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Asus ZenBook Flip S (UX371) First Impressions

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Earlier today, Asus expanded its consumer notebook portfolio with the announcements of new ZenBook and VivoBook laptops powered by Intel’s latest 11th Gen Core processors. The announcement brings notebooks at varied price tags but the star of the show is Asus’ ZenBook Flip S (UX371). The top-of-the-line notebook has not only earned Intel’s Evo platform certification but also has few other tricks up its sleeve to set it apart from the competition.

The ZenBook Flip S (UX371) is a well-made notebook that brings Asus’ unique features like ErgoLift hinge that elevates the keyboard up for a comfortable typing experience and can be tilted 360-degrees, allowing the laptop to be used as a tablet or in tent mode. Either way, the laptop is quick is to detect the orientation and change it.

Asus ZenBook Flip S

The design is classic Asus with an asymmetric-circle pattern at the back but features Red Copper diamond-cut accents. It is portable too, with the laptop weighing just 1.2kg and has a sleek profile of under 14mm.

The Asus ZenBook Flip S (UX371) features a 13.3-inch 4K OLED touchscreen that boasts a 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and is Pantone validated for colour accuracy. It is touch-enabled and supports Asus Pen 2.0, which Asus bundles along with the laptop. It also comes Asus NumberPad 2.0 that adds a numeric keypad on a laptop and quick access to calculator.

Asus ZenBook Flip S

Rounding up the spec sheet is Intel’s 11th Gen Core i7 processor, 16GB LPDDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, Intel Iris X graphics and a 65W Type-C power adapter for a battery that lasts up to 10 hours.

The ZenBook Flip S (UX371) is now available at ₹1,49,990.

WD India expands its WD Black portfolio with new SSDs

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Faster storage has been one of the selling points for the new Sony PS5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X and now to cater to PC gamers, Western Digital has announced the WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD and WD_BLACK AN1500 NVMe SSD Add-in-Card in India.

The SN850 NVMe SSD is WD’s first NVMe SSD that support PCIe Gen4 technology and is equipped with WD_BLACK G2 controller for intensive gaming sessions or where there’s a considerable requirement of data transfer. It comes in capacities of 500GB, 1TB and 2TB with the 1TB variant reaching read and write speeds to up to 7000 and 5300MB/s respectively. WD will also have an optional RGB-enabled heatsink model that adds to the aesthetics and keeps the thermal temperature in check for fast and consiststent performance. The SSDs start from Rs. 14,490.

If you want improved speeds with the existing setup, WD is also selling the AN1500 NVMe SSD as an add-in option. The add-in card is powered by two internal SSDs in RAID 0 and PCIe Gen3 x8 technology that helps the read and write speeds to reach up to 6500 MB/s and 4100MB/s. The model is available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities and comes with a customisable RGB lighting and an integrated heatsink to reduce thermal throttling. It starts from Rs. 30,990.

Moreover, if you are looking for some special edition drives, WD also announced three new Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War-themed SSDs. The WD_BLACK Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Special Edition SN850 NVMe SSSD, P10 Game Drive and P50 Game Drive SSD will be available early next year in January and will come with vouchers to redeem COD points.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review

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Live like a Viking in the new Assassin’s Creed action-adventure
₹3,999; PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X|S (reviewed)

The Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey breathed a new life in the 13-year-old franchise. The games not only gave us beautiful regions to explore with a meaningful story but also strengthened its RPG foundation. It is clear in the all-new Assassin’s Creed Valhalla where you explore the vast lands of Norway and England and take decisions that matter.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Set in the Viking Age, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla lets you assume the role of Eivor, a Viking from Norway. Although we don’t have Alexios or Kassandra, like in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the new game lets the player choose between a male or a female Eivor. If you are unsure, the game will even decide it for you. I started with female Eivor since Kassandra was better in Odyssey but changed to the male counterpart a few hours in, realising he feels apt for the story. However, since the storyline remains the same, and character’s abilities, it all comes down to preference.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

