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Nokia Malaysia video teases April 25th announcement, loses us in the process
Flickering hospital lights. A man going ballistic in a padded cell. A hooded ghoul. These are the images Nokia Malaysia wants to put into our heads in the run-up to a mysterious Lumia-related launch coming on April 25th. That date has also been linked to Verizon's launch of the Lumia 928, but we're not sure how that might be relevant. Alternatively, it could be a countdown to the Malaysian launch of the Lumia 720 or Lumia 520. The thing is, we're intimately familiar with both those handsets and neither can be described as even remotely spooky. Unless it's another Batman Edition? Update: The video on Nokia's official YouTube channel has been pulled. We've added a different embed in the hope of preserving this curious piece of marketing for future generations. [Thanks, Piaget]
Malaysia's Ministry of Education goes gaga for Google, adopts Chromebooks and Apps for Education
In the past, "going Google" was something only cities or state and federal governments did -- transitioning entire systems to the tech giant's cloud. But now, entire countries are making the leap and to do it, they're getting a giant Mountain View-assist. Following in the footsteps of the Philippines, Malaysia's Ministry of Education is embracing Google's Apps for Education nationwide, while also doling out Chromebooks to its entire school system. The initiative, part of the government's Education Blueprint, should go a long way towards reducing the barrier to the web in developing countries, while simultaneously reinforcing its use as a crucial learning tool. It's a smart move for a cash-strapped country like Malaysia, since Chromebooks are simple to use (there's no real OS), boot instantly and are relatively low-cost -- not to mention, GApps are free. And for Google, it's a really great way to bolster adoption.
Rara.com expands to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries
Rara.com has been mighty busy since its luddite-friendly music streaming service launched at the end of last year, and now it's reporting the outcome of those 10 months of toil. In addition to an improved web experience and new Android widget, an AirPlay-compatible app for iOS is now available, with software for Windows 8 arriving alongside its launch. Rara's 18 million tracks haven't only invaded other platforms, but other countries, too -- residents of Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa and Portugal have joined the party, bringing the total number of compatible countries to 27. Lenovo is also getting a piece of the action, as a worldwide agreement means Rara software will now come pre-installed on the manufacturer's Android tablets and Windows 8 gear. Want to hear more about Rara's recent accomplishments? Then head for the PR after the break.
Google patches SVG and IPC exploits in Chrome, discoverer banks $60,000 in the process
Google revels in hacking contests as ways of testing Chrome's worth. Even if the browser is compromised, the failure provides a shot at fixing an exploit under much safer circumstances than an in-the-wild attack. No better example exists than the results of Google's Pwnium 2 challenge in Malaysia: the company has already patched vulnerabilities found in the contest that surround SVG images and IPC (inter-process communication) before they become real problems. Staying one step ahead of truly malicious hackers carries a price, however. Pwnium 2 winner Pinkie Pie -- yes, Pinkie Pie -- is being paid $60,000 in prize money for catching the exploits. That may be a small price to pay if it reassures a few more Internet Explorer users looking to hop the fence.
Liquipel launches retail store in Hong Kong, spreads the hydrophobia for gadgets
Over the years we've come across many hydrophobic coating technologies aimed at electronics, but sadly, none of those were made directly available to consumers. The closest one was Nokia's nanocoating demonstration we saw last October, though the company recently said to us that it's still "currently a research project," and it never mentioned plans to offer a service to treat existing devices. On the other hand, Californian startup Liquipel recently opened its first Hong Kong retail store, making it the second Liquipel service center globally after the one located at the Santa Ana headquarters. Folks in the area can simply call up to make an appointment, and then head over with their phones or tablets to get the nanocoating treatment. So how does this funky technology work? How does it cover both the inside and the outside of gadgets? And is Liquipel's offering any better than its rivals? Read on to find out. %Gallery-163600%
iTunes in the Cloud movies find their way to Australia, Canada, the UK and 32 more countries
The advent of movie support in iTunes for the Cloud was a boon to Apple TV owners as well as any iTunes user with a tendency to hop between devices -- within the US, that is. Apple today swung the doors open and let Australia, Canada, the UK as well as 32 other countries and regions around the world get access to their movies whenever they're signed in through iTunes or an iOS device. Not every studio is on the same page, as many American viewers will know all too well: it's more likely that you'll get re-download rights for a major studio title such as Lockout than an indie production, for example. Even with that limit in mind, there's no doubt more than a few movie mavens glad to avoid shuffling and re-syncing that copy of Scott Pilgrim to watch it through to the end.
NASA captures red sprite, puts it in a jar
Lightning doesn't always shoot downwards. Just occasionally, a thunderstorm will be accompanied by a red sprite: a huge, momentary electrical explosion that occurs around 50 miles high and fires thin tendrils many miles further up into the atmosphere. Sprites have been caught on camera before, but a fresh photo taken by arty astronauts on the ISS helps to show off their true scale. Captured accidentally during a timelapse recording, it reveals the bright lights of Myanmar and Malaysia down below, with a white flash of lightning inside a storm cloud and, directly above that, the six mile-wide crimson streak of the rare beast itself. Such a thing would never consent to being bottled up and examined, but somehow observers at the University of Alaska did manage to film one close-up at 1000 frames per second back in 1999 -- for now, their handiwork embedded after the break is as intimate as we can get.
