Sanctvs Is Your Answer For High Quality Everyday Wear

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

You really shouldn’t compromise on the quality of your everyday wear, because it’ll be the items you spend the most time in. Kevin Loo of Sanctvs acknowledges this, and has imbued this ethos into his own label, starting with a pair of very crisp looking footwear.

Necessity Vol. 1 is a pursuit of perfection without any compromise, and the shoes on offer speak just that. Mimicking somewhat a simple canvas shoe, the upper is made almost entirely of plush lambskin leather, accented with suede eyestays and foxing, making for an understated, yet recognisable upper. Leather insoles provide additional comfort in addition to a thick midsole, while colourway comprises of a triple white and black variation.

Kevin Loo, Founder and Creative Director of Sanctvs

“My wardrobe staples are very minimal and simple, hence why the creation of Necessity Vol. 1 from scratch was necessary for me as I needed to find a pair of shoes that fits my current style and aesthetic,” said Kevin Loo, Founder & Creative Director of Sanctvs.

Another priority for Kevin is comfort immediately after putting on the shoes. “The footwear lends perfection to any style icons out there, however I made sure that comfort is something that needs no compromising. Thus with Necessity Vol 1, no break-in time is required.”

The shoe retails at a price of RM 580, and can be purchased now at Sanctvs’ official website.

 

 

 

Virgil’s Off-White X Nike Dunks Are Arriving Here Soon

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Feature image: Sneakernews

After first appearing at Paris Fashion Week as the highly coveted Futura X Off-White X Nike Dunk, the second in line is here.

Similarly styled, the only thing missing from these Off-White X Nike Dunks are the absence of Futura’s logo, as well as the iced outsole, instead replaced with a more traditional rubber one.

The highlight of this collaboration however, is the additional pair of laces overlayed on top of the originals for a stylised trekking look. Off-White’s signature zip-tie makes an appearance, only this time is coloured in white.

Interested? The Off-White X Nike Dunk releases in all three colourways on the 20th of December for a price of RM 689.

Streaming VS Astro: Which Is More Costly?

Posted by & filed under Lifestyle.

Are Streaming Prices Exceeding Cable Prices?

Written by Aqil Nasri

How people consume entertainment nowadays has changed tremendously in the past 20 years. Watching shows and films on televisions and cinemas has been the cultural norm for the longest time ever since the advent of video, but there’s no way to rewatch the program if you missed it on the first viewing, and even if you could reschedule for its next air date, it may not even be the same episode.

Now, people don’t even have to think about those kinds of things anymore when Netflix arrived. The true one stop shop for whatever the fuck your heart desires. It was a haven of content, to be able to play your favourite shows how you want, and when you want. Until everyone decided to get on board the trend.

Now with Hulu, YouTube Premium, Disney+, and HBO Go, the audience are faced with multiple choices shod with content of their own that’s not centralised, which means if you want to watch Rick and Morty then switch to The Mandalorian, you’re gonna have to purchase both Netflix and Disney+. As streaming services show cable-like qualities in the coming times, we just have to discover, whether subscribing to multiple services is still cheaper than outright just buying the whole package of Astro.

Examples of streaming services

When mentioning the types of paid streaming services, Netflix will always pop up in the minds of everyone. Being one of the earliest pioneers for streaming, they started out by being the world’s first online DVD rental store back in 1998, with them venturing into streaming later on over the years. Price-wise, the basic subscription of Netflix costs around RM33/month, with the standard subscription and premium subscription costing RM42/month and RM51/month respectively. Now, this is already extremely affordable as the monthly bill is cheap when compared to Astro (averaging around RM 200+). However, most people would probably not settle with just one, as Netflix does not have more major content like Astro does, such as live sports.

Hence, people tend to subscribe to more streaming services. If they want to watch sports or wrestling, they would probably need to subscribe to ESPN+ (RM21/month) or WWE Network (RM41/month). If they want more tv shows and movie contents, they can go for Hulu (RM25/month), iflix (RM10/month), or even Amazon Prime Video (RM38/month). Each of these services will cause users to cough up more of their money if they intend on purchasing them.

