The International Dota 2 Championship (TI) is being held in Singapore this year, hailing its 11th iteration of an esports event that has changed the mainstream audience’s expectations of production value and prize pools in esports.

The prize pool for TI 10 in 2021 exceeded US$40 million, with the champions of the tournament taking home a whopping US$18 million. That is still the largest prize pool in the history of esports, breaking a record that was only held by its predecessor awarding US$34 million in 2019.

For those out of the loop, these eye-watering prize pool amounts are essentially crowd-funded through the release of the TI Battle Pass. The TI Battle Pass is an annual tournament pass and in-game features bundle (similar to what you see in modern free-to-play games), that offers players exclusive in-game cosmetics, numerous quests, achievements, and other earnable rewards.

Originally started in 2013 as The International Compendium, 25% of all Battle Pass purchases would be contributed to that year’s TI prize pool, as a way for the player base and community to give back to the scene that they love. Since then, the prize pool for The International has been breaking records year-on-year for the largest esports event in history.

However, it does not seem to be going the same way this year.

The 2022 TI Battle Pass was released on 2nd September 2022, and as of writing it stands at US$8,406,960. According to Dota 2 Prize Tracker, this puts it tracking below both 2019 and 2021’s prize pool contributions, which has not happened before. It is very possible that this would be the first time since its inception that the prize pool of The International 2022 would be lower than that of previous years.

There are a couple of reasons that could explain why the player base isn’t feeling too hot about it and just taking a short visit to r/Dota2 gives us quite a clear picture.

This year’s Dota 2 Battle Pass has four main rewards, each one giving players exclusive Arcana and Persona skins. These Arcana and Persona are (and their respective Battle Pass Level unlock requirements):

• Conduit of the Blueheart Persona (Crystal Maiden) – Level 148
• Exile Unveiled Persona (Phantom Assassin) – Level 296
• Voidstorm Asylum Arcana (Razor) – Level 383
• Claszian Apostasy Arcana (Faceless Void) – Level 495

Other Milestone rewards and their respective levels are as follows:

• Announcer Pack – Level 75
• Stoneclaw Scavengers Towers – Level 176
• Primal Beast Prestige Bundle – Level 223
• Treasure Collection (3 of each except Trust of the Benefactor) – Level 229
• Treasure Collection (3 of each except Trust of the Benefactor) – Level 575
• Legacy Caster Chat Pack – Level 675
• Legacy Caster Chat Pack – Level 771
• Legacy Caster Chat Pack – Level 883
• Collector’s Aegis – Level 1,000
• Pouches – Aegis of the Immortal Style Unlock – Level 1,055
• Legacy Epic Caster Chat Pack – Level 1,131
• Legacy Epic Caster Chat Pack – Level 1,245
• Trust of the Benefactor 2022 – Level 1,498

The Battle Pass pricing remains unchanged from previous years, and it’s as follows:

• Battle Pass Level 1 Bundle – S$9.99
• Battle Pass Level 50 Bundle – S$29.35
• Battle Pass Level 100 Bundle – S$44.99

Compared to the previous year, the number of exclusive items as well as the number of treasure chests available, has been reduced.

However, this is not the biggest gripe the player base has with the 2022 Dota 2 Battle Pass. Most of the complaints come from the fact that almost 70% of the Battle Pass rewards, are either labelled as “Coming Soon” or “Available in Part 2”.

The only Arcana available for use immediately upon purchase is the Faceless Void set, which is unlocked at level 495.

For anyone wondering how much money is needed to unlock that, it costs S$59.95 for a level 100 Battle Pass, and S$220.25 for the rest of the 395 levels, bringing the total cost to S$280.20 if you’re impatient.

Hence, even for players who are used to shelling out cash year after year for all the rewards the Battle Pass offers, this year’s experience can feel hollow because there aren’t any flashy sets they can show off even after spending that much money.

For players who are planning to grind out the free levels, it is an even worse experience this year.

A bunch of mechanics rewarding players with battle points or free levels have been removed, namely wagering for battle points in-game, achievements, Rylai’s Blessing spin and Immortal Treasure III, which gave a chance for a 50-level drop.

Usually, the Battle Pass is released about 3 months before TI actually starts, which gives the prize pool a period of about 100 days to grow and exceed its record-breaking amounts. This year, due to some developmental delays, Valve released the Battle Pass only about 40 days before TI starts.

With Part 2 of the Battle Pass continuing after TI, Valve has announced that none of the proceeds that come after that will be contributed to the professional scene. There is a growing concern in the community that Valve has done this by design, to avoid having to contribute 25% of the earnings to the prize pool.

The overall sentiment of the player base is that the 2022 Battle Pass is mediocre at best, and they are understandably frustrated since it feels like Valve is releasing an unfinished product.

And it seems like Valve is aware of this as well. A Roshan Replica which is usually earned at level 2,000 is not included in this year’s Battle Pass, as the Battle Pass progress track does not go past level 1,905.

We are not sure if this omission is by design, especially since some of the unfinished
rewards are marked with “Coming Soon.”

Ultimately, buying the Battle Pass would be worth it if you genuinely enjoy the game, then it should be an easy decision. At the same time, do make sure to jump in only during Part 1 for your contribution to be added to the competitive prize pool.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Dota 2 The International 2022 Prize Pool Hits US$8 Million, Trails Previous Years appeared first on Geek Culture.

With the Internet-of-Things ecosystem now prevalent in most households, we easily find that the one-device-per-person is no longer a standard but a rarity. Multiple home products are connected to the Internet, for a variety of reasons and this in turn, calls for a need for better network coverage and larger bandwidths to combat dead spots and data congestion.

A mesh Wi-Fi network, through the use of multiple mesh units linked to form a bigger coverage field, increases network coverage more evenly throughout the home, ensuring that Internet connectivity is as strong in the living room where the primary router sits, as it is in the bathroom at the corner of the apartment.

The TP-Link Deco X50 is a no-frills and easy to set up mesh wifi system that’s designed with the latest Wi-Fi 6 standards, and is a dual-band mesh router that can wirelessly power up your home with the correct placement of nodes in the home.  

Design-wise, the X50 looks identical to the older Deco X60 — it’s white, compact, and pleasant-looking. Users will be able to determine if the device is working properly with the status LED on the front, and on the back there are 3X Gigabit LAN ports and a reset button on the bottom.

Setting up the Deco device requires you to download the Deco app from your respective app stores and from there, it is a step-by-step guided process.

You fire up the app, and pair your first Deco device with the aid of the status LED on the front of the module. Once you have set up the main node that’s connected to your modem, just power up any additional units and they will automatically join the network. The entire process should take less than 15 minutes.

You can then choose to name each one, say, the one in the Living Room, Master Bedroom or Study Room etc. or even a custom name.

The Deco app is where you would control and monitor all of the functions of the X50. However, it has rather basic functionality that advanced users would be disappointed in. For the everyday user, it is perfect for a set-it-and-forget-it home internet network. The Deco app would notify you whenever new users are connected, and also generate a weekly report notifying you of usage and activity.

Its two internal antennas offer Wi-Fi speeds of up to 2400Mbps over 5GHz and up to 574Mbps over 2.4GHz. The system will automatically distribute connected devices to either band to optimise connectivity and performance. In a real-world speedtest, the routers do a good job of optimising and allocating bandwidth to all connected devices. On the home network with 5 connected devices, it still hits respectable download speeds of an average of 500 to 600 Mbps.

The X50 has an advertised coverage range of 6,500 sqft with all 3 mesh nodes installed, which is a massive area. In real-life use, one mesh node seems to be sufficient to cover the floor area of a 4-bedroom apartment, however with a more complicated home layout, two nodes are recommended for optimal coverage.

