PC Gaming Breaks Away With Alienware’s Concept UFO

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY.

Why handheld portability may be the future of computer gaming

Written by Aqil Nasri

Back when the Nintendo Switch released in 2017, it became an instant hit with fans and critics alike. People forgot about the failures of the Wii U and praised Nintendo for releasing such an innovative console / handheld hybrid. With the new Switch, Nintendo managed to deliver on their promises, which is what made the Switch to go on and sell close to 42 Million units near the end of 2019, with the company predicting that it could go on to sell up to 50 Million units by March 2020.

Gamers were astounded by the fact that they could play high-quality games outside of their normal playing space. The idea was revolutionary when first announced, and it became even more impressive when Nintendo was able to actually pull it off!

 

Image Credit: Nintendo

However, with the Switch, they were some drawbacks that came with its portability functions, such as the console / handheld hybrid not being as powerful as its direct competitors (PS4 and Xbox One). Gamers who wanted portability while playing high-quality console games were forced to settle with what the Switch can handle. Extreme Triple-A games such as God of War, Spiderman, Halo 5, and Horizon: Zero Dawn were all too hot to handle for the Switch. This causes the Switch to primarily be more of a secondary console rather than a primary console. Also, this inadvertently causes a huge lack of 3rd party support for the Switch as the console basically lacks the power to even run heavy-duty games.

So, how do you solve this issue of portability in gaming? How do you make a gaming machine portable and handheld at the same time while also making it almost as powerful as a gaming PC?

Well, Alienware (probably) has the answer to that.

 

 

Alienware’s Concept UFO

Image Credit: HiConsumption

Recently at CES 2020, Dell’s Alienware announced the Concept UFO, a portable handheld gaming machine that can play almost any games that an average gaming PC can. It runs on Windows 10, and it is revolutionary.

Basically, the overall look of the Concept UFO is pretty much like a Switch. It has a tablet, runs Windows 10, and on either side of the device, it has two paddle-like controllers that slightly resembles the Switch design.

It also comes with a kickstand to prop up the tablet whenever users want to play it in console mode. Attach the tablet to a bridge accessory and gamers can continue playing their Concept UFO like a traditional console system, using the tablet as a display. Plug the tablet into a monitor or a TV and you can use either a controller or play games using a mouse and keyboard. What this means is that the Concept UFO is an all-in-one gaming kit. You can play it in handheld mode, console mode, and in PC mode. It’s the best of ALL worlds!

Alienware’s ability to make a design piece that’s pioneered by Nintendo to feel like its own is certainly impressive. While some may claim this is blatant plagiarism, I feel like this is not an issue to be discussed at all. It’s less of a copycat situation and more of an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” situation. Nintendo has set the bar for versatility and usability with the Switch. The easy to hold grips coupled with the sleek design of the Switch has led to Alienware adopting some of Nintendo’s design into their own.

Image Credit: Tom’s Hardware

The Concept UFO alleviating the need for having a large rig in place whenever you want to play PC games is a feature unlike any other. This should be commended by all and be received with widespread praise when the tech finally comes into the hands of the public.

But, as good as it sounds, the Concept UFO is still, as its name suggests, a concept.

You see, the very appearance of a prototype, much less a concept, by Alienware at a tradeshow is still somewhat of an unusual occurrence, as Dell has instead relied steadily on showing concrete products and updated specs for their lineups of laptops and desktops.

In my opinion, Dell is still trying to gain traction among fans and slowly pushing the idea that you can play high fidelity games on the go. They know that they can do it. They have the tech and the financial backings to make a revolutionary product come to life. It’s just a matter of whether the public wants it or not. Whether the idea is brilliant enough to push forward a whole new frontier for the gaming industry.

Image Credit: Android Authority

Let’s pray that the proof of concept will eventually spring true. The landscape of gaming, in general, can potentially be forever changed among the community. Triple-A games can be played anywhere anyone went, with no network connection needed or huge rigs needed. It’ll be just the handheld and you with nothing to stand in between your conquest for (digital) domination.

Even if the handheld future isn’t here yet, I’m excited to think about the prospects of where the industry may go from here. Will the industry stick to safety or push on to clear new boundaries? Only time will tell.

Let us know if you think handheld is the way of the future for PC gaming in the comments below!

Onitsuka Tiger Taps Valentino To Rework Its Mexico 66 Silhouette

Posted by & filed under Fashion, Sneakers.

Every now and then, the feeling of elevating your footwear comes, pokes its head through the corners, before revealing itself, usually into something distasteful or downright exciting. There is no in-between, but Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino’s iteration of the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 manages to balance outlandishness while not breaching the line of atrociousness.

The heritage running silhouette gets done up in premium Italian leather and coloured in 4 different neon colours ranging from green, orange, yellow and white. Valentino’s logo has been scaled up and stamped on the lateral side of the shoe.