What’s unique about each of the different streaming platforms are the many exclusive movies and tv shows that each has. For example, Netflix has Stranger Things, Hulu has Castle Rock, and Amazon Prime Video has Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. If people want to view each of these different shows, they would have to separately subscribe to each streaming service. If you total up the price for the entirety of the discussed streaming platforms, you would need to spend at least RM168/month. Now that’s a pretty high price point that you need to pay.

But, when you compare it to Astro, the most basic of packages is the Starter Pack, and it requires users to only pay about RM61/ month. That amount is inclusive also of either the Astro Family Pack (Astro Ria, Astro Prima, Astro Vaanavil, etc.) that comes free with the Astro subscription. If users want to choose a different starting pack, they can do that as well as there are three main bundles in total, which consists of the Starter Pack, Movies Bundle (RM71.95) and the Sports Bundle (RM90.95). Both the Movies and the Sports bundle allows users to choose a single Family Pack and a single Mini Pack (Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, Nickelodeon, etc.) If users want the best of the best while still maintaining a lower cost than the totality of the streaming services, getting both the Movies and Sports bundle will only net you a price of RM163/month.

In comparison, the price point for most major streaming services is almost equal or slightly higher than the price of an average Astro subscription, which depending on what you’d want to watch, doesn’t really matter. But streaming will still be the de facto choice as there is much more to watch, much more relevant content to see compared to the same, stale programs of Astro. Inevitably, streaming is the future, and cable companies had better keep up if they want to remain competitive.

Google Stadia: Viable Enough For Malaysia?

Posted by & filed under Lifestyle, TECHNOLOGY.

Revolutionary No Doubt, But Can Malaysia’s Internet Support it?

Written by Aqil Nasri

Touted as the next big thing for cloud gaming, Google Stadia has finally launched in US shores back on November 20, 2019. Google boasted to the world that 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (fps) will be the standard for Stadia, with players able to play their games anywhere in the world where there’s stable enough internet connection (10 Mbps minimum, 35 Mbps for 4K capabilities).

People can play their games through the Google Chrome web browser on desktops or laptops, tablets, smart TVs, Chromecast and digital media players too, all without the need to download the game or even have a physical console to plug into. Essentially what this is, is Netflix for games. All of this is well and good. In theory, all you need to play whatever game is available in the Stadia library is a controller, and a fast enough connection, but is it really the future, or is this a vision passed through rose-tinted glasses?

Internet speed requirements for Stadia

Since its launch, Stadia hasn’t been enjoying an enjoyable life after release. To put it nicely, the platform has had a ‘rocky’ launch so far in Western shores. Myriads of issues have been plaguing users since day one, with internet stability being the number one issue (as foreseen). Users with high-end internet speeds are even complaining that they are having stuttering and lagging issues even when their internet speeds have clearly exceeded the max requirements of the Stadia.

There are cases where people are playing Red Dead Redemption 2 with 2-3 seconds of input lag. Unplayable is an understatement, and that’s just a single-player game, not a multiplayer game. In a list of problems that should not have occurred in the first place, the Stadia fails to remedy one that’s imperative when it comes to gaming, and when you add a list of people paying hundreds of dollars for the service, you can bet not a lot of people are going to be happy about it.

Some of the games available on Stadia

Okay, so let’s do a little math. In order to even access Stadia at the time of writing, you need to be living in one of the 14 countries that Stadia’s available in, namely countries like the US or the UK, but let’s just assume that Stadia is now available in Malaysia with the same pricing model. So, to buy Stadia, you need to fork out at least $129 (RM536) for the ‘Founder’s Edition’ with a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 (RM41).

To access the games, you would think that most of them would be readily available to you because of the subscription fee right? Well, you’re wrong. Unlike Netflix’s one-time fee, Stadia users need to top up an additional $60 (RM249) for individual games. In total, you need to cough up RM826 to even enjoy the bare minimum that Stadia has to offer. Oh, and don’t forget that a pretty high-end internet package is essential to even access Stadia, and with the intermittent connections in Malaysia (cough, cough Celcom and Maxis), it just decreases the outlook rather unfavourably.

So a thousand bucks spent to experience Stadia, and there’s not even a solid guarantee that you can actually have an enjoyable enough experience with the damn thing. Might as well use the money to buy existing technology that works just fine like gasp….. a Playstation 4, with three games. Which BTW is still less expensive than the Stadia.

