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Samsung Malaysia recently announced that their various Samsung device users can now get RM20 off taxi fare for Easy Taxi up to three times through the Samsung Galaxy Life app. The offer should be available throughout January 2015 so there are at least another 7 days or so to get this offer. The Samsung Galaxy Life app is available most Samsung Galaxy devices including smartphones and tablets. The Galaxy Life platform offers various offers, coupons, vouchers and value-added tie-ins with other brands and services in Malaysia.

HP unveiled three new tablets this Tuesday. The company has been making tablets for the past few years and looks to expand its lineup with the new HP Pro Slate 12, Pro Slate 8 and the Pro Slate 10 EEmodels. All the three models run on Google's Android platform. The Pro Slate 12, like the name suggests is the largest device of the three. It comes with a large 12.3-inch display with a disappointing resolution of 1600 x 1200. This translates to pixel density of just 163 ppi which is very low as compared to today's standards. The next model is the HP Pro Slate 8 which features an 8-inch screen. Interestingly, the resolution on this model is better than the former – 2048 x 1536 pixels, which comes to around 324 ppi. Both the models run on the same Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM inside. Finally, the third model of the lot is the new HP Pro Slate 10 EE. It comes with modest tech specs like an Intel Atom processor clocked at 1.3GHz, 1GB RAM and a 10-inch display featuring a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The first two models will be accompanied by the company's new HP Duet pen sporting a new ultra sonic sound technology which helps improve the precision of the stylus. As of now, no Malaysia release dates or pricing details have been revealed.   

Samsung is continuing its strategy of expanding its smartphone lineup aggressively. The company recently announced the new Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo Plus with modest tech specs and Dual SIM support. The device is aimed at budget smartphone buyers and will succeed the Galaxy Grand Neo model which was released back in 2014. To keep the price low, Samsung went with a quad-core Broadcom processor clocked at 1.2GHz. For RAM, there is 1GB on board and for memory; there is 8GB internal which can be further expanded via MicroSD. The display is a bit disappointing, as the 5-inch screen features a resolution of just 800 x 480 pixels. At the back, there is a rear camera measuring 5MP with LED flash and up front, there is a 2MP shooter. Other tech specs include HSPA+ connectivity and 2100 mAh battery. As for software, the Galaxy Neo Plus runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with the company's TouchWiz UI on top. The phone does have Samsung's special softwares like Ultra Power Saving mode and other selfie features. The phone will be available in black and white colors and will release in a number of European countries as well as India for an estimated price tag of $190 (RM682). No Malaysia release date or pricing details have been revealed till now.

While Xiaomi Malaysia have yet to officially announce the Xiaomi Redmi 2 for Malaysia just yet, the Redmi 2 and Redmi Note 4G smartphones are already available via Malaysian third-party sellers. A quick search on Lelong.com.my reveals that the Redmi Note 4G is going for RM519 while the Redmi 2 is going for RM459 from third-party sellers like SatuGadgetDotCom and DirectD. Both smartphones support 4G LTE tech specs but the Redmi 2 packs in a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. The Redmi 2 price may be a bit higher than the expected Malaysia pricing but the Redmi Note 4G is actually priced lower than the RM589 it is being offered for on the official Mi Malaysia site (but it may have not-original warranty). In related news, Xiaomi Mi Power Bank prices have gone up with the 10400 mAh Mi Power bank costing RM49 from RM36, while the 5200 mAh Mi Power Bank now costing RM34 from RM25 due to a rise in value for the Chinese Yuan.

As the leader for cloud computing and infrastructure-as-a-service, Amazon Web Services (AWS)provides computing applications worldwide. Recently, they were here in Malaysia to introduce their services to Malaysian startups and app developers. Their basic services include Compute, Storage, CDN, Databases and Networking which allows for various yet specific functions with practically no limitations in terms of hardware. Granted, the closest AWS data centers are located in Singapore but according to AWS Asia Pacific there is almost no latency (just 13ms) which means nearly no lag at all. Some of the new cloud computing trends includes big-data such as real-time analytics so you can know if your online product is actually doing work and more. AWS takes most of the trouble required to setup such services like Big Data which may include building the actual Hadoop hardware cluster or the skilled professionals capable of maintaining and operating said Hadoop Big Data clusters. This example clearly defines the advantages of AWS for startups and developers as it means that users can just use the service, pay for what they use and then throw them away when they don't need them any more. 

