUEL FREE The government in Netherlands is promoting the development of electric transportation. In the next two years, Holland will have more than 200 charging stations for electronic vehicles. There will be a maximum distance of 50km between the charging stations. The tank systems are operated with solar cells and are supposed to fill batteries of electric cars in 15 to 30 minutes. The Swiss engineering firm ABB and the Dutch company Startup Fastned are responsible for implementing these plans. FINE INSTEAD OF WEB BLOCKING France has reduced the fine for illegal downloads. Pirating content will no longer result in blocked Internet access but fine will be issued. The first offense amounts to RM6,615 and in case of a repeated offense it is RM13,230. The regulation only affects consumers. If someone circulates pirated content, he/she will have their Internet access blocked for up to a year. Create 3D Objects And Buy It On eBay Exact eBay has discovered the market for 3D printing. In July, the online auction house released a free iPhone App “eBay Exact Beta” to the US iTunes store. Users can configure various printing templates on their own and order them in 3D. Currently, at least 18 products are available in the product range, it mainly made up of ornaments and technical accessories. The personalisation options are still limited. Customers can select the desired material and the color. Engraving can also be done. The objects are produced and delivered by the providers like Sculpteo, MarkerBot and Hot Pop Factory, The service is only available in certain parts of the world. Enabling Inactive Mail Addresses On 15 July, Yahoo released inactive Email addresses. Users who haven’t logged in for twelve months lost access to their accounts. In the course of the 30 day deactivation phase, all the private data as well as the saved data were deleted so that the new users cannot access it. Similarly, according to Yahoo, subscribed Newsletters were cancelled and senders of Emails were informed that their address no longer exists. Even online platforms whose users are registered were informed about this change. For users who applied for the free address during this period, he/she was informed if they got the address they wanted in the middle of August. MasterCard and Visa: Ban Payments To VPN Services Credit card companies MasterCard and Visa have instructed their Swedish partner, Payson not to process any payments to VPN providers in the future. Such services enable users to surf websites using an encoded connection. This measure is probably aimed at fighting copyright violations and online piracy. Anonymisation services related to customers were done via Email. NVIDIA Teams Up With Warner Brother Studios for Batman: Arkham Origins NVIDIA has recently announced that it is working with Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and WB Games Montreal to optimise Batman: Arkham Origins for NVIDIA GPUs. On top of that, gamers who purchase an NVIDIA GTX 660 or GTX 700 and above graphics card from participating OEMS around South East Asia, such as ASUS, GIGABYTE, Inno3D, MSI and Palit will receive the game for free when it is released worldwide on October 25 this year. Assange’s Hide And Seek Costs RM56,000 Everyday In June 2012, WikiLeaks co-founder, Julian Assange found refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London. Since then, the British police have been monitoring the embassy around the clock. According to information by the Metropolitan Police, the costs for the British tax payers will amount to RM19.4 million until the end of May. Assange is hiding to escape his extradition from Swedish and American authorities. chip malaysia october 13 035
- 38. news security report Data Theft Of The Month FACEBOOK: MILLIONS OF USER DATA LOST Not cracked so far The EMV chip grants protec on from skimming but only in certain countries German Bank Accounts Robbed Overseas Hacked bank account data taken overseas before being used by hackers S ometime in March this year, a group of criminals installed a number of Bluetooth sensors underneath the cash counters in large supermarkets in the city of Niedersachsen. Within the next few days that followed, the criminals were able to hack through the transactions and obtained credit card data and secret numbers of the customers in these supermarkets. It was stated that records from more than 800 credit cards were stolen and saved on a mobile device. With the data they obtained, the criminals made copies of the cards, and withdrew money from bank accounts in countries such as Equador and India. According to security specialists, the reason why the criminals did not use the cards in Germany is because all of the ATMs in Germany only accept cards with an EMV chip, which has various other account data encoded onto it, which the duplicates don’t have. 036 october 13 chip malaysia Card-skimming Security Gets Tighter The EMV chip is the sole reason why card duplication problems never happen in Germany. The problem however lies with the rest of the world, including the USA. However, since April 2013 the US government implemented what they called an EMV liability shift, whereby in cases that involved data theft and fake cards, the issuer or merchant is liable if their banks do not support EMV technology. That being said, many other countries are still far from implementing EMV technology, and for those who have such valuable data, the trip to countries such as Ecuador and India is worth it for the money that they can reap from the accounts. The damage caused by credit card skimming activities in Germany alone amounted to eight million Euros (RM35 million) in the first half of 2013. Information from Facebook accounts, which was blocked by users from the public was disclosed because of a software error. Therefore, Email addresses and phone numbers could easily be downloaded from users‘ profiles. According to a Facebook representative, less than one percent of users were affected by this error, this however, still amounts to six million people. UBISOFT: USER DATA STOLEN In the middle of June, unknown individuals managed to access the server of the game manufacturer Ubisoft. Here the hackers had access to customer names, Email addresses and passwords. Payment details were not affected by the skimming. Ubisoft did not disclose information about the number of user accounts affected but they advice all their customers to change their passwords. ZAP-HOSTING: ALL DATA STOLEN The data hoster ZAP-Hosting was a victim of an elaborate hack attack. The attackers got access to all the customer data saved on Hoster because of a loophole. The attackers copied this data and deleted the versions on the ZAP-Hosting servers. Meanwhile, although the data has been completely recovered from the attack, the stolen data is still missing without a trace till today.
- 39. news security report Cyber Threats In Retail Stores Danger Barometer 10 Percent of all Windows XP systems are infected with a virus. However, only 4 percent of Windows 7 systems are infected. High risk F Medium risk Low risk THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES ARE COPIED To get private information, attackers attract their victims most commonly on copies of Mail log-in sites. 30% E-MAILS 20% SOCIAL NETWORK 12% BANKS PAYMENT SERVICES COMPUTER CRIME IN GERMANY The number of cyber crime cases in Germany has risen to over 45 percent in the last ten years. NUMBER OF CYBER CRIME OFFENCES 100.000 80.000 60.000 40.000 20.000 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 SOURCE: BKA Number of the Month: 10% OF ALL COUNTRIES ARE THE ORIGIN OF 56% OF ALL PHISING ATTACKS WORLDWIDE linking all sites to head office is critical to business operating processes.” said Dato’ Seri George Chang, Fortinet’s Vice President for Southeast Asia & Hong Kong. To combat this issue, Fortinet has urged the Malaysian retail industry to secure their network infrastructure by deploying network security services such as Multi-threat security systems and in-depth defense for store WiFi. www.fortinet.com The Risks Of Online Gaming S 6% SOURCE: KASPERSKY 0 ortinet has made a detailed report about the security flaws in major retail stores in Malaysia. The report mentions that a large number of network infrastructure in these stores are unprotected, and hackers can easily gain access to their centralised database just by hacking into these networks. “The retail industry is fast becoming a major target for cybercriminals. For retailers with stores throughout Malaysia, secure network connectivity ince the advent of fast internet, online gaming has become a major source of entertainment for children and young adults, first starting off with MMORPGs on the computer, and has now extended to the mobile platform. Trend Micro recently conducted a survey on Malaysians who play games online, and have found out that 41 percent of these gamers play at least twice a week, whilst 55 percent responded that they are social media gamers. Trend Micro has warned that hacking, cheating, and theft via online means are also on the rise as more people flock to these online games, and cautioned users against giving out their personal details to strangers online. www.trendmicro.com.my Piggybacking Malware K aspersky’s three month investigation of the Obad.a Trojan reveals that the brains behind it have adopted a new method to spread their malware. This particular Trojan is disseminated via botnets, but not of their own. These hackers piggyback botnets of other criminal groups, and as these other groups launch their own attacks, the Obad.a Trojan takes a ride along with it, making the attacks a twopronged attack. The most interesting distribution model saw various versions of Obad.a spread with Trojan- SMS.AndroidOS. Opfake.a. This double infection attempt starts with a text message to users, urging them to download a recently received text message. If the victim clicks the link, a file containing Opfake.a is automatically downloaded onto the smartphone or tablet. www.kaspersky.com.my chip malaysia october 13 037
- 40. feature legaltech Fighting Crime with Technology Have you ever wondered if the technology used in movies and TV series like CSI are used in real-life? Well they aren‘t as advanced but they actually play quite a huge role in keeping tabs on ex-cons and even the prevention of crimes By Edwin Lee Yong Cieh 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 T he Royal Malaysian Police Force is in talks with the AttorneyGeneral’s Chambers to monitor the movements and whereabouts of certain accused persons released on bail by tagging them with an electronic monitoring device (“EMD”), which is a new technological security measure introduced by the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (”SOSMA”) and the Criminal Procedure Code (“CPC”). The police are expected to start using the EMD in October 2013. Both the SOSMA and the CPC also introduced new provisions that allow interception of communications by the authorities. The SOSMA was enacted to replace the archaic and draconian Internal Security Act 1950. It provides for special measures relating to security offences for the purpose of maintaining public order and internal security. The CPC, on the other hand, sets out rules relating to criminal procedure in Malaysia for matters such as the mode of arrest; search of body, property or premises; police investigation of a case; prosecution of an accused person; 038 october 13 chip malaysia procedure for trial, etc. The police claim that this is part of their on-going efforts in utilising all the existing laws and technology available to combat serious and organised crimes, in light of the spate of high-profile shootings and the surge in crime rates in the country. This article focuses on the two new technological security measures introduced by the SOSMA and the CPC, namely, the use of EMD and the interception of communication by the authorities. The use of EMD Under the law, a court may, after taking into account the nature of the offence and the circumstances of the case as being sufficient to secure an accused person’s attendance at court, order for an EMD to be attached to the accused person while he is released on bail. Before an accused person is to be attached with an EMD, he will be given an opportunity to be heard as to why he should not be attached with an EMD. Failing to comply with the electronic monitoring requirement will result in the bail being revoked by the court. Any person who tampers or destroys the EMD shall be liable to a fine of not more than RM5,000 or imprisonment of up to 3 years, or both, as well as paying for the damage done to the EMD. The EMD can either be a device, which is attached to a person’s wrist or ankle; a portable tracking device or a site monitoring
- 41. feature legaltech device. These devices have a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS)and are linked to a receiving centre by means of a fixed line, radio frequency, satellite or other technology. These devices are capable of transmitting information to the receiving centre in regards to where the device is located at a particular time, if the device is functioning and is also capable of detecting if the device has been tampered with and will transmit information to the receiving centre in such situations. Using EMD to track the movements and whereabouts of accused individuals has proven to be quite effective in many jurisdictions around the world. It is said that the EMD will act as a restraint on recidivists (convicted criminals who return to crime after they are released from prison) as gangs are unlikely to rely upon or re-engage with those who are being monitored. EMD can be used to ensure that the accused person remains in a designated place or does not enter prescribed areas or approach certain people such as the complainants or the witnesses. The police will be immediately alerted if the accused person ignores or goes against the court’s order. It will also be easier for the police to track down the location of the accused person if he jumps bail. Interception of Communication by the Authorities Under the law, the Public Prosecutor, if he suspects that the accused is likely to contain any information relating to the commission of an offence, may authorise any police officer – (a) to intercept, detain and open any postal article in the course of transmission by post; (b) to intercept any message transmitted or received by any communication; or (c) to intercept or listen to any conversation by any communication. The Public Prosecutor also has the power to require a communication service provider to intercept and retain communication, and authorise a police officer to enter any premises to install an interception device. Any information obtained from such interception shall be admissible in evidence at trial. Interestingly, the SOSMA even gives power to a police officer with the rank of Superintendent and above to perform the interception without authorisation of the Public Prosecutor in urgent and sudden cases where immediate action is required leaving no moment of deliberation. What this means is that, the authorities can “eavesdrop” or “wiretap” telephone lines, emails, letters or even web surfing habits over social networking sites without a warrant, as long as the Public Prosecutor considers that it is likely to contain any information relating to the commission of an offence. Senior police officers may also do so on their own accord where circumstances require. Provisions relating to the interception of communication by the authorities are not new in Malaysia. Similar provisions are already found in other legislation such as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, Strategic Trade Act 2010, Copyright Act 1987, etc. However, the laws cited above are restricted to communication data only. If the data does not form part of the communication, as far as the law is concerned, the authorities have no power to intercept/access or conduct surveillance on such data unless they have obtained a warrant to access such data. Many have voiced concern that the Public Prosecutor should not be given such a broad power to intercept communication. While it is true that in certain circumstances, interception of communication may be effective in preventing crime and collecting evidence, it should be dealt with within the parameter of natural justice coupled with adequate checks and balances by an independent body. For example, in the UK, the police must obtain a warrant from the Secretary of State before it can carry out interception of communication. The Secretary of State will only issue a warrant if it is satisfied that the police have met the tests of necessity and proportionality. The Secretary of State also publishes an annual report showing the number of warrants issued in a year. The law also does not allow the data collected from interception to be used in court as evidence. In the US, prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it was extremely difficult for the authorities to wiretap communication as it must first obtain a “super-warrant” (so named because it was harder than getting a regular search warrant) from the court, and the authorities were subject to strict oversight and a variety of strong privacy protection obligations. However, these laws were changed shortly after the terrorist attacks. Recent newspaper reports indicate that certain authorities such as the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency have flouted these laws by conducting widespread electronic surveillance on millions of Americans’ telephone and Internet communications, with the help from major US-based telecommunications and Internet companies. In one lawsuit filed against the US Government, a thirty-year NSA veteran claims that the NSA had collected almost 20 trillion transactions over the past 11 years. Conclusion The police are increasingly turning to technology to fight crimes. Police cars are now equipped with cameras and GPS monitoring and tracking devices; crime scenes are videotaped and photographed; and CCTV security cameras are placed at strategic locations throughout the main streets and highways. It remains to be seen as to whether the use of these technologies is illegal and unconstitutional as it could potentially amount to a violation of Article 5 (right to life, personal liberty and privacy) and Article 9 (right to freedom of movement) of the Malaysian Federal Constitution. Having said that, it is understandable that while the criminals are resorting to more sophisticated technology in committing crimes, the authorities should also step up their efforts in fighting crimes. The key is always about striking a fair balance between maintaining national security and protecting the privacy of the individuals at the same time. This is never an easy task, and one hopes that the authorities will only exercise these new powers with restrain, for good cause, and only when absolutely necessary. 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. chip malaysia october 13 039
- 42. feature tech spelunk Tech Spelunk The Gold Digger Intel Core i7 4770 ES One of Intel’s highest-end processors at the moment, the Intel Core-i7 comes clocked in at 3.4GHz, but can be overclocked to 3.9GHz, just nice if you need that performance boost for whatever reason. Second to only the Intel Core i74770K, this processor is more than enough to let you do whatever you want to on the PC, be it for office work, watch HD TV series and movies, or even play the latest games. ASUS Z87-Deluxe We’re quite sure that this motherboard wasn’t chosen solely due to the fact that it fits the black and gold theme of me the Gold Digger PC, but you wouldn’t know that just by y looking at it. ASUS went for an image change with their eir Deluxe motherboards, but they also made sure to have a e number of new features such as the Dual Intelligent 4 processors which help improve performance, efficiency, cy, power and system cooling. Another cool new feature the Z87-Deluxe has is that it comes with an external Wi-Fi adapter that to allows the PC to connect to the internet t without needing a cable. ASUS GTX 770 DirectCU II OC C We’ve reviewed the ASUS GTX 770 DirectCU II OC not too t long ago, and we agreed that this card is probably one of e the best bang-for-the-buck graphics cards in the market et right now. The guys at Mod ‘n’ Go Design must have felt elt the same as they decided to go with this one, although it’s h a bit of a shame they didn’t paint the red stripes gold. Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 1300W brid A powerful PC calls for a powerful power supply unit (PSU). Cooler PSU). Master’s Silent Pro Hybrid 1300W was called to action, and the whole idea , behind using this particular PSU is that it will allow users to gradually ers upgrade their machine without worrying that the PSU won’t be able to support future additions to the Gold Digger. 040 september 13 chip malaysia
- 43. feature tech spelunk While the PC modding scene has lost it lustre over the years, there are still some diehard customisers out there who are still hard at work and creating some of the most radical looking desktops you will lay your eyes on. This dream machine we have here was designed by the folks at Mod ‘n’ Go Design and they prove that the modding scene is alive and well as they sent us a custom-made gaming PC called “The Gold Digger”, which is made with some of the best components available in the market now. To know more about them and what they do, give their website a visit at http://irenmodz.wix.com/ mngdesign BY CHIP Team C Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 Th The stock front panel of the Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 was replaced with a custom ma made panel which was made using acrylic, whilst the top panel was removed to give the Go Gold Digger a more naked look. The PSU panel was also modified to make it easily rem removable and comes with three plastic rails to keep it secure. Mod ‘n’ Go have decided to do away with an optical disc drive and removed the ODD and HDD cages so that there is m more space for the fan. This also allowed the folks at Mod ‘n’ Go Design to fit in a 360 360mm radiator for a custom water cooling setup. C Cooler Master Seidon 120XL S and Cooler a Master Turbine M Master M Cooling is an important feature of any computer, modded or otherwise, and it is with this in mind that the guys at Mod ‘n’ Go Design went with Cooler Master’s Seidon 120XL cooler and the Turbine Master fans, as both of them are easy to setup and install. The creators of this beast also made sure to spray-paint them gold to fit with the Gold Digger’s theme. Mushkin Chronos Deluxe M 120GB and Mushkin 1 BlackLine PC3-19200 16GB B Kit K M Mushkin is the brand of choice for the SSD and R RAMs, and it is for good reason. Mushkin has been a an enthusiast favourite for storage and memory p products as far back as we can remember, and t their wide variety of products are of high quality a and excellent performance. In order to fit the t theme, the top part of the Mushkin BlackLine’s h heatspreaders were painted gold. A ASUS MX279 LED Monitor T The Gold Digger PC features one of the nicest m monitors we’ve seen in a while, in the form of the A ASUS MX279 LED monitor, which we’ve reviewed i in this month’s issue in the Test Lab section in p page 95. chip malaysia september 13 041
- 44. feature the digital rebellion TWITTER REVOLUTION WHISTLEBLOWER, LEAKER AND HACKER The riots after the Iranian presidential election in 2009 were known as the Twitter revolution because the fledgling service was used to coordinate protests for the first time For some, they are heroes and for others they are traitors or even criminals: Whistleblowers pass on confidential documents, which time and again proves to be like primary explosives. The publication by Bradley Manning is even considered as one of the catalyst for the Arab Spring revolution. 2,024,166 65.5 % tweets during the Iran election were recorded by the Web Ecology Project research team during the period between 7 to 26 June. The short messages came from 480,000 users of the Twitter posts about the Iran election and protests came from 10 percent of the users. Majority of the users, 59.3 percent, wrote only 14.1 percent of the total tweets The publication of 250,000 diplomatic telegrams resulted in an international Cable Gate Bradley Manning, scandal in April US Army 2010. Since July 2013, Manning stands before a US military court The passing of internal slides revealed that the monitoring program PRISM and TEMPORA, was used by the Edward Snowden, American and formerly NSA British secret agencies to intercept Internet traffic across the world The US cables and Stratfor e-mails, among others, were published with the help of the Australian platform. He was accused of Julian Assange, WikiLeaks spying in the US Digital Rebellion Social networks are becoming the main medium of major protests and revolutions. Before the youth take to the streets, they first gather online By Benjamin Hartlmaier 40,000 people were on the streets in Germany on 15th October 2011. In other parts of the world, about 1,000 demonstrators gathered in 82 countries, to demonstrate for social change. This day will now be forever remembered as the climax of a new protest culture, which has its roots in the social network sites like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. The young demonstrators brought together the Hashtag #globalchange, which was used to coordinate actions in advance over the Internet. The initiators of the protests already had experience with the planning of protests over social networks because the so-called “15th October Movement”, included the Spanish Group “Democracia Real Ya” (Real Democracy Now), the Greek movement of the “Empörten”, the occupy movement and other groups from the Arab Spring revolution. All the relevant groups, who had previously organised massive protest on the Internet, were represented on 15th October 2011 (refer to the image on pg 43). The digital rebellion came to a temporary halt, but it was not over. 042 october 13 chip malaysia 25 Twitter users were arrested by police for protests in Turkey in June 2013. The charge against them was: they had spread misleading and offensive information over the short message service. The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Erdogan also termed these social networking sites as “The most pathetic threat to the society”. The Turkish government is now demanding more access to Twitter: The communication minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim stated that “If we want information, we would want somebody in Turkey who can give it to us”. 10 years in prison – the sentence given to the Anonymous hacker Jeremy Hammond. He pleaded himself guilty to breaking into the systems of the US private intelligence agency Stratfor in 2011. The copied internal e-mails show that the US Department of Homeland Security was actually commissioned for fighting terrorism and also the spying of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The ministry gave special attention to the communications between the demonstrators over the social networking sites. PHOTOS: ISTOCKPHOTO/ALBERTC111; REUTERS/ANTHONY DEVLIN, POOL, LUCAS JACKSON, JOHN KOLESIDIS, PAWEL KOPCZYNSK, UESLEI MARCELINO, JUAN MEDINA, KAI PFAFFENBACH, MURAD SEZER, STRINGER, STR NEW, BOBBY YIP; U. S. ARMY SOURCE: STATISTA.COM; IPSOS The hacker community has repeatedly stolen confidential documents of “opposing” organisations, Anonymous, Web collective such as internal E-Mails of the private US secret service Stratfor in the year 2010
- 45. feature the digital rebellion TWITTER & CO. LED THESE PROTESTS The social media has played a central role in mass demonstrations over the years: protests were organised over Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and the latest information were spread across the world in this manner GREECE IRAN The mass protests against planned economy measures by the end of May 2011 was the first of its kind in the history of the country; it was mainly organized over Facebook. Ten thousand people took part in the protest After the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President in June 2009, millions of Iranians protested. The protestors communicated with each other mainly over Twitter #GREEKREVOLUTION GERMANY #BLOCKUPY In June 2013, the German police force was up against 7,000 Blockupy demonstrators in the Frankfurt for revolt #IRANELECTION TURKEY #OCCUPYGEZI There were violent antigovernment protests in June 2013 after a demo against a building project in Istanbul Gezi Park. Over 8,000 were injured and caused millions of dollars of damage BRAZIL EGYPT Over a million Brazilians protested against the government as it over spent on the 2014 World Cup preparations at the expense of public transport, education and infrastructure. After the protest, officials revoked the fare hike In January 2011, tens of thousands of Egyptians occupied Tahrir Square in Cairo in what is now known as the Arab Spring. The government had to jam Internet and wireless networks as social media was main source of communication and coordination of this massive demonstration #ARABSPRING #CHANGEBRAZIL USA SPAIN Demonstrators occupied the Zuccotti Park in New York’s Wall Street district with the slogan “We are the 99%“ in September 2011: This was the birth of the global Occupy movement. 700 protestants were arrested Inspired by the occupation of Tahrir Square in Egypt, ten thousand protestors flooded the “Puerta del Sol” Square in Madrid in May 2011. It was also mainly organised over social networks #OCCUPYWALLSTREET #SPANISHREVOLUTION FAKE MOVEMENTS There have been countless times where companies or states produce staged protests over social networks to cause anxiety. For outsiders it is often very difficult to differentiate whether images and videos of protests, which spreads over social networking sites, are authentic. With social unrest these images always appear to be ripped out of context or falsified. For example, recently, an alleged protest march in Turkey turned out to be an old photo of a marathon in Istanbul. Completely fake movements are called Astroturfing. A term, which comes from a brand name for synthetic turf, indicates the attempt, civic engagement – also called the grassroot movement – of staging, for political or commercial purposes: the Stuttgart 21 protests was astroturfing because a marketing agency, which also worked for the German Railway, organised a Pro-S21 run. The Canadian magazine Adbusters was supposed to be behind the Occupy movement The website of action “Run for Stuttgart” is registered as a marketing agency This image is supposed to show demonstrations in Istanbul – but it is actually a marathon run chip malaysia october 13 043
- 46. feature artificial intelligence The term “Artificial intelligence” was introduced at the Dartmouth conference ELIZA 1966 MYCIN analyses blood infection disorders and recommends therapies Stanford 1971 Dragon Systems begin the development of the first commercially usable language recognition system Robot 1993 Deep Blue 1956 ELIZA is as a chat robot and can carry on a human-like intelligent discussion. 1970 1998 Wolfram Alpha by Stephen Wolfram’s team is the first semantic search machine. Watson 2011 Google’s autonomous car gets onroad permission in Nevada Model car 2013 As per Moore’s Law, PCs will soon achieve the calculating power equivalent to the human brain Singularity 044 october 13 chip malaysia 2045 MYCIN The Stanford Cart, is the first autonomous automobile 1982 Language Robot Polly acts as a guide on the seventh floor of MIT and interacts with visitors 1997 The super computer Deep Blue defeats the world chess champion Garry Kasparov in seven games Furby Dartmouth Football The first robot football world champion has 381 participants 40 million Furbys are sold in Christmas gift stores. The cuddly soft toy learns English as time passes. 2009 Search IBM’s super computer Watson wins in the game Jeopardy against former champions 2012 Car Start-up Anki displays the model cars which are autarchically controlled by an iPhone App and thus simulate the racing behavior 2029 Draw Technological singularity predicts: artificial intelligence is superior to man itself and will continue to evolve