The prologue set in Norway shows Eivor’s parents getting killed and how he avenges them before setting sail for England for fame and riches along with his Viking clan and adoptive brother Sigurd. The initial Norwegian arc feels like a mishmash of how we are introduced to the ancient order, assassins and the events before reaching the English shores but the storytelling is vastly improved after that. Once in England, Eivor is tasked with pledging alliances with other leaders in the region for clan’s safer and a prosperous future, and this is when the game opens up allowing to explore the world as you want to. Finish various region arcs to gain their alliance or just roam around trying to find the hidden treasure, artefacts and mysteries. Ubisoft has done a stellar job to bind everything together as you progress and also make you feel responsible for the actions. The dialogue choices have an impact on how the story advances. For instance, finding a traitor based on the clues you have gathered can separate a real traitor’s head from the body or kill someone innocent. Involved in a forbidden romance? Well, you should be ready for repercussions with other NPCs in the future. The decision-making in the game makes the narrative more immersive and also gives you, as a player, a moment or two to think if we have made the right choice.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

An assassin is someone who works stealthily picking off enemies in the shadows, and while Assassin’s Creed Valhalla lets you do it, it just doesn’t feel right. A Viking is known for face-to-face battles, and this is where the game shines. Melee combat is excellent along with the gory animations. Raids and castle sieges have been introduced where you and your clan use the collective might to kill and loot the wealth.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Gameplay-wise, the combat has been refined where one needs to take into consideration the different weapons and outfits. Wielding a heavy weapon or armour will make the bulky Viking less agile compared to someone wielding an axe and a light shield. If that’s not enough, there are abilities to gain or special powers that can be put to use during combat and can be acquired by finding “books of knowledge” spread across the map. The skill tree, on the other hand, does not feel as useful. Earning XP lets you earn skill points but except for the key skill that unlocks after adding some random skill like “3.1 melee resistance” or “5.2 health”, the constellation-like skill tree structure looks like a way to increase Eivor’s power level.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

If bloodshed is too much to handle, the game also helps to scale back by sparring in flyting (poem battles) or revel in drinking and dice games. Furthermore, one can indulge in the beautiful English landscape. Ubisoft has outdone themselves and playing on the Xbox Series X shows off the detailed visuals and lighting. Playing on the latest console also shortens the load time and even lets you enjoy the game in 60fps with the performance mode. However, the game is not without its share of quirks. The game is buggy, even on the recently released 1.0.4 title update. Sure, it’s less than what it used to be, but it’s still far from being perfect. Most of the glitches I experienced were graphical, but there were a couple of them that didn’t let me progress an ongoing raid by not allowing to loot the wealth chest or an NPC not moving, thus not allowing me to finish the mission. Luckily, the issues were fixed after re-loading the game again.

Despite these hindrances, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is still an enjoyable game. The main story is engaging, but it’s the combat, raids, massive open-world and innumerable things to do that keeps you entertained for hours, irrespective if you’re a seasoned Assassin’s Creed fan or a newcomer.

RATING 4/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Story, gameplay, visuals
WE’D IMPROVE Bugs
THE LAST WORD Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is yet another strong entry in the AC franchise with an immersive story, massive open-world, and combat.

BenQ GV1 Review

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The new BenQ projector is travel-friendly and comes with smart feature
Rs. 30.990, benq.co.in

Customers now understand the advantage of installing projectors at home versus going with a large-size television. But when it comes to portable projection, there’s still some ground to cover. We have seen some solutions from ViewSonic, Sony and Asus in the past and now BenQ has launched its offering, the GV1.

Off all the portable projectors we have seen recently, GV1 is the most portable. As compact as a small soft drink bottle, the GV1 is tiny and well-designed. Equipped with a travel case, the 708g GV1 goes for a dual-tone design with the top quarter of the device housing the projector essentials like the controls at the top, focus ring at the side and the lamp on the front whereas the remaining three-fourth of the device goes with a mesh grille design that conceals the back-firing speaker and a USB Type-C and power port at the bottom. Overall, the design is slick and premium-looking. 