The Deco X50 is also backward compatible with all the devices in TP-Link’s Deco range, so it could be added into an existing mesh wifi network if needed.

TP-Link makes some of the more affordable Wi-Fi mesh routers around. Its latest Deco X50 costs S$449 for a three-pack, which is competitively priced for a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system. It also places it slightly more affordable than the older X60 which it is replacing.

The Deco X50 is available on Amazon, Lazada and Shopee.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Geek Review: TP-Link Deco X50 AX3000 Whole Home Mesh WiFi 6 System appeared first on Geek Culture.

Like the computer mouse, the keyboard has been an accessory that was long neglected until recently, when brands started to give the peripherals some love. It then progressed into the niche custom keyboard building hobby, which has since blown up and users started to fret over their typing instrument.

Since then, users have moved beyond the standard 104-key version, and adapted their use towards keyboards of various sizes and varieties, and more recently, the 75% layout has gained a huge boost in popularity, and it’s easy to understand why. This particular iteration removes the number pad and the lesser used keys in the navigation cluster, while keeping the arrow keys and the F-row at the top. For hobbyists, it makes sense to want an option that maintains a certain level of functionality, which is exactly what the 75% layout does. 

The Hex.4B by Hex Keyboards is a 75% custom keyboard, with 81 keys, housed in an anodised aluminium case, and the Dreamcore edition comes in a handsome deep purple that doesn’t grow old on the eyes. Anodisation is done well with no visible manufacturing defects on the outside case that’s held together by seven hex screws, accessible via the base of the board.

The overall design of the board can be said to be rather plain as it is basically a metal rectangle, although the modest design can be appreciated. The top row is symmetrically spaced out with blockers, with a single blocker separating the arrow keys from the alphanumeric cluster. Edges on the top case are slightly bevelled, but the board, on a whole, keeps the look of being blocky and having sharp edges throughout.

There is an internal brass weight to enhance acoustics and provide a certain heft to the board. Fully built, the board weighs in at slightly more than 2kg. However, it feels like a wasted opportunity not to let the brass weight be visible on the bottom of the board, as it comes engraved beautifully with the Dreamcore logo. 

The PCB, short for Printed Circuit Board, assembly is mounted in the keyboard case by four rubber O-rings, which take the place of the more commonly-used poron or foam gaskets. Due to the PCB not being directly secured to a case or plate, this mounting style allows for a certain amount of flex and bounce when in use. The kit comes with o-rings of two different softness and flexibility, allowing the user to choose their preferred board flex.

Switches are soldered onto the PCB directly as there is no switch plate used in this build. Plateless boards are less common compared to the majority of keyboards, which use an aluminum or polycarbonate plate in between the switches and PCB. A major downside to this plateless build is that the switches here are not hot-swappable and have to be soldered on for stability. 

The PCB is also compatible with VIA, one of the easiest apps used for configuring keyboard keys with QMK firmware. Reconfiguring keybinds and remapping the keyboard to a preferred layout thus prove to be a breeze here. The keyboard is connected to the computer via a USB-C connector centred in the frame. 

The Hex.4B has a very unique typing feel due to the rubber O-ring mounting style. With the bottoming out of every keystroke, users will be able to feel slight reverberations from within the board, as well as a subtle bounce of the switches. A slight flex in the board is detected when more typing force is present, especially along the edges of the frame. While the typing experience is quite comfortable at a 6.9-degree angle, a wrist rest is recommended as the keyboard has a relatively tall front height of 2cm. 

Our current Hex 4B came with Gopolar Azure Dragon switches, which are manufactured by Gateron. These are tactile switches with a very light and rounded bump, and feature a longer pole stem that results in a shorter bottom out distance. This creates the feeling of a faster and more responsive switch, alongside the added benefit of a nice sound (also known as a good thocc). A look at the numbers reveal an actuation force of 63g that increases to 67g at the bottom out position. 

Typing sound is always subjected to the type of switches and keycaps being used, but this board has a good baseline of acoustics that can be paired pleasantly with most combinations. No hollowness or high-pitched pings were detected from the board itself. With the PBT keycaps that came with the board, every key press produced a deep “thock” sound; in comparison, using ABS keycaps from GMK gave rise to a more “clacky” sound. Depending on personal taste, some will prefer one over the other, so there’s no need to fret over which would make for a better pick. 

As of writing, both the barebone kit and fully assembled version for this Dreamcore edition has been fully sold out. Hex Keyboards also ran a group buy for the regular version of this keyboard, which includes a variety of other colours, including black, rose gold and e-white. For those who missed out, there’s always a second round of production to look forward to (fingers crossed!).

While the design of the board may feel lacking to some, the Hex 4B is a keyboard that hits way above its price point in terms of manufacturing quality, typing feel and sound. At S$350 for the barebones kit, it comes in at a price point that is slightly above the competition, namely the Keychron Q1 and the GMMK Pro, but delivers an experience closer to the more expensive and boutique boards.

Review configuration

Hex 4B Dreamcore Edition – Fully Assembled

• Gopolar Azure Dragon lubed with Krytox 205g
• Everglide v2 stabilisers, lubed with dielectric grease
• GMK Laser Clones
• Keycaps : GMK Mecha-01
• Deskmat: mecha-01 deskmat

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Geek Review: Hex.4B Dreamcore Edition Mechanical Keyboard appeared first on Geek Culture.

Following the release of the high resolution Leica SL2, Q2 and even the M10 Monochrom, it was no surprise that a high resolution colour sensor would join the M rangefinder family. The new M10-R is the fifth variant introduced into the M10 series.

Replacing the aging 24-megapixel sensor on the original M10, the new M10-R is armed with a new 40.9-megapixel sensor similar to the one in the M10 Monochrom released in February 2020. “R” in the name stands for resolution, and there is definitely plenty here. The increased resolution will be extremely useful for cropping into photos while retaining details, making it perfect for street photography, which is the ethos of the M series. You could crop in up to 30 percent and still have the same resolution remaining as with a 24-megapixel sensor.

The new sensor shares the same pixel architecture as the 64-megapixel medium format sensor in the recent Leica S3, and with the absence of a low-pass filter, images from this sensor are set to be extremely sharp and detailed. Leica also promises an increased dynamic range of 1 to 2 stops and improved ISO performance over the M10’s older 24-megapixel sensor. We should see some excellent results when pairing this new sensor with some of Leica’s newly designed lenses, such as the APO-Summicrons.

Apart from the new sensor, the M10-R shares almost identical tech specs to the M10 Monochrom. At its core, it is still an M10 rangefinder that is upgraded with the almost silent mechanical shutter (from the M10-P), Maestro II processor, touchscreen and Wi-Fi functions, There is, of course, still no video functions whatsoever, as the M is purely a photographic tool.

Coming in at a retail price of S$12,470, it delivers more value relative to the rest of the M family, where a high-resolution sensor is offered at a similar price point. The M10-R comes in classic Leica finishes of Silver Chrome or Black Chrome, and is available for pre-order, with stocks arriving in late July 2020.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Leica Announces New M10-R Rangefinder With 40-Megapixel Sensor appeared first on Geek Culture.

When Canon released the EOS 5D Mark II in 2008, it took the camera world by storm along with a slew of innovative video features that literally created the DSLR film-making industry. Alas, time hasn’t been kind and the company has not surpassed itself on the camera front. In fact, it has dropped into a slump behind companies like Sony and Panasonic, who became the new innovators in mirrorless camera technology.

