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Huawei recently launched its first Regional Data Hosting Center called the Asia Pacific Digital Cloud Exchange in Iskandar Johor. The centre will aggregate and distribute digital music, mobile games, video and other multimedia services to telcos in Malaysia and the rest of the Asia Pacific region. Officiated by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Tan Sri Dato’ HJ Muhyiddin HJ. Mohd Yassin and Mr. Wu Zhengping, the Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Embassy of People’s Republic China in Malaysia, the centre marks Huawei's commitment to Malaysia's ICT vision of the future. Huawei envisions exponential growth in ICT across industries by 2020 and the Asia Pacific Cloud Exchange in Iskandar should provide a firm bulwark and hub for the upcoming "Digital Tsunami". Other initiatives announced include Memorandum of Understanding with Uzone games, Les' Copaque Production, M-Mode Mobile, Elite Entertainment and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for various digital content. Here's what Huawei had to say about it:

“As one of the fastest growing markets in the region, we are pleased to open our first Data Hosting Centre, the Huawei Digital Cloud Exchange, in Malaysia. Our investment in this facility is a major milestone in making Malaysia our regional business gateway. Malaysia’s investment-friendly policies, its skilled workforce and geographic advantages underline our confidence in the country’s potential as a Regional Digital Cloud Exchange. We hope that Huawei’s Digital Cloud Exchange will not only help nurture Malaysia's creative content and the vast pool of local talent and but also create a productive and innovative digital market worth billions of USD.  We are keen on partnering with the public and private sectors to turn this vision into reality. We are grateful for the enormous support from the Malaysian government that continues to encourage a partnership approach with investors. Their policies and approach to foreign investment make investing in Malaysia win-win proposition. We are happy to share our experiences with other investors looking to expand to Malaysia.” Abraham Liu, CEO of Huawei Malaysia.

After all the teasers and leaks, the invitations for the Honor 7 smartphone launch have been sent out, confirming the launch for 30 June 2015. Bear in mind that this will probably be for China but we expect Malaysia and other regions to get it in July or the next few months afterwards. The invite does not reveal much except that the Honor 7 will likely come with a metal body and a fingerprint scanner. Other tech specs have not been confirmed but many are expecting a Kirin 935 processor, 3GB / 4GB RAM, 16GB / 64GB storage, a 5-inch FHD display, a 3280 mAh battery and a 13MP rear camera with OIS. No news yet on specific Malaysia release dates or pricing details but we'll let you know as soon as we find out.

NowSecure recently reported that a security vulnerability found in the default SwiftKey keyboard app pre-loaded on some Samsung Galaxy smartphones could put said smartphones at risk. Since this includes more than 600 million devices, this is quite a big thing. According to NowSecure, they informed Samsung last year in December but while Samsung have released the patch, not all distributors have rolled it out. The security vulnerability allows an attacker to remotely execute code as a privileged (system) user, allowing the attacker to steal confidential information or install a backdoor app or virus. The vulnerability is only accessible if you connect to an insecure Wifi network, something which quite a few people in Malaysia do at coffee shops. Since it is classified as a system app, SwiftKey cannot be uninstalled from your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and the vulnerability is still active even if you switch to a different app. Check out the NowSecure site for more details.

Samsung Electronics has been voted the Best Brand in Asia in 2015 for the fourth year in a row from the 'Asia's Top 1000 Brands' annual online survey. Conducted by Campaign Asia-Pacific with Nielsen the survey covers Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam encompassing 14 major categories. Samsung Electronics scored top 5 in all 14 consumer electronics categories which also includes smartphones, mobile phones, refrigerators and TVs. The award goes hand-in-hand with Samsung's continued investments in research and development resulting in the recent curved SUHD TV and dual-curved Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. Here's what Samsung Electronics had to say about it:

“Samsung Electronics is proud to be voted as the best brand in Asia for the fourth consecutive year. Just ten years ago, we were ranked as the 15th brand in Asia. Samsung’s rise to the top in Asia has not come about by chance. Our brand resonates positively with consumers because we understand what consumers in the region want. Our deep consumer insights and relentless drive to innovate allow us to stay ahead of dynamic market demands, technological changes, and localised consumer needs across different countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania.” Irene Ng, Vice President, Marketing, Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania.