Simply put, Google’s latest venture is not even close to reaching a stable state right now. Even with Google’s servers being close to the people in the US or UK, they are still having loads of connection issues that basically render their experience to an endless cycle of connecting and reconnecting to Stadia’s servers. If it isn’t even playable across the pond, it certainly isn’t playable here. Not by a long shot.

As it stands right now, Google’s debut entry into the gaming world is a bold step, but one currently moving in the wrong direction. Stability, especially when it comes to near infinite streams of human interaction all happening in the same time, is the utmost important factor, and even then, Google has still a long way to go on that.

Good product in theory, horrible in practice. Let’s hope by the time it’s actually here, the Stadia is stable enough for its bare minimum.

Boiler Room DJ FS Green Is Spinning At Le Noir Tonight

Posted by & filed under Music.

Courtesy Of Under The Radar And Notorious 41200

If your Saturday night is feeling a little bit empty, Le Noir at TREC is hosting Dutch producer and DJ FS Green for a night of 80s Disco, Funk, and R&B music.

Accolades also include a Major Lazer collaboration called Watch Out For This (Bumaye), a reggaeton club power beat and an impressive Boiler Room performance at the Appelsap Festival.

Tickets are sold at RM 50 each which includes a complimentary nanoSTIX Starter Kit and can be purchased here.

Event Details

Date: 14th December 2019

Time: 10pm onwards.

Venue: Le Noir KL

Malaysia Has Bagged One Third Of The E-Sports Medals In The 2019 SEA Games

Posted by & filed under Sports.

Winners include a doctor and a team named after the infamous Najib tagline

Written by Aqil

The 2019 Southeast Asian Games was recently held in the Philippines between the 30th of November to the 11th of December 2019. This year’s SEA games marked the 30th edition of the biennial sporting event that involved all of the countries in the Southeast Asia region.

What made this year’s SEA games especially special was the inclusion of the first e-sports contest as a medal event in a multi-sport competition. The official e-sports event during the games was held between the 5th to the 10th of December. This event was officially sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee after e-sports became a demonstration sport during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Six medals were contested during the duration of the whole e-sports event during the SEA games.

This year, Malaysia made history by producing its first-ever E-Sports gold medallist in an Olympic event. Dr. Yew Weng Keng (29), an assistant professor of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia and a Ph.D. holder in electronic engineering, won the gold medal in Hearthstone (online digital card game). He won the final match of the tournament with a 3-1 score against Werit Popan, one of Thailand’s best E-Sports player for Hearthstone. Before getting to the final match though, he managed to beat all of the hardcore E-Sports players and went on to collect his first major title for himself and for the country.

Positively, Dr. Yew Weng Keng wasn’t the only Malaysian to bring a home medal. Team Bosskurr, the team representing Malaysia for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, manages to secure a respectable bronze medal. They fought and tried their best but ultimately just fell slightly short as they lost 2-0 to Indonesia in the winners’ bracket finals, and lost another 2-0 to the Philippines in the losers bracket finals. This resulted in them getting 3rd place.

This is an impressive start for Malaysia in the E-Sports Olympic scene. Bagging 2 out of the 6 possible medals is an effort that everyone in the country should be applauding them for. They deserve to stand toe to toe with our sports athletes and receive the same amount of respect and love that’s given as well. Only by doing this can we help them feel truly appreciated, ensuring they know that we know the hustle that they went through to get to this stage. Countless sleepless nights combined with intense training molded our E-sports athletes to be able to ascend to these heights.

The best thing about the whole outcome is that adults and children can finally see what gaming can do for you. Throw away the stigma that gaming and E-sports bring no benefit to anyone, and know that gaming helps increase creativity, reading skills, thinking skills, hand-eye coordination, and tremendous amounts of benefits that positively impacts all walks of life.

Here’s hoping that future generations will ensure that E-Sports be a norm for many and continue the tradition of proving doubters wrong.

Rockaway Just Released Their Line-Up For Rockaway 2020

Posted by & filed under Music.