That is, until now.

The sleeping giant has awakened, and it has pulled out all the stops with its new mirrorless full-frame cameras, the EOS R5 and R6.

Both these cameras come with a plethora of outstanding and innovative features that will definitely make you doubt if it was the same company that produced the mediocre first-gen EOS R.

The EOS R5 is now Canon’s highest-end mirrorless camera and sports a brand new 45-megapixel sensor. Its headline feature would be its ability to do 8K video recording at 30 fps and 4K video recording up to 120fps, all internally at a 10-bit 4:2:2 colour space, without any crop factor. This is a major upgrade from the first EOS R, which was heavily criticised for its 1.6x crop factor when shooting 4K video.

The EOS R6 is the little brother of the R5 and shares the same 20-megapixel sensor that was seen in the recently released 1DX Mark III. While it is unable to record videos in 8K, it does 4K recording up to 60fps and 1080p recording up to 120fps.

Both these cameras are powered by the Digic X processor, as featured in the 1DX Mark III. This allows both cameras to shoot at 20fps burst rates with auto focus and auto exposure enabled, and 12fps with the mechanical shutter, This puts both these cameras firmly in the upper realm of cameras when it comes to continuous shooting speeds.

Canon has also improved its already industry leading Dual Pixel Auto Focus, to now cover 100% of the sensor area. The new Dual Pixel AF II, combined with the Digic X processor, brings with it the capability for AF eye-tracking on both humans and animals as well.

IBIS, IBIS, IBIS. Canon has finally listened to its user base and implemented IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilisation) in both the R5 and R6. When used in tandem with an Optical IS-equipped lens, or even with lenses that do not have IS, the camera-shake blur reduction is as effective as up to an 8-stop decrease in shutter speed. Users would also gain image stabilisation when using EF lenses that do not have Optical IS. ​​​​​​​

Dual card slots are available on both the R5 and R6, with the R5 utilising one CFExpress slot and one UHS-II SD card slot, and the R6 using two of the latter. The CFexpress card supports high-speed transfer, allowing the camera to perform continuous shooting of 45-megapixel still images, at up to 20fps, as well as internal recording of 8K RAW movies (without additional recording equipment).

A new LP-E6NH battery has been created for both cameras, which has 15% higher capacity than the current LP-E6N. Both cameras are compatible with existing LP-E6N and LP-E6 batteries.

Both the EOS R5 and EOS R6 have a magnesium alloy body, as well as a dust and drip-proof construction that is comparable with the EOS 5D Mark IV. It is also confirmed that the new cameras will have a handgrip similar to the 5D series, as well as the return of the joystick instead of the touchbar. Users which have been complaining about ergonomics will definitely be happy about these choices.

It is clear from the feature set and design that the EOS R5 and R6 are intended to be replacements for users who are still using the 5D-series as their daily driver. The R5 is now a competent pro-level flagship mirrorless camera, and is also Canon’s second most expensive camera after the EOS 1DX Mark III. While the R6 offers a really attractive value proposition as a more budget friendly but still feature rich system.

The new video features will also be extremely attractive to videographers and hybrid shooters, which up till now have had to look away from Canon to fulfill their needs. Sony executives are definitely scrambling to launch their overdue and almost mythical A7s III.

​​​​​​​The EOS R5 will be available for pre-order from 8pm 9 July to 28 July 2020 at Canon authorised dealers at the following recommended retail price. Pre-orders will receive a complimentary Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R worth S$319, and a SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC 64GB worth S$43. The EOS R5 official sales launch will be 30 July 2020.

The EOS R6 will be available with two kit lens options, the EOS R6 Kit with the RF24-105mm f/4L IS USM or the EOS R6 Kit with the RF24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM. The EOS R6 will be available in the later part of Q3 2020, with pricing to be confirmed.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Canon Strikes Back With The New EOS R5 And R6 Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras appeared first on Geek Culture.

The Canon 1DX Mark III is the third iteration in the 1DX series and the overall 7th iteration in the 1D line-up since launching in 2001. It finally replaces the 4-year-old 1DX Mark II but it is also likely to be the last of its kind.

The 1D series has been Canon’s flagship line of professional DSLRs aimed at sports, action, outdoor and wildlife photographers with its fast burst shutter rates, quick autofocus and an extremely robust build quality.

Unfortunately, as the industry shifts to the usage of mirrorless cameras, and as Canon prepares to shift priority to the new RF mount system, the 1DX Mark III will most likely mark the end of a glorious era.

Taking it out of the box, existing users of the 1D system will be delighted to see that the design and ergonomics of the new version are almost identical to its predecessor. The tried-and-true form factor is appreciated by professionals that have come to rely on the 1D series as their tool of choice, and the similar ergonomics ensures that they do not have to relearn what is already muscle memory. It also uses the same LP-E19 battery pack from before, which also boasts excellent battery life.

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but the new 1DX has some shiny new parts under its hood.

While Canon retains the 20-megapixel resolution from the Mark II, the Mark III has a newly designed sensor at its core and it is paired with a new Digic X processor. The new Digic X chip is said to be up to 3 times faster when compared to the dual Digic 6+ processors in the Mark II, and this is very apparent with the camera handling. Everything about it is speedy, from its start-up to image capture and image previewing. This also allows the camera to shoot at shutter burst rates of 16 frames per second with the optical viewfinder and a whopping 20 frames per second in live-view.

The new and improved 191-point AF system is a huge step up from its predecessor’s 61-point system and is powered by a standalone Digic 8 processor. This phase-detection autofocus system through the optical viewfinder now features face and subject tracking which is extremely accurate once it has acquired a subject to track. Canon boasts that there is machine deep learning involved here, and while we cannot confirm that, the results are really impressive.

Using the camera in live-view turns it into a different beast altogether. While it may be really awkward holding the brick of a camera with your arms extended forward, doing so does prove that Canon has been hard at work in developing their mirrorless technology. The face tracking and totally silent shooting is on par or even better than the class-leading Sony A9, and at the same time still able to shoot bursts of 20 frames per second.

A more modern feature seen here would be the Smart Controller on the AF-On button. There is now a sensor in the button that detects your thumb movement (like a pseudo touchpad) for you to quickly change your AF points. The sensitivity of the movement does take some getting used to but it is extremely handy when needing to change AF points on-the-fly, as it is much quicker than using the traditional joystick. This is probably an improvement of the technology that they tried with the EOS R and its focus point selection through the touchscreen. While that touchscreen implementation received quite a bit of flak, this new Smart Controller seems to hit the balance of innovation and non-disruptive change. For those who want to, the traditional joystick is of course, still present.

While the 1DX Mark II had a legacy CompactFlash slot and a more modern CFast 2.0 slot, the Mark III has two CFExpress card slots, which are great for a multitude of reasons. Having two identical card slots also makes it easier to purchase and organise memory cards in the inventory.

The new CFExpress format also brings with it blazingly fast read and write speeds, and is more than capable to keep up with the camera’s 16 frames per second burst, clearing the buffer almost immediately after shooting. It is more likely that you would run out of memory space on your card before the camera’s buffer would clog up. This is something never before seen on a camera, where even the best sports cameras like the Sony A9 or Nikon D6 have a buffer of about 120 to 200 shots before the camera starts slowing down.

The downside to CFExpress is that the cards are currently extremely expensive (S$300 for a 64GB card!) , and there is a lack of choices when it comes to CFExpress card readers. Hopefully this format will reach mass adoption much faster, and bring down the prices to a more reasonable level.