- 47. feature artificial intelligence Artificial Intelligence It has defeated the world chess champion, won in quiz shows and drives cars, but Artificial Intelligence won’t just stop at these triumphs – it looks to achieve even more and it may soon be smarter than a human being By Christoph Sackmann PHOTOS: FLICKR / DON DEBOLD, ONINNOVATION; REUTERS/NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES/HANDOUT; THINKSTOCK / ISTOCKPHOTO; WIKIPEDIA / ALEX NORTH, ANDREAS PRAEFCKE, STEPHEN WOLFRAM PR/STEPHEN FAUST B ack in 1994, scholar Hans Moravec made a statement, which goes like this “you do not require your body in order to be live”. The Austrian native wasn’t just only an Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher – his specialty is robots. And they are getting smarter: According to Moore’s Law, the processing speed of an average computer doubles every 18 months. If predictions by experts are accurate, computing machines will be able to process equal amounts of data as a human brain by 2029. 16 years later, this phenomena will reach a point known as singularity and this is when machines will be so intelligent that they will be able to evolve on their own without the need of human support. This is said be in line with Moravec’s prediction as he said that in the future, contents of a human brain – thoughts, perception and data processing, will be able to be stored in an artificial device, making humans almost machine-like. Effectively, this means humans will no longer be just bound to a fragile flesh shell and this Singularity phase was also predicted in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” by Stanley Kubrick. When the movie was launched, we had just figured out a way to make searching the web a much more efficient machine. Even by today’s standard, singularity seems to be something found only in science fiction but it does make us wonder if we will actually get that far in the distant future. Nevertheless, it is hard to deny the fact that Artificial Intelligence has made unbelievable progress in the last 60 years. Psychotherapy with Chatbot ELIZA The concept of AI isn’t really that old, it was coined in 1965 at the Dartmouth Conference held in the college it was named after in New Hampshire. It is defined as “a system that perceives its environment and reacts to it that it maximizes its chances of success”. The first system of its kind was ELIZA, a chat program that was tested in 1966 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. Although it seems quite simple now, it was a major breakthrough then as ELIZA was able to form questions from sentences entered by the test personnel. When the personnel typed in “My head hurts”, ELIZA replied by asking “Why does your head hurt?” Moreover, the chatbot was also able to master associations, for example statements like “My father irritates me,” led to answers such as “Tell me more about your family”. ELIZA mastered these simple shortcuts so perfectly that subjects thought they were actually chatting with a real doctor. Years later, investigator Joseph Weizenbaum reported that the subjects had asked him to leave during the tests out of respect for the privacy of their room. He was denied the chance to keep transcripts of the chats because the subjects responded too emotionally to ELIZA. Not long after that, AI began being applied in the medical field: one of the first programs that appeared was MYCIN in 1970, which was used to diagnose blood diseases and also analyse and prescribe the appropriate dose of antibiotics. However, much like ELIZA, MYCIN’s intelligence was also limited: when given data from a cholera patient, it provided the same treatment recommendation for a blood disorder. Because of this and ethical concerns, MYCIN was never used on a daily basis despite the fact that it had more successful hit rates compared to doctors. AI has come a long way since ELIZA and MYCIN and today, super computers such as IBM’s Watson whose “career” began in 2011 is able to win the quiz game Jeopardy against former champions. In the future, it is expected to be used to rapidly find out optimal therapies for cancer patients. Artificial Intelligence victorious in chess, Jeopardy and football Once a new level is achieved in AI, it is always tested in a game: before Watson, the super computer Deep Blue defeated the world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997, and since that event, robots have also faced each other in soccer world championships. A total of 381 teams from 42 countries competed in this championship in 2012 in Mexico. Of course, robots can do more than just play games. Before Google, Audi and BMW unveiled their autonomous cars, there was the Stanford Cart in 1971, which was named after the Californian University. MIT also has their very own robot, called Polly that was used to guide visitors to the seventh floor of the institute in 1993 where AI research was being conducted. Polly interacted with visitors who had to “nod” with their feet. In 2005, Honda created Asimo, the first human-like robot who moved around on two legs. With his help, experts were able to develop visual prostheses for senior citizens. Currently, the focus of research is on AI that learns on its own. Apple’s voice assistant Siri learns more dialects with each spoken word. Google’s knowledge base Knowledge Graph is able to automatically create links between the interests of its users, and the search engine Wolfram Alpha translates search queries to lexical entries. Artificial neural networks are expected to make machine learning much more effective and is modelled on the structure of our brains – in about 16 years however, we will still be smarter. chip malaysia october 13 045
- 48. feature a view of silvermont INTEL’S NEW MOBILE CPU As a major innovator in the world of technology, Intel looks to once again outdo the competition when it comes to mobile CPUs. The next-generation of Intel Atom processors will feature a new technology known as the out-of-order execution that ensures non-optimised programs run faster as the processor develops its own execution that minimises unnecessary load times. THE PRINCIPLE Take orders, split them up in individual steps or operations (OPs) and then execute – this is the procedure followed by CPUs. TAKE ORDERS EXECUTION THE EXECUTION SILVERMONT This is how Silvermont executes a program as compared to its predecessor Saltwell. ITLB chip malaysia LOAD ORDERS L1-COMMAND CACHE ITLB COMMAND MEMORY DECODER 1 μCODE L1-COMMAND CACHE COMMAND MEMORY DECODER 2 DECODER 1 μCODE MEMORY FOR MACHINE ORDERS DECODER 2 MEMORY FOR MACHINE ORDERS QUEUE SSE-REGISTER INT.-REGISTER FP-REGISTER RESORTING/REARRANGING μ OPS μ OPS μ OPS μ OPS μ OPS EU EU EU EU EU changed october 13 SALTWELL LOAD ORDERS 1 Take orders Firstly, the order or its exact logical address is loaded. In the L1-Cache, the CPU checks whether the order was already used; the considerably enlarged ITLB (Instruction Translation Lookaside Buffer) stores the related physical addresses. Then the order ends up in the command memory. 046 EXECUTION OP 10 OP 25 OP 3 RESORT the first steps in a queue and sorts them in such a way that the order of execution is optimal for the processor. 4 Execution In the final step, the execution units (EU) processes the operations. OP 1 OP 2 DECODE ORDERS QUEUE 2 Out-of-order execution stores 3 Distributing tasks Silvermont uses the out-of-order execution: It saves the micro-operations (μ OPs) in a queue and sorts them in such a way that it is operated at full capacity. Saltwell on the other hand, starts immediately but in a predetermined order. TAKE ORDERS OP 1 OP 2 DECODE ORDERS 1 In-order execution executes the steps strictly in the sequence of their decoding. 2 Decoding Two decoders working in parallel convert the command into machine operations understood by the processor. Intel uses fewer micro-codes (μ code) in Silvermont because the CPU can also execute macro-operations. This helps saves decode time. IN-ORDER-EXECUTION OUT-OF-ORDER-EXECUTION EU EU EU EU EU EU EU
- 49. feature a view of silvermont SILVERMONT: Atom Power Saver The next-generation Atom CPUs won‘t just have improved performance but also greater power efficiency. This will put Intel in the perfect spot to conquer the mobile market By Jörg Geiger I ntel CPUs are few and far between in tablets and smartphones. The reason being that although the Atom CPUs are competent, they consume a lot of power and only has moderate performance. If you were to take a closer look at the technology, it is clear that Intel has so far mainly focused on the CPU cores and the concomitant multithreading (with Intel Hyper-threading). Many threads processing parallel are required to make this strategy work when executing a program. It sounds good and has the advantage to produce a higher data throughput. But hyperthreading is a complex thing and it is also not practical on a mobile device. For example, waiting time: If a user wants to play a video on the smartphone while travelling, it should start as quickly as possible. But just the decompressing of larger video streams is a tough task when hyperthreading is used. Instead, a good single thread performance would prove to be more efficient, as a single core will be able to put out more computing power. This is exactly what Intel has improved in the next generation of its Atom CPUs, codenamed Silvermont. It replaces the hyperthreading of the current generation of Atom processors, Saltwell, with powerful physical cores. Not only is Intel certain that they will have the best performance with Silvermont but they have also tweaked many details of the CPU to improves its power consumption. On average, Silvermont is said to use only one-fifth of the amount of power used by the current generation of Atom processors. INFOGRAFIK: VERONIKA ZANGL Three times faster than its predecessor The secret weapon of Silvermont is known as the ‘Out-of-order’ execution (refer to pg 50). Older CPU experts will have heard of this term as it was used in the Pentium Pro era. Intel didn’t use this technology for their Atom processors as they wanted to rely on hyperthreading and in-oder execution. A processor executes a series of machine instructions when running a program. Current CPUs strictly adhere to the prescribed sequence of commands (in order) which is often not tailored for the processor. Hence, the execution units are not properly utilised leading to unnecessary wait times and longer program execution times. On the other hand, the out-of-order execution optimises the execution order. As compared to Saltwell, Silvermont is able to process approximately 50% more commands per clock cycle. The new micro-architecture is particularly powerful in the crucial integer and floating-point calculation operations (multiplications and divisions), the core function of a CPU. According to Intel, this is triple the performance power compared to its predecessor. Even the so-called command pipeline, in which the programs are processed, is not extended. The new Atom CPU saves three cycles during execution as the CPU doesn’t access the data cache. The topic branch prediction is also interesting, i.e. how efficiently the processor can predict which commands should be loaded next. With the help of command structure, it determines which program points next in line. This prediction is optimised in Silvermont. In the case of an error in the prediction, the waiting time is shorter before the processor can continue working again. Therefore, Intel predicts that Silvermont will be used in more devices compared to its predecessor. Intel has also improved Silvermont in terms of caches: The two cores divide the L2 cache and forms a module. With 1MB capacity, the cache is also larger than Saltewell. The real advantage is that it can use one core on its own in single thread mode. This is definitely a big leap ahead of its predecessor as Saltwell couldn’t divide its cache. Silvermont also has much lower latency when it comes to accessing the cache. The size of the so-called Translation Lookaside Buffer for commands has also increased by three times to 48 entries. This is a big advantage because it contains the memory addresses of used commands. This also helps shorten the loading time when a program accesses the same command again. Even more power efficient However, the primary objective of Silvermont is saving power. Intel has determined the framework conditions: The new microarchitecture Silvermont is manufactured in 22-nanometer process (Saltwell: 32 nanometers). Moreover, Intel will also be using for the very first time the new 3D Tri-Gate transistors, which essentially requires a much lower switching current, works faster and has lower leakage currents. The architecture offers a definite freedom of choice as Silvermont can be scaled for smartphones to servers. Thus, the highest Silvermont can go will be eight cores; for tablets, Intel will have four core processors; while smartphones will have at least two cores. With the new Burst Technology 2.0, the cores can reach the power peaks faster, and, more importantly, also come back to moderate clock cycles more quickly. Another amazing feature: the cores can go into sleep mode independently. Better performance and lower power consumption, Intel has really got us excited and we won’t have to wait long for a device equipped with Silvermont, as tablets with the new Atom (Bay Trail) should arrive during the Christmas season; however, we will have to wait till early 2014 for new Atom powered smartphones. chip malaysia october 13 047
- 50. feature useful technologies of tomorrow The most useful TECHNOLOGIES of tomorrow A road surface that generates power. A consumable pill that generates a password. And tiny batteries which are charged in seconds – and are powerful enough to start cars. These inventions aren‘t here yet, but we want them By Fabian von Keudell 1 WLAN IN A SPRAY CAN 6 EXOSKELETON QUANTEM 2COMPUTER ZOOMING 7 LENSES CONTACT 3 PASSWORD PILL 8 POWER FOR BRAIN PRINT 4 ANYTHING 9 SUPER BATTERY Chamtech Enterprises in the USA have invented a liquid which is made up of several million nano transistors. A surface sprayed with the liquid will then be able to receive and send electromagnetic signals – that is much better than the conventional antennae. With this invention, walls will be able to act as replacement for radio towers. D-Wave is the company that manufactured the first commercial Quantem computer. Their customers include NASA and Google, which are developing the artificial intelligence of the quantum computer further. PHOTOS: EKSO BIONICS; STEVE JURVETSON; D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC. At the D11 conference, Motorola announced a revolution that will stop the age-old problem of forgotten passwords. How? With a pill that sends out an 18-bit code when it comes in contact with our gastric acid, which is then recorded by an external receiver and forwarded to the PC. Designed by American firm Makerbot, this 3D printer is ready for launch. It will cost about RM8,710 and can create anything - from everyday objects to medical devices. 5 SOLAR STREETS American start-up Solar Roadways have created special solar panels that can be laid out as road surfaces. Its pilot project was launched this year and is expected to cost the US government around RM2,477,390. These solar panels can also be installed with LEDs to display warning and road signs. 048 october 13 chip malaysia When made available some time this year, this invention by Ekso Bionics will truly be life changing as it will allow a paraplegic to start running again. It can even hits speeds of up to 3km/h. Research groups based in the USA and Switzerland have both been successful in designing a 1.17-millimeter thick contact lens which has a 3x zooming ability. It is currently in the experimental stage but is expected to be in the market next year. This is designed to help patients who suffer from agerelated macular degeneration. The foc.us-Headset uses mild electrics shocks to stimulate the brain and helps it to perform better and improve reaction time. Its current and firts field of application is used in computer games. It is expected to cost around RM824. Researches from the University of Illinois have invented a tiny yet highly efficient batteries, which only takes a few seconds to charge but is also powerful enough to start a parked car. Other applications of the super battery currently include being used in smartphones. But when it is finally mass manufactured, the skies will definitely be the limits for this tiny power source. 10 DRIVER-LESS AUTO Rear-end collisions are the second most common type of accidents all over the world. So to stop this from happening, Google has come up with a driver-less car solution. In fact, Google has actually been testing these automatic cars in the USA since 2012 and have gotten excellent results
- 51. feature google reader alternatives Alternatives for Google Reader Google Reader is dead, but here are alternatives that will help you love again By Naina Khedekar G oogle has pulled the plug on Reader, its popular tool for viewing RSS feeds, due to waning popularity. Launched in 2005, the service was adept at bringing everything you cared about on the Internet to a single page and synced your feeds across all devices. While there has been a shift in the way people access feeds today, there are enough people who are accustomed to or use Google Reader extensively on desktops. For these users, here are some alternatives. FEEDLY Reader’s demise will benefit Feedly immensely. Feedly comes across as an apt and direct replacement as it is the most popular alternative and has a neat and slick user interface. It can be easily personalised with a newspaper-esque interface or an image-centric view. Feedly also has a competent app for users looking for a mobile-friendly RSS feed service. Available on the Web, Android and iOS, it seamlessly syncs feeds across all of your devices, letting you access feeds on your smartphone or tablet, and then pick up from where you left off on your computer. To increase its chances as the best alternative for Reader, Feedly has been adding a slew of new features that improves the app's overall userfriendliness and versatility. DIGG READER This alternative was announced shortly after Google revealed the imminent demise of its Reader. It features a Google Reader-like interface, and you even have to sign-in using your Google account. Digg Reader allows users to share stories on social networks and, obviously, Digg. It also has a filter that shows all the trending articles from your feeds. This reader has some features in the pipeline, such as being able to view unread items and marking items as unread. With the number of quick updates it has been getting, it looks like Digg Reader is all geared up to replace Reader, but isn’t there yet. AOL READER AOL has also launched its own tool for viewing RSS feeds and it's called AOL Reader. It is a simple web RSS reader that comes without many bells and whistles, and can be accessed using your Twitter, Google or Facebook accounts. It is not as slick as Feedly or Digg's offerings, but AOL does make it easy to get new content from several news sources across categories. It comes with different layout formats, including a thumbnail kind (card view) of view that shows the headline and lead image of every article. Users can mark articles to read later, and you're also shown a catalogue of similar or suggested sites. AOL Reader has a lot of potential as a web application and AOL is said to be working on smartphone and tablet apps so that department will be covered. MORE ALTERNATIVES Apart from these, some other options include The Old Reader and Flipboard. Desktop users can also take a look at Reeder (Mac) and Outlook. The Opera browser also has a default RSS reader. chip malaysia september 13 049
- 52. feature tokyo game show 2013 TOKYO GAME SHOW 2013 We head on over to Asia‘s biggest gaming convention to bring you news on what‘s happening in the video game industry By Nazrin Zain 2 013 is a special year for gamers, regardless whether you’re a part of the PC or console gaming crowd. Not only are we seeing more OEM builders making more components geared for a gaming PC, but Sony and Microsoft have also announced that they will be pushing out their next generation consoles, the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One to many markets at the end of this year. While we may have missed out on the big announcements from other shows such as the Electronic Entertainment Expo and Gamescom, we were lucky enough to be able to attend Asia’s biggest gaming convention, Tokyo Game Show, which is held annually at the Makuhari Messe convention centre in 050 october 13 chip malaysia Organisers of Tokyo Game Show 2013 officia ng the launch of the event
- 53. feature tokyo game show 2013 KNACK is one of the most an cipated games for the Sony PlaySta on 4 Over 200,000 people from around the world a ended this year’s Tokyo Game Show Chiba prefecture, Japan. It is here where gamers, journalists and even developers and businesspeople alike come together to see what game studios and electronic entertainment companies have to offer to consumers this year and next. Held from 19 to 22 September, Tokyo Game Show 2013 broke last year’s attendance record of 223,573 attendees, as this year’s event saw an influx of 46,444 more visitors, bringing the count to a whopping 270,197 visitors throughout the four days, and as an event first, sees over 100,000 visitors coming in for each of the two public days on the 21st and 22nd. The first two days of Tokyo Game Show were business days, where journalists, developers and businesspeople attended the expo to participate in keynotes, business meetings, and press conferences so that they would have a clearer picture of things to come from the companies participating in the event. Sony Brought Out The Big Guns The biggest announcement made at Tokyo Game Show 2013 was probably made by Sony, as they unveiled that the APAC market, not including Japan will be getting the PlayStation 4 in December this year, a month later than the American and European market will get theirs. This also confirms that countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Phillipines and Indonesia will get their next-gen Sony consoles first before Japan, who will get theirs in February 2014. Andrew House, Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment took to the stage and announced the company’s direction, as far as the PlayStation 4 is concerned, and has promised that gamers will get more games once the consoles are out on all of Sony’s markets. Gamers will also get a nice mix of AAA titles alongside indie titles that are sure to make video games a more mainstream source of entertainment. Besides the PlayStation 4 announcement, Sony also showed more of the PlayStation Vita TV, a small device that is connected to the TV via HDMI, and can be used for a number of things, chief of which include playing PlayStation Vita games on the TV, streaming PlayStation 3 games via Gaikai and functioning as a remote streaming device for the PlayStation 4. On the show floor, we also got to see the new, slimmer PlayStation Vita which was announced alongside the PlayStation Vita TV. The device is indeed thinner than the original, and whilst the display size remains the same, Sony has ditched the OLED display in favour of an The new PlaySta on Vita in pink! LCD screen, in order to cut costs and make the PS Vita a lot more competitive price-wise against its long-time rival, the Nintendo 3DS. Not only that, the new PlayStation Vita also features several new colours that are sure to entice on-the-fence buyers who would definitely want a portable console that fits their style. As far as games are concerned, Sony had a wide variety of games on the show floor, be it for the PlayStation 3 or the PlayStation 4. Some of these games include the upcoming Gran Turismo 6, The Sony PlaySta on Vita TV garnered a lot of a en on at the event chip malaysia october 13 051
- 54. feature tokyo game show 2013 The Sony PlaySta on 4 and the variety of DualShock 4 controllers biggest title yet, as it combines the traditional FPS genre with some interesting dynamics, such as mech piloting. We knew it was a great game from the get-go, but actually having some time with it, was a very unforgettable treat. We also asked about the launch of the Xbox One in the Asia region, but unfortunately it seems that Microsoft has yet to change their stance on launching in its “key markets” before spreading out to this side of the world. Ace Combat Infinity, Dynasty Warriors 8, Knack, Drive Club, and Resogun, amongst others. Games, Games and More Games Microsoft And Its Charms Microsoft didn’t make any groundbreaking announcements at Tokyo Game Show unlike Sony, but as the launch of the Xbox One is just around the corner, the company has decided to make its presence felt at the event this year after last year’s hiatus. Whilst more people are certainly looking forward to a number of Xbox One titles such as Titanfall, Ryse and Crimson Dragon, Microsoft has not forgotten about the Xbox 360, and even set up quite a number of demo stations there, featuring upcoming games such as Armored Core: Verdict Day, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, FIFA 14, Rocksmith 2014 and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Testing out Crytek’s Ryse, the gameplay is now different from what was shown at E3 and Gamescom as the company tweaked it to reduce the overreliance on QTE segments that detracts from the gamers’ skill a lot. The game feels a lot more challenging now, and we say that in a good way. Titanfall is of course the Xbox One’s The Xbox One on display 052 october 13 Sony and Microsoft aren’t the only big exhibitors at Tokyo Game Show of course, as publishers and studios such as Square-Enix, Capcom, Bandai-Namco, Koei-Tecmo and even the likes of Rockstar Games created giant waves and headlines with their demos. Square-Enix, of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest fame were one of the few big name studio/publishing names at Tes ng out Drive Club for the PlaySta on 4 One of the biggest a rac ons at Square-Enix’s booth chip malaysia Tokyo Game Show this year, featuring a number of games at their booth, including the upcoming Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD remaster, Final Fantasy XIII-3 and the recently launched Final Fantasy XIV. The company is also the official publisher of the console release of Diablo 3 in Japan, and had the game showcased on the floor as well. Other upcoming titles that gamers can expect from them include Drag-On Dragoon 3, Thief, Skylanders: Spyro’s March and also The Evil Within. The Capcom booth got a massive surge of visitors due to Monster Hunter and Sengoku Basara 4
- 55. feature tokyo game show 2013 Studios affiliated with Sega and their soon-to-be-released games Capcom is the other big-name studio that drew a large crowd at the show, as they had a number of big-name titles such as Monster Hunter, Sengoku Basara 4 and another reimagined classic, Strider. Capcom’s latest Monster Hunter 4 for the Nintendo 3DS is a humongous hit in Japan, with hundreds of thousands, if not millions in the country playing it right now. At the show floor, Capcom also unveiled Monster Hunter Smart, a full-blown Monster Hunter game for Apple’s iOS platform. Strider, or Strider Hiryu as the game was once called, was a famous game back in the Nintendo consoles of old, and Double Helix has been entrusted by Capcom to bring new life to the title. The game is super-fast paced, akin to that of Sonic games, which is a great thing, because in this one, you either kill the enemies the second they see you, or you’re the one who will be riddled with bullets. There are no release dates confirmed for Strider yet at the time of writing, but it has been confirmed that it will be released for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Not to be forgotten, Sega was also at Tokyo Game Show this year, showing of some relatively futuristic and historic Indie games were quite a hit and a racted many visitors Capcom’s Monster Hunter Smart was promoted in a big way at the show Visitors trying out the PlaySta on Vita TV’s func onality titles at their booth this year. Some of their big titles include the two new Hatsune Miku games, titled Project Diva F 2nd and Project Mirai 2 respectively, the former for the PS3 and PS Vita, whilst the latter is for the Nintendo 3DS console, both of which are rhythm games and have been taking the world by storm as of late. The new Ryuu ga Gotoku, or Yakuza as most of us know it also made a brief appearance at the Sega booth in the form of a trailer video. Yakuza: Ishin is Visitors tes ng out the Sony Xperia VR headset Wargaming.net coming in big at Tokyo Game Show with World of Tanks Koei-Tecmo celebra ng 30 years of Sangoku Musou One of the games being shown at the Indie Games Area chip malaysia october 13 053
- 56. feature tokyo game show 2013 set in the Shogunate-era, eschewing the modern environments this time around. The game is slated to make its way as a PlayStation exclusive as it makes its way to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. Fighting game enthusiasts will be happy to know that there are also a wide variety of such games coming our way courtesy of companies such as NamcoBandai and Arc System Works who are bringing titles such as Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures: All Star Battle, J Stars Victory VS, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, God Eater 2, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma, and the upcoming Guilty Gear Xrd. Not to be forgotten, there is also GungHo Online, a company who has made a fortune with their hit mobile game Puzzle & Dragons, a match three RPG game reminiscent of titles like Puzzle Quest. At their booth, they were pushing out demos for their upcoming Puzzle & Dragons Z, a new Ragnarok Odyssey Ace game, and a video trailer for their upcoming console debut game, Lily Bergamo, which is spearheaded by Grasshopper, and notable game producer Suda51. A large stone replica of Date Masamune from Capcom’s upcoming Sengoku Basara 4 convention centre. This time around, however the management has seen fit to include another hall to that number as well, as they are introducing a number of new additions to the event for the first time. By expanding their venue, they were able to add new sections such as the Indie Game Area, Romance Simulation Game Area and even a Cloud Gaming Area which allows even more companies to take part in the event this year. With record attendance being set this year, we’re fairly certain that Tokyo Game Show will be hard-pressed to find more space to sustain all the companies and people who will flock over to Japan to see even more next-gen games on the show floors here. Evil Geniuses, an interna onally famous game team also made an appearance Cool Things at TGS Tokyo Game Show is usually held in halls 1-8 of the Makuhari Messe Live digital pain ng demonstra on by university students 054 october 13 chip malaysia A large scale replica of KNACK Donna Burke of Metal Gear Solid fame a ended Tokyo Game Show too!
- 57. feature tokyo game show 2013 AMD At Tokyo Game Show During the show, we of course had to speak to the people behind the brains of the next-gen consoles which isn’t too long after the recently launched Richland APUs. Onwards to the more juicy gaming bits, the graphics arm of AMD hasn’t been slacking off either, as they too have been busy in their own respect. According to Ritche Corpus, AMD’s Director of ISV Developer Relations, AMD have recently announced that a number of AAA titles such as Battlefield 4 and Thief are optimised for both AMD Radeon graphics cards and AMD APUs. One of the more interesting things to note, however is that AMD is also going into the cloud-gaming ecosystem, as they announced the AMD Radeon Sky Series, a graphics card made specifically for cloud gaming servers. Some of the features mentioned by Ritche include HD gaming at 30 and 60 FPS, minimal latency from server to end-user, outstanding compression features that help save bandwidth and optimal density, which allows more of these GPUs to be added onto the servers. AMD’s booth at Tokyo Game Show A MD also made a big show of force at Tokyo Game Show this year. And why wouldn’t they? This is public knowledge by now if you’ve been following the gaming news closely, but for the benefit of those who don’t, AMD’s APUs power all three next-generation consoles, which includes the Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One and the Nintendo Wii-U. According to Steven Liu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the AMD Client Business Unit, all three companies came to AMD for their expertise as the company was the only one in the processor industry that has the expertise to combine both CPU and GPU technologies into one die, which helps in saving both cost and space for the console. “As it turns out, all three console makers had the same thing in mind, as they wanted a component that is not only powerful, but compact, and instead of building something from scratch, they came to us as we have already been doing something like that for quite some time now” said Steven. Both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One run on a variant of AMD’s Jaguar APU, both of which are custom modified as the consoles uses different memory architecture. “Their decision to use our APUs to power their console caught us by surprise, but it is a good thing as it shows that they acknowledge what we’ve been doing all this while”. Speaking of AMD’s APU technology, the company is preparing to launch their latest series of APUs into the market, codenamed “Kaveri”, which Steven says will be the first one to feature what the company calls HSA, which stands for “Heterogenous Systems Architecture”. The company claims that HSA will help create an improved processor design that exposes the benefits and capabilities of mainstream programmable compute elements, working together seamlessly. The Kaveri APUs will be available in markets around the world by Q4 2013, Steven Liu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the AMD Client Business Unit gave us a tour of AMD’s current and future plans An AMD execu ve conduc ng a demo on how a game looks when using AMD’s Eyefinity mul -display feature chip malaysia october 13 055
- 58. Feeling disconnected? It’s not to say that there isn’t any help out there, or that you couldn’t really find anyone to help and be a friend -- It’s just that you’re really clicking in the wrong places. Join us at our CHIP Forums, to meet kindred people, get tech support and help us give it a new, strong community. Head on over to www.chip.com.my today, and make that first click!