Written by Aqil

Long awaited after a three year hiatus, Rockaway has hosted a press conference announcing the Phase 1 of the line up that includes 1 international band. Rockaway 2020 will be held on the 14th and 15th of March 2020 at Stadium Bukit Jalil, Car Park B. The event will have two main zones, the Gem-Park Zone (Free Entrance) and the Rockaway Live Zone (Paid Entrance). All of the main acts will be performing in the Rockaway Live Zone, with the Gem-Park Zone will consist mainly of new and upcoming bands.

Clockwise: Hands Like Houses, Project E.A.R, Kugiran Masdo, Hujan, XPDC

Without further ado, here’s Phase 1 of the lineup:

  • Hands Like Houses (Australia)
  • Nasir
  • XPDC
  • Project EAR
  • Hujan
  • Masdo
  • Toko Kilat
  • Mad August
  • Kyoto Protocol
Clockwise: Toko Kilat, Mad August, Kyoto Protocol

Next year’s festival is surely going to be a definite hit as at the time of writing, one section of the VIP zone has already been sold out. Also, phase two of the line-up is still unannounced, so let’s hope we’ll get more big-name acts coming!

Jaggfuzzbeats Delve Deep Into Cult Culture With New MV “Fade”

Posted by & filed under Music.

Written by Aqil

After their most recent music video release in April called “In Time”, Jaggfuzzbeats is back at it again but this time in a whole other direction. “Fade” is the band’s latest single from their upcoming sophomore album. What’s unique about their latest release is the difference in mood between how the song sounds like and the tone that the music video gives out.

The song starts with the normal Jaggfuzzbeats-rock style of riffs with pounding floor toms and bass drums that syncs in with snares and the tune. When the chorus kicks in, listeners can detect a sense of sarcasm that comes with the rock, asking followers to throw all their hopes away and join them in their journey. It’s an incredible sound that fills listeners full of intrigue and curiosity.

Now, what really makes this into a complete package is the MV that comes with it. Only by viewing the MV can listeners understand the entirety of the message that the band is trying to convey.

Citing dark cult-like elements that entices viewers to feel the uneasiness that’s being displayed while at the same time having a distinct alluring style that keeps viewers glued to the screen until the entirety of the video. Elements such as human sacrifice, drinking from a plate that contains unknown liquids (blood possibly?) and holding two people on leashes clearly portrays the dark and sinister tone that the band is trying to convey. The characters portrayed in the music video all donned dresses and garments that were fully white, which is a caricature on the typical style that cult leaders and cult followers may wear.

The unique elements and sound present in the video will leave viewers wanting more from the upcoming album as this is but just a taste of what’s coming soon. Check out the music video above, tell us what you think of it.

If you want more of Jaggfuzzbeats, check out their MV for “In Time”

5 Alternatives To Apple’s AirPods: From Budget To Premium

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY.

Sometimes, You Just Have To Open Your Eyes A Little

Written by Aqil

True wireless earphones (basically earbuds without any wires whatsoever) have been around even before the release of the AirPods back in 2016. However, what started the trend was really because of Apple, as the AirPods has truly stylized and revolutionized how the public consumes their music through the use of wireless earphones. Also by taking out the headphone jack out of the equation. The portability of the AirPods has really made life easier for people, not to mention the seamless integration that it has with other Apple products (although they still work with other smartphone brands too).

Great battery life, wireless charging options that come with the charging case, and a hands-free option that’s always on. The conveniences that come with the AirPods are second to none, which is why a lot of people tend to gravitate towards them instead of normal earphones. However, pricing has consistently become an issue when it comes to AirPods, with entry prices starting at a staggering RM699.00. This can be a lot to ask for, even for hardcore Apple enthusiasts.

As such, like in life, there are alternatives to be found if you know where to look. Whether you are looking for a cheaper alternative or a premium one that costs the same as the AirPods, but has essentially the same functions, if not more. Read on more for the list of alternatives available.

  1. Xiaomi Redmi AirDots (RM69.00)

The most wallet friendly true wireless earphones in the market

Normally, true wireless earphones would probably cost upwards of RM100 at least. Now, there is an exception, and that exception comes with the advent of the Redmi AirDots by Xiaomi. Sporting minimalistic designs with lightweight materials allow users to wear them for long hours without feeling much weight in them. Although the sound quality can’t be compared, they are still decent enough for its low price point. The AirDots also comes with a 300mAh charging case that allows users to charge on the go.