While these variations will be available on Valentino’s own website, a special edition original tri-colour model will only be released on Onitsuka Tiger’s website as well as select stores.

Details are scarce however, as no prices of the collaboration have been announced as of yet. The shoe is slated to release during the summer of 2020.

BABYMETAL Will Be Playing At KL Live This March

Posted by & filed under Music.

Fusing metal and kawaiiness into one genre that is relatively undescribable other than to call it Kawaii Metal, BABYMETAL is set to bring their unique, high energy rocking performance here to Malaysia as part of their Asia tour.

Speaking to a Beat Live Asia spokesperson, he says “BABYMETAL has been taking the world by storm since their inception with sold out shows across the globe. So when we heard they were going to be in the vicinity, we just had to have them as the act for our first show ever. On top of that, it brings us great joy to give the loyal and ardent BABYMETAL fans the opportunity to catch their favourite act live.” He added, “Beat Live Asia is working hard and we promise to continue delivering great shows for the Malaysian people in the future.”

tickets are now on sale here with Early Bird tickets going for around RM 158, followed by Phase 1 and 2 tickets priced at RM 178 and RM 208 respectively.

We also have two pairs of tickets to giveaway to 2 lucky fans! Simply follow the steps below:

  1. Like beat.live.asia’s and Masses My’s Instagram.
  2. Like the photo below on Masses’ Instagram.
  3. Tag 3 friends and tell us why you want to see BABYMETAL.

Winners will be announced on Masses’ Instagram on Monday, 20th January, 2020.

Steffi Sidhu Dreams Of Eventually Coaching Malaysia’s All-Women’s Team | Cool Story Bro EP09

Posted by & filed under Lifestyle, Sports, TV.

We all know Steffi Sidhu as one of the top guns of the Malaysian futsal scene, and in this podcast, she bares it all when it comes to all things football, beginning from how her futsal career began, her favourite footballers in the world, going down into the deeper side of things as they discuss whether the women’s team is treated fairly in comparison to the men’s team.

Meet The MarsCat, A Robot That Does Whatever The Hell It Wants

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY.

Image Credit: The Verge
Written by Aqil Nasri

CES 2020 has come and go, with tons of tech companies beating their chests and demonstrating to the public just how advanced their product can be. There were self-balancing Segways, “artificial humans”, and even a Toilet Paper Robot. Some were great but some were definitely on the, err… weirder side of things.

Then there’s the robotics side of the trade show. The world has seen many iterations of robotic companions, from something as innocent as a pet robot to something more lifelike (and creepier) humanoid robot. They all have something to offer for us, but none, I would say, is quite as utterly lifelike than the one in this article.

Image Credit: Mikeshouts

Meet MarsCat, the world’s first fully autonomous robot cat that literally does whatever the hell it wants the minute it’s turned on. You don’t give it commands, you don’t give it instructions, and you don’t tell it what to do. It tells itself what to do, you know, kinda like how a real cat is. It’ll act like any regular house cat, doing things on its own volition.

The companion cat robot is currently on Kickstarter, where it has managed to raise over $100,000 from the original $20,000 goal. That’s a lot of people wanting a robotic cat instead of a real cat.

While it is dubbed as a “cat”, the actual product does little to actually make it look as lifelike as possible. Instead, it looks more like a furless version of Frankenstein’s cat rather than a real one. But, it is still in the early stages though, so I’m sure they’ll do more to improve on the final design (hopefully).

MarsCat however, still can respond to certain commands even though the company has claimed that it is fully autonomous. Commands such as “run” and “stop” will be heeded by the robotic cat as soon as it hears them, which to me, breaks the immersion a little bit. The cat also responds to touch, so you can give it head scratches and it’ll respond accordingly. It even plays and interacts with objects and animals in its surroundings, such as cat toys and even actual real cats!

Just look at those eyes staring back into your soul

Image Credit: TechCrunch 

If users want to get access to the “cat” upon launch (March 2020), then they’d have to fork out at least $649 (RM2637.00) for it. A low amount it is certainly not.

What do you guys think of the MarsCat? Is this the future of household pets? Let us know in the comments below!

Nike’s P-Rod Dunk Highs Honours The Skater’s Mexican Heritage

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

We all know Paul Rodriguez. Legendary skater, 8 times X Games winner, and all-round nice guy. And after 15 years of partnership, the Swoosh is finally giving him a special that pair that sits very close to his heart.

As Rodriguez is extremely proud of his Mexican heritage, Nike has decided to pay homage to this fact by adding the Mexican tri-colour all over the shoe. White forms the base, while red outlines the panelings for a more pronounced look, completed with a green swoosh on the side. The Mexican colours make an appearance on the outsole, while the shoe also features custom boxing inspired dubraes with the words “World Champion.” The insole too, features a print of P-Rods wrapped fists, just for the sake of it.