While the 1DX Mark III is primarily a still camera, it is no slouch when it comes to its video capabilities. Building on the Mark II impressive video specifications, the Mark III is now capable of shooting 4K video in DCI and UHD resolutions up to 60 frames per second while using the full width of the sensor. It can record a maximum resolution of 5.5K, 12-bit RAW video internally, with Canon’s ever-reliable dual-pixel autofocus system. All these specifications bring the 1DX Mark III to be the class leader in video capture with the DSLR/mirrorless ILC form factor.

In a world of increasingly impressive mirrorless cameras that are shrinking in size and weight, the 1DX Mark III sticks out like a sore thumb, but it is a statement. It is Canon sending a message out there to say that they are still at the top of the photography game, and there is no doubt that these bodies will continue to see use in the hands of photographers in international sporting events, wildlife documentary work, places where lesser cameras will not do.

While the Nikon D6, which is the 1DX Mark III’s closest competitor, seems to be an abandoned effort by Nikon as they too move forward to their Z system, Canon has pulled out all the stops in creating a camera that can stand as its flagship. The technologies pioneered in the 1DX Mark III will also definitely trickle down to the rest of the new products that Canon will soon release in its mirrorless RF line-up.

The 1DX Mark III is the professional DSLR in its perfect final form. There is no wasted real estate on this camera body and everything is placed perfectly where it is for a reason. There is definitely something special about holding this camera in your hands, whether for the first time or the umpteeth; a sophisticated machine, solely designed to be the best at capturing the fleeting moments.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Canon 1DX-III: The Last, Great Camera Of Its Kind appeared first on Geek Culture.

First announced back in March 2020 alongside the Huawei P40 and P40 Pro, the diamond of Huawei’s flagship series, the P40 Pro+, is finally ready for it grand debut. And as Huawei’s crown jewel in its P series, it also represents the best of smartphone photography.

The Huawei P40 Pro+ is a more premium version of the already great P40 Pro – it has the same 6.58-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Huawei’s latest 5G enabled Kirin 990 processor, 8GB of RAM and a great set of cameras to close the deal.

The key difference on the P40 Pro+ is the addition of a new 3x telephoto rear camera and with this addition, the P40 Pro+ hold a total of 7 camera modules, counting the ToF sensor and depth sensor on the front.

The design and size of the P40 Pro+ is almost indistinguishable from the regular P40 Pro. The biggest aesthetic difference here would be the new ceramic back and frame, and the “Nano-tech Ceramic”, as Huawei calls it, is similar to the ceramic seen in high-end wrist-watches and even the Apple Watch. This material has been proven to be more durable and scratch-resistant than glass, while also giving the device a more premium finish. From a practical standpoint, the choice to use ceramic also allows for wireless charging.

Huawei offers their flagship in Ceramic Black, and a more refreshing Ceramic White. The white version helps tremendously with hiding smudges and fingerprints on the rear, which has a glossy finish.

Despite the P40 Pro+ having the same physical dimensions as the P40 Pro, it now weighs 20g heavier (likely due to the additional camera) and this overall heft can definitely be felt in your hands, but more as a well-built product all around.

The P40 Pro+ has a display measuring 6.58-inches diagonally, with a resolution of 2640 x 1200 pixels. While this is currently not the biggest nor highest resolution screen on the market, there is not denying the gorgeous panel that has a high enough pixel density to produce extremely crisp images.

The display offers a max refresh rate of 90Hz and it has a smart adaptive mode where it changes the refresh rate based on what processes are happening on screen. The high refresh rates on the display is very noticeable and once you do get used to it, a regular 60Hz display would seem really sluggish in comparison.

The decisions of not pushing the resolution to a full 1440p and a 120Hz refresh rate, which some competitor devices are touting, is likely due to the hit that such a display would have on the battery, so a balance between performance and battery life was struck here.

An on-screen fingerprint reader is featured here and it uses the same optical technology as its predecessors. Nevertheless, unlocking the device with your fingerprint is quick and can be done so from the phone. Face unlock is also available, utilising the front camera and front depth sensor for more accurate face mapping and overall better security.

While the P40+ makes do with 8GB of RAM, this should be plenty and more practical for the regular user. Paired with the Huawei’s Kirin 990 chip, the phone chugs a lot speedily even under heavy load. The octo-core processor and the Mali G-76 graphics unit handles almost all apps without breaking a sweat, and clocks in some impressive benchmarks in both 3D Mark and Geekbench 5. Combined with the 90Hz display, the P40 Pro+ gives mobile gamers an immersive experience when playing fast paced games such as Asphalt 9 or Fortnite.

3D Mark
OpenGL 5460
Vulkan 3326

Geekbench 5
Single core 750
Multi core 2940

The Kirin 990 is also 5G-ready but this is obviously dependent on when 5G networks are introduced where you live. Users can expect blazing fast data speeds once it rolls out, but for now, it’s a good to have, but not a must.

The P40 Pro+ comes with 512GB of internal memory and expandable memory via Huawei’s proprietary Nano Memory card up to 256GB. The massive internal storage is a step up from the 256GB in the P40 Pro and 128GB is the regular P40 but the step up in internal storage also contributes to the more premium price point of thje P40 Pro+.

The cameras on the P40 series are their most valued and marketed feature and it is easy to see why. The P40 Pro+ sports a huge camera bump on the rear and it houses a total of 4 rear cameras and a time-of-flight sensor. The combination of its 4 rear cameras gives the user a focal range from ultrawide to 10x optical zoom, and an extended 50x digital zoom.

The main camera has a 50-megapixel sensor and measures in as one the largest smartphone camera sensors at 1/1.28 inches across. The increased sensor size gives the camera an advantage in collecting more light, as well as being able to achieve a shallower depth of field (in other words, more natural BOKEH).

Another unique thing about this sensor is that it uses the RYYB pixel arrangement, which was first introduced with the P30 series – this unconventional arrangement supposedly allows a higher light transmission onto the sensor itself, consequently resulting in better images in lower light conditions. It is very hard to do a fair test on whether this is true, so we would have to take Huawei’s word on this here.

By default the P40 Pro+’s 50-megapixel camera produces 12-megapixel images via pixel binning. This process helps to reduce file sizes of the images and also creates larger photosites on the sensor to obtain cleaner images. Of course, you would be able to turn on the high-res mode to shoot with the full 50-megapixel resolution.

So where does all the hardware bring us? That depends on how users handle the camera. In the primary Photo mode, the phone has the tendency to over sharpen images and also increase exposure in the shadows, to produce a more “HDR” effect. This effect mostly comes down to user preference, and those who want a more natural look in their photos might not appreciate the over-processing.

All this is however solved in Pro mode, which gives the user complete control over the camera settings, with the exception of aperture control, because there is no variable aperture on the P40 Pro+. RAW photo capture can also be enabled, so the user can record a full sized image without any adjustments made by the software.

Huawei has been one of the pioneers to implement Night Mode into smartphone cameras, and this feature has been further improved here. The brightening of the final image is no longer as aggressive as before, as the software tries to retain the “darkness” of the scene, instead of just brightening the entire image. This results in a more natural looking image instead of just turning “night into day”.

This mode of course works best when you have the phone on a stable platform like a tripod or a table top, as how this works is it essentially takes multiple exposures of the scene and combining them together automatically. This of course works brilliantly, and is very comparable to other manufacturers’ Night Mode, such as the Google Pixel.

The video capabilities of the P40 Pro+ hits a maximum of 4K resolution @ 60 fps from both the rear and front cameras. The optical image stabilisation kicks in when shooting and it really helps with shaky hands or shooting while walking.