- 59. feature looking at the past for answers Back to the Future – A New Reality in IT Security While actual time travel is still something found only in fiction, many IT security vendors are looking to its concept to help improve their solutions that look into past cases and prepare for the future attacks By Ivan Wen Appointed as Country Manager of Sourcefire Malaysia since January 2011, Ivan is responsible for driving business growth and profitability of the company and also plays a key role in increasing customer satisfaction T he ability to travel back in time has captured the imaginations of generations around the world for hundreds of years. One of the more universally-recognised examples is the ‘Back to the Future’ film trilogy which grossed nearly USD1 billion in theaters worldwide. Being able to go back to a previous time, observe what happened and then learn from those events to improve the present and future is a powerful notion. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to actually do that as an IT security professional? Traditional detection-only defenses are stuck in the present. They conduct inspection at a single, initial point in time and they have no memory. They allow anything they don’t recognize immediately as a threat through and forget that the file ever existed. Capitalising on this limitation, advanced malware writers continuously innovate, use a variety of techniques to obscure malware and make it much harder to detect in the initial stages. For example, they may use polymorphic files that change just enough to fool the signature engines, sophisticated downloaders to obtain malware on demand from command and control (CnC) networks and erasable Trojans that delete their own components making it difficult for forensics investigators to find and analyse the malware. To ensure success, many attackers even test their malware against the more popular security tools before launching attacks. Once a threat does enter a network, most IT security professionals have no way to go back in time, see what happened, when it happened, identify the root cause and determine the extent of the damage and remediate. To detect, understand and stop these increasingly evasive threats you need new tools and techniques that enable you to always watch, never forget and then take action should a file be determined to be malicious at a later time. In effect, you need to be able to turn back time. Technology has advanced to make this possible and I’m not talking about the flux capacitor. I’m talking about big data-powered continuous capability and retrospective security. Big data adds ‘memory’ to security. The widespread availability of affordable storage capacity and processing power along with sophisticated data mining techniques means we no longer have to discard files that aren’t recognized as threats upon initial inspection. We can collect this data and continuously monitor and analyse files that have moved across the wire into the network or from endpoint to endpoint and identify subsequent malicious behavior whenever it may begin. Retrospective security uses this continuous capability to let you, in essence, travel back in time and retrospectively identify which devices have been exposed to malware, regardless of when the file is identified as malware. This requires not just tracking every file but also the full lineage of every action that happens on every protected device and mapping how the files travel through the organisation and what the files do on the system. By being able to determine the scope of an outbreak and root cause(s), you can quickly switch to response mode during an attack and effectively determine and implement the necessary controls and remediation steps. Delving into the rich history that big data provides you can also identify the point of entry and prevent reinfection, automatically. Traveling back in time isn’t something to relinquish to science fiction. Just as advancements in other fields – cloning, space travel and bionics – have made seemingly far-fetched ideas reality, big data analytics is making time travel a reality in security. Now you can learn instantly from the past and come back to create a more secure present and future. Displayed here is a brief explana on on how retrospec ve security works chip malaysia october 13 057
- 60. HOME feature ifa 2013 highlights Highlights Of IFA 2013 Another large and exciting consumer electronics expo has just come and gone, so here is our compilation of some of the coolest gadgets that was at the show! Samsung S9 Timeless As always, leave it to Samsung to steal the show with their latest offerings. The S9 Timeless is an 85-inch Smart UHD TV that has a truly premium design and 120W surround sound speakers. Pioneer SBX-N700: raising the sound bar The flagship of the company’s latest range of soundbars is truly impressive not just in terms of looks but also because of the features that comes with it. The SBX-N700 is able to connect to just about any device via Wi-Fi, Mircacast (Wi-Fi Direct), Bluetooth and DLNA. To give movies buffs and audiophiles incomparable sound quality, the SBX-N700 uses Pioneer’s wide band full-range speaker drive technology and Phase Control tech that improves sonic performance. It also comes with a standalone 150W wireless subwoofer that gives it the boom it needs. Finally, the Pioneer SBX-N700 can also be controlled using a smart device, all that’s required is the ControlApp, which can be download for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. 058 october 13 chip malaysia Philips 60PFL8708: TV with a light show Philip’s atmospheric LED technology Ambilight finally has a successor: Ambilight 4 XL utilises 94 LEDs around the screen, which immerses your living room in the dominating colours of the picture shown on the TV. Not only does this look incredible cool but it also gives the eyes a larger and vast field of vision, which is supposed to be easier on our eyes. The first TV to feature the latest version of Ambilight 4 XL is the 60PFL8708. But that isn’t all it has to offer, as it boasts a refresh rate of up to 900 hertz. Moreover, it can be connected to the programmable Philips hue light bulbs, which can make the Ambilight light up the entire living room. PHOTOS: 20TH CENTURY FOX FROM “TURBO“; ISTOCKPHOTO/BALDARI By Christoph Sackmann and CHIP Team
- 61. ENTERTAINMENT feature ifa 2013 highlights Jabra Solemate & Solemate Mini: soul tunes IFA wasn’t just the place for large and impressive TVs, it was also the place for cool and portable devices like the Jabra Solemate and Solemate Mini. The larger Solemate seen at IFA was an upgraded version from its predecessor and now sports enhanced Dolby Digital Plus technology and NFC capabilties. As for the Solemate Mini, this pint-size pocket speaker isn’t just extremely portable but it is also resistant to sweat, dust and splashes. It too comes with NFC capabilities and packs two powerful speakers. LG 55EA9800 The other Korean giant also left jaws hanging with their 55-inch Curved OLED TV. Another interesting fact is that it uses a proprietary 4 Colour Pixel technology and is also the first OLED TV to that is THX Certified. Sharp Aquos Ultra HD: a certified 4K experience Sony FMP-X1: media player for 4K content Unitymedia Horizon: the multimedia hub 4K UHD Resolution TVs is still something for the more affluent consumer. However, things might just change as the prices of 4K TVs are now slowly being reduced. Sharp, for instance, has priced its 70-inch LC70UD1U for “only” about RM26,000. In addition to the 4K resolution of 3840x2160 pixels, the LC-70UD1U boasts four HDMI inputs, two USB ports, WLAN and a SD card slot. Furhtermore, the TV is THXcertified. This means that it can show movies with the settings that are preset in the studios to maximize your viewing experience. Besides just the high prices for Ultra HD TVs, 4K has been suffering from the lack of content. The devices available mostly upscale full HD films to Ultra HD. Sony has a better idea though as they intend to deliver native UHD content to consumers via a media player. The 2TB hard disk is preloaded with ten movies, such as “Total Recall” and “Taxi Driver”, all in 4K resolution. New content can be played via the USB or SD card slot or rented from a new online Sony video store. One film costs about RM26. Downside? It only works with Sony’s BRAVIA TVs. Cable operator and provider Unitymedia wants to simplify our home networks with a Set-Top-Box. Horizon is a router, modem and TV box in one. In addition to a telephone connection, it comes with WLAN, four Ethernet ports, HDMI, audio outputs, USB slots and a 500GB hard disk for video recording. This allows, content to be transferred from a PC to the TV or from a smartphone to a tablet. Its remote control even features a complete keyboard on the other side. chip malaysia october 13 059
- 62. feature MOBILE ifa 2013 highlights Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro The original ThinkPad Yoga was one of the most interesting concepts we’ve seen for a notebook in 2012. Lenovo decided that the time and technology was ripe enough to warrant a successor, and hence came up with the Yoga 2 Pro. Sporting a familiar 13.3-inch display. Lenovo has bumped up the resolution count to a QuadHD+ 3,200 x 1,800 pixels. They’ve also decided to use Intel’s 4th generation Haswell processor that reduces battery power consumption, which, by the way has been bumped up to nine whole hours on a single full charge. Acer Liquid S2 Acer has finally entered the six-inch phablet game with its own entry in the form of the Acer Liquid S2. Featuring a 1080p display, it also has a 13-megapixel camera that is capable of shooting videos in 4K resolution. Powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GBs of RAM, the Liquid S2 is quite the beast of a phone. The Liquid S2 also has 16GBs of storage space, which is expandable up to a whopping 128GBs via a microSD card. Not only that, its large size is also able to fit an equally as large 3,300mAh battery, which should last you longer than your average smartphone battery. 060 october 13 chip malaysia LG OGS DISPLAY The slimmest full HD-LCD smartphone display in the world is almost seamless and will definitely revolutionise the way smartphones and tablets are designed Nokia Lumia 1020: 41-megapixel smartphone Sony Xperia Z1: The worthy successor Nokia’s latest Windows Phone based Lumia 1020 is the current king of smartphone photography as it features has a 41-megapixel camera sensor that features ZEISS opticas, optical image stabilisation and a Xenon flash. The Lumia 1020 also sports a 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ AMOLED display, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdraogn S4 dual-core processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Other features include a 2,000mAh battery, Bluetooth 3.0, support for 4G LTE networks, NFC and WiFi. Like most Lumia devices, it’ll be available in three different colours. Sony’s Xperia Z series has garnered a lot of accolades and it is about to gain even more thanks to the successor of the Xperia Z, the Z1. This beautifully designed smartphone shares the same design language as its predecessor and is only 8.5mm thin. It also boasts a 5-inch Full HD Triluminos display that produces breathtaking images. Other than looking good, the Xperia Z1 is also powerful as it packs a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB RAM, Adreno 330 GPU and 16GB storage under the hood. For those who love photography, it also comes with a 20.7-megapixel rear camera.
- 63. feature ifa 2013 highlights Samsung Ativ Q: The hybrid Ultrabook ASUS Transformer Pad The new ASUS Transformer Pad first made an inconspicuous appearance at Computex this year, but has disappeared from the radar since. It then appeared again at IFA a more polished product, and the official specs of the device are finally revealed. The Transformer Pad features a 10.1-inch display, with an amazing resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels, and is powered by a 1.9GHz Tegra 4 quad-core processor, alongside 2GBs of DDR3L RAM. Storage-wise, ASUS has confirmed that it will come in 32GB and 64GB variants, and together with the dock, the Transformer Pad will also get a grand total of 17 hours of battery life. NVIDIA Shield: The portable gaming handheld The 5-inch Android portable gaming device is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra4 CPU; 2GB RAM and has 16GB flash memory. The display of this handheld device can be folded for easy storage. The design of the Shield also makes it very comfortable and easy to get used to. PC gamers who buy their games from Steam will have the ability to stream those games to the Shield, which means they can game from just about anywhere at home. Besides that, it also runs on Android and has a slew of Tegra optimised games for users to enjoy. Yet another interesting innovation from Samsung. The Samsung Ativ Q not only rotates the display in four different positions depending whether it is used as a notebook or a tablet but, it also switches the operating system depending on the mode. As a notebook, the 13.3-inch device runs on Windows 8 and it runs Android 4.2 in tablet mode. The dual OS can be switched with just touch of a button. Another nice features is its display resolution of 3,200 x1,800. The 1.3kg Ultrabook also comes with a stylus that makes it even more versatile. Sony Vaio Duo 13: HD-Ultrabook with Haswell HP Pavilion 14: Chromebook at a low cost During IFA, Sony showcased their latest Ultrabook-Convertible, the Vaio Duo 13. This is the successor to the Vaio Duo 11 that appeared in last year’s IFA. The 13-inch version is built with a 1.8GHz Intel Haswell CPU. As a convertible, users can use its full HD display as a Notebook or Tablet. The device runs solely on Windows 8 can be controlled via touch or mouse/keyboard. It also features a rear 8-Megapixel camera and a full HD webcam on the front. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE and NFC. Although Google’s very own Chromebook wasn’t very well received due to its expensive price, HP looks to avoid this mistake for their Pavilion 14. Said to be priced affordable, this Chromebook comes with an Intel 1.1GHz dual-core CPU, 4 GB RAM, 16GB of flash memory and 100GB storage on Google Drive. The 14-inch display has a resolution of 1,366x768. Apart from Wi-Fi, it sports USB 2.0, HDMI, Bluetooth and SD card slot. Despite all this, it still remains to be seen if the online only Chrome OS will be accepted by consumers. chip malaysia october 13 061
- 64. feature ifa 2013 highlights DIGITAL IMAGING Sony CyberShot DSCQX100 The Sony QX100 was easily one of the most talked about devices at IFA. It may look just like a plain old lens waiting to be strapped to one of Sony’s DSLRs. But it is actually a lens made to be used with an Android or iOS-based smartphone via Sony’s own PlayMemories app. The QX100 features a 20.2MP CMOS sensor, a Bionz processor and a 3.6x optical zoom lens. With the app, you can connect the QX100 to a smartphone either via NFC or even WiFi, depending on your phone’s capabilities. Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom: Smartphone with a zoom lens The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is the device that combines a smartphone and digital camera into one. It features a 16-megapixel camera and also a 4.3-inch AMOLED display with 960x540 pixels. It runs Android 4.1, so users can install a wide range of photography and miscellaneous apps on it. While it only has an internal memory of 8GB, it also supports microSD cards up to 64GB. Its camera is similar to that of a compact camera: ISO 100 to 3200, optical image stabilizer, Xenon flash, 10x zoom and full HD video 062 october 13 chip malaysia Lytro Light Field Camera This nifty device allows users to focus a picture after it is taken by shifting the perspective to create an entirely different photo. The Lytro has 8x optical zoom and an f/2 lens that works beautifully with its light field sensor. It is also easy to operate as it only has two buttons. It even comes with nine image filters. Ricoh Theta: A different degree of photos Canon EOS 70D: Control remotely with an App This candy bar shaped device may only weigh 95g but what it does is truly amazing as it is the world’s first commerical spherical camera. It captures spherical images that take in the entire scene in a 360-degree arc around you. While it doesn’t have a display, users are able to view images via a Flash applet or dedicated smartphone app. The overall design of the Theta is as simple as it gets as it only has three buttons one for the shutter, one for the power button and one to turn Wi-Fi on or off. Canon’s semi-professional SLR camera, the EOS 70D can be remotely controlled via WLAN throguh an app installed on a smartphone or tablet. Images taken from the 20.2-megapixel camera can also be directly uploaded on to the Internet or can be viewed on the TV via DLNA. The EOS 70D also supposedly has a very fast autofocus as well as a “silent mode” for video recording, in which the shutter speed and mirror bounce are reduced. The EOS 70D is operated using a 3-inch touch-screen which also supports multi-touch gestures.
- 65. feature PC ifa 2013 highlights Acer Predator G3-605 With the Predator G3-605, Acer is looking to once again prove that they have what it takes to build solid gaming desktop. It has a functional design that makes it easy to upgrade. It may not have the most performancecentric components but for the estimated price tag, it is definitely bangfor-your-buck. HP Envy Recline HP’s latest all-in-one (AIO) PC, the HP Envy Recline, is a computer with the most flexible stand on any AIO PC we’ve seen yet. Its hinge allows the Recline’s 10-point touchscreen display, which comes in 23and 27-inches, to recline all the way to your lap, or thereabouts anyway. The Envy Recline is powered by Intel’s 4th gen Haswell processor, and some of the features that it comes with include Beats Audio dual speakers, and NVIDIA graphics. Not only that, it also comes with support for NFC, which you can use to easily upload photos to and from your mobile devices that also have that feature built in. Intel Haswell E: Computing power with 14 cores ASUS PQ321Q: Monitor with 4k resolution Intel SSD 530: hard disk of 20 nanometers It was no surprise when Intel announced that their Haswell desktop processors will be getting an extreme version, in fact we couldn’t be happier. Known as the Haswell E, these processors run have 14 cores but only 12 cores run effectively. The remaining two are used only when a core is not working. These Haswell E processors run on a new architecture and only work with DDR4 memory modules. Hence, those who want to use these ultra-fast CPUs, will have to buy a new motherboard. While ultra HD is slowing making its presence felt in TV market, most of PC monitors are still on full HD resolution. ASUS will definitely change that with PQ321Q as this monitor boasts a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels or simply put, full 4k resolution. The display measures 31.5-inches diagonally and is quite large for a PC monitor. ASUS also mentioned that the power consumption of the PQ321Q is about three times higher than a Full HD monitor and consumes energy of up to 93W. But for those who want an Ultra HD display, this may be your best bet for now. Similar to its processors, Intel has also reduced the structural width of its Solid State Drives (SSD). The new flash memory is just 20nanometers wide per element. This allows it to pack more disk space on the same physical area. Initially, Intel will offer only SSDs with a maximum capacity of 360G. But later in the year, they may release a 480GB variant. Only those for servers, will have a capacity that reaches 2TB. All the SSDs, will utilise the SandForce SF 2281 controller by LSI. chip malaysia october 13 063
- 67. cover story cover story hackers playgrounds expand hackers playgrounds expand The New Targets For HACKERS Industry virus for PCs, hacks over Cloud and attacks on Smart Grids – organised cyber crime is now more aggressive than ever By Caudio Müller T he advent of the Internet has truly been a boon to many of us as it allows us to access a wealth of information and entertainment. These days, we can even find these information without the need to be connected to a wire as devices like notebooks, smartphones and tablets can get on to the net via Wi-Fi or mobile networks. To take it a step further, we now even have smart homes and some automotive manufacturers are already working on smart cars. All of which are designed to make our lives a little simpler. But even with all our new fangled and attractive gadgets, there are still some who are slow to adopt them as they always ask the same questions, „Is my data safe?“ “Are manufacturers doing their parts to help keep my data away from unwanted access?“ The answer to those questions may vary but we know one thing that is certain, hackers evolve just as fast as technology and have the ability and multiple methods to get to your data or even your money without you realising it. This month, we once again look at the constant evolution of hackers and how they are now able to penetrate almost every aspect of our digital lives. chip chip malaysia october 13 065065 malaysia october 13
- 68. cover story hackers playgrounds expand Hacking At A New Level R ats – rats. With this word Nevil Maskelyne, the illusionist, destroyed the illusion of a secure wireless communication in June 1903. The inventor, Marconi, and his partner, Fleming, wanted to demonstrate this and Marconi had planned to send a morsecode message from a distance of 300 miles to Fleming who was waiting in London. Maskelyne anticipated it. He simply hacked it with the help of a simple transmitter in the network and sent forward his own message: “Rats”. This was Maskelyne’s revenge on Marconi, who obtained the patents for radio communication, which Maskelyne wanted to utilise. And it was also an order from the Eastern Telegraph Company whose business was threatened by Marconi’s invention. Today, although the technology has changed, the motives of criminals remain the same. To this day, hackers manage to get in the system and fool customers who seem to be readily willing to pay. Only their methods are much more refined. The most attractive customers – large companies, banks, government organisations – who are obviously protected with the help of an ex-hacker. Hired hackers review their systems and hunt for loopholes and vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. In most cases, the protective software normally used in PCs can only block the unknown malware. Just like any other form of crime, this protection can only identify. The Maskelynes of today have developed completely new methods and also benefits from national Trojans like Stuxnet and more. 3.4 million computers were misused as bots in 2012 across the world Pg. 68 SMARTPHONE SMART-HOME INDUSTRY 066 october 13 chip malaysia After the complex exploit kits such as Blackhole and Banking trojaners like Citadel the experts are now anticipating the next development stage in the coming months. Components of industrial Trojans such as Stuxnet and Flame are thus expected to fuse with normal malware. Stefan Wesche from Symantec confirmed: “The security loopholes exploited by Stuxnet and Co. increasingly appear in malware kits.” These exploits find open loopholes in Windows or in applications like Java so that they can inject the malicious code through them. For example, a Botnet Trojan. PCs take this as spam or direct it at the company as a weapon without the user knowing about it. Such DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service) send a massive number of web queries to the company server until they collapse. This is not new but the DDoS attacks get worse with politically motivated groups. The hacker group Anonymous uses it as their preferred retaliation tool, last year it they used it against the GEMA for permanently blocking YouTube videos. The antispam organisation known as The Spam Haus Project (www.spamhaus.org) also experienced one of the most notorious DDoS attacks to date in March. Angry spammers attacked the server with data of up to 85Gbit/s, this is equivalent to having a two-hour HD movie forced through the pipes every seconds. Needless to say, the server crashed. In principle, botnets are huge cloud systems. Why should one consider them as attacks? There are many legal ones, like the 6,700 euros – the botnet operators earn daily with SMS Trojans 10.1 million unprotected TV devices are potential hacking targets 116 cyber attacks registered worlwide every day Pg. 71 Pg. 70 Pg. 69 PHOTO: IAN LISHMAN/JUICE IMAGES / CORBIS PC The PC Army Against Large Corporations
- 69. cover story hackers playgrounds expand You will find various tools, which would protect against attacks, on the issue DVD under the code HACKER chip malaysia october 13 067
- 70. cover story PCS & BOTNETS hackers playgrounds expand THE FIGHT AGAINST BOTNET If the control servers are taken off the grid in a network (which was the case in August 2012), the magnitude of the botnet dwindle – but usually recovers 2,500,000 INFECTED PCs CUTWAIL KHELIOS 2,000,000 SLENFBOT FESTI 1,500,000 MAAZBEN SOURCE MCAFEE Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). The trend – just like in the IT world – is to use such services. The resources are better adapted and is more worthwhile especially when it comes to running computationally intensive attacks. Martin Dombrowski, an IT Security Engineer with a security company Imperva states that “Complicated password combinations can be easily and quickly deciphered with scalable cloud services in a relatively cheap manner”. “Unfortunately, due to data protection reasons, cloud providers only have limited options to protect themselves against abuse” A speaker for the Amazon Web Services says: “We do not check the contents of the cloud instances.” The Amazon speaker also says that DDoS attacks are hardly possible over the Cloud. “Outbound attacks block our manual and automatic protection system”. Here, botnets remain as the first choice – but soon they may be targetting phones instead of computers. 1,000,000 500,000 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OKT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR 2012 2013 Stealthy Smartphone Bots 068 october 13 chip malaysia PCS INFECTED WITH BOTNET TROJANS After the end of Botnet BredoLab at the end of 2010, the number of worldwide active bot PCs declined but is gradually slowly rising again. Ϩ= 4,500,000 ʱ= 3,100,000 2012 ˴= 3,400,000 2010 2011 SIMPLE TOOLS FOR MASSIVE ATTACKS The attackers can generate a huge number of web queries on the server with the help of small tools such as RAILgun (DDoS attacks) and can thus cripple it. 2014 FORECAST There will be an increase in new decentralised controlled botnets and aggressive malware by hackers. Also, there will be more attacks over the cloud. How to protect yourself: Use the latest anti-virus and the CHIP security browser Thanks to the integrated access to the anonymous Tor network, you can use the mobile browser to surf the web on any device safe from hackers and spies. All you have to do is extract the browser on to a USB flash drive and run it from there. SOURCE SYMANTEC About a billion Smartphones have been sold this year, three quarters of which run on Android. An operating system that is easily accessible due to the questionable update policies and App stores whose users do not check the Apps for Malware. SMS Trojans remain the number one weapon of choice when it comes to Android. It secretly sends short messages to expensive premium numbers so that the attacker easily gets the money through the telephone bill. This business can get very lucrative if one connects many devices to a single botnet, Symantec discovered that the Bmaster botnet, which had up to 30,000 devices is able to give the hackers about 6,700 euros (RM29,000) daily. This is almost 2.5 million euros (RM10 million) in a year. Till now such Trojans often turn up in the guise of harmless Apps. Once the infected app is uninstalled, the Trojan goes away with it. The Trojan Obad is more subtle. It reaches the device via infected Apps from a third-party app store. Once the app is started, it prompts users for admin rights and when given the green light, the Obad Trojan will make its way deep in to the device’s system. So even when the infected app is uninstalled, Obad still remains in the device. The control server then starts sending Obad the telephone number, MAC address and device number (IMEI). It will also receive a list of premium SMS numbers from the server. Obad is such a malicious malware that it can even infect other devices via Bluetooth connections to build a complete botnet. Christian Funk, a virus analyst at Kaspersky says that “Obad is clearly more harmful compared to all the Android Trojans known to date”. The only way to remove Obad entirely from a device is by resetting it to factory settings. Besides that, when it comes to mobile devices, hackers are also focusing on getting the precise whereabouts of their targets by using GPS and WLAN triangulation.This allows hackers to easily plan for their next attack. With this method, hackers are able to easily track the change of a target’s location via Trojan. Services such as Google Maps and Waze, which was recently acquired by Google are both highly targetted. Tobias Jeske from the Technical University of Hamburg analysed the service. His verdict: “The data protection – and authentication requirements have been implemented inadequately both in the Google- as well as the Waze protocol.” Moreover, at the hacker conference “Black Hat Europe” held in March, Jeske showed how hackers can use the real-time GPS data (Floating Car Data) of a phone to manipulate the route planning of Google Maps
- 71. cover story MOBILE DEVICES hackers playgrounds expand The situation is somewhat different for the next connected devices: Smart-TVs and smart home systems. Most Smart TVs these days are intergrated with effective security functions. Jens Heider, head of the Test Lab SecurITy at Fraunhofer SIT says that “Some errors surprise us, as the testing for SSL certificates in data transmission is so uncertain.” “Many manufacturers tend to concentrate more on the functions of the device than on the safety aspects.” Martin Herfurt, safety consultant at n.runs showed us how easily one can penetrate such devices. He used the HbbTV interface for his attack, which displayed information on the current program in transmission. The moment a user changes the channel, the TV signal transmits a URL that retrieves data from a server in the existing Internet connection. Technically, the information displayed is from a website that exports HTML and JavaScript codes. Hackers can easily hide a script on the site where it loads malware from another page so that it can spy on the other devices connected to the home network. Herfurt states “None of the TV senders that I have examined use SSL-protected connections for HbbTV. “Attackers can easily get direct access to the transmitted data by a Man-in-the-Middle attack and alter it.” This is similar to the attack done by Nevil Maskelyne about 110 years ago. The question here is, why would anyone want to do that? Simple! Those who can manipulate the requested website per HbbTV can cover the TV image with their own image and thus spread false information in form of a newsticker. This “information warfare” that uses (mis) information to create chaos is already in play, albeit in a different medium. On 23 April, the Twitter account of the Associated Press news agency shared a horrifying tweet that goes like this “Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured.” This alleged attack on the White House triggered a major collapse in the U.S. stock index, the Dow Jones Industrial, with a price drop of one percent in just a minute. Although the hoax was quickly identified, the attack showed just how powerful a simple Twitter hack can be. Of course, Smart TVs aren’t the only devices that are vulnerable to attacks because your whole house may be at risk too. Some call it the “Smart Home” but it should actually be called the “Dangerous Home” as the technology here does not even meet the most basic of safety standards. For example: intelligent electricity meters (Smart Meters). This device transmits the power consumption data to a network operator, which in turn controls their networks with the help of this data. These Smart Girds The number of variants per virus strain increases, presumably, because the attackers invest more time and money in the development. 200 VARIANTS STRAINS 5.000 4.500 160 4.000 140 3.500 120 3.000 100 2.500 80 60 40 2.000 VARIANTS LOGS 1.500 1.000 20 500 JANUARY 2010 JANUARY 2012 JANUARY 2011 SOURCE SYMANTEC 180 ANDROID VERSIONS AND THEIR LOOPHOLES The update process of Android indicates that millions of users use out-dated systems which have unpatched security loopholes. NAME/VERSION LOOPHOLE USER GINGERBREAD 2.3 ICE CREAM SANDWICH 4.0 JELLY BEAN 4.1 JELLY BEAN 4.2 11 6 3 3 SOURCE TREND MICRO Smart TVs, The Next Targets DEVELOPMENT OF ANDROID MALWARE Ϩ= 288 Mil. ˋ= 206 Mil. ʩ= 196 Mil. = 17 Mil. HOW SERIOUS IS THE RISK ACTUALLY? The chances of being attacked by an Android malware within a week is higher in places such as India, where users rely more on third-party app stores Ϩ= 5.5 % ư= 2,4 % USA Į= 1.7 % INDIA SOURCE LOOKOUT and Waze.They could even send encrypted data to the telephone where a Trojan on the device will not only read the data but can even change it before it is encrypted. Jeske used Android 4.0.4 to demonstrate that the incorrect traffic info could show a traffic jam, which in reality doesn’t exist. With this ability, hackers can even create traffic chaos on alternate routes effortlessly. With these new attack possibilities, cyber criminals always pose the cost-benefit question: How many devices can I easily get access to and can I make good money out of it? For PCs, the answer is yes thanks to simple methods such as drive-by downloads, which secretly pass on malware to website visitors. This method is currently not possible for smartphones. Christian Funk of Kasperksy says that “When it comes to smartphones, the third-party app stores will still be the main methods of infection.” GERMANY 2014 FORECAST Sophisticated Android Trojans such as Obad are still individual cases, but the trend is clearly moving towards such complex threats. Spreading the malware is still a problem for the attackers as they still have to rely on third-party app stores. This is how you protect yourself: Download and install apps only from reliable sources such as the Google Play Store and avoid third-party stores. A mobile security suite will also prove to be a worthwhile investment for users. chip malaysia october 13 069
- 72. cover story SMART TV & SMART HOME hackers playgrounds expand 070 october 13 chip malaysia NUMBER OF DOMESTIC SMART TV IN MILLION 20 20.1 MILLION 10.1 MILLION 10 SOURCE GOLOMEDA 15 4 MILLION 5 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 INTRODUCTION OF SMART METERS Smart electricity meters are extensively used in countries such as Italy – many of these devices are open to attacks. EXTENT PIONEER Italy Finland Spain Denmark Czech Republic LATE ARRIVALS Malta UK Portuguese Netherlands Estonia Norway France Ireland Switzerland Germany SOURCE SMART REGIONS A few countries in Europe are already well-equipped with smart meters and many experts are already predicting the high risks it has. “The first and second generation of the devices were developed without taking safety into consideration,” said Dr. Frank Umbach of the Centre for European Security Strategies. “These devices were installed en masse in Italy, Spain and Portugal.” On the opposite end, network users utilise the SCADA systems for controlling the Smart Grids. However, it is a well known fact that SCADA systems are often implemented with weak security mechanisms. Both sides have major loopholes - resulting in a dangerous mix. Umbach claims that “The electricity meter communicates directly with the systems of the network operators, which means that these systems are vulnerable ,” An attack would be devastating if it were successful: transport networks, logistics, food supplies, health care and communication networks are the most critical areas as they affect every aspect of life. Such an attack is planned between the electricity meter and network centre that either communicates directly to the power supply network, which is secure or radio link. This is risky because the SCADA systems often use vulnerable wireless standards, as it was invented by Greg Jones from the security agency, Digital Assurance. If the data and control commands are transmitted via Software Defined Radio (SDR), hackers could easily listen to it with radio equipment and manipulate it using a PC. SDR modulates its radio signals digitally via integrated chips and not hardware components. “Attacks over wireless connections on the critical infrastrutures will increase exponentially in the coming years,” says Jones. “And SDR helps hackers to attack parts of these networks.” German companies seems to be well equipped for situations such as these. “The transmission via the power line is protected with an encrypted password. We use a connected VPN network when transmitting over the mobile network,” says Wolfgang Schley, the speaker of RWE. “This is quite similar to the safety standards achieved by online banking.” In addition to this, the Federal Agency for Safety has developed a protection profile for the security architecture of the networks or the security in the Information Technology (BSI). This was done so that there is a security standard for all devices and providers. It is still doubtful as to how many other countries would use it if there are loopholes in other places int he power supply network across Europe. Umbach says “Even if there are security standards, there is still be a risk that it will be obsolete long before adoption and implemetation.” “It is still unclear on how one would respond to the rapid development of new methods of attacks, without having to replace the smart meter every two years.” The future of power grids are gloomy at best. In 2011, the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (Parliament) concluded that “It is easy to assume that in the future the Although the numbers of Smart TVs connected to the network is still low, its high adoption rate still makes it a very attractive target Austria Greece Belgium Romania Latvia Poland Lithuania NOT YET STARTED Slovakia Bulgaria Ungarn Luxemburg Cyprus Slovania LAW PASSED LEGISLATION STATUS NO LAW CONSEQUENCE OF A BLACKOUT A hacker attack on the power grid has far-reaching and potentially devastating consequences because these days, almost nothing works without electricity 11 12 1 10 9 8 2 3 4 7 FAILURES Traffic signal Digital landline 6 5 IMMEDIATE Router Household devices Heating Cooling from foodstuff AFTER 1 HOUR Radio network at national stations (fuel pumps) AFTER 4 HOURS AFTER 7 TO 24 HOURS Remaining telephone networks E-trains Railways Trams Internet access Logistic / goods transport (railway, port) Warm water system Digital radio channels BOS Barrier Gas and water provision Medical provision, intensive stations 2014 FORECAST Major hack attacks on Smart TVs aren’t expected to happen soon because the circulation is low and the cost is too high. Network infrastructures however, could be targets for attacks This is how you protect yourself: Do not disconnect the necessary radio antennae on the device. Always ensure that the latest firmware updates for your router and TVs are installed. SOURCES: ENERGY INSTITUTE OF THE LINZUNI; OFFICE FOR TECHNO CONSEQUENCE ESTIMATION OF THE BUNDESTAG Risks Of Blackouts Due To Smart Meters DISSEMINATION OF SMART TVS USING THE DEVICE connect the power stations, energy storage and consumers. Users should actually benefit from the higher transparency of the electricity bill and save money (but this is controversial due to the cost of the equipment). But consumers don’t really have a say in the matter as the implementation is nationwide and is decided at the union level.