Being a smart projector, GV1 is as easy as setting up an Android smartphone but this is where the similarities end. It runs a custom version of Android and since it does not have a Google certification, there’s no access to Google Play Store and related services. Instead, it comes with Aptoide TV app store. The app store allows downloading popular entertainment apps, but the library is sparse. If you use Netflix, Prime Video or Disney+ Hotstar, the projector can play the content but going through the menu and settings are laggy, given the slow Snapdragon 210 processor and meagre 1GB RAM that powers the forked Android OS. There’s a delay in registering the commands while using the remote control. Connecting an external device is one way to watch content on this projector, but you will have to use the bundled Type-C to HDMI port since the projector does not come with a full-sized HDMI. Another way is to wirelessly project, which works well with PC and Android but was a hit-and-miss with iOS.

GV1 can project images to up to 35-inches from a distance of 1m, which is good enough for such a small projector, but it can project up to 100-inches in size. However, the experience is underwhelming considering the FWVGA (854×480) resolution support and 200 ANSI lumens brightness that goes dimmer if you use the projector with the integrated battery. The 15-degree tilting lens is a nice touch along with the auto keystone that ensures the projection is straight, irrespective of the angle. Users can adjust manually, as well. The 5W back-firing speakers offer good crisp audio, good enough to fill a small room and even has a dedicated Bluetooth mode allowing the GV1 to function as a Bluetooth loudspeaker. 

GV1 is an interesting device. While BenQ has nailed the portability factor with its compact and handy design, this same compactness compromises on the picture quality. Adding insult to injury is the laggy user interface. 

RATING 3/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Design, portability, audio
WE’D IMPROVE Performance
THE LAST WORD A decent attempt by BenQ to appeal to customers looking for portable projection but falls short in terms of its smart features and picture quality. 

Trifo Max Review

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Not just another robot vacuum cleaner
Rs. 21,990 (promotional price), amazon.in

Robot vacuum cleaners have been in demand in the last few months and Trifo is trying to kill two birds with one stone with its latest product. The Trifo Max not only works like any other robot vacuum cleaner but also comes with a camera at the top that can be used as a security camera.

Trifo Max looks like any other robot vacuum cleaner in the market. The circular robot vacuum features a bumper on the front, whereas the top hosts a camera along with physical buttons. The upper lid can be pulled up to reveal status lights for the Wi-Fi, reset button, a USB port (to charge gadgets!) and the dustbin. At the bottom is the side brush that sweeps everything towards the large main brush, which vacuums the dirt in the dustbin. The wheels let the Trifo Max roam around while it cleans the surface and even features sensors so it does not topple down from the stairs or higher ground.

The easy setup requires the use of the Trifo Home app, which also acts as a gateway to all the other things Trifo Max can do. Although vacuuming can be initiated by pressing the power button on the Trifo Max, using the app is preferable because you can use features like adjusting the suction power that goes up to 3,000 Pa. The suction power also determines how loud the robovac will be, so you can adjust it accordingly. The app allows manual control of the Max and even turn on the surveillance camera, which is a nice feature to have but feels inadequate compared to a proper home security camera. The motion detection works well, but the images seen from the camera are at an angle that makes looking at the feed a little impractical. The only advantage with it is that you get the mobility if you need to see something and talk via the 2-way chat feature.

The first couple of cleaning sessions seem like a bump-into-every-obstacle session, but what Trifo Max is doing is creating a virtual map of the room, which you can see in real time on the app. The robovac is learning the environment for a more efficient cleaning route. In short, the more it cleans the room, the better it gets. It’s handy, but only if you keep it docked in the same area. The app does not allow any geo-fencing (requires a physical obstacle) or naming different rooms in the house which means if you move the charging station to a new place, say, to another floor of the house, the Max needs to learn the new room and previous room again. Trifo has confirmed to us that the memorising feature will come, but no idea when.

Regarding its vacuuming performance, Max leaves the floor spick-and-span. It even comes with mopping pads and a tiny water tank that makes mopping possible, but in our experience, it was underwhelming.

Despite some of its shortcomings, Max is a formidable robovac that does its job well with the ability to adjust the suction power, up to 2 hours of battery life and controllable via Amazon Alexa.

RATING 4/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Vacuum performance, easy to set up
WE’D IMPROVE App experience, camera
THE LAST WORD Trifo is pitching Max for its security camera feature, we prefer Max for its cleaning performance and adjustable suction power.

This review was originally published in the November edition of T3 India. Subscribe here.