There are also a whole selection of different camera modes such as Monochrome, HDR, Light Painting and even a Documents mode which can be used as a file scanner.

Two of these additional modes are really interesting; The dual-view mode allows users to shoot video with both the standard and telephoto cameras at the same time. It is an interesting premise, which when used creatively can bring about some surprising results.

The other would be the super slow-motion mode which can shoot a short video clip at up to 256 times slower than real life. This can bring about some really impressive stuff if you are using it correctly. It is also recommended that this mode be used with a lot of light, as it is shooting at a really high frame rate.

The P40 Pro+ shares the same 4200mAh battery as the P40 Pro, and this large battery capacity is more or less mandatory, to power the powerful hardware that is under the hood.
Technical terms aside, in day-to-day usage, a full charge will probably last most people the entire day. A day of regular texting, social media use, some Netflix and Spotify, only drained the battery down to about 30% at the end of the day.

For the more power-hungry, the P40 Pro+ also comes with a 40W fast charger right out of the box. A full charge from 0 to 100 takes a little less than an hour. It is quite amazing to see the battery rapidly charging before your eyes when you plug in the cable. A 27W wireless fast charging dock is also available for purchase and it is quite a feat because this will charge your phone even faster than regular 15W wired charging solutions.

Reverse wireless charging can be turned on for you to use the phone to charge your other devices, such as wireless earbuds or smartwatches, as long as they support the Qi wireless charging standards.

In terms of operating system, Huawei’s EMUI 10 is a rather clean installation of Android, sprinkled with a bunch of Huawei apps and some interface additions such as gestures. This includes Celia, Huawei’s version of a voice activated assistant and for now, it is still not as useful and well-developed as Apple’s Siri, but as Huawei works on the back-end of the it, we could see it to more useful in the future.

The elephant in the room is “The Android Problem” – Huawei’s lack of access to Google services. This is clearly a huge consideration for someone who would be interested in the P40 Pro+. Of course, there are a few ways to work around this problem but native Google apps will not be available in any way.

The Huawei AppGallery has a decent catalogue of apps, including more sensitive apps such as internet banking and investment apps. For the majority of popular apps, such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, it is easy to get them on this phone, via direct Android APK files from the websites directly, but for the little known apps, that requires some effort to install.

There is a built-in Phone Clone app, which enables you to duplicate apps from your existing phone. This is currently the best way to get apps that are not on the Huawei AppGallery into your phone. Thankfully, this method will work with both Android and iOS phones. For the more tech-savvy, there is also the option to download Android APK files directly off the web.

With the P40 Pro+, Huawei has produced a fantastic smartphone, with the correct compromises and restraint shown in its design. The only thing that it does not have going for them is the fact that consumers would be really bummed not to have the convenience of Google services.

If potential buyers of the phone are willing to get over taking a few extra steps to be able to get all the desired apps on the phone, the P40 Pro+ is definitely a device that checks all the right boxes. However for most, the P40 Pro+ looks to be an unfortunate gem of a smartphone.

Pre-orders for the Huawei P40 Pro+ will begin from 20 – 26 June, and will retail for S$1,898. It will be available in Ceramic White, and will go on sale at all local telecommunications operators, authorised retailers such as Challenger, Harvey Norman and Courts, Huawei Concept Stores, and Huawei official online stores in Lazada and Shopee.

Additionally, customers who pre-order the Huawei P40 Pro+ will get to enjoy a free premium bundle worth S$646 in total, meaning that pre-orders actually trump the retail price post-launch! The bundle includes the following:

• Huawei Sound X (worth S$496)
• Huawei SuperCharge Wireless Stand (worth S$148)

But that’s not all — there is also a limited-time offer for customers who purchase the Huawei P40 Pro+ after 27 June, with another free premium bundle, worth S$196 in total (while stocks last). The items in this bundle include:

• Huawei SuperCharge Wireless Stand (worth S$148)
• Huawei P40 Pro+ Monogram Series Case (worth S$48)

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Geek Review: Huawei P40 Pro+ appeared first on Geek Culture.

Launching alongside The Last Of Us Part II, Sony is releasing a new special edition PS4 Pro on 19 June 2020. The new PS4 Pro comes with a 1TB HDD and is embellished with a matte finish engraved with Ellie’s iconic fern tattoo design.

This limited edition bundle also includes a TLOU II Dualshock 4 wireless controller, a standard edition of The Last of US Part II and a redeemable code for exclusive digital content. This digital download includes:

• Ammo Capacity Upgrade
• Crafting Training Manual
• PS4 Dynamic Theme
• Set of 6 PlayStationNetwork Avatars
• Digital Soundtrack
• Digital Mini Art Book from Dark Horse

The limited edition TLOU II Dualshock 4 controller is available as a standalone product as well and it sports a similar design language as the special edition console; matte black finish, white detailing and Ellie’s fern tattoo.

Apart from the console and controller, there will also be a limited edition wireless headset, again featuring Ellie’s fern tattoo and the game’s logo.

The Last Of Us Part II Limited Edition PS4 Pro bundle will be available on 19 June 2020 at a SRP of S$599. If the price of the limited edition PS4 Pro is a tad steep for your wallet, you can alternatively pre-order the various editions of the game.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Sony Celebrates The Release Of The Last of Us Part II With A Limited Edition PS4 Pro appeared first on Geek Culture.

Every geek has a collection, it might be toys, cards, stamps or any other thing fulfills your inner hoarder and defines you as a geek. And every geek collection deserves to be properly displayed and photographed in all its glory. You have definitely come across amazing toy photographers online and were once inspired to try doing something similar but did not take that step.

However, not everyone has a professional camera and lighting setup, so we are going to be shooting toys with something everyone owns – a smartphone camera. We will also keep to achieving the final image entirely on the phone itself.

The easiest way to get an appropriate background for your favourite toy would be to have it up on a screen; your TV or a laptop would work. Be sure to turn up the screen brightness to its maximum as this will double up as a light source to highlight your subject.

For the smartphone camera, we will be using and comparing the Huawei P40 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, since both phones have top-of-the-line cameras, with a variety of software enhancements to make the photography process easier.

For the subjects, we will be using LEGO Star Wars minifigs, as well as Hasbro The Black Series The Mandalorian and The Child figures.

A Quick Spec Comparison

Looking at the spec sheet, both cameras are amazing in their own right, with the Samsung edging out the Huawei in the megapixel numbers race; 108-megapixels vs 50-megapixels. Apart from hardware, they both also have great software algorithms to help any user take a properly exposed photograph every time.

Both phones have an auto mode which decide the optimal camera settings under the current light conditions. The only adjustment you can make in this mode is the focus point and exposure compensation.

Auto Mode Comparison

With the side-by-side comparison above, we can see that there is a difference in the way both phones render a scene with their built-in algorithms. The P40 Pro tries to match the ambient white balance of the scene, while the S20 Ultra brings the white balance down to a neutral point. There is also a big difference in terms of colour rendition for what is exactly the same scene.

While these photos taken with this mode are acceptable and technically properly exposed , they may not be exactly what you may have had in mind before taking the shot. Using the auto mode on the camera is basically letting the camera make the decisions for you on how the image is going to turn out.

Pro Mode

The solution to this is to use manual settings, which is available on both these photos, labelled as “Pro” mode. Now do not be discouraged from using this mode because you are unfamiliar with how the exposure triangle works (shutter speed, aperture and ISO). This mode on the phones are not as complicated as using a proper DSLR/mirrorless camera.