While this rumour has already been confirmed, Huawei is dropping their current Ascend branding for their smartphones. This means the smartphone previously known as the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 will now be known as the Huawei Mate 7. This was seen previously in the Phase II Syok Menang article along with what appears to be the removal of Honor branding with Huawei as well. We managed to ask a Huawei Malaysia official about this and he confirmed that while both Huawei and Honor will still be related, they will each be taking different paths and targeting different users. In related rumours, it seems that we could be soon seeing an Honor smartphone going by the codename of the Honor Cherry which could slot in between the Honor 3C Lite and the Honor 6. We assume this would be the Honor 4X but do take this rumour with a pinch of salt. While there are no Malaysia release dates details, we've been told that the Honor Cherry could arrive sometime during or after March 2015. We assume the Honor 6 Plus could soon follow.

Taking it a step further, Huawei Malaysia have begun phase II of their Syok Menang contest. Like the previous contest, you are eligible for it if you have bought certain Huawei devices, this time around from 20 Jan 2015 to 28 February 2015. The devices include the Huawei Mate 7 Premium Edition (Amber Gold), Mate 7 Standard Edition, P7, P7 Arsenal Edition and Huawei X1 7.0. To enter the contest, go to the Huawei site, register, answer a quiz question and get an AI BAO from their Choypido (Choy San Yeh + Cupid) mascot. Win the prize that matches the icons. Prizes include Philips 32-inch LED TVs, JBL speakers and various bundle packs of 32GB class 10 microSD cards and more. Prizes are redeemed from VMALL.my. Here's what they had to say about it:

“We are very excited about the response that the first phase program received with participation from more than 3,000 participants across Malaysia! I take the opportunity to congratulate all the winners. We are enhancing the reach of our rewards program by taking it to the digital platform. We invite all Malaysians to interact with Choypido and stand a chance to win some very exciting prizes this festive season. Good luck!” Gary Xu, Country Director, Consumer Business Group, Huawei Technologies Malaysia

We've seen quite a few smart glasses, but Microsoft has gone the Augmented Reality way with the announcement of their new HoloLens headset. While no actual tech specs were revealed, the headset allows a 3D augmented reality sort of view of the real world. This includes watching news on a wall with no actual display or playing Minecraft (Holobuilder according to Microsoft) on your coffee table with no actual pieces. We've seen this with the Meta Pro smart glasses before. However, there are still no details as to Malaysia pricing or exact release dates just yet. Microsoft say that we could see it within the year though, but it remains unclear as to when exactly that might be. In addition, Microsoft are also working on the Holo Studio, which looks to be like a 3D design studio connected to a 3D printer, so you can design stuff in the HoloLens and then get it in the real world. Check out the videos in this article for a closer look.

Microsoft just released a number of huge announcements yesterday, with one of the biggest being Windows 10. As earlier reports have indicated, Windows 10 will be one platform usable across all Windows devices included desktops, notebook computers, tablets and Windows Phones. Notable features include universal apps that look uniform on all devices, which will include Microsoft Office and photo app with more apps coming soon. Cortana will be available across the board and notifications that you clear in one device will be cleared in other devices. Project Spartan will replace Internet Explorer (finally). DirectX 12 will also make an impact with even better gaming graphics and possibly the ability to game from the Xbox to a laptop or desktop PC. The most important factor will be that the upgrade is free for Windows 7 users and above and all Windows Phone users. No news yet on a possible Malaysia release date but the first Windows 10 release for phones could be coming as soon as February 2015. Check out the videos in this article for yourself.

Huawei Malaysia recently launched their 1st exclusive Customer Service Center here in Plaza Berjaya. Located on the first floor of Plaza Berjaya (right next to the monorail bridge), the new Service Center offers a comfortable waiting space complete with free charging station and HDTV. Huawei devices like the Huawei Ascend Mate 7, Ascend P7 and various Huawei accessories for sale are also on display. Regarding plans within Malaysia, Huawei said that they would be increasing the number of Authorized Collection Points from 17 to 100 by the end of the year. Here's what they had to say about it:

"Aftersales service is an integral part of our brand promise. We continuously seek to exceed customers' expectation in this aspect. Another aspect that contributes to customer satisfaction is convenience. With the objective of hassle-free ownership experience, we are aiming to implement door-to-door pick-up and delivery services before the end of the first quarter." Gary Xu, Country Director, Consumer Business Group, Huawei Technologies Malaysia