- 73. cover story INDUSTRY & POLITICS hackers playgrounds expand METHODS USED IN CYBER ATTACKS Hackers often use several methods together during an attack that is why the success ratio here is more than 100 percent. HACKING Ϩ= 52 % ́= 40 % PHYSICAL ATTACK ʡ= 35 % SOCIAL ENGINEERING Ȯ= 29 % MISUSE ú= 13 % (E.G. USING SOFTWARE LOOPHOLES) MALWARE (E.G. USB STICKS) (E.G. PHISHING) (E.G. THROUGH USER RIGHTS) HACKING ATTACKS IN DETAIL The preferred hacking path remain to be stealing credentials of employees and then installing backdoors into their systems. Ϩ= 48 % Ε= 44 % BRUTE FORCE ˄= 34 % ATTACK ON THE SQL §= 8 % DATABASE OTHERS Ĥ= 14 % STOLEN CREDENTIALS BACKDOOR ACCESS SOURCE VERIZON In most cases, attacks on energy networks - as well as other companies or political institutions - are rarely the work of an individual hacker. There are a group of professionals behind it. One of the most active group currently is the Elderwood gang. They specialise in Zero-Day exploits, a malware that exploits vulnerabilities that have no patches. “They have a whole collection of unknown loopholes in stock and they use only one per attack, until that loophole is identified,” said Stefan Wesche from Symantec. “They then exploit a new loophole for their next attack and also pass the old one to other cyber criminals.” Not too long ago, Kasperksy showed us how these attacks worked at a recent global cyber espionage action. “Operation NetTraveler” spied on 350 political and industrial institutions from across the globe, including government agencies, research institutes and energy- and defense companies. NetTraveler was also active in Germany and Austri. The operation was in action since 2004 and reached its peak between 2010 and 2013. The attack strategy was a manipulated Word document enclosed in e-mails. Those, who opened the file, unknowingly triggered the attack - Microsoft Office checked for security loopholes but the malware was installed before these loopholes could be patched. The malware then sent information from the computers – thanks to the connection with multiple Command-&Control servers, it could then install other malware. Kaspersky found about 22GB of malware on the servers and suspected that the server operator had already deleted a major part of the collected data. In addition to system protocols it also included keyboard notes and digital architectural drawings mainly Office documents. Christian Funk from Kaspersky says that “The person behind these attacks was interested in special information and searched for his victim”. “As expected, the attacks were well planned and were carried out in a target-oriented manner.” The identity of the attacker remains unknown – as in the case of most attacks. There were rumors every now and then that hackers were supported by the Chinese, Russian or Iranian government to attack targets in the USA, Europe or Israel in order to get data on specific companies or weapon systems. NATO alone registered about 2500 attacks on its own system 2012, as confirmed by NATO speaker Oana Lungescu, about ten every month were serious. However, none of the attack were successful. Today the network of the self-proclaimed Cyber Armies, professional hacker groups such as the Elderwood gang and national hackers is less obvious. This and the increasing quality of the attacks spells hard times for system administrators and IT specialists who have to protect their employer’s systems. Not to mention the users who are directly (on their devices) or indirectly (when attacking the infrastructures) affected. THE WORLD LEADER IN CYBER CRIME More than half the reported hacking attacks in the entire world are reported to start in China as seen from the data traffic. USA is second on the list. +54 41 % 36 % 4% 4 % 5 % 10 % CHINA USA TURKEY RUSSIA TAIWAN OTHERS SOURCE AKANAI Pro Hackers On Spy Missions SOURCE VERIZON (E.G. TROJANS, BACKDOOR) OBJECTIVES OF CYBER SPIES Kaspersky discovered that the spying operation NetTraveler was mainly used to hunt for information in political environments. 16 % +976 51 % 6% 7% 9% 11 % DIPLOMACY / GOVT PRIVATE USER MILITARY INDUSTRY / INFRASTRUCTURE AVIATION OTHERS 2014 FORECAST Attacks on businesses and government agencies are always done by skilled hackers. They even have custom-made Trojans that are created to bypass virus scanners. This is how you protect yourself: The companies must continuously update their computers and web servers and immediately close security loophole, if any. In addition to this, they must also prepare their employees for social engineering attacks. chip malaysia october 13 071 SOURCE: KASPERSKY probability of failure will increase.” And Frank Umbach has also predicted that “The risk of cascading blackouts has definitely increased.” Umbach adds that while there have been no successful attack as of yet, energy network operators are already being blackmailed as of today. The total amount to date is more than a hundred million US dollars worldwide.
- 75. test lab test bed TEST LAB: The Tools Here at the CHIP Test Labs, we adhere to the high requirements set by the CHIP International Testcenter standards. This means that everything here -- from our own personal knowledge and to our trusted tools of the trade -- are meant to provide the most optimised, unbiased and comprehensive review to every product that comes through our doors. As thus, our test bed tools are specifically picked to get the most out of every test we perform Intel Platform Motherboards Intel DX79SI Extreme Intel DZ68DB Media Intel DZ77GA-70K Processors Intel Core i7-3960X Intel Core i5-2500K Intel Core i7-3770K Graphics Processing Unit MSI GeForce GTX 680 Lightning CPU Cooler Cooler Master X6 PSU, Storage & RAM Power Supply Acbel R9 Series (1100W) Storage Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue 256GB SATA Western Digital My Book World Memory Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX Kingston HyperX KHX1600C8D3K4/8GX AMD Platform 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 Benchmark Software Operating System Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit) Futuremark PCMark 05 PCMark Vantage PCMark 7 3DMark 11 Industry Standard Benchmark Tools SuperPI AIDA64 SiSoftware SANDRA EVEREST PC Diagnostics chip malaysia october 13 073
- 76. test lab contents TEST LAB 9 15 The Technologica Crux 14 7 The month of September is a whirlwind of activity as IFA happened earlier in the month, and Tokyo Game Show somewhere closer towards the end of the month. Between internationally announced tech devices, upcoming launches of new gaming consoles and a large number of soon-to-bereleased games, we also have a lot of reviews to contend with this month! The number one product, in our opinion that we have for you this month is quite possibly the MSI GTX 780 Lightning, which we are singing praises of. This is easily one of, if not the most powerful NVIDIA graphics card we have in our lab yet, and it’s a beast. On the smartphone front, we have the HTC Butterfly with its whopping 3,200mAh battery life, the Nokia Lumia 925, which features a few cosmetic upgrades to its brother, the Lumia 920 and the waterproof Samsung GALAXY S4 Active. We also have a number of notebooks on hand, which includes the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK SH782, the ASUS Vivobook S551L and the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite. All of which are ultrathin notebooks, and each with its own set of interesting features. If you’re looking for a monitor, we have the Dell P2314T, the ASUS MX279, or if AIOs are more your thing, the MSI Adora25G 0NC might just be the thing for you. 074 october 13 chip malaysia 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Ninetology Stealth 4x MSI GTX 780 Lightning Armaggeddon Aquila X5 ASUS Maximus VI Hero Canon EOS 700D HTC Butterfly S Dell P2314T Multi Touchscreen Monitor Corsair Force LS MSI Adora24G 0NC Samsung GALAXY S4 Active ASUS RP-N53 WiFi Range Extender Ninetology U9Z1 078 079 080 081 082 083 084 085 086 087 088 089
- 77. test lab contents CONTENTS 4 16 20 18 3 2 17 5 13 8 13 14 15 16 11 10 1 19 Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 8.0 ASUS MX279 LED Monitor GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium Fujitsu LifeBook SH782 090 091 092 093 Ratings Each product review is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 for different key parameters: 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 17 18 19 20 12 6 CM Storm Pulse-R Headphones Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite Nokia Lumia 925 ASUS VivoBook S551LB 094 095 096 097 CHIP Awards 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 malaysia october 13 075
- 78. test lab first looks Pow PowerLogic A4 Magnum Pro 535 PSU Behi Behind all the talk about needing a fast processor and a powerful graphics card, many se seem to have forgotten that besides these powerful components, a PC builder also needs a power supply unit that is capable of handling the power required to make them come to life. The PowerLogic A4 Magnum Pro 535 PSU is exactly the thing one needs to build a PC that is not only able to feed the most power-hungry of components, but also keep one’s PC neat and tidy with modular cables. The Magnum Pro 535 has a standard power rate of 1070W and pure power rate of 535W. Thanks to its modular design, you can also pick and choose which cables you need, and keep the rest to ensure that cable tangling is reduced in your PC. Price: TBA Contact: Leapfroglobal Distribution Sdn. Bhd. Phone: (03) 7803 6703 I f Info: mypowerlogic.com Experience the Best of Xperia Sony just rolled out their latest smartphone, the Xperia Z1, which includes all the features of the Xperia Z, and a little more in the form of a five-inch form factor. Running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the Z1 is powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm mobile processor and 2GBs of RAM, with a 3,000mAh battery keeping everything juiced up. The piece de resistance of the Z1 has got to be its 20.7-megapixel camera, which uses an Exmos RS sensor and G Lens which give you images that are unparalleled in terms of quality. Sony has also seen fit to equip the Z1 with a TRILUMINOS Full HD display, borrowing tech that is used in making their own HDTVs. Sony Xperia Z1 Price: TBA Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Phone: 1 300 88 1233 Info: www.sony.com.my 7 Inches of Awesome Phablets are all the rage these days as more users desire bigger screens on their smartphones. ASUS has just the thing for you in the form of the brand new ASUS Fonepad 7 that will be making its way here to Malaysia in October. The Fonepad 7 features a 7.0 inch LED backlit display at a HD resolution of 1280x800 pixels, and is powered by a 1.7GHz Intel Atom Z2560 dual-core processor, based on the Clover Trail+ platform. Users also don’t have to fret much about the storage space as the Fonepad 7 comes with 16GBs of built-in storage which is expandable via microSD. ASUS has also added their own SonicMaster speakers which are typically seen on their notebooks to the Fonepad 7, giving the phablet an awesome-sounding edge over its competitors as well. ASUS FonePad 7 Price: RM999 Contact: Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS Acstar Sdn Bhd, Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222 Info: my.asus.com 076 october 13 chip malaysia
- 79. test lab first looks Wreak Havoc Online Designed for precision gaming, the CM Storm Havoc gaming mouse is a gaming beast with eight programmable buttons and an Avago 9800 laser sensor that can go up to 8,200 DPI. Up to four macro profiles can be stored on the Havoc mouse thanks to its 128KB memory, and with its Japanese Omron micro-switches, the mouse can endure up to five million clicks with no problems. Its ergonomical design, and large mouse body makes the Havoc a very comfortable mouse to use, even during extended gaming sessions. The rubber side grips meanwhile allows gamers to make the most precise swipes without compromising on comfort and ergonomics. CM Storm Havoc Gaming Mouse Price: RM219 Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn. Bhd. Phone: (03) 7956 6300 Info: www.cmstorm.com AMD-powered AIO Motherboards, graphics cards and gaming notebooks are not the only things that MSI have been active on launching these past few months. They’ve also been looking to increase their foothold in the PC market by launching a number of AIO PCs, one of which is the MSI AE220. Powered by AMD’s latest Kabini APU, the AE220 features a 21.5-inch touch screen display, which has a flickerfree technology incorporated into the monitor, this helps to reduce eye-fatigue when used for long periods of time. The Kabini APU used in the AE220 also comes integrated with AMD HD8280/HD8330 graphics for a boost in multimedia performance. MSI AE220 AIO PC Price: TBA Contact: Media Forte (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., AMT PC Distributors Sdn. Bhd., Eternal Asia (M) Sdn. Bhd. Phone: (03) 7960 6868, (03) 3344 1124, (03) 5569 2000 Info: my.msi.com A Notable Device The Samsung GALAXY Note series of tablet-smartphone hybrid has been a wild success, with everyone jumping on the bandwagon since the first Note was launched a couple of years ago. The Samsung GALAXY Note 3 brings its users a number of improvements and new features that will definitely leave potential users drooling. The Note 3 is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, boasts 3GB worth of RAM and an interal storage of 32GB. The Note 3 also gets a 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display and a 13MP camera that is capable of recording UHD videos at 30fps and slow-motion HD videos at 120fps. These, alongside other features such as Air Command, Action Memo and Scrap Book will definitely enrich one’s fast-moving lifestyle. Samsung GALAXY Note 3 Price: RM2,399 Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd. Phone: 1 800 88 9999 Info: www.samsung.com.my chip malaysia october 13 077
- 80. test lab first looks For The Tech-savvy Businessman ASUS has made a lot of notebooks, and as a matter of fact, they’re the first ones to push the ubiquitous Ultrabooks to the consumer market. According to them they’ve never properly looked into the business market, and such has come up with the ASUSPRO brand for their line of business notebooks, and one of the first notebooks out of that line is the ASUSPRO P Essential P45. Powered by a 3rd generation Intel Core i-series processor, the P45 also comes with ASUS’ own Super Hybrid Engine II which allows the notebook to last up to two weeks on standby on a full charge, and will back up your data whenever the battery level gets to five percent. Not only that, it also comes with a spill-resistant keyboard and an anti-shock hard drive that protects your data whenever physical accidents happen to the P45. ASUSPRO P Essentials P45 Price: RM3,099 Contact: Servex (M) Sdn. Bhd., Build Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd., ECS Astar Sdn. Bhd. Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222 Info: my.asus.com NEX-gen Sony Cameras With more and more users seemingly demanding that their cameras come equipped with WiFi or some form of wireless connectivity, Sony has seen fit to do so with their latest Sony NEX-5T with both WiFi and NFC connectivity options that not only allow it to connect to smartphones, but also the Internet. The NEX-5T comes equipped with a 16.1MP APS HD CMOS sensor and a 16-50mm lens, which is great for casual shots. Connectivity to smartphones via NFC can be done with the Sony PlayMemories app which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple Store, for easy transfer of photos from camera to smartphone, amongst other things, including turning your smartphone into an external viewfinder, which opens users up to a whole host of new photography possibilities. Sony NEX 5T Price: RM2,299 Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Phone: 1 300 88 1233 Info: www.sony.com.my More Affordable Smartphones Coming Your Way Ninetology is serving up even more affordable smartphone options our way as they have just recently introduced the latest model from their U9 line, the Ninetology U9R1 smartphone. Powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor, the UR91 features a 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 960x540 pixels. Running Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, the U9R1 also comes included with a Ninetology mainstay, support for a dual SIM card option, which is very useful for those who use more than one number for business and private usage. Ninetology U9R1 Price: RM699 Contact: 9 Care Hotline Phone: (03) 5569 3233, (03) 2110 2453 Info: www.ninetology.com 078 october 13 chip malaysia
- 81. test lab first looks Ide Ideas For Entertainment Ve Very rarely do we put the word entertainment and Lenovo together, but it is exactly that that the company has in mind as it designed, bu m manufactured and announced the Lenovo IdeaPad S6000 10.1-inch ta tablet. The S6000 is a thin tablet, measuring at 0.3-inches thin, and i is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It features a 10.1-inch IPS display, which offers vibrant colours and wide viewing angles. To top it all off, it also features a 6,300mAh battery, which is capable of providing the tablet 9 hours of continuous usage, perfect for long hours of travel and bursts of browsing. Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 Price: RM1,099 Contact: Lenovo Technology Sdn. Bhd. Phone: 1 800 80 8575 Info: www.lenovo.com.my 41 Million Pixels in One Smartphone In what appears to be the true spiritual successor to the Nokia Lumia 920, the Finnish phone-makers have finally one-upped everyone in terms of camera megapixels in the form of the Nokia Lumia 1020. Everything but the camera seems to have been lifted word for word from the Lumia 920 books, as the Lumia 1020 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz dual core processor, 2GBs of RAM and a 4.5-inch ClearBlack Display, all housed in a single polycarbonate chassis. The only notable, and we do mean notable difference here is that Nokia has added a 41MP ia PureView camera, which includes features such as optical image stabilization, the Nokia h Pro Camera app, and a stereo microphone as well. There is also the Vyclone app which allows you to share and mix photos and turn it into a video and share it on various social media platforms. Nokia Lumia 1020 Price: RM2,499 Contact: Nokia (M) Sdn. Bhd. Phone: 1 300 88 1600 Info: www.nokia.com.my Silent Gaming Keyboard Mechanical keyboards seem to be all the rage now, and whilst they are great to work and play with, they’re fairly expensive as well. GIGABYTE has other ideas however as they eschew the Cherry keys for something different with the GIGABYTE Force K7 gaming keyboard. The K7 uses scissor keys, a type of switch that has an extremely short actuation distance, perfect for twitch gamers and touch typists alike. It comes with anti-ghosting keys clustered around the WASD keys which are often used by gamers. On top of that are 3-colour backlight illumination settings, with two scroll wheels that control the volume and brightness of the backlights. It also has a winkey lock button which can be used to lock the window key from accidentally being triggered during your gaming sessions. GIGABYTE Force K7 Gaming Keyboard Price: RM189 Contact: Nation-Tech Sdn. Bhd., SDS Distribution Sdn. Bhd. Phone: (03) 4280 6636, (03) 7788 8700 Info: www.gigabyte.my chip malaysia october 13 079
- 82. test lab first looks Performance Comes in Small Packages Too Reduced power consumption is the name of the game when it comes to Intel’s Haswell processors, and with that, motherboard manufacturers seem to think that it’s a good time to push the Mini-ITX form factor as well, as evidenced by ASUS unveiling the ASUS ROG Maximus VI Impact Mini-ITX motherboard. Despite being a Mini-ITX motherboard, ASUS has made no compromise with the Impact. It features the same blackwing chokes used in the Impact’s ATX counterparts, and SupremeFX audio system that is the pride and joy of the ROG line. In order to make it possible for the Impact to fit in a wide variety of Mini-ITX casings, the engineers at ASUS have also designed the backplate layout to ensure there is enough space for better support. ASUS Maximus VI Impact Price: RM988 Contact: Servex (M) Sdn. Bhd., Build Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd., ECS Astar Sdn. Bhd. Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222 Info: my.asus.com More Android-powered Cameras! Samsung have launched a couple of Android-based cameras, but none of which is quite like its latest, the Samsung GALAXY NX, a 20.3-megapixel shooter with the capability to interchange with Samsung’s variety of lenses which were made for their NX range of cameras. It features a 4.8-inch touchscreen LCD display which is used to access the camera’s wide variety of functions and modes, and comes with 16GBs of storage space built in, which can be expanded up to 64GBs via MicroSD. On top of that, it also comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and much like its predecessor the Samsung GALAXY Camera, is capable of connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi, where your photos can be shared instantly. Samsung GALAXY NX Price: RM4,199 Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd. Phone: 1 800 88 9999 Info: www.samsung.com.my Storing Big Data Enterprise storage is serious business, as these components are required to not only store important, mission critical data and a wide variety of other important information as well. Kingston, a long-time player in the storage ecosystem has just recently announced their latest enterprise storage in the form of the Kingston SSDNow E50. The SSDNow E50 allows companies to take advantage of enterprise-level SSD performance for tasks such as data caching, frequently accessed data within applications, online transactional processing and virtualization performance. SSDNow E50 helps alleviate I/O latencies and server bottlenecks by providing greater IOPS and higher bandwidth. It also has an advanced data integrity protection in DuraWrite that extends the lifespan of the SSD by reducing the number of flash writes via a compression engine that does not compromise data integrity. Kingston SSDNow E50 Price: TBA Info: Amble Action Sdn Bhd, Convergent Distribution (M) Sdn Bhd, Ingram Micro Malaysia Sdn Bhd Phone: (03) 7665 3939, (03) 2144 1881, (03) 7952 8188 Contact: www.kingston.com 080 october 13 chip malaysia
- 83. test lab first looks Basic Necessities It’s easy to be drowned in news about every big brand out there launching new and powerful phones every other week, but sometimes all a person wants and needs is a phone that just works. HTC has got your backs covered with the HTC Desire 500. Powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, the Desire 500 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and has 1GB of RAM with 4GBs of storage space. Like all of HTC’s new phones, the Desire 500 runs Sense 5.0, which includes features such as BlinkFeed, a rapid shutter camera feature together with its 8MP shooter and as an added bonus, support for dual SIM cards if you are using two numbers. Definitely great for students, and those who are looking for a decent smartphone that doesn’t break your bank account balance. HTC Desire 500 Price: RM899 Contact: SiS Distribution (M) Sdn. Bhd., Brightstar Distribution Sdn. Bhd. Phone: (03) 5569 8878, 1 300 88 2744 Info: www.htc.com Now in Technicolor! Apple’s iPhone event unveiled what everyone with an internet connection has suspected by now in the form of the iPhone 5C, the company’s first ever smartphone made using a plastic unibody chassis. Powered by a quad-core A6 processor, the iPhone 5C pretty much mimics the original iPhone in every respect, with the only exceptions being that the phone comes in a variety of different colours, and the fact that it come shipped with iOS7 out of the box. iPhone 5C Price: TBA Contact: Apple Online Store Phone: 1 800 80 6419 Info: www.apple.com/my/ Bigger And Better Than Before The BlackBerry Z30 is set to replace the company’s Z10 smartphone, boasting several improvements both inside and out to make it a much more lustworthy smartphone. Whilst the form factor is pretty much kept the same, BlackBerry has opted to upgrade the screen to a five-incher, also including a Super AMOLED display that is sure to keep things nice and bright regardless of the lighting conditions. Not only that, there are also several improvements on the software side, including the brand new BlackBerry 10.2 operating system, that has the BlackBerry Priority Hub, a new and improved Hub experience for the users, and the improved BBM, which allows users to access their BBM messages even from an app. BlackBerry Z30 Price: RM1,998 Contact: Brightstar Corp Malaysia, BrightPoint Malaysia Phone: (03) 7960 4877, (03) 9274 6000 Info: www.blackberry.com.my chip malaysia october 13 081
- 84. test lab review Ninetology Stealth 4x Price Contact Phone Info RM889 9 Care Hotline (03) 5569 3233, (03) 2110 2453 www.ninetology.com Specifications Operating System: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Processor: 1.2GHz quad-core processor Frequency: HSDPA 2100/900 EDGE / GPRS / GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Screen: 5.0-inch LCD Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, WiFi RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Very affordable Quad-core processor, Dual-SIM support Mediocre camera Quad-Core Phones On The Cheap Ninetology proves you don’t need to take a loan to own a good smartphone By Nazrin Zain W As affordable it is, the Stealth 4x comes with an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 2-megapixel camera on the front Dual-SIM is now fast becoming Ninetology’s trademark, which is great for certain consumers 082 september 13 chip malaysia hilst it would be nice to be able to own an expensive and powerful smartphone, the reality is not everyone has the disposable income to be able to afford one. That being said, it does not mean that we need to settle with bargain bin stuff that are subpar performance wise, as Ninetology shows with the Stealth 4x smartphone. The Stealth 4x features a five-inch display with a resolution of 720x1280, which is good enough for streaming HD media and such. It is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, so users need not worry about being stuck with an old operating system. As for storage, the Stealth 4x has 4GBs of storage space, which is expandable via MicroSD up to 32GBs, and 1GB of RAM. Support for dual-SIM operation seems to be a standard for Ninetology phones as the Stealth 4x also comes with two SIM card slots, which is great if you have two numbers, but don’t want to be bogged by having to bring more devices than necessary. Performance-wise, the Stealth 4x hardly lagged during our day-to-day tests, and the lifespan of its 2,000mAh battery life is what you’d expect out of phones of that size and performance, which lasts roughly around a day with moderately heavy usage of social media, web browsing and the occasional video-watching on YouTube, or from the SD Card. Benchmark scores aside, there is relatively little lag even when we have a lot of apps running in the background with the Stealth 4x. The quad-core processor helps in ensuring that every apps gets enough processing power to run what it needs, when it needs it. CHIP CONCLUDE : The Ninetology Stealth 4x is one of the most affordable Android smartphones out in the market at the moment. With a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and Android 4.2 powering up the five-inch IPS display, owning a big smartphone does not mean you need a big wallet as well.