  1. Remax TWS-5 (RM119.00)

Noise-canceling earphones with an affordable price

Earphones with noise-canceling tech do not come cheap, especially one that sounds so good. Combined with minimalistic design and comfy fit, this earphone can be one of the best alternatives compared to Apple’s. Not forgetting the seamless Bluetooth 5.0 connection that makes listening to music and answering calls a breeze, particularly the high call quality that eliminates ambient noises.

  1. Under Armour True Wireless Flash by JBL (RM520.50)

One of the best waterproof true wireless earphones out there

Besides the excellent ergonomic style of design that comes with, as well as the comfortable to wear ear tips, the water-resistant technology allows users to use them even in rainy conditions or sweat heavy conditions. The also water-resistant charging case allows users to charge the earphones for an extra 20 hours on top of the five hours battery life that the earphones provide. Not forgetting the amazing sound quality that the earphones have will surely impress even hardcore audiophiles.

  1. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 (RM540.00)

One of the best alternatives to the AirPods

This may be Cambridge Audio’s first-ever entry into the true wireless earphones world, but it’s safe to say that their gamble proved to be a success. Boasting a 9-hour battery life (4 hours longer than the AirPods) and excellent sound quality, this alternative is one of the best out there. Even if the overall design isn’t that attractive, you can’t deny the functionality that it provides.

  1. Sony WF-1000XM3 (RM769.90)

One of the best noise-canceling earphones available in the market.

Although holding a slightly higher price point than the AirPods, the Sony WF-1000XM3 blows the AirPods sound quality away. Boasting a HD active noise-canceling technology and Dual Noise Sensor that helps filter background noise, these earphones trump even earphones that are higher tier than itself. With ambient music quality that helps good separation of frequencies, these earphones are truly next level. Battery life of up to 24 hours (including charging case) helps users be worry-free when it comes to usability outside of convenient charging spots. Also, a 10-minute charge for 90 minutes of listening is a must have feature especially if you’re always on the go.

These are just some of the many true wireless earphones alternatives out there, but the ones listed are definitely the best if you are going for the alternatives to Apple’s AirPods. If you have any comments on the earphones that were listed, or have better ones that we missed, feel free to comment below!

A Maxed Out Mac Pro Costs More Than An Average Car

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY.

A House? Or A Computer?

Apple has finally made the brand new Mac Pro available for the public, and safe to say, it’ll cost an arm, a leg and your kidneys for it. Starting out at a whopping RM25,000 for just the basic version of the Mac Pro, the out of the world pricing can only mind-boggle you further as the list goes on. Oh Apple, what have you done…

The brand has ‘graciously’ has allowed customers to customize their Mac Pro to their liking, enabling users to choose their own processor versions, RAM, graphics card, storage capacity, and a few other hardware and software upgrades. Note that each of these upgrades is costly, as each of them stands to add at least a few (a lot) hundred ringgits more to the total cost.

If you completely maxed out your Mac Pro (essentially turning it into an Ultimate Mac Pro), the total cost literally stands at a crazy, ludicrous, and absolute bonkers amount of RM220,000. Yes, you read that right, RM220,000 for a computer. Actually, RM250,000 if you add the XDR display with the stand as well.

For comparisons sake, here are five things you can buy with RM250,000 instead of the new ultimate Mac Pro:

  • 5 Perodua Myvis
  • 20 Alienware Area 51-M Gaming Laptops
  • 71 iPhone 11s
  • 14,705 Chocolate Cream Chip Frappuccinos from Starbucks
  • 83,333 KitKat bars

Now, the new Mac Pro may be one of the most powerful Mac to date, but it does beg the question of whether is it worth it to splash all of that money just on a computer? I know that the most hardcore of Apple enthusiasts would probably still go out and buy it, but for normal users, I wouldn’t recommend you to put a second mortgage on your home just to get the high-end version of the Mac Pro.

Anyways, let us know what you guys think about Apple’s latest release and whether it justifies the asking price.