The Nike Dunk High X P-Rod is set to release on the 18th of January for a price of RM 495 on Nike.com. Would you cop?

Take A Look At The Pestle & Mortar X Tiger Beer Pop-Up In Pavilion

Posted by & filed under Fashion.

In celebration of 88 years of Tiger Beer, the brands has collaborated with Pestle & Mortar Clothing to release a capsule collection that features a couple of t-shirts, a silk jacket, a bum-bag, and a cap.

The Tiger Ad tee presents the alcohol brand’s first beer can design that was launched in 1965 in celebration of its first-ever gold medal in the beer category while the Tiger Rat tee coincides with the Year Of The Rat. The Sukajan Jacket doubles the Huat, as the tiger encompasses the 88, signifiying everlasting strength and prosperity. The collection also includes a Kung Fu Jacket with more tiger motifs, while the capsule is wrapped up with the bum bag and a cap.

The entire collection is available to purchase at all Major Drop stores, online, as well as at the pop-up in Pavilion.

 

 

 

Realme Launches The Buds Air And The 5i In Malaysia

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY.

Written by Aqil Nasri

The new kid on the block is not slowing down in terms of new product launches. Just early last month, they launched their very own self-proclaimed flagship killer smartphone, the realme X2 Pro. Now, they’re back at it again with not just one, but two new addition to their line-up of products, the realme Buds Air and the realme 5i.

Let’s start off with the realme Buds Air first shall we?

realme Buds Air

Skipping pass the looks first (yes, we’re definitely aware of its striking similarities to the earpods), the Buds Air presents the brand’s first foray into the true wireless earphone territory, and it definitely shows a lot of promise. Equipped with a custom R1 chip that comes with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, this boost in tech allows instant connection between phone and earbuds, while also improving battery performance and allowing for more accessible smart controls. Speaking of smart controls, the supported intelligent touch operation provides seamless control of the earbuds without unnecessarily complicated actions.

Enjoy 17 hours of listening time with the charging case and 3 hours of non-stop music playback on a single charge. If it runs out of juice, simply wirelessly charge the case on the 10W Wireless Charger. In terms of audio capabilities, the dynamic bass boost driver provides a more bass heavy tuning while still retaining clarity.

Retail price for the realme Buds Air will cost you around RM299.00, but if you want to get it for just RM199.00 a pair, be sure to get them during Shopee’s First Online Sale for it on the 21st of January 2020 by 12 AM. This is a one-day deal only though, so make sure to be quick. Visit this link for the Shopee deal.

(Quick note: White’s the only colour available at the early access launch. Black and Yellow will only be available soon after its full launch)

realme 5i

Powered by 11nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 AIE processor, the realme 5i is still a force to be reckoned with although designed to be a more affordable alternative to the normal realme 5 line.

With a massive 5000 mAh battery that allows the phone to have a 30-day standby period, a fireproof protective separation, reverse charging and Ultra-Wide Quad camera with nightscope 2.0 and video stability, the 5i, impressively, looks to be able to stand on its own. The 5i is also fully equipped with splash resistance as well, making it immune to minor accidents such as accidental drops.

The realme 5i comes in two main colour, aqua blue, and forest green. Retail price for the phone is set at RM599.00, and future adopters can purchase this device early at realme 5i’s First Offline Sale at realme retailers nationwide on the 18th of January 2020. If you’re planning to get it online, then Lazada will be holding it’s First Online Sale for the device on the 28th of January 2020 by 12 AM.

Follow this link to check for its availability on Lazada.

Futuremade Studio Just Tapped New Era To Release A Special Edition Corduroy Cap

Posted by & filed under Fashion.

 

Futuremade’s making waves, and the latest product offering’s bound to stir up some emotions, mostly positive.

The brand has collaborated with New Era to produce a limited run of corduroy paneled caps. Coloured in black, the cap is also paired with a similarly coloured black dustbag.

However, to obtain the dustbag, it will only be available to the first 40 purchases at their pop-up store over in The Gasket Alley.

This deal is valid on the launch day of the product only, which is scheduled to be held on the 18th of January 2020 (Saturday) at 12 PM. Tickets are extremely limited and will be counted as a pass for the purchase as well. Anyone approaching to buy without a ticket is strictly not allowed to proceed with the transaction. Note that customers are limited to only one piece per receipt.

However, if tickets have run out during the event day, customers can still grab the cap over at futuremadestudio.com, only without the complimentary dust-bag.

The Yeezy 700 V3 ‘Azael’ Is Kanye’s Best Silhouette Yet | WDHANFTSY

Posted by & filed under Art, Design, Fashion, Music, Sneakers, TV.

The first shoe review of the year, and we have a big one. As Kanye continues its Yeezy line, so does the updates, and the 700 V3 presents some of the biggest one yet, including the absence of the Boost midsole.

Watch the review to find out what else Ye has gotten up his sleeves and why this may be his best silhouette yet.