- 85. test lab review MSI GTX 780 Lightning Price Contact Phone Info RM3,019 Media Forte (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, ScanArt Data (M) Sdn Bhd (03) 2287 1177 my.msi.com Specifications Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce GTX780 Core Clock: 980MHz Memory Size: 3GB DDR5 A Powerful And Impressive Force Of Nature MSI’s flagship NVIDIA graphics card blows everything else out of the water By Nazrin Zain T he gloves are off as MSI has finally taken the lid off their flagship NVIDIA graphics card, the MSI GTX 780 Lightning, featuring the NVIDIA GTX 780 GPU and the TwinFrozr IV cooling system, and overclocked cores out of the box. Right off the bat, upon unboxing the card, we notice that the 780 is as heavy, if not heavier than the NVIDIA GTX Titan. This is in part thanks to the bulky TwinFrozr IV cooling system, which not only features three fans, but also a huge cooler and a GPU reactor that requires three slots in the expansion bay of your casing to install, and easily at least 12.5-inches of horizontal space, which most of today’s mid-tower chassis should provide. Connectivity-wise, the GTX 780 Lightning features two DVI ports, one HDMI and one display port, and for those who are looking at building a multi-GPU PC with it, it also supports triple-SLI configuration. Two 8-pin PCIe power pins are required to power up this beast, and thankfully the plugs are located at a position where they are easy to access. When running our benchmarks, especially the Unigine Heaven, we noticed that even during high and full loads, the GTX 780 Lightning was chugging along very silently. Whilst it’s true that a lot of NVIDIA cards are silent performers, we were quite surprised that the GTX 780 Lightning was just as silent, despite its bulk. Speaking of benchmarks, the GTX 780 Lightning scored well, and averaged around 75 to 80 frames per second, which is astounding as most of the time, even the high end cards average around 60fps, which is more than decent by most standards. Easy to say this graphics card is capable of crushing all previous, current and even upcoming games that will be coming to the PC market in the near future CHIP CONCLUDE : There is no doubt that the MSI GTX 780 Lightning is only for serious gamers who demand only the best from their gaming PCs. Raw power aside, this graphics monster is also silent, something that enthusiasts will surely appreciate, as there’s nothing worse than a noisy PC when you’re busy fragging. RATINGS Performance Features Design Value The most powerful NVIDIA card in the market right now Expensive BENCHMARK RESULTS 3DMark11 (Performance): 3DMark11 (Extreme): Unigine Heaven: 15,600 points 5,520 points 60FPS MSI didn’t really need to change the ports as the reference card already had everything covered The positions of the two 8-pin PCIe connectors are very easy to access chip malaysia september 13 083
- 86. test lab review Armaggeddon Aquila X5 Price Contact RM109 Leapfroglobal Distribution Sdn. Bhd. (03) 7803 6703 armaggeddon.net Phone Info Specifications Sensor: Advance Optical Sensor A3050 CPI: Up to 4,000CPI Frame rate: Up to 6,600FPS Keys: 7 macro-able keys RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Easy to use Macro keys May be too large for some CPI buttons too high up Just As Good Gaming mice don’t always have to be expensive By Nazrin Zain A The CPI buttons allow you to switch between four CPI profiles, but are located a bit too high up the Aquila X5 for on the fly switching You also get to switch between four different lighting schemes, which include Comet Red, Cosmic Blue, Alien Green and Flaming Fuschia, or have all the colours rotate periodically 084 september 13 chip malaysia rmaggeddon’s been on the rise these past few months as they have launched a steady stream of gaming peripherals into the market. Marketed as affordable, yet quality products, they’ve quickly become the brand of choice for budget gamers, and they’re looking to build upon that with the Armaggeddon Aquila X5 gaming mouse. Similar to that of the previous Aquila X-series of mice, the Aquila X5 is a large gaming mouse, and features similar design qualities. The Aquila X5 has seven macro-able buttons, all of which are customisable via software and also comes with built-in memory that allows you to store your macros inside the mouse itself, making it a good mouse to bring around. The customisable buttons on the Aquila X5 include the left and right click buttons, the scroll wheel button, two side buttons and two CPI buttons. The Aquila X5 is able to shift from 500CPI to 4,000CPI, and whilst you get to choose from four preset CPI profiles on the mouse, this can also be changed via the provided software. The mouse also features four distinct colours for different CPI profiles on the mouse, including Comet Red, Cosmic Blue, Alien Green and Flaming Fuschia. Not only does this make the mouse more stylish, but also allows users to easily remember which CPI profile setting they’re on. Performance-wise, there is little to complain about the Aquila X5. It’s as fast or as accurate as you need it to be, and is ergonomic enough for long hours of comfortable gaming. The only issues that may arise out of this is the fact that some users may find this mouse to be a tad too large, and the fact that the CPI buttons are too far up the mouse to be of use on the fly. CHIP CONCLUDE : The Armaggeddon Aquila X5 is one to consider if you’re looking for an inexpensive gaming mouse that functions as great as it looks.
- 87. test lab review ASUS Maximus VI Hero Price Contact Phone Info RM845 Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS Astar Sdn Bhd, (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222 my.asus.com Specifications CPU Support: Intel Core Processor CPU Socket: LGA 1150 Chipset: Intel Z87 Chipset Memory Type: Dual Channel Memory RATINGS Performance ASUS Comes To The Rescue! The Maximus VI Hero provides all the power without the fluff By Nazrin Zain A SUS has more ROG motherboards to show as they are targeting PC gamers of all kinds, and with their latest iteration, the ASUS ROG Maximus VI Hero, they’re looking to give value to gamers who have some money, but aren’t all too crazy about all the bells and whistles the likes of the Maximus VI Extreme and Formula will give. As you will undoubtedly notice, the Maximus VI Hero is pretty much almost a barebones version of the Formula, retaining only certain features that gamers will undoubtedly take advantage of. On the board are four DDR3 DIMMs, eight SATA III ports, two PCIe ports which is able to support both NVIDIA’s SLI and AMD’s CrossFireX multi-GPU configuration. The I/O ports have also been stripped down a bit, as there are eight USB ports, with four ports each being USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. Also included are a PS2 post for either your mouse or keyboard, an optical SPDIF out, a HDMI port an Intel LAN port and 6.1 audio out ports. Gamers will be happy to know that ASUS has retained the SupremeFX audio chipset, which helps enhance the audio quality of their music and games enjoyment. Some of the newer features, such as the SSD Secure Erase is included as well, a feature that makes it easy for users to securely wipe their SSDs when needed. Performance-wise the Hero functions just as well as well as its higher-end counterparts do. With the right setup of processor and graphics card, the Maximus VI Hero is able to crunch anything and everything that’s thrown at it. It plays all the latest games such as Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider and Crysis 3 on high settings. Definitely one to consider if you’re looking to build a relatively inexpensive gaming machine. CHIP CONCLUDE : Despite being a relatively stripped down version of the Extreme and Formula, the ASUS ROG Maximus VI Hero is still a worthy gaming motherboard in its own right. ASUS has heeded the call for inexpensive gaming components, and this is hopefully the first salvo of many affordable gaming motherboards to come. Features Cooling Value Performs just as well as its higher-end counterparts Not as many bells and whistles as the Extreme or Formula BENCHMARK RESULTS PCMark 7: PCMark 7 (Productivity): PCMark 7 (Computation): PCMark 7 (Entertainment): 5,210 points 5,321 points 7,440 points 5,760 points This board may have less I/O ports compared to its high-end brethren but all the necessary ones are here chip malaysia september 13 085
- 88. test lab review Canon EOS 700D Price Contact RM2,699 (EF S18-55 IS STM Kit) Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (03) 7884 6000 www.canon.com.my Phone Info Specifications Lens Mount: Canon EF Mount Image Processor: DIGIC 5 Effective Pixels: Approx. 18.00-megapixels ISO: ISO 100 – 12800 (Standard) Built-in Flash: Retractable, Auto Pop-up Flash LCD Monitor: 3-inch Capacitive Vari-Angle Clearview II LCD Storage Type: SD / SDHC / SDXC Connectivity: USB2.0, miniHDMI, Eye-Fi, RC-6 (remote control) Dimensions: 133.1 x 99.8 x 78.8mm Weight: 525g (Body Only) RATINGS Performance The EOS 700D from Canon is a solid DSLR for amateurs and seasoned shutterbugs By Jeremy Cheong Features Design Value Stereo microphones Good image quality Easy-to-use Touchscreen interface Plenty of creative filters Slow autofocus in live view and video Always on ISO 400 when using flash The Canon EOS 700D is the first in Canon’s DSLR range to feature stereo microphones, which is great for those who love making home movies 086 september 13 Solid Middle Ground chip malaysia M uch like the smartphone market, the camera market has gone through quite a bit of change over the last few years and while many photographers have opted for Micro Four-Thirds and Mirrorless cameras, there are still a large number of photographers who rely on digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras as they still prove to be the most versatile devices that produces incomparable image quality. Launched a few months back, the Canon EOS 700D is a mid-range DSLR that caters to both amateur and professional photographers as it is very easy to use due to the touch-interface and also the performance it has. One of the things we really loved about the 700D is its design and relatively small size and light weight. Despite being made out of plastic, the body felt really solid. We also liked the enlarged grip that made handling the device super comfortable. For users that are already acquainted with Canon DSLRs, the location of the buttons and dials will be very familiar. Then for those who want an even easier means of control, the 700D comes with a touchscreen that is sensitive and responsive and allows users to tweak every external control. This touchscreen also uses the Vari-Angle technology that makes shooting from the hip or overhead a very simple task. One of the nicest additions to the 700D is stereo microphones located on the front of the hot shoe; these allow the camera to pick up sounds even better for video recording. Now we come to the most important part of the review, image quality. To put it quite simply, the 700D excels in this department. On Full Auto mode, it produced very natural looking images that retained a great amount of detail that was also sharp, had vibrant colours and very little noise. The Autofocus though was a bit of a hit and miss, it was fast when using the viewfinder but during Live View, it was quite slow. But this isn’t really a deal breaker as we are quite sure most users will be using the viewfinder most of the time. CHIP CONCLUDE : At the end of the day, we have to say we were really happy with the overall performance of the Canon EOS 700D and don’t really have much to complain about it as it does its job beautifully. So for those looking to go from a compact to a DSLR, this would be one of the best choices to start with.
- 89. test lab review HTC Butterfly S Price Contact Phone Info RM2,399 SiS Distribution (M) Sdn. Bhd., Brightstar Distribution Sdn. Bhd. (03) 5569 8878, 1 300 88 2744 www.htc.com Specifications The Evolved Butterfly HTC makes obvious and subtle changes with the Butterfly S By Nazrin Zain T he HTC Butterfly S is here, improving upon several points from the original, which is an excellent smartphone on its own accord. HTC took some of the HTC One’s aesthetics, coupled with some hardware upgrades that improve upon the Butterfly’s performance and looks, without changing too much. The first thing you’ll begin to notice about the Buttefly S, as you unbox it is the fact that it’s several millimeters thicker than the original Butterfly. There is a reason for this as the Butterfly S is equipped with a 3,200mAh battery, the largest in a HTC smartphone yet. Powered by a 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, this five-inch giant features the same Full HD resolution as the butterfly, but uses a Super LCD 3 display instead, and is scratch resistant to a certain degree. It also runs on Android’s 4.2 Jelly Bean mobile operating system and has HTC’s latest Sense 5.0 UI which includes features such as Blinkfeed, HTC BoomSound and HTC Zoe, features that were originally on the HTC One. What HTC has managed to achieve with the Butterfly S is to make a smartphone that is otherwise made with a plastic cover look and feel very premium. Thanks to the the combination of the powerful and efficient processor and large capacity battery life, the phone is not only buttery smooth performance-wise, but also lasts longer even with moderate-to-heavy use. During our usage tests, we managed to make the phone last for one and a half days on a single charge. That’s 36 hours without the need to rely on a plug point or even a battery pack. The Butterfly S also comes with NFC connectivity, which is timely as there are more and more devices and accessories that have begun to tap into the technology, and this opens up the smartphone to a whole new host of connectivity possibilities in the near future. That being said, it is unfortunate that the Butterfly S does not come with LTE, as it is finally starting to kick off here in Malaysia, which is one of the very few flaws in an otherwise sterling smartphone. CHIP CONCLUDE : We don’t say this very often, but if money is not an issue, the HTC Butterfly S is definitely one we would highly recommend to those who are looking for a high-end smartphone. A powerful quad-core processor coupled with a high-capacity battery and one of Android’s latest operating systems, there’s almost no reason why this shouldn’t be a first-choice phone for anyone. Operating System: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) Processor: 1.9GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Frequency: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800MHz, WCDMA 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100MHz Screen: 5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio, NFC, DLNA Others: HTC UltraPixel Camera, 2.1-megapixel front camera, HTC BoomSound Dimensions: 144.5 x 70.5 x 10.6mm Weight: 160g RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Powerful processor Large capacity battery Pricey Body prone to smudges The Butterfly S also comes with HTC’s UltraPixel camera, which takes great shots in bright and low light environments chip malaysia september 13 087
- 90. test lab review Dell P2314T Multi Touchscreen Monitor Price Contact Phone Info RM1,399 Dell Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd. 1 800 88 0301 www.dell.com.my Specifications Resolution: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz Screen: 23-inch Response time: 8ms GTG Contrast Ratio: 8M:1 (DCR) Stand: Tilt Connectivity: VGA, HDMI x 2 RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Well-built monitor, touchscreen display works as advertised Touchy Feely Monitor Dell’s P2314T touchscreen monitor fits right at home By Nazrin Zain Prone to smudges P The picture frame-esque stand allows users to play around with a wide range of tilting options Dell monitors are famous for their wide array of video and I/O options, and the P2314T is no different 088 september 13 chip malaysia eople have been waxing lyrical about Windows 8 being the next big thing about computing, and how its new Metro UI would work perfectly well with touch screen devices. Dell, a company that has made its credentials known as excellent computer display makers, amongst other things has just the thing with the Dell P2314T multi touchscreen monitor. The P2314T 23 inch touchscreen monitor is designed a bit like a photo frame, and for good reason. Being a touchscreen display, Dell wanted to allow users to use the display in a multitude of ways, and thanks to the hinged stand, users can have it propped up or lie it flat on its back for sharing the display with other people. Connectivity-wise, the P2314T comes with support for VGA, HDMI with MHL support for smart devices and DisplayPort 1.2. It’s a shame that it doesn’t come with DVI support as quite a large number of graphics cards widely use it and have stopped supporting VGA connectivity. There are also USB ports on the monitor which can be used to plug in portable USB drives as a convenience. The P2314T supports up to 10 point touch, and the display is touch-enabled from edge to edge, meaning that a wide variety of touch gestures are supported by this monitor, including two-hand usage. Touch response is excellent as well as there is no noticeable lag regardless whether we’re using one, two or even ten fingers on it. The colour quality is what you’d expect out of a Dell monitor, as the image quality of the P2314T looks as stunning as the display itself, which is always a good thing. The unfortunate thing is that the 8ms Greyto-Grey refresh rate might put some people off, specifically FPS gamers who rely on the display having a refresh rate that’s as fast as their own reflexes, which is a bit unfortunate. CHIP CONCLUDE : The Dell P2314T touchscreen monitor is one of the few models to get touch screen right. Excellent touch response, coupled with a vibrant display and excellent build quality, we definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a touch display to go with your Windows 8 machine.
- 91. test lab review Corsair Force LS Price Contact Phone Info RM420 Cudo Technologies (M) Sdn. Bhd. (03) 2148 1177 www.corsair.com Specifications Storage Size: 120GB Controller: Phison PS3108 Form Factor: 2.5 inches Interface: SATA III 6.0Gbps RATINGS Performance New Controller, Same Old SSD Corsair experiments with new controllers again with the Force LS By Nazrin Zain C orsair’s one of the few brands who have made quite a name for itself with its line of SSDs, amongst other things. They’re also one of the few companies who have stubbornly refused to stick with using SandForce controllers like what most other brands are doing. Introducing the brand new Corsair Force LS SSD. Unlike most other companies that prefer to use polycarbonate cases instead of metal, Corsair has decided that using an aluminium chassis would be better as it would more likely last longer than the plastics. Speaking of durability, like other SSDs in the market today, the Force LS also boasts a Mean Time Between Failure time of 1,000,000,000 hours. As we mentioned earlier, Corsair is stubborn enough to not use SandForce controllers like many other brands, and as the likes of Indilinx and LAMD have been bought over, they have opted to use a PHISON controller, which supposedly grants Corsair some degree of performance whilst keeping costs low. We ran a couple of benchmark tests on the Force LS, and the results were as to be expected, if not a little surprising. CrystalDiskMark yielded a score of around 400-500MB/s for sequential read/ write, which is on par with some of the mid-range SSDs in the market right now, although 4K read/write scores were a bit on the low side of things. As far as real world read/write speeds are concerned, the performance of the Force LS is pretty much average, which came up to about 60-80MB/s for write and about 250-300MB/s for read speeds. All of which is fine, especially since the Corsair Force LS is marketed as an entry-level solution. If the 120GB variant of this SSD is a little too pricey for your pockets, then there’s also the 60GB variant. And for those who don’t mind the price and want a larger storage capacity, there’s also the 240GB variant. Features Design Value Good benchmark scores Decent real world performance Price Vs. Performance BENCHMARK RESULTS CrystalDiskMark (Sequential Read): CrystalDiskMark (Sequential Write): CrystalDiskMark (4K Read): CrystalDiskMark (4K Write): 530.2 MB/s 350.0 MB/s 30.8 MB/s 105.0 MB/s CHIP CONCLUDE : The Corsair Force LS SSD is no slouch by any means, however its price tag may be a bit too steep for what it is offering to the consumers. chip malaysia september 13 089
- 92. test lab review MSI Adora24G 0NC Price Contact RM4,700 Media Forte (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., AMT PC Distributors Sdn. Bhd., Eternal Asia (M) Sdn. Bhd. (03) 7960 6868, (03) 3344 1124, (03) 5569 2200 my.msi.com Phone Info Specifications CPU: Intel Core i5-3230M (at 2.6GHz) RAM: 8GB DDR3 Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M 2GB SDDR3 OS: Windows 8 (64-bit) Display: 23.6” Full HD LCD Panel LED Backlit (1920x1080) Storage: 1TB 2.5” SATAIII 5400RPM Connectivity: Wi-Fi, RJ-45 LAN, 4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI-in, 1x Microphone-in, 1x Headphone-out Extras: 2-megapixel Full HD Webcam, 3-in-1 Card Reader, TV Tuner, DVD Super Multi Drive Dimensions: 538.28 x 424.55 x 32.95mm Weight: 10.4kg MSI releases yet another AIO that will be a great addition to a household By Jeremy Cheong RATINGS Performance W Features Design Value Slim Design Full HD Touch Display TV Tuner Still on 3rd Gen Intel Mobile Core series There are plenty of extras ports on the rear but the location they are placed in makes it a bit hard to get to them 090 september 13 ADORAble 24” AIO chip malaysia hile MSI’s components and notebooks are normally the products that are constantly placed in the spotlight, the company has actually been making a lot of waves in the All-In-One desktop department. Just as we sent the one we reviewed back to MSI, we then got yet another AIO from them, this time; it was from their super slim Adora series. When it comes to AIOs, the Adora24G is hands-down the slimmest we have seen to date, its thickest point is only 21mm, which is quite incredible. Other than that, this AIO is definitely stylish and the frameless display just makes it looks so much better and will fit perfectly in an office or living room. MSI have equipped it with the standard slew of ports and even an optical disk drive, our only little gripe with the ports is the placement of the ones on the rear as they are a bit hard to reach as they are placed facing downwards. Another little sacrifice MSI had to make to retain the Adora24G slim waistline is by building it using mobile computer parts and not full-fledged desktop components. However, on that note, the hardware used in the Adora24G isn’t too shabby either as it is comparable to an upper midrange notebook. This means that it is able to handle less taxing applications and even some of the latest games. One of the best things to use the Adora24G for is of course consuming multimedia as it has a large 23.6-inch Full HD display and stereo speakers with Sound Blaster Cinema technology. The display is very good as we found colours to be vivid and accurate and even when we watched at action movie with fast-paced action, there was no ghosting whatsoever. The speakers are good as they were loud and clear but on higher volume levels, there were obvious distortions and it also sounded a bit hollow. But thanks to the HDMI-in port, you can also use it as a TV for your game console. CHIP CONCLUDE : Over the course of their journey, MSI have definitely made their mark in the AIO space and with devices like the Adora24G 0NC, we are sure they will be around for much longer. Like we said before, the Adora24G 0NC may not have the most powerful hardware but what it has is definitely good enough and it’s a trade-off we’re willing to accept as we really like how it looks.
- 93. test lab review Samsung GALAXY S4 Active Price Contact Phone Info RM1,899 Samsung Malaysia Electronics 1 800 88 9999 www.samsung.com/my/ Specifications Reactivating Your Life A spin-off of the GALAXY S4 for those who cherish their active lifestyles By Jeremy Cheong I n its vanilla offering, Samsung’s GALAXY S4 was already one of the best smartphones in the market. However, being the innovators that they are, the Korean powerhouse decided to use the GALAXY S4 as a base and come up with spin-offs that would cater to different users. Last month, we saw the variant that was designed for shutterbugs, this month; we got to play around with the one that was designed for those who live active lifestyles. Here’s our review of the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active. On the design front, the S4 Active still retains what makes the GALAXY devices easily identifiable. Some of the difference which makes quite a difference is the rubberised and textured buttons which are much easier to local and give excellent tactile feedback. While it is still quite plasticky, it definitely feels more solid compared to the S4 and we actually found it much easier to handle. Other than the design changes, Samsung swapped the display for a TFT LCD panel instead of the Super AMOLED panel. The good thing about this change is that colours are more accurate and it is brighter, which makes it easier to see if under direct sunlight. A must-have when you’re in the great outdoors. Another change Samsung had to make to the S4 Active is the rear camera and it now sports an 8-megapixel camera instead of 13-megapixel. Fear not though as you will still get many of the features found in the S4 and there’s even an Aqua mode. In this mode, the touchscreen is disabled but you can use the volume rocker as a shutter button. On the performance side of things, the S4 Active still uses the same hardware as the LTE variant of the S4. What this means is that it is no slouch in the performance department and it was snappy and responsive throughout our time with it. It was even able to handle some of the more demanding games. Unfortunately, the S4 Active didn’t quite give us the same battery performance as the standard S4 but that doesn’t mean it is bad as it managed to last us a full day on moderate usage. CHIP CONCLUDE : All in all, we have to say that out of the all the variants that the S4 has, this is easily the best one. While Samsung did have to make some sacrifices to its features, we still feel that it is a great smartphone. Operating System: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) Processor: 1.9GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Frequency: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800MHz, WCDMA 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100MHz, 4G LTE Screen: 5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) TFT LCD Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio, NFC, DLNA Others: 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera Dimensions: 139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1mm Weight: 153g RATINGS Performance Features Design Value IP67 Certified Good overall performance Beautiful display Removable battery Lower-res camera LCD display drains more battery Plasticky build No shockproofing The S4 Active definitely lives up to its IP67 certification as seen in this picture where we placed it in water and it still worked after that chip malaysia september 13 091
- 94. test lab review ASUS RP-N53 WiFi Range Extender Price Contact TBA Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS Acstar Sdn Bhd, (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222 my.asus.com Phone Info Specifications Network standard: 802.11 a/b/g/n Interface: Ethernet Operating frequency: 2.4GHz/5GHz Dimensions: 45mm x 31mm x 85mm RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Dual-band support, range extended enough to cover an entire house None Now Everyone Can Wi-Fi ASUS’ range extender is an affordable way to get your entire house connected By Nazrin Zain E All you need to do to get the device to operate is to switch it on and press the WPS button on both the WiFi router and the RP-N53 There is also an option for you to hook up the RP-N53 to the modem and have it function as a WiFi router 092 september 13 chip malaysia ver had that problem where your wireless router just can’t get to certain parts of your house, and it’s really annoying because you’re really comfortable where you are, but you move anyway just to get better signal? Worry no longer as ASUS has just the thing for you with its ASUS RP-N53 WiFi range extender wall-plug. Using the RP-53 is a fairly standard affair, as all you need to do is to plug it into the wall, turn it on, and press the WPS button on the WiFi router and on the RP-53 itself, and you’re all set, your WiFi’s range is already extended by tens of metres! The RP-53 also comes with some extra features that makes this device a pretty enticing one. It has dual-band support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals for both local and Internet connectivity. The 2.4GHz band is in charge of internet connectivity for tasks such as web browsing and downloading, whilst the 5GHz band is excellent for streaming and online gaming. Having said that, some people just want a simple device that can help them extend the coverage of their WiFi signal and don’t need the extra bells that come with it. For this, ASUS has announced four variants of the RP-N53 range extender, which include the N900 and N750/N600 model, which feature the best coverage range, and has dual-band support. The two lower end models meanwhile include the N300 and N150 models, which offers good extended coverage, but without the dual-band support. CHIP CONCLUDE : The ASUS RP-N53 offers a wide variety of usage options when it comes to extending the range of your WiFi signal, support for dual-band frequencies and ease of use. It also comes in various models that suits your usage patterns, so there’s that as well.