First of, there is no option to adjust aperture, so that is one less setting you have to fiddle with. This leaves 4 main settings you can adjust in this mode: Shutter speed, ISO, focus modes and white balance. Secondly, it is easy to adjust settings to see when you are able to see what result you would get immediately on screen. Do not be afraid to change the various parameters to see what it would result in!

A key setting to pay attention to here is the White Balance settings. By default this is set to AWB (auto white balance), which is also what is happening in your auto mode photo. In the Huawei P40, there are a bunch of default preset white balance settings; sunny, flurorescent, tungsten etc., while the Samsung only offers AWB or a manual Kelvin setting.

As said above, the immediately feedback from seeing what is on the screen lets us easily use the manual WB settings to get the specific results we need. Just move the temperature slider along until you see something on screen that fits the ambience of your envisioned photo.

The option for focus modes on both phones are the same; AF-Single, AF-Continuous and Manual Focus. For still life/toy photography, it is always preferred to use Manual Focus. This gives us the best control over what is in focus, as darker exposures do not play in favour of the autofocus systems in these cameras. In manual focus mode, the S20 offers focus peaking with bright green highlights showing which plane is in focus. The P40 on the other hand does not have this feature, so you would have to nail focus by eyeballing it.

Quick Tip: Use a tripod when shooting to get sharper images, every time.

Identical camera settings at 1/100, ISO 250, WB @ 5600K

Due to the limitations of physics, small camera sensors would mean that a lot of light is required to be gathered to get a properly exposed photo. This is where the P40 has a small advantage with its slightly larger sensor. 1/1.28-inch is relatively larger when compared to a 1/1.33 inch sensor in the Samsung. This means there is more surface area for collecting light and therefore at identical levels of light and camera settings, the P40 will get a more exposed photo.

A way you can work around this limitation of the lack of light and potentially grainy images, is to shoot purposely back-lit images to bring down exposures and get cleaner images. This would not work in every scene that you create, so be mindful of the “light” in your background scene and match it appropriately.

Quick Tip: Use the Night mode on your smartphone to get a higher dynamic range in your photos!

The Night Mode on modern smartphones utilises smart algorithms to achieve an otherwise tedious and complicated process of conventional exposure bracketing, which is to capture multiple exposures of the same scene and blending them together. This mode is a god-send not only for shooting low light scenes, but also scenes with high dynamic range, e.g. in a heavily back-lit situation where the highlights are really bright and shadows are really dark. Both the P40 Pro and S20 Ultra have their own version of Night Mode and work quite similarly to each other.

Post Processing

Whenever you make a photo, there always has to be some sort of processing done afterwards to actualise your envisioned photograph. Both of these phones have the capability to record the photo as a RAW file, giving you more flexibility in post-processing with the ability to recover highlights/shadows and adjust white balance in post.

There are basic photo editing tools built into the gallery/camera app for both phones, but Huawei’s photo editing tools are much more complete, compared to Samsung’s rudimentary options.

A weird quirk that was discovered during this process is that white balance adjustments made on the Samsung S20 did not behave as conventional photo editors do. Adjusting temperature and tint often resulted in peculiar results, as seen with colour casts in the different areas of shadows and highlights. This is observable in the two final images below, in which both have had similar adjustments made but turned out drastically different.

Of course, you could always download Adobe Photoshop / Lightroom, VSCO or Darkroom from the app store to gain a more complete and advanced set of tools. These third-party apps also probably have better RAW file reading capabilities to make more accurate adjustments. Unfortunately, because of Huawei’s lack of access to the Google PlayStore, this is only an advantage for Samsung but that is a discussion for another article.

Regardless, the Huawei P40 Pro and Samsung S20 Ultra are stunning performers in the world of mobile photography. And if you do not own either of these phones, fret not, for lighting and composition are more important than the tool used to capture the frame! Any modern smartphone camera would be able to record a decent enough image that you could tweak with some editing afterwards.

If you are still clueless where to start, find some inspiration from other toy photographers like Tigermiyaw and Sunny Ang and begin your journey of bringing your favourite toys to life!

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Geek Toy Photography Fun With The Huawei P40 Pro And Samsung S20 Ultra appeared first on Geek Culture.

The Huawei Watch GT2e is a variant of the Watch GT2, both sharing identical engines under the hood, but with some subtle differences on the exterior. The overall aesthetics of the watch is modified to target a more sporty demographic, and at the same time making it more robust for the intensities of sporting activities. 

The sandblasted stainless steel case is seamlessly connected to an integrated rubber strap for a more streamlined look, which will also help cope with the rigours of an active lifestyle. The strap is available in 4 colours; Mint Green and Icy White are new additions to the existing Lava Red and Graphite Black. The Mint Green colourway which we received is a pleasing pastel colour that both expresses some youth and staying neutral at the same time.

This variant only comes in a 46mm case size, which is rather large for those with slimmer wrists. The rubber wrist strap however, is soft and flexible enough to wrap around the wrist and give it an overall snug fit. 

Out of the box, you get the watch itself, which should be sufficiently charged up for use, a charging cradle, cable, a small user guide and warranty card. A small annoyance here is that the quick start guide only shows you how to power up the device and pair it with your smartphone. While some functions are rather intuitive for a younger tech-savvy audience, those who are unfamiliar with such a product will be left to figure out on their own on how to actually operate the watch, what the buttons do and how gestures work with the touchscreen. 

The display is a 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen with excellent vibrance and contrast. The watch display turns on with a raise-to-wake feature, by detecting the movement of the wrist. There is also an option to turn on the always-on display but it will result in faster battery drain, and turns off the raise-to-wake feature.

The watch connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth through the Huawei Health app, which is also where you will be able to see all the data that is synced from your watch. The Health app is also where you can customise your watch face and add more watch faces apart from those already loaded on the watch.

There are apparently 100 different workout modes that the watch is able to track, although the only difference here is actually just giving your workout a proper name. A more important feature would be automatic workout detection, which is able to detect six different commonly done workouts which includes. running, cycling and rowing.

However, at the time of review, the feature for automatic workout detection has not been implemented. Huawei is planning to roll out that feature through a firmware update in the future, although it really should be a feature that is available on launch, especially for a simple exercise such as running. It is funny to see that if you go for a run without inputting your workout type, the watch will continue monitoring your heartbeat and count your steps as it does usually. “Nothing abnormal here, his heart rate has just suddenly spiked to 180bpm and he covered a distance of 5km within the hour…” 

Despite the lacking feature, starting a workout on your watch is as simple as a few presses to choose your workout type and a short pause for it to acquire a GPS signal if you are outdoors. GPS tracking in the outdoors is quite accurate in comparison to other running apps, and paired with the heart rate tracking, you would getting a clear picture of how you did on your run. 

The watch is able to receive notifications from your phone through Bluetooth, showing a short preview and highlighting which app it is from. However once you miss the full-screen notification, there is no quick way to get to them except by going into the menu and swiping two-thirds of the way down to get to the notification tab.

The sleep monitoring feature gives quite a lot of insight into one’s sleep pattern, highlighting cycles of light sleep, REM sleep and deep sleep. It is interesting to see your sleeping patterns all nicely graphed out and having an idea of how much sleep you are actually getting every night. How accurate this data is remains a mystery, but it uses your heart rate and breathing patterns to extrapolate data on the quality of your sleep. You have to remember to enable Huawei TruSleep in the Health app for it to be able to provide the most accurate data based on the watch sensors.

There are also some other extra features on the watch, such as a flashlight (where it just displays a bright white screen), the Find My Phone feature, where as long as it is connected to your phone via Bluetooth it will make your phone ring (even on silent mode), a compass and the usual stopwatch/timer/alarm.