Samsung Malaysia Electronics is currently holding their Samsung Hari Raya Festival promotion starting from today till 19 July 2015. All you have to do to enter is buy any Samsung Galaxy device within the contest period. Those who buy Samsung Galaxy devices wil also get instant freebies such as a free clear cover and battery pack worth RM405 for the Samsung Galaxy S6, a free 32GB dual-USB 3.0 drive and 500 music voucher worth up to RM569 for a Galaxy A device (A3, A5, A7) and a free book cover for a Galaxy Tab A worth up to RM179. There aren't even any forms to fill out, just retain the original recept and answer a simple question correctly, then submit this answer via SMS to 33310 with your details in this format - “SAMSUNGRAYA <SPACE> Answer <SPACE> CONSENT (Y/N) <SPACE> NRIC <SPACE> IMEI NUMBER <SPACE> FULL NAME”. Check out more details at www.samsung.com/my/raya2015 and what Samsung have to say about it below:

“Samsung is extremely proud of our Galaxy devices. Combining design, craftsmanship and performance, our Galaxy products seamlessly blend premium materials with the most advanced Samsung technology to offer consumers an unmatched mobile experience. Our flagship Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones are the top of its class. It is our privilege to reward our customers through this promotion. Not only can our customers enjoy the excellent performance of our Galaxy devices, but also stand a chance to enjoy the comfort of a brand new car this year!” Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, Mobile, IT and Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics

Sony Mobile Communications have just launched the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet, Xperia C4 Dual and Xperia M4 Aqua Dual for Malaysia. The Xperia Z4 Tablet will be available on 22 June 2015 with the 4G LTE version priced at RM2699 while a version with a keyboard combo will be priced at RM3199. The Xperia M4 Aqua Dual on the other hand will be priced at RM969 with a Malaysia release date expected as soon as next week. Pricing details are still unannounced for the Xperia C4 Dual but it is expected to arrive sometime next month. Check out the tech specs below and hands-on photos below:

• Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet
• 64-bit 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB storage + up to 128GB microSD
• 10.1-inch display (2560 x 1600 pixels, scratch resistant + anti fingerprint coating)
• 8.1MP rear camera + 5.1MP front camera
• Features IP65/8 waterproof and dust tight, Sony 3D Surround Sound technology, aGPS, 4G LTE, FM Radio, WiFi
• 167 x 254 x 6.1mm | 389g (WiFi) / 393g (4G LTE)
• Android 5.0 Lollipop
• 6000 mAh battery

Joining the ranks of large but premium smartphones like the Huawei P8 Max is the Gionee Elife E8 smartphone which was recently and officially announced. Tech specs include a 2GHz quad-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor, 23GB RAM, 64GB storage, a microSD slot and the aforementioned 6-inch AMOLED display with 2K or quad HD pixel resolution. It also features a 23.7MP rear camera with quick phase detection autofocus and a sapphire glass six element lens. Clearly, Gionee are hoping to make the Elife E8 a total cameraphone as it also packs in optical image stabilization (OIS) true tone LED flash, 4K video recording, a 100MP interpolation function and lossless zoom. No Malaysia release date or pricing details but it is being offered at 3999 CNY (RM2401) in China from 15 July 2015. Also revealed with the Elife E8 was the Marathon M5 with midrange tech specs like a 5.5-inch 720p display, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage , 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera for 2299 CNY (RM1501). However, it is the world's first smartphone to pack in dual 3010 mAh batteries (for a 6020 mAh battery) which they say will give the Marathon M5 a 4-day battery life. It will be available from 25 June 2015 but again with no specific Malaysia release dates yet.

ASUS Malaysia recently revealed that their full range of Republic of Gamers (ROG) products of gaming laptops, desktop and accessories are now available in Malaysia. Featuring the top of the line ASUS ROG G751 from RM8499, to the budget but still powerful GL552 at RM3199, there is a gaming laptop for every type of gamer. For those who don't need to be mobile there is the compact but also powerful ASUS G20 for the desktop gamers. Check out the ASUS Republic of Gamers site for more information.

Hugo Games recently announced a new game app for mobile phones and tablets on both Android and Apple iOS called Ronaldo&Hugo: Superstar Skaters. The infinite runner game will feature buoth Cristiano Ronaldo as well as Hugo the Troll and will be set in the streets of Las Vegas. Players will be able to experience said streets in sunny days and starry nights with plenty of challenges while trying to escape Paparazzi Pete. 

Dell recently announced their new Vostro 14 3000 series of notebook computers designed for the small-medium business or SMB user and new Dell Inspiron notebook computers and desktops for the everyday consumer. The Vostro 14 3000 features 5th Generation Intel Core i5 processors with built-in discrete NVIDIA graphics, a 9 hour battery life and various business features for better overall productivity. Priced from RM2000 for the Intel Core i3 version and from RM2459 for the Core i5 version you can check out the Dell Vostro site for more details. On the other hand, Dell also revealed new devices for the consumer-level Inspiron range. This includes the Inspiron 5000 series of notebook computers, Inspiron 24 3000 series of All-in-One desktops and other Inspirion desktops. Tech specs and features include the latest Intel Braswell processors and a 23.8-inch full HD wide-angle display for the Inspiron 24 3000 series All-in-One desktop. Prices start from RM2349 for the Inspiron 5000 series while pricing for other devices will be announced shortly. Check out the Dell Site for more information.