- 95. test lab review Ninetology U9Z1 Price Contact Phone Info RM1,199 9 Care Hotline (03) 5569 3233, (03) 2110 2453 www.ninetology.com Specifications Operating System: Android 4.2 (Jellybean) Processor: 1.2GHz Quad-Core CPU Frequency: GSM 900/1800MHz, WCDMA 900/2100MHz Screen: 5.7-inch HD (1280x720) IPS Panel with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio Others: 12 megapixel rear camera, 5.0 megapixel front camera Dimensions: 161 x 82.5 x 9.3mm Weight: 191g The Ninth Giant Ninetology’s largest devices to-date is bound to get a large audience By Jeremy Cheong A SEAN smart mobile device makers, Ninetology are on quite a roll at the moment as they seem to have a catalogue of devices that is filled with affordable devices packed with top-notch features and caters to just about every consumer demographic out there. For those who long to own a smartphonetablet hybrid device, the U9Z1 is quite possibly the giant you have been waiting for. Unlike the X1 we reviewed last month, the Z1 comes in a super solid aluminium unibody design that doesn’t just look great but also feels hardy. While the Z1 did feel a little on the heavy side, the curved back actually made it quite comfortable to hold. For such a large device, the Z1 only has three physical buttons, which are the volume rockers on the left and the power/ unlock button on the right. We really have no issues with the buttons as they were responsive and easy to locate despite the wide gap due to the screen. The dual SIM card slots are hidden underneath a cover on the back of the device where the camera is located. Removing that cover doesn’t require much force and sits nice and tight when snapped back in place. It’s quite a shame that Ninetology didn’t include a microSD slot on this device as we’re quite sure there are many users who would love the ability to store their favourite movies or TV series on the device for on-the-go consumption. While the 16GB internal storage isn’t bad, it might not be enough for long haul journeys. As for raw performance, the Z1 sports pretty much the same hardware as the X1. While it may not be the most powerful device out there, we still found it to be snappy and smooth throughout our testing period. The Z1 also comes with a fairly large 2,600mAh battery that easily lasted us a full day of moderate usage; this includes having push notifications turned on for a single email account, Facebook and Twitter. In between we also used it for light web browsing, gaming and video streaming. CHIP CONCLUDE : Ninetology once again has a winner on their hands with the U9Z1 as this giant of a phablet will definitely be sought after by consumers who love to consume and even create content while on-the-go. It may not be the most powerful device out in the market now, but what it offers at its price point and in terms of features makes it very irresistible. RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Affordable Dual-SIM Quad-Core CPU Solid unibody build Hefty No expandable storage While it has a more than capable 12-megapixel camera on the rear, we are quite sure many users will rely more on the device’s front 5-megapixel camera Like most of Ninetology’s offerings, the U9Z1 also supports Dual SIM cards, which is great for frequent travellers or those who like to separate their professional and personal lives chip malaysia september 13 093
- 96. test lab review Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 8.0 Price Contact Phone Info RM1,499 (LTE), RM1,099 (Wi-Fi) Samsung Malaysia Electronics 1 800 88 9999 www.samsung.com/my/ Specifications Operating System: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) Processor: 1.5GHz Dual-Core CPU Frequency: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800MHz, WCDMA 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100MHz, 4G LTE Screen: 8.0-inch (1280x800) TFT LCD Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio, DLNA Others: 5-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera Dimensions: 123.8 x 209.8 x 7.4mm Weight: 319g RATINGS Performance Features Design The middle-child of Samsung’s mid-range tablet series is quite a good device By Jeremy Cheong Value 4G LTE Support Super slim microSD Support 4450mAh battery A Plasticky build Mediocre camera Price Like most tablet cameras, the 5-megapixel shooter on this one produces decent but not jaw-dropping photos The down firing stereo speakers are loud but are also a bit on the tinny side 094 september 13 More Than Just Average chip malaysia fter first making its debut at IFA three years ago, we now have the third generation of GALAXY Tabs. The GALAXY Tab devices are now considered midrange offerings as Samsung have expanded their GALAXY Note series to the tablet form factors and those are their premium devices. But that doesn’t mean the GALAXY Tabs have been handed the short-end of the stick as the 8.0-inch GALAXY Tab 3 proves that it can still impress. Similar to most of the devices they have launched this year, the 8-inch GALAXY Tab 3 looks just like any other Samsung device to date. This means it still retains that same glossy hyper-glaze look, which we still aren’t really big fans of. But if you can look pass the plasticky exterior, the GALAXY Tab 3 8.0 is thin, lightweight and yet feels solid. You’ll also find the standard buttons and ports, an extra IR blaster and also a microSIM slot if you opt for the 4G LTE variant. Yes, you read that right; this tablet actually supports 4G LTE networks. Despite being a midrange tablet, this device actually comes with some very impressive internals that include a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It ran smoothly most of the time but it did start stuttering especially when we were multi-tasking. With the hardware it packs, the tablet is also able to handle some of the more demanding games although on games like Dead Trigger, it was just a bit laggy. Speaking of games and multimedia, the GALAXY Tab 3 8.0 is quite a good choice for those who love watching movies and gaming as its display is and vivid and it sports down firing stereo speakers that are loud and clear. However, the speakers are also quite tinny and distortion is very obvious on higher volumes. The tablet does come with a 5-megapixel rear camera but it isn’t something to write home about. Images produced had nice colours but at the same time they were grainy and details were muted. CHIP CONCLUDE : For a midrange device, the Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 8.0 is actually not too bad. But then again, it does have a much higher price tag compared to other midrange tablets in the market. But if you really want an 8-inch tablet that supports 4G LTE for faster browsing, then this will be your only choice, for now.
- 97. test lab review ASUS MX279 LED Monitor Price Contact Phone Info RM1,299 Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS AStar Sdn Bhd, (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222 my.asus.com Specifications Pretty To Look At, Beautiful To Watch ASUS’ new monitor is a perfect example of form and function By Nazrin Zain A SUS aren’t new players to the PC display game. They’ve launched several series of professional and Republic of Gamer displays, all with their own features and functions. Their latest though, is probably one of the prettiest they’ve ever made, and we are of course talking about the ASUS MX279H Full HD AH-IPS LED backlit monitor. As we unboxed and fixed the 27 inch monitor to its metallic circular base, it became immediately apparent to us how pretty this monitor is. Not only does the base add a classy touch to the display, the screen’s bezel-less display makes it ooze an extra ounce of class, making the MX279 such a drool-worthy screen. Connectivity-wise, the MX279 has two HDMI ports, and one VGA port. One of the HDMI ports can be converted into DVI-D via a HDMI-DVI cable. It also has audio-in and out ports, as the monitor has a pair of stereo speakers built-in, thanks to Bang & Olufsen. As far as features are concerned, the MX279 comes with its own SPLENDID Video Intelligence technology which comes with six video preset modes that can be used depending on your needs. These include Standard, Theatre, Game, sRGB, Night, Scenery and Game modes. The MX279’s display quality after it’s calibrated and properly set is nothing short of excellent. The AH-IPS display shows some really vibrant colours when watching video, and the viewing angles are mighty impressive as well. It is most apparent when watching shows that have a lot of colours and action scenes. A word of caution however, if you encounter an issue with the overscan settings that make your display not use its full width and height, make sure you check either AMD’s Catalyst or NVIDIA’s Control Panel and ensure that the overscan settings are set properly. CHIP CONCLUDE : The ASUS MX279 is a large PC monitor with some excellent features that make it excellent to look at and view. The AH-IPS panel lends itself perfectly well, as colours can be as bright and dark as it needs to be, and have we mentioned that we love edge-to-edge screens like this one has? Resolution: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz Screen: 27 inches Response time: 5ms GTG Contrast Ratio: 80M:1 (DCR) Stand: Tilt Connectivity: VGA, HDMI x 2 RATINGS Performance Features Design Value AH-IPS panel brings out some excellent colours, elegent design with the bezelless display Overscan issues need to be addressed before properly using it The options panel at the bottom uses touchsensitive nubs, which may need some getting used to As expected from ASUS, the MX279 offers users a wide variety of display input options chip malaysia september 13 095
- 98. test lab review GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium Price Contact RM459 Nation-Tech Sdn. Bhd., SDS Distribution Sdn. Bhd. (03) 4280 6636, (03) 7788 8700 www.gigabyte.my Phone Info Specifications Interface: USB2.0 Activation: Cherry Brown Mechanical Switch Switch Life: 50 million times Travel Distance: 4mm to the bottom Peak Force: 45g Connectivity: USB3.0, USB2.0, Microphone-in, Earphone-out Cable Length: 2.0m ±10% Dimensions: 454 x 257 x 45mm Weight: 1500g ±10% RATINGS Performance We finally get the GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium and we are in love with it By Jeremy Cheong Features Design Value Cherry MX Brown Mechanical Switches Anti-Ghosting Extra Ports 5 Gaming Profiles Heavy Noisy These ports actually make life much easier as they allow users to easily connect other peripherals such as a gamepad and headphones to the keyboard instead of their PCs back I/O While five macro keys may not seem like much, do keep in mind that the Aivia Osmium supports up to five gamer profiles 096 september 13 Precious And Irresistible Metal chip malaysia N oisy, flashy, heavy and expensive; these are the words to best describe a mechanical gaming keyboard, which is now somehow a musthave peripheral for gamers everywhere. But while the first four words in this review may seem negative, the truth is, mechanical keyboards are still flying off the store shelves due to the fact that they provide gamers with better response and tactile feedback. Many of the newer mechanical gaming keyboards such as the GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium are also customisable so gamers will always have everything at their fingertips. The Aivia Osmium isn’t exactly the newest in GIGABYTE’s constantly expanding line-up of gaming peripherals but it is easily one of the best. Just by taking a look at it, you know it means business as it is solidly built and is also very sleek. If you prefer a smaller keyboard, the Aivia Osmium has a detachable wrist rest, which helps save precious desk space. The wrist rest adds a nice slope to the keyboard and we found it to be very comfortable even after long hours of use. Other than that, the keyboard also sports individual key backlighting, which is perfect for gamers who like their peripherals to be flashy. With its ample real estate, the Aivia Osmium also comes with an extra USB2.0 port and headphone-out and microphone-in ports. That isn’t all though as this is actually the first keyboard to feature an integrated USB3.0 throughput. Instead of dedicated media keys, the Aivia Osmium comes with five customisable macro keys right about the F1 to F4 keys. GIGABYTE have also bundled four extra keys with special symbols for your most used keys. Our review unit is the one that uses Cherry MX Brown switches. Typing and gaming with the Aivia Osmium is just pure pleasure as the feedback and response is great. Another great thing to note is the fact that this keyboard features not just five- or six-key anti-ghosting, but 64-keys. So it is possible to pull off even the most complicated moves in a game like Super Street Fighter 4. CHIP CONCLUDE : Like their previous mechanical gaming keyboards, GIGABYTE has done a very great job with the Aivia Osmium. It may not have as many dedicated multimedia keys or even macro keys but it has all the features to get the job done. Of course, the most important features have to be response and tactile feedback and this keyboard excels on those two fronts.
- 99. test lab review Fujitsu LifeBook SH782 Price Contact Phone Info RM4,299 Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (03) 7728 4868 my.fujitsu.com/pc Specifications CPU: Intel Core i5-4200U (at 1.6GHz, Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz) RAM: 8GB DDR3 OS: Windows 7 Display: 13.3-inch SuperFine HD-LED Backlit display (1,366x768) Storage: 500GB RATINGS Performance Features Sexy Red Hot Machine Design Value Good performance, excellent battery life Shallow keyboard travel Here come’s yet another jaw-dropping addition to the LifeBook family By Nazrin Zain F ujitsu hasn’t been slacking off when it comes to notebook releases of late, and for those who are looking for a simple but stylish notebook, they need to look no further than the Fujitsu SH782 notebook. Powered by Intel’s 3rd Generation Core i-series processor and 4GBs of RAM, the SH782 features a 13.3-inch SuperFine HD LED backlit display, at a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, and packs 500GBs of storage space, although there are a wide variety of other options as well, including those with an SSD for a fast-booting system. In terms of input and output ports, the SH782 includes three USB 3.0 ports, a HDMI and VGA port for video output, one LAN port and surprisingly, a DVD drive too. If nothing else, the Fujitsu SH782 is quite the looker. The outer chassis is decked in hot rod red, and its metallic sheen oozes class every time we take it out of the bag to do some work on it. The interior, once the lid is opened is covered in all black, which does combine well with the metallic red from the outside, we would say. Performance-wise, the Fujitsu SH782 is no slouch at all, with Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor running things at the back. We were able to do work, watch HD movies and even play a few games here and there without the notebook batting so much as an eyelid at the tasks it’s been given. Battery life is another impressive feature of the notebook as we managed to get about six to seven hours out of a single charge, whilst using it continuously for work, watching videos and using the internet. Having said that, we do wish that the keyboard travel on the SH782 was a tad bit deeper, as typing on the notebook for a considerable period of time did leave us with sore fingers. CHIP CONCLUDE : If you’re looking for a simple, portable notebook computer to bring around with you, you can’t go wrong with the Fujitsu SH782 notebook. It has great performance, an excellent battery life, and most importantly, stylish looks! Sleek and stylish, the SH782 is also lightweigh and powerful, perfect for the workaholic on the move Fujitsu doesn’t skimp on the I/O options, and have also included a DVD drive on the SH782 as well chip malaysia september 13 097
- 100. test lab review CM Storm Pulse-R Headphones Price Contact RM299 Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd (03) 7956 6300 www.cmstorm.com Phone Info Specifications Driver size: 42mm x 2 Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz Impedance: 50 ohm Connector: 3.5mm headphone jack Cable length: 3 metres RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Excellent sound quality Great build quality Cups have little air ventilation Great For Gaming And Music Get the best of both worlds with the CM Storm Pulse-R By Nazrin Zain O The detachable cable for the Pulse-R also comes with a volume control slider and a mic mute button The Pulse-R’s microphone can also be detached, depending on your mode of usage. 098 september 13 chip malaysia ften times, when gaming peripheral companies launch headphones, it is more often than not made specifically for gaming, sacrificing audio nuances in favour of clarity and locational accuracy. CM Storm is no stranger to this game, launching quite a number of their own headphones. We have to say though, the CM Storm Pulse-R is quite the looker. Part of their new Aluminum Gaming series of gaming peripherals, the Pulse-R reflects that branding by having a number of its parts made from aluminium, which include the head band and the outer portion of the headphone’s cups. CM Storm has also taken the initiative to make the microphone and cable of the Pulse-R detachable for easy storage, and the headphone set also comes with a protective case of sorts for quick and easy storage. The Pulse-R headphones feature 42mm drivers which are excellent for both gaming and music listening. The audio quality is great as far as a gaming headset is concerned, as the mids, highs and bass are just nicely balanced, making it excellent for both gaming and music listening. What users will also like is the fact that the aluminium cup plating can also be detached and customized to the user’s liking, adding a touch of personality to your headphones. The detachable cable also comes with a volume control bar and a microphone mute button, so that you don’t have to fumble around to adjust volume levels. CHIP CONCLUDE : The CM Storm Pulse-R headphones is one of the most stylish headphones the company has come up with in quite a while. Its modular design means that it can be easily stored away, and the audio quality is nothing short of impressive, regardless of what you listen to with it.
- 101. test lab review Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite Price Contact Phone Info RM2,399 Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn Bhd 1 800 88 9999 www.samsung.com.my Specifications CPU: AMD A8-4555M APU @ 1.6GHz RAM: 4GB DDR3 RAM Graphics: AMD HD8550M OS: Windows 8 Professional Display: 13.3-inch @ 1,366x768 Something Affordable For Everyone Samsung’s new notebook is a lightweight in more ways than one By Nazrin Zain S amsung has proven that they have what it takes to make some of the best ultrathin notebooks in the industry, but the challenge for them now is to make a device that looks just as good at a more compelling price point. Their answer? The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite. Borrowing a number of design cues from their own 9 Series notebooks, the ATIV Book 9 Lite is quite the looker. Most of the chassis is made of plastic, but it’s done in a manner that still makes it look like a premium device. The build quality is excellent, and it’s great that Samsung has managed to do that, despite the change in materials. The ATIV Book 9 Lite is powered by a custom-made variant of the AMD A6-1450 APU, a quad-core processor integrated with an AMD Radeon HD8250 as the graphics processor. Memory is made up of 4GBs of DDR3 RAM and 128GBs in the form of SSD storage. The ATIV Book 9 Lite starts up as very fast, almost as if it’s waking up from sleep mode, from the point of startup to desktop takes roughly around 10 seconds, which is impressive in anyone’s books. Waking up from sleep mode typically takes half that time. We have no complaints about the ATIV Book 9 Lite’s performance, as it does work and play both considerably well, even when playing 720p and 1080p videos as well as some casual gaming at the side with most settings set to medium. As far as battery performance is concerned, we managed to clock in about eight hours of usage on a single charge. An interesting feature that Samsung has added to the notebook is the SideSync feature, which allows you to synchronise your Samsung smartphone with the PC via USB, as well as use it in a keyboard and mouse sharing mode where your smartphone becomes an extension to the PC’s display. This is especially convenient if you have files on the phone that need to be edited on the fly by using the keyboard and mouse on the ATIV Book 9 Lite. CHIP CONCLUDE : The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite is a very affordable Windows 8 machine, although that being said, it is quite unfortunate it doesn’t come with a touchscreen display to make full use of Window 8’s Metro UI features. For its price though, we find it hard to fault Samsung for that one issue. RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Well-built Long-lasting battery SideSync only works with certain Samsung phones The ATIV Book 9 Lite comes with one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port, just nice for a mouse and an external storage device Samsung’s obsession with thin devices can also be seen through the design of the ATIV Book 9 Lite chip malaysia september 13 099
- 102. test lab review Nokia Lumia 925 Price Contact Phone Info RM1,799 Nokia (M) Sdn Bhd 1 300 88 1600 www.nokia.com.my Specifications Operating System: Windows Phone 8 Processor: 1.5GHz dual core processor Frequency: HSDPA 2100/900 EDGE / GPRS / GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Screen: 4.5-inch ClearBlack LCD Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, WiFi, NFC RATINGS Performance Features Design Value Improved camera and apps Not much point in upgrading if you already own a Lumia 920 More of The Same Nokia’s new smartphone offers mostly superficial upgrades to its predecessor By Nazrin Zain W The addition of the aluminium frame to the Lumia 925 gives it a more premium feel compared to the Lumia 920 The Lumia 925’s 8MP camera features an upgraded Carl Zeiss Tessar lens 0100 september 13 chip malaysia hen it was first launch, the Nokia Lumia 920 was lauded as the best Windows Phone 8 smartphone out there in the market at the moment. It featured an excellent polycarbonate build, a processor that didn’t balk when performance mattered and an excellent camera that has had everyone raving. Which makes us think that the Nokia Lumia 925 a peculiar device of sorts. Starting off with the similarities between the two, the Lumia 925 features the same 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor that was used in its predecessor. It also has the same 4.5-inch build, and the same camera sensor as well as the same operating system and apps, as the Lumia 920 has also received the WP8 Amber update not too long ago, which brings the Camera Pro app and several other features on board as well. The most notable difference about the Lumia 925 now is the fact that it comes with a polycarbonate and aluminium frame, as opposed to the single polycarbonate block of the 920. It feels a bit more premium than the 920, but you wouldn’t have known it just by looking at it. That’s not the only difference of course as Nokia has also upgraded the lens of the Lumia 925, opting for an upgraded Carl Zeiss Tessar lens which is coupled together with the Nokia Smart Camera, Cinemagraph and Photobeamer apps. Performance is very much similar to the Lumia 920, in that the apps function perfectly well and hardly ever lags. An interesting thing worth noting however is the fact that the Lumia 925’s front facing wide angle camera is capable of capturing photos at a resolution of 1280x960 pixels and has an aperture count of f2.4, which provides excellent wide angle shots, perfect for users who like to take selfie photos. CHIP CONCLUDE : If you don’t already own a Nokia Lumia 920, the Nokia Lumia 925 is a great buy if you don’t mind the limited selection in colours. It performs well enough, and the camera upgrade will certainly make your inner shutterbug a happy camper.
- 103. test lab review ASUS VivoBook S551LB Price Contact Phone Info RM3,499 Servex (M) Sdn. Bhd., Build Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd., ECS AStar Sdn. Bhd. (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222 www.asus.com/my/ Specifications An Exquisite High-End Beauty Yet another high-end beauty from ASUS makes its way to the market By Jeremy Cheong O ver the years, the competition in the mobile computing market has truly heated up as the older brands have had to face stiff competition from the likes of ASUS, who have been producing devices with impeccable quality, stylish and unique designs and performance that is on-par with their devices. Devices like the VivoBook S551LB from ASUS won’t just make your jaws drop due to its design but also because of the hardware it packs. The design of the S551LB is definitely an attention grabber as it exudes elegance thanks to the rounded surfaces as well as minimalistic nature. The brushed-hairline aluminium texture on the cover of the S551LB doesn’t just add to the sleek styling of the device but is also very durable. Besides just looking great, the S551LB is also very light and thin. But despite that fact, ASUS have managed to fit in all the necessary ports on the device as well as a Super-Multi DVD drive. For those of you who spend a lot of time typing out emails and documents, the S551LB has one of the most comfortable full-sized keyboards we have ever used on a notebook. The keys are a little bit small side but they aren’t cramped so you won’t have to worry about constantly hitting the wrong keys. The palm rest is also nice and large and even after long hours of usage, it stayed cool, at most just turning slightly warm but never to the point where it becomes uncomfortable. At this point, we would like to point out our first little nit-pick with the S551LB. Although we love that fact that it has a touch display that makes operating Windows 8 less of a chore with just the touchpad, the display isn’t Full HD. Now this isn’t a deal breaker but it would definitely have been better especially when it comes to watching movies and even gaming. In terms of performance, our review unit of the S551LB is packed with the highest-end components and won’t disappoint even the most discerning user. Even for those who want to play the latest games, the S551LB should be able to handle them without a problem with just a little tweaking. CHIP CONCLUDE : Overall, the ASUS VivoBook S551LB is definitely one of the best ASUS has to offer at the moment. It may be a little on the pricey side but you do get a very powerful and portable notebook that can handle all your productivity and entertainment needs. CPU: Intel Core i7-4500U (at 1.8GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.0GHz) RAM: 8GB Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M with 2GB DDR3 VRAM Storage: 1TB 5400RPM HDD with 24GB SSD OS: Windows 8 Pro (64-bit) Display: 15.6-inch HD Slim (1366x768) LED Backlit Glare Panel Interface: 1x COMBO Audio jack, 2x USB3.0, 1x USB2.0, 1x RJ-45 LAN, 1x HDMI, 1x SD Card Reader Extras: HD 720p CMOS module webcam, ASUS SonicMaster Lite, Super-Multi DVD Dimensions: 380 x 258 x 22.5mm Weight: 2.4kg RATINGS Performance Features Design Value High-end Specs Good Performance Touch Display Exquisite Design Not 1080p Display Even despite its 22.5mm thinness, ASUS managed to fit in an optical disk drive chip malaysia september 13 0101
- 104. lite & leisure think THINK the thoughts of our uncertified tech junkie On The Trailing Edge Instead of buying the latest and hottest gadgets available in the market, our faithful contributor lives life a little dangerously by doing the total opposite. This month, he shares with us his experience and thoughts on why buying an older and possibly cheaper device may be a good thing By Tim Lee A h, not living on the bleeding edge of technology - you get slightly older tech at bargain prices compared to the hottest new stuff and most of the bugs have been ironed out by willing beta testers, otherwise known as early adopters. There’s also the possibility that the product’s manufacturer may no longer exist. I woke up to this nasty possibility when two of my most used everyday gadgets, a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and a Nokia Symbian phone, both had their respective manufacturers put on sale, Nokia’s mobile devices arm to tech giant Microsoft and BlackBerry potentially to a financial holding company. The PlayBook has been an albatross around its maker’s neck since its inception. Underdeveloped software, woeful pricing decisions and a lackluster app store meant its QNX-based platform had no chance of competing against the iPad juggernaut. The OS itself is speedy with excellent multitasking and office apps are well covered but the main draw for me was price. My 32 GB model is built like a tank and cost much less than the cheapest Nexus 7 because BlackBerry had written off a billion dollars of PlayBooks - these things were sold at cost to get rid of old inventory and didn’t make a dollar of profit. Full Bluetooth stack support, USB host and loads of improved software were promised in an upgrade to the BB10 OS that took longer and longer to arrive... and was quietly canceled this year. I guess lackluster reception to BlackBerry’s BB10 phones meant there weren’t enough people left to work on the PlayBook once the company started cutting staff. Now with a sale looming and even more job cuts waiting, the PlayBook is essentially a dead end device from a possibly dead company. HP Touchpad users and Palm aficionados would be familiar with that sinking feeling when your favourite tech tool is abandoned. Luckily for them, HP released WebOS under an open source license and hackers managed to shoehorn Android on the Touchpad, extending the useful life of those devices for a while longer. Unluckily for me, the PlayBook is locked down tight thanks to its maker’s fanatical devotion to information security, so I’ll have 102 october 13 chip malaysia to live with unfixed bugs and abandoned apps. Maybe I’m a sucker for more punishment because I recently bought Nokia’s last Symbian phone, the mighty yet enigmatic 808. Nokia put the platform on the back burner when it switched to Windows Phone in 2011 but updates have been trickling in despite that. There’s also a big hacker community dedicated to coding new apps and modding the OS. Android, iOS and Windows Phone may be more sensible when you’re constantly connected but if you spend lots of time outside offline and need a pocket computer, then Symbian still reigns. Unfortunately, Nokia’s madcap development processes meant the 808 is saddled with a low resolution display and a processor that would be top rung back in 2010, but is a complete joke today. Good apps are also as rare as hens’ teeth. The only thing that isn’t funny is its astonishing Pureview camera system - a huge 41 megapixel sensor produces very clean and detailed images once downsampled to five or eight megapixels at the widest view setting, or you could zoom in a few times without getting ugly images like with the usual digital zoom. It’s also nice to buy one more than a year after launch at less than half the price. The 808’s successor, the newly released Lumia 1020 on Windows Phone, is even better but it’s one of the priciest phones out there. In the industry, Apple buyers get the best treatment because updates keep coming even for older devices. An iPhone 4 came out almost two years ago but it still gets the latest iOS 7 release, albeit with some fancy features turned off because the older hardware can’t support them. It’s hard to say the same about support for flagship devices from other manufacturers. So by buying old tech, you save lots of money but it might not be a smart decision when you can’t find the apps you need or get bugs fixed. If you’re comfortable with hacking and accepting unfixed bugs as inevitable, then by all means, take the plunge and lighten that wallet. If it doesn’t work out, your only consolation is that you spent less on a paperweight than someone who paid full price on launch day...