Huawei’s advertised 2-week battery life is pretty spot-on, within a margin of 1 or 2 days. This includes wearing the watch daily, with heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, phone notifications and the occasional workout. If you do more outdoor activities that require the GPS function, the battery will drain slightly faster. It is quite amazing that the tiny device is able to last so long due to its power saving modes that kick in when the watch is in standby. 

Updating the watch firmware is still a slow and arduous process, as with most smartwatches. The transfer of the firmware update via Bluetooth from your phone takes about 20-30 minutes, all while needing to have the Huawei Health app open on your phone. It is recommended that you do the firmware updates while you are occupied with something else and will not be using your phone, like when you are taking a shower or before going to bed.

What if you are not using a Huawei smartphone? The watch is compatible with other Android and even iOS devices. All that is required is to download the Huawei Health app, which is available on their respective app stores. However, non-Huawei devices will be limited in some functionalities. 

The biggest downside to using a non-Huawei smartphone is the inability to transfer music to the watch itself. The reason being is that transferring music is only able to be done with Huawei’s native Music app, and using any other device would prompt you to update the Huawei Music app (which you will not be able to download officially). Because of this, non-Huawei users will effectively be handicapped of two key functions – the storing of music on the watch’s internal 2GB storage and consequently, the ability to pair your Bluetooth earbuds to the watch is useless.

At a recommended retail price of S$218 (available on Amazon.sg, Shopee.sg and Lazada.sg), the Huawei Watch GT2e is competitively positioned in the smartwatch market next to its direct competitors from Garmin and Fitbit, fulfilling the needs of the active user while also offering some extra smartwatch functionalities. It is not as feature-rich as flagship smartwatches like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch, but it is also half or more than half the price of those. The full smartwatch experience is of course, best on a Huawei smartphone where you are able to unlock the full potential of the Watch GT2e.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Geek Review: Huawei Watch GT2e appeared first on Geek Culture.

Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars must have all seen the latest episode on Disney+, The Phantom Apprentice (Season 7, Episode 10) and probably scrambled to pick their jaws off the floor after that scene. Yes, we are talking about THAT lightsaber duel.

For those who are not caught up with the series, this is a huge SPOILER WARNING for you.

We finally see the highly anticipated fight between renegade Sith Lord Darth Maul and ex-Jedi Ahsoka Tano go down.

The fans have been clamoring for it ever since we stopped making Clone Wars, they’ve been so loyal. I just wanted to make sure that we could do it to a level that they would feel was honoring Clone Wars the right way. And I think we’ve done some of our best work. It’s hopefully one of the best fights we did, if not the best lightsaber fight.

Dave Filoni, Executive Producer of The Clone Wars

To meet fans’ high expectations, Filoni tapped onto long time friend, collaborator and the original Darth Maul actor himself, Ray Park. Upon first viewing, it is obvious that the animated fight was really grounded with real physicality in the moves happening on screen. Using motion capture for the first time in the series’ history, the animators were able to use all the subtle nuances and inherent moves that Ray was able to bring to the character.

To balance the high action swordplay and acrobatics that Ray brought to the table, Ahsoka’s motion capture was done by stunt performer Lauren Mary Kim, who has done fight work as The Armorer in The Mandalorian and as Elektra in Daredevil.

All of this action is of course, brought together by the brilliant voice actors Sam Witwer (Maul) and Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka) along with the animation and lighting team, to create a climactic masterpiece.

Watching the two performers go toe-to-toe in the behind-the-scenes video really demonstrates the amount of passion and hard work that Filoni and team have put into this labour of love. The lightsaber battle between Maul and Ahsoka on Mandalore rightfully belongs in the annals of best lightsaber fights we’ve seen in the Star Wars universe.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Ray Park Returns As Darth Maul In Epic Lightsaber Duel With Ahsoka Tano appeared first on Geek Culture.

The new Cypress EcoSmart Collection is Targus’ third collection of bags that have been certified by Global Recycled Standard (GRS). This initiative aims to reduce the number of plastic bottles destined for landfills by utilizing them in the bag production process. By being GRS certified, Targus is able to put their money where their mouth is and trace the entire process of production from bottle sourcing to final manufacturing. There are a total of 33 products in the Cypress EcoSmart line, and today we are looking at the 15.6″ Slim Backpack.

The Slim Backpack is a 17L, no-frills backpack, designed to carry the minimum needed for your daily commute. It has one main compartment, one laptop compartment, one stash pocket and two water bottle holders on the sides. There are simple dividers and pockets on the inside of the main compartment for some form of item organisation.

Its design is very similar to the “anti-theft” bag that we see bootleg versions of everywhere now, so no points to Targus on creativity here. However, its simple design and colour complements the fact that this bag is meant to be as unintrusive as possible.

Targus does not state any form of water resistance about the materials used, but seeing how it is a strong polyester material, it should provide some form of water resistance. However, you should not count on it keeping your belongings totally dry if you end up getting drenched in a rainstorm.

Being a slim backpack, the main compartment is what you would expect it to be. Small, but large enough for the daily necessities. With a capacity of 17L, it will be able to pack your essential electronics, documents, outerwear and beverage bottle.

The first thing you see when you open the zipper of the main compartment is the print of how many plastic bottles were recycled in the process of manufacturing this bag. Targus doesn’t want you to forget that both you and them have done some good by purchasing this product.

The laptop compartment is advertised to fit laptops of up to 15.6″, but the space given is much more generous than that. It fit a 15″ MacBook Pro with plenty of space leftover, so you perhaps fit up to a 17″ laptop in there. The padded compartment provides enough protection against bumps, and it is nice that the base of the laptop compartment is cradled above the base of the main compartment, so you would not accidentally expose your laptop to a heavy drop when putting your bag on the ground.

The stash pocket on the front of the bag is perfectly placed for the user to be able to open it while still carrying it with the right bag strap. However, a small gripe about this compartment is that the zipper opening could be expanded ever so slightly. The opening is quite tight for someone with relatively small hands, so those with larger appendages might experience some difficulty retrieving small objects deep inside the pocket.

There are two small water bottle pockets on both sides of the bag. These would be able to fit a bottle of perhaps up to 500ml, any bigger a bottle would be stretching the elastic bands holding it in place. There is also a pass-through trolley strap on the back panel for travellers to easily secure the backpack to your rolling luggage.

Ergonomics of carrying the bag is comfortable enough, unless loading it beyond the expected daily necessities. The shoulder straps are connected to the bag by two seatbelt straps, providing extra durability. However, the straps themselves are rather thinly padded, and when viewed with the high quality seatbelt straps send across a rather mixed message on its quality. The bag is able to stand on its own, even without any items inside, which is a nice touch 

The Targus 15.6” Cypress EcoSmart Slim Backpack is made for someone who seeks a simple carrying solution, yet providing protection for their electronics and fitting all the necessities for their daily activities. Its design is minimal enough to be fitting for the office, travel and even semi-formal dinner. The fact that it is made of recycled plastic bottles is a nice touch and could even be a conversation starter when someone compliments your backpack.

Targus deserves some recognition for their commitment to sustainability efforts, as well as producing high quality bags. With a limited lifetime warranty and at a price point of S$129, the Cypress EcoSmart 15.6″ Slim Backpack presents decent value for a simple, no-frills bag for daily commuting.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Geek Review: Targus Cypress EcoSmart 15.6″ Slim Backpack appeared first on Geek Culture.

Actors Stellan Skarsgård and Kyle Soller are set to join the cast of the still unnamed Rogue One spinoff series that will be premiering on Disney+. Variety reports that both actors are in final negotiations with Disney.