- 105. lite & leisure experience EXPERIENCE the best the Internet has in one click The Little Rebel That Could Social networks are quickly becoming the face of individuals and organisations -- and RebelMouse can help put it on the front page By Tan Jee Yee I n this day and age, your social network forms your online identity. From your Facebook ‘About Me’ page to the Instagram of your bacon-&-eggs dinner, your social networking defines who you are and what role you play in the online community. And that’s not a bad thing, really, and as most organisations and companies today can show you, having a good and healthy social network presence is one way to engage the people. But it gets a little counter-intuitive when your social network presence is scattered across the many platforms available out there. For instance, someone would have to open your Facebook and LinkedIn pages separately if they wanted to get a more wholesome view of your social network activities. Even on a personal sense, having your friends summon four to five browser tabs just to keep track of you isn’t very nice. Then the idea pops in: what if we find a way to integrate them all into one page, where it becomes the front of your social network life? The front page of your social network? And that, ladies and gentleman, is the core idea behind RebelMouse. A startup that launched in late 2012, RebelMouse is quickly gaining traction as a social networking tool that is not only new and refreshing, but also immensely useful. How it works is also simple in concept: the service can draw in your social network details, posts and contents and present them in a sleek, Pintereststyle page. You can link RebelMouse to pretty much every major social networks available, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. The result is essentially a homepage where your social activities can be easily tracked. The page automatically updates itself as you go about your social networking, and somehow always manages to portray more significant posts in larger columns, while the rest populate the sides. You can also post on your social networks via RebelMouse, which lets you upload pictures and videos as well. There’s a quick-post feature that works more like you’d expect on each individual social network service, but there’s also a more robust posting system that’s quite reminiscent of a blogging interface. You can get RebelMouse started in a few clicks, and all it takes is one of your social network accounts. Exploring its capabilities, however, will provide you with a good wealth of customisation tools that can let you showcase your page in the way you like. You can also create separate pages to filter out specific content for easier access. There’s also an option to ‘Power Your Site’, essentially upgrading your account to a paid one (USD9.99 or RM31.60 per month). This gives you more power to the domain and lets you control the branding and modules on your embedded content. Businesses and organisations hoping to jazz up their social networking much more can certainly find a lot to love here. Now that it’s all said and done, let’s start rebelling against the scattered, unintuitive state of social media today, and join up RebelMouse to unite them all in one beautiful, snazzy page. www.rebelmouse.com With the ability to create separate pages for different topics, you’ll be constantly updated It doesn’t take a lot of getting used to as the userinterface of RebelMouse is super user-friendly chip malaysia october 13 103
- 106. lite & leisure touch TOUCH the best apps to spice up your day All In The Presentation We help you put on a jolly good show with these great presentation apps that no work-centric iPad could do without By Tan Jee Yee E very idea has the potential to be a great one, but the one that gets approved and slapped with accolades and that three year guarantee contract is the one with the best presentation. And that starts in the meeting room, in front of your clients – just you, your ideas, and your ability to launch fireworks with your speech. Oh, and your PowerPoint slides as well. In the spirit of convenience, iPads have been taking over notebooks as presentation tools. That, naturally, meant knowing what sort of presentation apps to get. Here is our humble list of the best presentation tools you really ought to consider. Spotlight, please! Keynote This ought to be your go-to presentation app on the iPad if you’re willing to pay for it. Keynote is powerful, giving you a robust set of tools and features, like being able to create 3D bars, line, area and pie charts which can be further animated with 3D chart builds. You can also jazz up the slides with nifty professional-quality transitions, and the Magic Move function lets you automatically animate objects across consecutive slides. Keynote also lets you slap in the photos you have on the device. Designing your slides on the iPad itself is easy, thanks to the touch-and-tap interface. Keynote looks great on Retina Display, but if you want to make it bigger, you can use video mirroring to present it on a HDTV. It doesn’t get any better than this, even if it will cost you. Developer: Apple Price: USD9.99 (RM32.10) Power Presenter If your presentation is saved in a PDF format, then Power Presenter is the way to go. Power Presenter might not have as much features for a presentation tool, but it lets you do wonders with a more static PDF presentation. For one, you can mark slides with your finger and erase them, letting you easier highlight your presentation points (you can also send the amended slides to your audiences if they need it). The app also has a whiteboard feature, which will be good for a more spontaneous presentation. You can hook the app up to a projector, which actually displays its content on both the iPad screen and on the projection, meaning you don’t have to keep looking away from your device during a presentation. Developer: Kejian Jin Price: USD1.99 (RM3.20) 104 october 13 chip malaysia
- 107. lite & leisure touch SlideShark You might not find the notion of creating presentation slides on your tablet that enticing, and would really just want an app to run your PowerPoint presentations nicely. If so, SlideShark will give you the bite you need. This app will let you view and present your PowerPoint slides with all of the animations, font, colours, graphics, hyperlinks and videos intact. You can upload the PowerPoint files via SlideShark’s website, or through email attachments on your device. You can let the slides play automatically or swipe to advance them. There’s also a tool to let you view your slide notes, timing, and your animation counter. To top it off, SlideShark throws in 100MB of online storage for free. Did we mention that the app is also free? Developer: Brainshark, Inc. Price: Free Haiku Deck Sometimes you wish that you can create a presentation like you would write a poem, but we all know how rigid presentations can be. Haiku Deck, however, wants to change all that. The free iPad app’s basic principles are fascinating in itself; it wants you to keep thing simple by limiting text and focusing each slide on one idea. Whatever it is, Haiku Deck’s slides are beautiful, where each slide can have no more than two lines of text along with a single, full-bleed photo. The app will offer image suggestions pulled from over 35 million photos from Creative Commons (as well as your Facebook, Instagram, Flickr and Picasa accounts). The free app comes with 5 themes, with additional premium ones that you can purchase. If you’re aiming for a different, flowing and more beautiful way of presentation, Haiku Deck is just for you. Developer: Haiku Deck, Inc. Price: Free Quickoffice Pro Investment into Quickoffice Pro is less of a singular presentation solution, but more of a wholesome thing that brings that desktop PC flexibility to your iPad. Quickoffice’s greatest benefit is in its complete integration with Microsoft Office utilities, meaning you get to create and edit files in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The total support is especially convenient for PowerPoint users on the desktop, and the tool itself is just as easy to use and adapt to. Additionally, Quickoffice’s support of Google Drive will keep your workflow mobile and flexible. It’s not the definitive solution, but it’s the sort of all-roundedness that people working on multiple platforms will come to appreciate. Developer: Quickoffice, Inc. Price: USD14.99 (RM48.10) Sadun’s Whiteboard The app is as straightforward as implied. This essentially turns your iPad into a whiteboard, where your fingers become the digital marker pens. You pretty much get standard whiteboard markers and erasers type, in varying colours and marker widths. You can also add text in as well as photos. It’s a very simple act, but it gets its money’s worth by allowing you to connect to a TV or projection system via Apple VGA or a composite/component video-out cable, turning it into as large a digital whiteboard as you want. Because, well, sometimes you just can’t beat the simplicity and flexibility of a whiteboard presentation. Developer: Erica Sadun Price: USD2.99 (RM6.10) chip malaysia october 13 105
- 108. lite & leisure read WATCH Jurassic Love the movies that becomes us Everything’s better with dinosaurs, really, but it’s not something we’re seeing much lately on the big screen. This writer takes a trip back in time for a little dinosaur hunting By Tan Jee Yee H ere’s a piece of bad news: Pixar has officially announced that their upcoming flick, The Good Dinosaur, is being pushed back to a November 2015 release. This is disastrous, firstly with the fact that we won’t be getting ANY Pixar goodness next year. Secondly, we’re going to have to wait for another full year to watch what could possibly be a good movie about dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are wonderful movie material. They’re real, and they’re shrouded in so many myths and speculation that writers can easily cook Cretaceous and Atom-Breath together and still get away with it. Sure, a palaeontologist somewhere might be getting cold sweat and nightmares, but dinosaurs are awesome even when you leave the science out of it. The problem now is that there aren’t enough good dinosaur movies around. The last dinosaur flick I could remember is The Dinosaur Project, which is The Blair Witch Project meets The Lost World in a fairly dingy and crummy bar. Dinosaurs mainly 106 october 13 chip malaysia stay within the B-movie range, earning their keep with flicks like Jurassic Attack and Age of Dinosaurs. And as B-movies go, they’re not very well made. I blame this on the granddaddy of all dinosaur films: 1993’s Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg’s classic is the definitive dinosaur movie: it has all your favourite, recognisable dinosaurs; it brought each of them back to life in grand scale and epic CGI; it made them chase and eat people; it also dealt with the science of bringing dinosaurs back, making it plausible instead of outright fantastical. Nobody could top Jurassic Park in terms of sheer awesomeness, which is why it’s safer for movies to just include dinosaurs somewhere instead of the whole thing. The last awesome movies with dinosaurs, I think, would be Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong. That one came complete with a T-Rex slugfest, as well as a frantic chase scene featuring velociraptors and a herd of apatosauruses.
- 109. lite & leisure watch Most people remember the first dinosaur appearance on film was on the original King Kong in 1933, but the first live action, dinosaurcentric film was 1925’s silent fantasy film, The Lost World. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel of the same name, the movie features a healthy selection of dinosaurs in stopmotion glory, including an Allosaurus, a Pteranodon, a herd of Triceratops and a very cranky Brontosaurus. But before the The Lost World, there was Gertie the Dinosaur in 1914, which is the earliest animated film to feature a dinosaur (it’s also popularly regarded as the first animated film, though creator Winsor McKay had already made Little Nemo and How a Mosquito Operates in 1911 and 1912 respectively). It’s also one of the nice instances where the dinosaurs became the central characters themselves, something we don’t get to see in live action movies often. (But I won’t mention Theodore Rex, because certain things should stay unearthed and forgotten like a fossil). Animated feature films, however, proved to be good ways to depict dinosaurs as characters rather than prehistoric chase monsters. Most people would affectionately remember The Land Before Time, Don Bluth’s 1988 beloved animated classic. This one follows a group of dinosaur children making a treacherous journey to ‘The Great Valley’ during the Earth’s climatic change that brought the end of the dinosaur reign. The Land Before Time might not have depicted the dinosaurs very accurately, but in 1988 it was pretty much a documentary in cartoon form. There were a few more dinosaur animated films, one of them being We’re Back: A Dinosaur’s Story. Interestingly, this was released in 1993, and developed by Steven Spielberg’s own Amblimation animation studio. It’s about a group of Cretaceous dinosaurs being whisked into the future by a scientist, who fed them brain-washing cereals that tames them in order to let them “be enjoyed by future children”. Yeah, it wasn’t very good. Disney also had their own dinosaur project, which was 2000’s CGI-film Dinosaur. This one is quite the filmmaking marvel, successfully marrying CGI dinosaurs with live-action environments to create some really dazzling and beautiful scenes. Sadly, the film’s similarities to The Land Before Time meant it sunk pretty quickly in the tar pit, now quite forgotten. I’m hoping that The Good Dinosaur to change all that. Pixar is reimagining dinosaurs as creatures surviving extinction and now co-existing with humans in a harmonious world. It’s a premise that gets into the big shoes of the dinosaurs, and for once the T-Rex might not be chasing a human for lunch. In fact, they might be having lunch together. It already sounds very swell. chip malaysia october 13 107
- 110. lite & leisure read READ the books that shape our world of stories The XKCD Equation The Internet has certainly altered the way we can consume, produce and publish comics, but the one to truly take it to the next level is a man named Randall Monroe and his one-of-a-kind webcomic By Tan Jee Yee T here was a comic published in DeviantArt once that talked about the vast potential of webcomics and the ways it can be used to break the boundaries of how one can produce and read them. No longer are we bound by the restrictions of pages or the firm grips of a publisher – webcomics can be produced at your leisure and published in a website of your own. And as folks like Penny Arcade can attest to, it can even become a lucrative business. And there’s more to this than just the freedom of publication. Taking advantage of its digital platform, webcomics can even go beyond static images by integrating more interesting means of presentation. Certain webcomics have even produced animated GIF panels that – when viewed in a whole with other static panels – creates a unique and striking result. But that’s just scraping the surface of its potential. Many webcomics have yet to implement or discover new ways to take advantage of a digital platform in breaking traditional comic form. To see just how far webcomic innovation can be taken, one should look towards Randall Monroe, and his long-running webcomic XKCD. In all appearances, XKCD may look like a typical webcomic (in appearances, though: the content is truly exceptional). Randall Monroe’s strips feature stick figures that often discuss about life, art, love and pop-culture references along with heaps of mathematical and scientific in-jokes. Occasionally, Monroe would even supplement his simplistic style with surprisingly beautiful landscape art. Sometimes the strips even transcend typical single-strip jokes, extending into multiple pages of deep and cerebral writing. It’s a winning webcomic when it comes to writing, but Monroe takes it a little further using its digital platform. One simpler but effective execution is by including an alternate text punchline which readers can only discover by hovering the mouse cursor over the comic. It offers an extra line of text that either furthers the comic’s comedy, or offers an alternative interpretation. It gets more impressive than that. In September last year, Monroe uploaded a strip titled “Click and Drag”, which features one giant panel with a never ending 108 october 13 chip malaysia stretch of image that you can drag through with your cursor. The actual image itself is 165,888 x 79,872 in size – that’s 1.3 terapixels, forming this vast world that you can explore by clicking and dragging. The attention to detail is painstaking, as you can simply start following a random route and still discover Easter eggs and hidden secrets. The amazing thing about “Click and Drag” also goes beyond its technical impressiveness. What it offers is a little adventure that you can experience along with a stick man, and each cursor drag until the end is an emotional payoff that hasn’t been provided before. In March 25th of 2013, Munroe posted a strip titled “Time”. This strip is deceptively simple; it starts off by merely featuring a picture of two stick figures – a man and a woman – sitting on the ground. The strip is devoid of a story, or words, or a punchline. But devoted readers soon discover that the image changed 30 minutes later, as the figures have shifted slightly. And for every half-hour in the following weeks, the image would change and change to finally produce an epic, time-lapsed journey of two people discovering the disturbing changes of the landscape around them. What readers got was a 3,099-panel comic that, when put together, created a 40-minute video (which can be viewed on YouTube). It’s a bold and unique strip that took readers on a similarly mysterious journey, and brewed such a fanatical following that readers took to the Internet to discuss and trade theories (they even wrote a few songs). The forum thread on the strip exploded into an over 1,300-page debate. It was viral. It was incredible. I visit XKCD regularly, which is still consistent in bringing in the laughs among scientific and mathematical references that I can never get. But each time I just wonder what interesting new ways Mr. Monroe can take us on a journey, using a marriage of technology and art that has infinite possibilities and far too many untapped potential. It’s the XKCD equation, and one formula that any webcomic artist can learn from.
- 111. lite & leisure game review COMPANY OF HEROES 2 Stalingrad Strikes Back By Shunal Doke T he real-time strategy genre is very under-represented these had set in place with Dawn of War. Now that we've gotten that out days. Three of the biggest players in the genre are Blizzard of the way, let's move on to the actual review. with the Warcraft and StarCraft series; Creative Assembly The game's single-player component is divided into three with the Total War series; and Relic Entertainment with... let's just parts—the campaign mode, vs. AI skirmishes, and the single- say that these guys have been making strategy games for a really player missions in Theatre of War. The campaign focuses on long time. All of them have their own specific take on it too, with the story of one soldier in the Red Army—Lev Abramovich Blizz opting for the traditional base-building and army-building Isakovich (we'll call him Lev for purposes of brevity)—with the gameplay, Creative Assembly going for massive scale, and Relic... erm... Relic's strategy games, ever since the first Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, have always flaunted the same distinct style: less resource management and more focus on the combat. The RTS veterans chose to continue this tradition with their latest outing—Company of Heroes 2. Here's a quick primer: Company of Heroes 2 is a realtime strategy game set during World War 2, much like its predecessor. When Company of Heroes was launched, it made a giant wave in the strategy genre because of how much it truly refined the systems that Relic chip malaysia october 13 109
- 112. lite & leisure game review rather interesting 'interrogation' framing device we've seen in other war games such as Battlefield 3. Lev is languishing in a Siberian labour camp because he has written stuff in his journals negatively portraying and questioning the Soviet Union during World War 2, and has hence been deemed worthy of treason charges. Each mission comprises Lev explaining his side of the story in the events that take place during the war. Despite it being the same old World War 2 story that we've heard countless times, it feels fresh because of the well-executed framing device. But Relic hasn't been able to do as good of a job when it comes to the learning curve. The campaign attempts to ease expansive and the missions get challenging. There is even a bit of players into Company of Heroes 2's mechanics, but doesn't room for creativity when taking on certain objectives, letting you manage to be graceful or elegant about it. New gameplay flex your inner Armchair General. mechanics are constantly added in missions and you're forced to For the history buffs, there's the Theatre of War mode, which use them, but most of the information is lost in the chaos that is has a bunch of scenarios from 1941 for both German and Russian the battlefield. Often, the game leaves it to the players themselves armies. There are separate scenarios for single-player and co-op, to figure things out. The first few missions are quite simple and each are challenging in their own way. Essentially, you're and linear as a result of this, but once you get deeper into the put in situations based on real-life events during World War 2. campaign, things do start opening up—the maps become more The single-player mode is fun, but co-op is definitely the best 110 october 13 chip malaysia Jagdish Limbachiya
- 113. lite & leisure game review way to experience the Theatre. Rounding up the list of single-player modes is the versus AI skirmish mode, which can also be played in co-op mode. It pits you against the AI in multiplayer maps and lets you get some practice before you hit the Find Match button in multiplayer. Again, co-op is the most entertaining way to play, but if you're into one-on-one battles, those are available too. But let's face it... real-time strategy games aren't exactly popular for their single-player, since there's only so much enjoyment to be had from beating predictable AI. No, what you want is something more challenging. You want to play against actual people who can see your strategies and plan around them, forcing you to improvise. Company of Heroes 2's multiplayer mode uses a simple automatch interface that lets you set options such before the game was released. The engine is quite adept at as player count (divided in 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 matchups) and capturing the chaos that would generally ensue when you try lets you choose if you want to play with players in the same skill to manoeuvre six of your rifleman squads so that they can try range or those better than you. to take out a tank with nothing but grenades. The foliage looks The gameplay revolves around capturing points that beautiful, and raining down artillery on a shack brings it down automatically keep giving you resources such as man power as realistically as you would expect. Even the sound design is and gasoline. There are two types of games—Victory Points and great—gunshots sound realistic, and the random, funny things Annihilation. Victory Points revolves around players scrambling that soldiers sometimes say lends a nice touch. You really do get a around to capture the titular victory points and hold them for a different perspective on war when you see a soldier respond to his certain amount of time. There are always three victory points in comrade's death with the line, “Damn! He owed me money!” any given map, and the player who holds at least two of them With all the good, however, there is one major point against for a certain amount of time wins. Annihilation is pretty self- this game. Some of the abilities that you can use in the game explanatory—a fight to the death where the last man standing are locked out by way of DLC. Sure, you have a lot of abilities to wins. Depending on the game mode, you'll have to make many choose from by default, but a lot of players have been complaining tactical decisions that mostly have to do with keeping your soldiers that the DLC abilities are overpowered. Unless Relic rebalances alive while you scramble for resources to get reinforcements. them, this will remain a point against the game. Despite our hatred Speaking of keeping soldiers alive, Company of Heroes 2 has a new gameplay mechanic that makes doing just that even more challenging. As if an average soldier's lifespan in an RTS game wasn't already short enough, Relic has gone ahead and added a new temperature system to the game. Players have to keep a track of their soldiers' temperatures and make sure that they don't freeze to death. To make this even harder, for launch-day DLC, we're willing to let REAL-TIME STRATEGY Company of Heroes 2 DEVELOPER Relic Entertainment www.companyofheroes.com INFO SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS PLATFORM : PC every once in a while, the maps are hit by RATINGS blizzards. Apart from the obvious visibility Gameplay problems, the blizzard also starts the slow and painful-looking process of freezing your Graphics soldiers to death. You have to either garrison Sound them into some kind of building, recall them Replayability to base, or have them stand near a camp fire to ward off the cold. The snow and everything around it, looks quite gorgeous thanks to the new Essence 3.0 engine that Relic had been talking about this slide, since the game already has a lot of content. We just hope that Relic gets around to patching the imbalanced abilities before people start shouting “pay-2-win!” at the company. Company of Heroes 2 can be likened to an oasis in the barren wasteland that is the RTS genre. The gameplay is compelling, has great depth, and the concepts are easy to understand. However, pulling off all you've learned while trying not to die is a completely different thing. The game's focus on offense and tactics rather than on gathering resources and building Fast gameplay; challenging campaign; fun co-op in Theatre of War mode. bases also comes as a breath of clean, Overpowered abilities are sold as DLCs; somewhat steep learning curve. decides to further refine Company of fresh air. We can only imagine what awesomeness Relic will treat us to if it Heroes 2's gameplay system. chip malaysia october 13 111
- 114. lite & leisure game review GUNPOINT Firing Blanks By Sam Mathews V ery few games start off with the protagonist falling out of a connected, including locations of light switches and doors. Using multi-storied building and surviving with barely a scratch. Crosslink, you can rewire the controls—for example, you can But Gunpoint does. And no, our hero Richard Conway re-route a light switch to open a door or use Crosslink to render doesn't have superhuman powers or gets them over the course of security measures such as cameras and infrared beams non- the game. In fact, he’s a rather incompetent spy who manages to acquire a pair of bullfrog pants. These let you jump vast distances and allow you to break through windows and tackle guards while remaining unscathed. functional. As you progress, you gain STEALTH PUZZLE PLATFORMER Gunpoint access to more complex features that can be bought with in-game currency. Some of these let you jam weapons of enemy security, or simply allow you to break into DEVELOPER Like most good games, it takes place on a dark, rainy night when you find yourself framed for the murder of a prospective client. This results in a chain of missions to clear your name and find out who the real killer is. Along the way, you’ll break into a variety of buildings and industrial complexes while avoiding trigger-happy guards. A few missions in you get access to something known as the Crosslink device. Relic Entertainment encrypted locales. The underlying concept INFO www.gunpointgame.com of the Crosslink is to permit you to create SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS PLATFORM : PC RATINGS Gameplay Graphics Sound Replayability instances wherein stealthily moving past is possible. And it’s a possibility you’d want to consider throughout the game. The reason for this is, while you can jump and prance around without taking an iota of damage, you’ll find yourself dying often by the hands of security guards thanks to the fact that a single bullet can end your life. To prevent This gadget lets you view all the security Slick writing; innovative gameplay mechanics. features of a building and how they’re Short; no controller support. Crosslink alone. Play long enough and 112 october 13 chip malaysia monotony, you aren’t dependent on the Jagdish Limbachiya
- 115. lite & leisure game review you’ll have access to devices that let you go through buildings development studio, Gunpoint is a pretty little game. In fact, you’d easier and avoid guards completely. At the end of each be hard-pressed to imagine that it had such humble origins. mission, you’ll receive a ranking based on your proficiency in avoiding enemies and how much noise you’ve created. All along the way you’re treated to some rather witty But having said that, it is not without its flaws. For one, you need a keyboard and mouse to play this game. Do not expect to whip out a controller of any variety to aid you here. dialogue and writing. As we mentioned earlier, Conway is quite As it stands, Gunpoint does not support any other method of a mediocre spy who has found himself in an extraordinary control, which is a bit of a downer considering how well the situation. You’ll find yourself chuckling while choosing gameplay lends itself to the use of a controller. Secondly, for responses to clients via text message, as he muses to himself a game priced at $8.99, you won't be at fault to expect more during a mission and the general absurdity of it all. It even than a couple of hours of gameplay. Nonetheless, that's what gets self-referential, with Conway mentioning later that he you'll get—a mere two hours of gaming that will be over before stopped paying attention to the plot after the second mission. you know it, leading you to get your fix via levels made by The graphics are simple, and have much in common with old school titles due to an abundance of pixels and sprites. Then others or yourself, thanks to the game's included level editor. On the bright side, Gunpoint will work on almost anything again, you can’t expect much from a game that was made using thanks to its simple aesthetics and the lack of a heavy Gamemaker, a game creation tool that’s available for a throwaway graphics-intensive game engine. While it's a Windows- price of $30. However it has its own charm and does a great job only title at this juncture, the developer has mentioned of portraying the bizarre, film noir world of Gunpoint with enough that the Mac and Linux versions will be released soon. style and panache to make it believable. In addition, it’s punctuated We hope controller support is on the way as well. by a riveting soundtrack that further adds to the appeal. Before you know it, you'll be sunk into a comfortable While Gunpoint stands on its own as a charming piece of content reminiscent of a bygone era of puzzle and rhythm of missions made up of a variety of puzzles and platforming adventures, it also marks the debut of what stealth segments broken up by bits of story and interchanges appears to be a rather talented game developer. We wish it between Conway and his clients. The story itself is decent, was a bit longer, but that aside, we can't wait to see what and is made better thanks to the healthy dollops of humour. the one-man army that is Suspicious Developments has For a game made by one man over a period of three years mainly to serve as a portfolio sample for a job interview at a game in store for us next. If you like your games fun and on the (extremely) short side, definitely check this one out. chip malaysia october 13 113
- 116. lite & leisure game review DEADPOOL Awesome Assassin Adventures By Sam Mathews D eadpool is what happens when the guys behind the for voicing Nathan Drake. superlative Transformers: War for Cybertron and The game also features a bunch of cameos from the Marvel Transformers: Fall of Cybertron games are allowed universe, such as X-Men staple Wolverine, and the time to run amok with one of Marvel Comics's most underrated travelling Cable. However, the more obscure Mr. Sinister and properties. You don the tights of Deadpool, the self-proclaimed Rogue also have roles in the game. With Marvel focusing on "merc with a mouth", a highly-trained assassin with a wit bringing their bigger IPs to movies and games, it’s nice to to match his skills. And just like in the see such fan service involving some of comics, this Deadpool also has multiple personalities that manifest themselves via different voices. There's also a lot of self-referential humour in the game, with the developers taking funny potshots at the more niche protagonists. If you’re a ACTION-ADVENTURE comic buff, you’ll be right at home. Deadpool interesting fashion: you have both guns and gamers. Having said that, Deadpool manages DEVELOPER High Moon Studios INFO gaming culture www.deadpoolgame.com SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS The gameplay is executed in a rather and swords to kill, maim, decapitate and destroy your foes. However, you can't use both simultaneously. Rather, you'll PLATFORM : PC, PS3, Xbox 360 find yourself moving back and forth a dull moment owing to the dialogues, RATINGS you in the usual third-person shooter which will have you laughing from Gameplay perspective made popular by games such to stay true to its roots. There is never beginning to end. From catchy one-liners to observational humour, the strength Graphics between play styles. Opting for guns puts as Gears of War, but you can't hide behind cover this time around. The assortment of of the writing makes the game worth Sound weapons range from the bog standard playing at least once. The voice acting is Replayability pistols to futuristic energy rifles and the extremely well done, and Nolan North of Uncharted fame showcases his versatility with a variety of styles that you'd be hard pressed to associate with the guy famous 114 october 13 chip malaysia Killer script; great dialogues; fun combat. Average graphics; hordes of enemies. all-but-necessary rocket launchers. When armed with melee weaponry, you can get up close and slash your enemies with katanas, Sais and hammers. Jagdish Limbachiya
- 117. lite & leisure game review Deadpool can teleport across the battlefield, which makes up on-rails set pieces we’ve seen all year long. The devs have put for the lack of cover mechanics. The tap of a button displaces in a wealth of originality and love for keeping things different. you in the nick of time, preventing you from taking enemy fire. In fact, you’ll almost forget that the environments aren’t much It might seem that the combat is at odds with itself thanks to and that the game keeps throwing you into gauntlets. several elements at play, but it ends up working quite well. Solid gameplay mechanics and pacing aside, Deadpool Before you know it, you'll be running circles around the myriad is not without its faults. For one, it looks quite unremarkable mutants, clones and soldiers the game throws at you, smoothly compared to High Moon's Transformers games. If you were transitioning between guns and swords, punctuated by the odd expecting something along the lines of this year’s heavy teleportation trick or two. Some might wish that the combat hitters such as Tomb Raider or Metro: Last Light, prepare to were similar to other third-person titles like Bayonetta or Devil be disappointed. It’s surprising that a game running the Unreal May Cry and their seamless switching between pistol play and Engine can look so average. short range attacks, but High Moon shows that this method of implementing combat works just fine too. On the bright side, the system requirements are super low—a dual-core processor and an ancient 88xx series card will There is also a combo system that lets you chain together suffice if you’re considering playing it on the PC. However, we an unrelenting string of attacks, netting you experience points do have to note that using a mouse and keyboard combo isn't to upgrade your skills. The skills include abilities such as being the best way to play this game as the default control settings able to teleport more frequently and unlocking a wider move make it quite difficult to pull of Deadpool's flurry of attacks. set of powerful attacks. These attacks are labelled 'Gunkata', While keys can be remapped, we preferred playing the game and let you decimate the opposition in a shower of bullets and using a gamepad. stabs. On the whole, the combat system is extremely deep and Deadpool is an extremely entertaining romp. Though it gratifying, what with plenty of blood and gore along with a ton lacks the spit and polish we’ve come to know and expect of over-the-top moves to indulge in. from High Moon’s previous attempts, that doesn’t make it any The pacing of the game is almost perfect, which is what less endearing. One of the better games featuring characters makes it so playable. Just when you think things are getting from the Marvel universe, it might not reach the epic scales stale, it throws up a twist or three. Be it making fun of gaming of Batman’s Arkham adventures, but it manages to hold its tropes, self-referential humour, or simply adopting another own long enough to ensure you crack a smile, if not peals of genre altogether (like 2D side-scrolling), there’s a lot going laughter. Highly recommended even if you’re not a fan of the on to keep things fresh. The game also has one of the coolest comics. chip malaysia october 13 115
- 118. practice second life for old hardware SECOND LIFE For Old Hardware Instead of letting your old gadgets gather dust, let us show you how you can easily convert old devices into handy tools in just a few simple steps By Frederik Niemeyer MEDIA CLIENT with an Android device You don’t need new and expensive devices to create a wireless media receiver – just use an old Android smartphone 1 1 INSTALLING A MEDIA CLIENT ON AN OLD SMARTPHONE To exchange data, you must connect all the desired devices to the router. Then, install the BubbleUPnP App on the old smartphone, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The trial version is free but the device-remote control is restricted to 30 minutes per launch. The full version costs RM15. Your media server has remote access to the device, if the option “Allow remote control” is activated under the “[Menu button] | Settings | Local Renderer” (Standard). Set the Timeout in “[Menu button] | Settings | Control | Kill on inactivity” to “never”. Now, you need to connect the phone to your music system with a USB cable, connect it to the power supply network and remove the battery – your wireless media receiver is ready. 2 2 STREAMING FROM SMARTPHONE TO SMARTPHONE Install BubbleUPnP on another smartphone or tablet. The App works as a client and a server at the same time and is even capable of transferring media files from the network storage. Switch from the main view in the “Devices” tab and select under “Renderers” the BubbleUPnP client that is put in point 1. Using “Libraries”, specify where your music is located: “Local Media Server” is the current device, “BubbleUPnP Media Server” is the old one. Here, you will also find the released media libraries of the corresponding PCs and the network memory. BubbleUPnP can now stream music wirelessly from the “Library” tab on the old smartphone. 3 PHOTOS: NIKOLAUS SCHAFFLER STREAMING FROM PC TO SMARTPHONE Streaming is even easier from a PC: Click on “Other media libraries” in Windows Media Player, wait for the “BubbleUPnP Media Server” in the list to appear and select the device. This way, Windows integrates the cell phone as the playback device in the context menu. Now, stream the music albums and music files simply by right clicking on the file with “Open with | BubbleUPnP”. To forward the media library of the PC to the BubbleUPnP receiver using the new smartphone (see point 2), activate “Streaming | Allow automatic playback of the media through devices…” in the media player. For this to work, the PC must be in the home network group. 3 4 STREAMING SPOTIFY, RDIO & CO Music services with encrypted data cannot be easily streamed using UPnP. To transfer music from these sources from a PC to a smartphone, you need the additional program Jamcast Server for Windows (RM98 for the full version or 14 days trial). Spotify streaming works between devices if you install one of the android root Apps ‘AirAudio’ or ‘AirPlay on Android AOA service’ on the transmitter device and ‘AirBubble’ for the receiver device. 116 october 13 chip malaysia 4
- 119. 1 practice second life for old hardware WLAN-REPEATER with a Win7 laptop 1 POSITIONING A NOTEBOOK AT A SUITABLE SPOT If you have Windows 7 Notebook and it has a wireless chip, you can easily extend your WLAN range with it, for instance, all the way up to the garden. For this, connect your device to the network and set it up between the router and the location, where you would like the new WLAN to be set up. 2 INSTALLING CONNECTIFY The easiest way to set up virtual Wi-Fi is with the tool Connectify; as Microsoft does not offer a way or user interface to do so. Install the program and also .NET 4.5 and Visual C++ and restart your computer. When asked, allow net access for the tool through Firewall and start “Connectify Hotspot”. 3 SETTING UP AND CONNECTING TO THE ACCESS POINT Set a password for the new WLAN and select your network under »Internet to Share«, either the WLAN of your router or a connection via connected LAN cable. After clicking on »Start Hotspot«, you can login with other devices in the “Connectify-me” access point and access the Net. 3 SURVEILLANCE via Handycam 1 1 SETTING UP NETWORK CAMERA APP With the IP Webcam App from Google’s Play Store, an old android smartphone can be used as a surveillance camera that you can access and control over a network. For this, connect your smartphone with your WLAN, open the application and tap on the “Start Server” option. Now, note down the IP address of the smartphone along with the port, connect it to a power supply and put it in a suitable place. You will be able to see the network address in the video image of the App. 2 WATCHING VIDEO STREAMS IN THE BROWSER Type your IP address (for local connection) or your hostname (for Internet access) followed by the port number (see right), in the address bar of the browser. With this method, you can access the camera via the web interface, capture photos and activate the LED light. 3 2 WATCHING VIDEO STREAMS ON OTHER DEVICES With the tinyCAM App, you can keep an eye on events even on mobile devices. For this, select “Manage cameras | [Plus-Symbol] | Camera vendor | IP Webcam for Android” in tinyCAM and under “Hostname”, enter the IP address (or your DynDNS name) including “Port number” “8080”. 3 chip malaysia october 13 117
- 120. Subscribe & Win! If you are one those people who hasn’t adopted the habit of using protection, you really should. Seriously, who knows what you can contract over the Internet these days? If you thought we were talking about something else, well, it pretty much is the same isn’t it? Without proper protection for your computer, not only is your data at risk but also everyone else’s who shares that very same computer. With that in mind, this time around, our subscription gift to you is Panda’s Internet Security 2013 (worth RM160), which is easy to use, light on resources and of course secure. It has features that include, an Antivirus and Firewall; Panda USB Vaccine; Anti-Spam and Parental Control; Plus! Safe browser; Virtual Keyboard; Identity Protection; Backup; Multimedia/Gaming Mode; Home Network Manager and Remote PC Access. With all these features in mind, you can surf the net with peace of mind, but of course, we still suggest you surf on more “legit” sites. WEST MALAYSIA 1 year = RM118.80 + 4 Free Issue 6 months = RM59.40 + 2 Free Issue EAST MALAYSIA 1 year 6 months EFFECTIVE ________ ISSUE Subscription renewal, Subscription code: __________________________ = RM138.80 + 4 Free Issue = RM69.40 + 2 Free Issue PERSONAL INFO (Please write neatly in BLOCK letters) Name NRIC Mr/Ms/Dr Mailing Address Postal Code Phone H/P OFF/HOME PAYMENT INFO (Please E-mail tick ONE of each of the following) I have enclosed a cheque in favour of Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. Cheque No Name of Bank Signature Date Money/Postal Order No. SUBSCRIPTION VIA CREDIT CARD, KINDLY LOG ON TO ‘www.chip com.my’ FOR IMMEDIATE PROCESSING .. . . Conditions : FORMS WITHOUT SIGNATURE AND WHICH ARE INCOMPLETE WILL NOT BE PROCESSED Kindly send in subscriptions together with payment Subscriptions received via fax will only commence on receipt of cheque . Please write your name & address on the reverse side of the cheque Credit card orders will commence on receiving the authorization from the credit card company In case of subscription is damaged during transit, replacement may be made if sufficient evidence of the damaged subscription is received within 7 days of receipt Subscription may be cancelled at anytime and receive full refund on unmailed issues, minus RM10.00 for administration charges Please allow 4 - 6 weeks to process each subscription. . . . Contact: Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. A-5-O7 Block A, Neo Damansara, Bandar Damansara Perdana, Jalan PJU 8/1, 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: (603) 7727 6554 Fax: (603) 7727 3554
- 121. tips & tricks windows, applications & hardware Tips Tricks OCTOBER 2013 HARDWARE Keyboards Rectify problems with your keyboard 01 Keyboards are one of the most robust components that a computer has. Every key on the standard keyboard handles over hundred thousand of strokes without making a mistake. Despite this fact, keyboards can start acting up but this is mainly because of external sources: Dust, crumbs, hair, cigarette ash, liquids and so on, which often falls into the spaces between the keys of the keyboard over the course of time. All these things affect the mechanics and can cause contact issues. If the keyboard is not working properly and it is not due to a drained battery and pinched or broken cable then the first you should do is shut down the computer and turnover the keyboard once and shake it vigorously so that the rough and loose particles will fall out. The next step is to clean it with a vacuum cleaner and upholstery nozzle. A possible film of dirt on the keys and frames can be removed with the normal wet wipes. 02 Ink-jet printer General tips for refilling toner cartridges If you want to save money by refilling your ink or toner cartridges yourself, here are a few basic rules you should 01 Dust and dirt are usually the culprits responsible in causing a keyboard to start acting wonky. Regular cleaning ensures frustration-free typing. follow to get yourself prepared. Make sure everything is ready before proceeding with the task, because nothing is more annoying than when you have to search for something with ink on your fingers. You will need: Disposable gloves, paper towels, window cleaner, stationery knife, disposable syringe with needles and a drip-resistance base so that the ink does not stain your table top during the process. Do not hesitate when it comes to refilling! As soon as the first light-coloured stripes are seen on a print image you should get into action. This is because empty cartridges dry up quickly, causing it to clog up very easily. As for BubbleJet printers, the nozzles are cooled by the discharging ink. If the nozzles run dry the excessive heat can destroy them. Air also plays an important role while refilling: Of course the air must basically be cleaned out from the empty cartridge and the ink. However, do pay attention while refilling and make sure the cartridge is not filled to the brim and that there are no air bubbles in the syringe and later in the cartridge. Air bubbles can prevent the ink from discharging when it lies in front of the nozzle. Lodged air bubbles cannot be removed even if you use reduced or excessive pressure, as the air can compress and expand. Depending on the printer and cartridge model, there are additional hurdles like security chips or coding that you must deal with separately. Moreover, there can be slight variation in colours, light and abrasion resistance. So, firstly do check on the Internet to find out which refill method should be used and what are some of 02 If you follow a few fundamental tips, you can save money and trouble when refilling ink or toner cartridges chip malaysia october 13 119
- 122. tips & tricks windows, applications & hardware the things to take into account.. We are actually against the storage of refilled cartridges since these are or were opened before so they tend to dry out quickly. You can remove the rest of the ink residues on the hands by using soft soap (this can be found and purchased from a hardware store or pharmacy) 03 Battery With a little training a battery's lifespan can be extended and its capacity increased Have you ever felt that the battery of your mobile phone or camera must be constantly recharged after a short while? This is actually because the performance of the battery reduces over time. Here are some power-saving measures for you to try out, so that you can prevent it from happening. With this, even smartphones can stay powered up for awhile longer. To improve the performance of the battery slightly better on your own: just simply charge and discharge the battery in repeated successions within a short time. Be sure to always completely discharge it but simultaneously do not leave it for the whole day or else it will total discharge and that could possibly make the battery unusable permanently. This tip is particularly handy for devices, whose batteries are not compatible or have already lost massive amounts of running time due to frequent short time charging. 04 05 Before buying a new graphic card, you should check if the computer is big enough to house it 04 Graphic cards Solving problems when mounting and installation Depending on what type of user you are, a performance graphics card is sometimes necessary, so that the latest games runs smoothly and with high quality. However, before buying, make sure to check whether your motherboard is compatible with the new card. Some high performance models actually take up the entire length of the PCIe slots even on a ATX sized motherboard. Therefore, you should make sure if it actually fits into your computer chassis. Sometimes the hard disk cages or the fan of the CPU and the cases can get in its way. These days, the connection technology will never be an issue: as the PCIe connection has been a standard that has been established for many years. However there are several different revisions. To ensure that the card performs to it fullest, you should compare the specifications of the motherboard and the graphics card before making a purchase. The installation is usually not critical. But older drivers can cause problems. So before you start working with driver removal tools, you should consider a clean reinstallation of the system. This often solves all the problems. While PCs are now able to provide users with error info easily as they are connected to the net, empty batteries often go unnoticed appear during startup and it seems like it doesn't have any effect on the operation of the system, it could probably be caused by the back-up battery that has run dry. Previously, this could be easily detected from the incorrect system time, but now, since this - as well as other settings - are synchronised over the Internet. It is no longer a reliable indicator. 06 KVM-Switch/TFT-Monitor Take note of the maximum resolution for displays If you feel disappointed with the image quality of your new high resolution monitor, this can be due to the change from the older monitor: This is because most older switches support a maximum 06 03 Once in a while completely charge and discharge your drained battery in successions to make it fit again 05 PC system Solve vague BIOS messages during system start resolution of 1024x768 pixels. If BIOS error messages constantly 120 october 13 chip malaysia The old KVM switches do not support the current high resolution of flat screen monitors
- 123. tips & tricks windows, applications & hardware Quick Tips CHANGING THE NAME IN IE You can change the names of saved favourites by clicking on the “Favourites” tab and then selecting “Organise Favourites”. You will find the rename option here. PHOTOGRAPHY PORTRAIT PHOTOS Never go without a reflector for portrait shooting 07 No other accessory is as important as the reflector for photos of people. A reflector perfectly illuminates the model for backlit photos without disrupting the mood of the picture. Moreover, a large piece of fabric is also suitable for shadowing as a wind screen or as achanging room substitute. When using a reflector, be mindful about the color of the foil: a silver foil creates a cold, golden area rather than a warm light. For shooting in strong wind, a stable model with aluminium edges such as the one by California Sunbounce is recommended. For home studios, a blanket which stretches over the Styrofoam plate is often enough. 08 PHOTO PLANNING Collect cool photos ideas for the future When it comes to taking photos of an individual, the quality of the image depends greatly on the subject and composition of the photograph. This why it is important to collect sample images first and have a discussion in order to find a common concept. With this method, you can prepare specifically, organise the necessary props and clothes and thus save a lot of time during the actual shoot. Photography websites as well as Facebook, women magazines or Google are some of the best sources for collecting ideas. 9 NIGHT PHOTOS Capture dynamic light traces of vehicles To achieve images like these, the camera must be on a tripod in order to capture the lights of moving trains, buses and cars because you require an exposure time that is two seconds or longer. The more the traffic, the more intensive the colors will be. When taking photos of individual cars, the proper exposure time plays an important role – HIDING ZERO VALUES To hide zero values in Excel sheets, open “Tools | Options” and deactivate the “Zero Values” option. 9 The bulb exposures on road scenes look very spectacular particularly in the evening hours or at night experimenting helps. Another important tip is to always wear reflective clothes when taking photos by the roadside for safety purposes.The best thing to wear would be a reflective vest. 10 NIGHT PHOTOS The trick with the star-shaped lights The star-shaped light reflections of street lamps and signals contribute considerably to the mood of an image especially for night city photos. In order to capture these beams, set the aperture to ‘‘f/8’’ or greater. The smaller the aperture, the more distinct the star shapes become. For more intensive beams, you can use a ‘‘Star filter’’. It is designed with a fine screen in which the beams are simply reflected. 11 PHOTO ART Capture the light paintings on photos with a torchlight or LED lights Light paintings are an interesting genre of night photography. Wear dark clothes and keep multicolored light sources such as a torch light or an LED at the ready. Mount the camera on a tripod, use a programmable remote shutter and select an exposure of one to two minutes. Release the trigger and paint in the image with the light source. With a little practice, you will be able successfully capture amazing pictures. INTERRUPTING PRESENTATIONS To interrupt PowerPoint presentations with a black screen, press [B] or [.]. DISPLAYING PARAGRAPH MARKS To do this, press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [+] in Word for viewing all non printable characters. RETAIN TABLE FORMAT IN EXCEL In Excel, when you paste a table from one sheet to another, at the end you will see a small box. Clicking on it, you will find several useful options that will help you retain the original table format. 12 Before taking a picture of the local people in another country, always ask for permission politely and you might get more interesting photos 12 TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY Approach the locals The faces and the habits of natives often reflect the history and the culture of a country in a unique way. Be brave and ask the locals for their permission to take a photo. The portrait would chip malaysia october 13 121
- 124. tips & tricks windows, applications & hardware when lamps are used. Therefore, it would be beneficial to prepare these tools accordingly; otherwise you will be spending a lot of time on retouching. It is also important to clean the object first instead of editing the image later. 15 13 Life is not all colourful and exciting. If the weather is gloomy, the images often appear the same definitely enhance your photo album. 13 SUBJECT SELECTION There is no bad weather – just a different subject Even when you are on a tour in the Sahara, there's no way you can avoid a shower or rainy days during these long journeys. For days like these, you can use the reflections in the puddles and on the flooded streets for very interesting photos. In severe thunderstorms though, we advise you to take photos indoors and not out in the elements. ANALOGUE CLOCKS IN PHOTOS Always set it to smile Have you ever wondered why the time on clocks in photos are often set to 10:10? The answer is the same as our tip. With this setting of time, a kind a ‘smile’ is created on the subject. The clock virtually smiles at you. However, this smile can also be created by setting the clock to 1:50. 16 ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY Capture the most relaxed moments with no flash movement exposure, which is less than the flash synchronisation time of 1/250 second. 17 PORTRAIT PHOTOS Take shadow-free photos with hot shoe flashes Direct flashes while taking a photo makes the image appear rigid and artificial and also creates horrible shadows. If you are indoors and the ceiling is white and not so high, you should set the system flash at an angle or vertically upwards. The ceiling will serve as an oversized reflector and reflects the light evenly. CAUTION! Flashed wooden ceilings often result in a distinct yellowish red colour tint on the images. Alternatively, you can expand the hot shoe flash with a useful mini-softbox. 18 EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY Switch to the burst shooting mode during events Gloves, microfiber cloths and antistatic brushes are a must because objects easily attract a lot of dust and dirt Pets behave particularly relaxed in a familiar surrounding. Therefore, house or flats are the ideal places to take photos of cats, dogs, parrots & others – just make sure the vacuum cleaner is not running at the same time. You can get particularly impressive pictures if you take the photos of animals at eye level. Most animals are afraid of lightning. Hence, the constant small flashing of a studio flash unit may intimidate your animal model. Therefore, do not use a flash when taking photographs in a studio and use continuous light instead. To capture fast movements of a pet, there's also the option to use fast Events are often unpredictable, which make it difficult to determine the ideal moments for a photo. Therefore, set your camera to the burst mode. Now you can capture many photos in a short moment. However, remember to keep a check on the camera buffer. If it gets full, you won't be able to fire the trigger for some time. This happens especially when you are taking photos in RAW format because the data volume saved here is considerably greater as compared to when you take only JPEGs. 14 16 18 It is worth it to wipe the dust off before taking photos of objects in studio as editing on a PC takes a much longer time Relaxed animals are perfect photo subjects. You as a photographer must be able to create the right atmosphere You should snap as many photos during events and conferences so that you will be able to select the best ones later 14 122 STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY Work free from dust to avoid post-processing october 13 chip malaysia
- 125. tips & tricks windows, applications & hardware Whether it is during a press conference or a political event: You should also know the main subjects. Obtain a list and stick to the most important faces in mind – now you can concentrate on these VIPs when taking photos. 19 SUBJECT SELECTION Evenings are the best for atmospheric family phots In nice weather, use the unique atmoshphere and mood of nature for your photos. Photos taken shortly before the sunset appears is particularly harmonic against the light, for example at the end of a cordial Sunday walk. Use a lens hood to reduce reflections. Also make sure that the subjects are not flooded in front of the bright background. 20 With the distinct and easily recognisable patterns of vibration, you can easily tell who is calling even in silent mode In the section "Normal”, there already some typical patterns available which you can select by clicking on them. If you want to personalise it further, you can also "Create a new vibration". You can easily create the sequence by specifying a scheme by selecting any of the grey areas on the screen in the desired time sequence. The compilation begins automatically with the first tap. Subsequently you can test the vibration with the option "Repeat" and, if required, "Record” it again. If you are happy with the sequence, select “Save” and give the vibration pattern a name. After that, this pattern will be immediately available in the menu for selection. 19 22 ANDROID/IPHONE/IPAD Charge your battery free of risk via USB If you use Firefox on your Android device, you generally get hits from If the sun has a deep, red shade it will be able to bring out beautiful romantic subjects. Try it out. MOBILE 20 21 ANDROID Manage search engines access for Firefox Google, Amazon, Twitter and Wikipedia when you search for a keyword. If you want to limit the search only to Google or want to extend it to other search engines like Yahoo, you do not have the option to manage the search engines from the search box like on the PC. The configuration of search engines is available in the add-ons menu. For this, open the settings of the app and the tap on "Extras" and then on “Addons”. Besides other possible extensions, this list shows the set search engines where the aforementioned four search enginels are integrated. In order to switch off any one of it, tap on it and then on “Deactivate” in the following dialog. With the same method, you can later reselect the search engines later by tapping on “Activate”. To insert additional search engines, tap on the icon to the right next to "Your Add-ons". Only in the following dialog, enter the search keyword as “Yahoo” or “Bing” in the field on the page and then tap on the green arrow. Search for the suitable add-on such as “Yahoo Search for Firefox Android” in the list. Then open the detailed display and tap on “Add to Firefox”. Confirm the request for the new search machine by selecting “Add”. Smartphones have to be recharged often even while traveling. Handy USB ports used for recharging is now available almost everywhere; but it could also pose a risk. The USB connection to an 21 22 Firefox can use diverse search machines also under Android – however, their management takes place here with Add-ons USB debugging and the installation of apps from other sources must be deactivated on default in Android iPHONE Set individual vibrate patterns for different callers While setting different ringtones for different contacts allows you to easily identify them, it doesn't quite help when your phone is set to silent mode during a meeting. With the iPhone, you can also set a different vibration pattern for each contact so that with some practice you can also tell who is calling. To do this, you have to first open the Contacts app and select the respective contact you want. Select “Edit” and search “Vibrate” in the menu, which is usually set to standard. chip malaysia october 13 123
- 126. tips & tricks windows, applications & hardware external systems may result in data exchange. This is now common not just for PCs but also other devices. Depending on the configuration of the smartphone and external system, it can lead to automatic connection – which you may not realise. For example, photos may be uploading to a service like Dropbox in the background. On Android, there is a high possibility that malware may be installed on the device. Therefore, the safest thing to do is to switch off the smartphone completely before connecting it to the external USB port. If you want to or have to leave the device active, you should be careful while connecting and be aware if the device is requesting for a mode. If it is, always select the option “Charge only”. In Android's “Developer options” in the settings, be sure to check here whether “USB debugging” is deactivated. Also, be sure to go to the “Security” settings and deactivate the option “Unknown source” in order to prevent the installation of apps or malware from unreliable sources. SOCIAL NETWORKS FACEBOOK Use the new stickers in Facebook chat 23 Besides small emoticons, there are also larger stickers available, which you can use in chat messages on Facebook. If you don't like the pre-installed ones, you can download more for free. To do this, open a chat dialog in the Facebook app. While you can insert the available emoticons via the plus sign to the left of the input field, there is a new smiley to access stickers to the right of the input field. The first set of stickers is already available. The lower menu bar facilitates the access to the recently used stickers, different sticker collections as well as the purchase basket of sticker store. You can select more sticker sets here and download them free of cost via the arrow symbol. Scroll through the respective collection and click the sticker to send it in the current chat. Unlike the emoticons, the image is not inserted in the text, but separately and immediately without further confirmation. The whole thing is a rather amusing form of nudging via images. TIP On the Facebook website, the smiley is in the input field. The standard Smileys and a mini-selection of stickers are available here you can expand it as suggested via the Facebook app. 24 TWITTER Post and delete tweets directly via e-mail Although you can enter tweets via the app from anywhere directly to Twitter, there is also an option to tweet via email. This even comes with some advantages as it offers more functionality. To begin, you must log in to the free service Twittermail. Head to the website twittercounter.com/pages/ twittermail and click “Sign in with Twitter” on the top leff corner. In a new window, confirm the link by clicking “Authorise app”. On the next page, you can deactivate all the options for Twitter Counter from the Settings. Once done, click “Save and go”. Then, you will come to the dialog for “Twitter mail Settings”. The “Twittermail address” generated here is very important. Here you can take the suggested encrypted name or you can change the address in the field. However, please note that every email sent there would automatically generate a tweet in your profile in the future. Also take note that, addresses that can be guessed easily, can lead to Spam in the tweets. You only have to enter your “Twitter password” when you want to forward images in your tweets. In the field "Cut of phrase”, you can define a text that marks the end of the text to be forwarded in the email. With this, you can prevent the publishing of your signature too. You can also keep the field empty and use the two line breaks as end markers. With the Setting "Message body”, the combination field “What to tweet” determines whether the message should be published on Twitter. You can also choose "Subject" for the subject line or for both. Copy the encrypted mail address in your address book. Once the "Save settings" options is clicked, the service will be ready to use. 23 Instead of small emoticons, you can also send nicer stickers via Facebook to share your moods 124 october 13 chip malaysia 24 Get access to Twitter mail in order to tweet more comfortably and reliably via email
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