While this may be British actor Kyle Soller’s big break into the mainstream, Veteran actor Skarsgård is no stranger to science fiction, with his roles in Thor, Chernobyl, and more recently, the Dune adaptation scheduled to release at the end of 2020.

The spinoff is set to be a prequel to Rogue One, focusing on the character of Cassian Andor, a role in which Diego Luna will reprise. The show is described as a “spy thriller” with Andor being a Rebel spy in the early days of the rebellion. Alan Tudyk is also reprising his role as K-2SO, Andor’s witty, foul-mouthed droid sidekick.

As reported earlier, the series was going to start filming sometime in 2020, but with the current COVID-19 pandemic, it remains unclear as to whether this will still remain so. The supposed show debut in 2021 will also be pushed into ambiguity due to the current state of affairs.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Stellan Skarsgård and Kyle Soller Joins Disney+ Rogue One Spinoff appeared first on Geek Culture.

The latest addition to the LEGO Ultimate Collectors Series is the A-Wing Starfighter! First appearing in Return of the Jedi, and after many LEGO playset iterations, it is finally brought to the UCS line.

Clocking in at 1,673 pieces, this A-Wing build comes in the recognisable red and white paint job and offers substantial attention to detail. There are the usual UCS inclusions; a display stand, information plaque and an exclusive minifigure. The LEGO UCS A-Wing Starfighter set measures 10.5” (27cm) high, 16.5” (42cm) long and 10” (26cm) wide, which is big enough to be a statement piece, yet not too intrusive for those with smaller spaces.

The box art for this set matches the new box designs as seen from the recently announced Stormtrooper, TIE Pilot and Boba Fett helmet busts. The new A-Wing joins the X-Wing and Y-Wing to complete the Rebel Fleet, all iterated in UCS glory.

Releasing just in time to coincide with May the4th, Star Wars Day, the UCS A-Wing will retail at US$199.99 from 1st May at all LEGO stores.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post The LEGO 75275 UCS A-Wing Starfighter Finally Joins The Rebel Fleet appeared first on Geek Culture.

Attention: all hands on deck, we have reached peak Star Wars.

For fans of Star Wars, this is a bittersweet time to be alive. We are in the end game now; the final 4 episodes of the final season (7th) of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and also one of the most important story arcs to tie into the wider Star Wars Universe – The Siege of Mandalore.

The Siege of Mandalore will see the Jedi, Clones and Mandalorians pit against Darth Maul and his Shadow Collective crime syndicate. Fan favourite Ahsoka Tano also returns to the frontlines, as recruited by Bo Katan at the end of episode 8 (out of 12) on April 10th.

For those who have not watched the previous seasons of The Clone Wars, there are going to be a few question marks in your head, so here is what you need to know.

What is Mandalore?

Mandalore is the home planet of the Mandalorians, a once war-like society divided into various warring tribes. The current Mandalore takes a pacifist stand in the Clone Wars and was ruled by Duchess Satine Kryze. Mandalorians are famous for their ferocity in battle and their armor, which are able to deflect blaster shots. Some essential rewatching would include Season 2, Episodes 12 to 14, where you will be able to get some understanding about the current state of the system.

Why is Mandalore under siege?

The big bad of this arc is Darth Maul, and he has taken control of the planet through his Shadow Collective; an alliance of criminal syndicates that he has power over. Notable members include: Death Watch, a radical faction of Mandalorians determined to revert Mandalore to a warring planet, the Hutt Clan and the Pyke Syndicate, which we have just seen in the previous 4 episodes of this season. The Shadow Collective will further evolve into the Crimson Dawn, which we will see in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The Republic senate has decided that Maul now poses a threat to the peace and stability of the system and has deployed a garrison of clone troopers to regain control of the planet.

For a refresher on the events that led to Maul’s control of Mandalore, you could go back to rewatch the Maul on Mandalore arc, which takes place over Season 5, Episodes 1, 14, 15 and 16.

When does this take place?

Executive producer Dave Filoni has confirmed that this arc will overlap with the events from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and it is known that Order 66 takes place right in the middle of the Siege of Mandalore.

Ahsoka Tano reaches out to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi seeking assistance to secure the capture of longtime adversary and former Sith Lord Maul, but the news of Grievous’ attack on Coruscant and Palpatine’s capture forces a difficult decision for the Jedi in “Old Friends Not Forgotten,” an all-new episode of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” this FRIDAY, April 17th on Disney+.

Based on the official synopsis of the first of the 4-episode arc, it is suggested that this episode leads directly into the beginning of Revenge of the Sith, where Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to rescue Chancellor Palpatine from General Grevious and Count Dooku during the Battle of Coruscant.

This also explains how Ahsoka got separated from her master, Anakin, and was unable to be involved during Order 66 and his turn to the dark side.

Why is Ahsoka important in this arc?

At the end of season 5, we cried over Ahsoka Tano leaving her beloved master and the Jedi Order for good, after her wrongful accusation of bombing the Jedi Temple. Preceding the Siege of Mandalore, Ahsoka is invited back to the frontlines by Bo Katan Kryze, a former member of Death Watch and now the leader of the Mandalorian resistance.

In the trailer above, we see Ahsoka meeting Anakin, Obi-Wan and Captain Rex again. She is then introduced to her own company of the clone troopers, the 332nd Company, which have painted her markings on their helmets as a sign of loyalty. Ahsoka and Captain Rex will lead the 332nd through the Siege of Mandalore while Anakin and Obi-Wan are deployed on Coruscant. This will also be the last time Ahsoka interacts with Anakin Skywalker.

It will be good to rewatch Season 5, Episodes 17 to 20, to get a better sense of Ahsoka’s grievances with the Jedi, and why her return to the battlefront with the clones is a more than welcomed one. It also highlights how important Ahsoka was to Anakin as his padawan, which will deliver even more emotional ramifications in the upcoming arc, Revenge of the Sith, and Star Wars: Rebels.

What is there to be excited about?

Darth Maul, Ahsoka and Captain Rex are the major characters in this story arc, and hopefully the show will tie up the loose ends as to how the 3 of them end up as they were in Rebels.

Maul and Ahsoka are going to face off on Mandalore which will most probably end with the latter winning. This duel will definitely be one to watch as Ahsoka comes into her own to be the strong warrior we want her to be.

We know that Ahsoka and Rex both survive Order 66 as we see them in Rebels, but we only have a rough idea of how they did. Captain Rex was roughly aware of the inhibitor chips implanted in the clones, which will later be used to execute Order 66. Somewhere in the middle of this arc we could see him remove the chip or overcome the order by his sheer will, loyalty and friendship for Ahsoka to not kill her. We could also be seeing how they escape the planet and the grasp of Palpatine, who at this point has declared himself emperor of the the new Galactic Empire.

For fans of the series, Matt Michnovetz, the writer of the amazing Battle of Umbara arc is also the writer of the Siege of Mandalore arc, so there is high hopes going into this season finale. The Siege of Mandalore is fabled in Star Wars lore and there are a lot of emotions at play here with multiple characters that we have grown to love through the past 6 seasons.

The season finale launches early on Star Wars Day

And as an added cherry on top, the season finale of The Clone Wars will be moved ahead from its original premiere date of 8 May to be aired on Disney+ on May the 4th, Star Wars Day. And that’s not all, The Mandalorian is also having an 8-part documentary series releasing on the same day.

Star Wars fans in countries where Disney+ is currently unavailable can catch the series through a VPN service.

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post The Siege of Mandalore Is The Best Ending For Star Wars: The Clone Wars appeared first on Geek Culture.