Facebook and others invest in 6,214-mile Asia-Pacific undersea internet cable, friend request lag to plummet
It's almost become a truism that internet connections from the Asia-Pacific region to the rest of the world can be slow and lag-ridden, but that assumption is about to be knocked flat if Facebook and others in a Time Dotcom-led consortium have their way. The alliance is investing a combined $450 million into the Asia Pacific Gateway, a 6,214-mile undersea cable that will run between Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. The fiber optic pipe will not only help reduce the need to route large volumes of traffic through Singapore but, in many cases, send much of that traffic straight to American shores -- a big help when Facebook and much of the web industry still hosts most of its content on the Eastern side of the ocean. Although faster speeds won't be in place until the summer of 2014, by which point the more direct connections might be absolutely necessary, it still gives hope to those of us who want to poke friends and upload photos in record time.
iTunes Store opens in Hong Kong, Taiwan and 10 other Asia-Pacific territories
Our Apple-loving compatriots on the west side of the Pacific Ocean have been able to purchase the latest in iPhone and iPad software from the App Store for a while, but believe it or not, they've been shut out of the iTunes Store. Apple has just opened the virtual iTunes storefront in a dozen locations across the Asia-Pacific region. The "big three" Asian markets that will get access to music and movies for the first time today are Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Other locations that are going live today are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. All of the new stores will feature local content as well as the big international favorites. Apple chose to launch the new branches of the iTunes Store complete with iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match subscriptions.
Apple opens iTunes Store in Hong Kong, Taiwan and 10 other Asia-Pacific territories
Many Apple fans on the opposite side of the Pacific from Cupertino haven't had much of a choice to shop from iTunes, even though they've had the App Store for some time. There's now a much better sense of balance: Apple just flicked the switch on the iTunes Store for music and movies in a dozen countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific region. The company singles out our own Richard Lai's Hong Kong as well as Singapore and Taiwan, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam are also getting the media catalogs, which include local content along with the international hits. It's a full catch-up as well, with iTunes in the Cloud re-downloads and iTunes Match subscriptions available in every new country. If you're a huge Andy Lau fan but wanted his albums from the most iPhone-friendly store possible, the wait is over.
1Mpad is Malaysia's first branded tablet, delivers 7 inches of Gingerbread for $315
So you've decided that it's time to make a tablet part of your life, but a lack of star-spangled slabs has prompted you to defer the purchase. Malaysians now face no such dilemma, due in no small part to the 1Malasyia Pad -- the country's first branded tab. The 1Mpad will reportedly soon be marketed to students (1.4 million of them, in fact), but 5,000 of the 7-inch Gingerbread devices are now being offered up to deep-pocketed locals, priced online at a rather-ambitious 999 Malaysian ringgits (about $315). Manufactured by MalTechPro Sdn Bhd, the 1Mpad will be offered to students at a to-be-determined discounted rate, making it the first such device to be available using a student discount card. At its current high list price, the tablet doesn't appear to be a fantastic deal, shipping with 3G broadband and the 1Malaysia Messenger application, which will serve as an IM service of sorts for sending text, pictures, video and voice recording to other 1Mpad owners. Still, if you have the cash to spare for an early taste of what Malaysian students may some day be using to surf the web, you can hit up the source link after the break for a bit more info. [Thanks, Joe]
NVIDIA GTX 670 spotted at Malaysian retailer: either it's fake or MSI has a small problem
This surprise package has apparently escaped not only MSI's proof-readers, but also NVIDIA's strictly-controlled release schedule. If it's legit, it hints at more affordable Kepler cards just around the corner -- potentially around $150 less than a GTX 680, if previous GeForce generations are anything to go by. That said, the list price associated with this particular box doesn't stack up: 1380 Malaysian Ringgits converts to $450, which seems over the odds and gives us even more reason to be wary. Hopefully the next customer will pop it open and check for spring phling before heading to the checkout. [Thanks, Donny]
Video from South Korean launch of new iPad
Today Apple launched the new iPad in an additional 12 countries around the world. While eleven of the countries -- Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela -- are relatively small markets, the new iPad also went on sale in South Korea, one of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet and one of the major tech markets in Asia. Check out the video below, first posted by Apple 2.0, to see South Korean Apple fans lining up for the new tablet at a local Apple reseller. Apple's new iPad international rollout isn't done for the month either. One week from today on Friday, April 27, Apple will begin selling the new iPad in an additional nine countries: Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand. The new iPad will then be available in 56 countries around the world.
Malaysia's Maxis Bhd to offer iPad data plans
Malaysia's Maxis Bhd has announced that it will be offering the data plans for Apple's iPad, starting as soon as this week. The iPad will take advantage of the company's recent carrier upgrades (presumably, since we're talking about the iPad, it's a 3G network) and will "double the download and websurfing performance previously available," according to Maxis Bhd. We'll take their word on what that means. That makes one more place Apple's iPad is chugging right along. Apple's making a big move in Asian and Oceanic countries with its hardware, and it sounds like Maxis is happy to support that move with a network.
Nokia Lumia 610 headed to the (Pacific) 'Ring of Fire' in coming months for €189
The Lumia 610 is a colorful thing, going on sale, in the Firery Ring. Bound by tepid desire, it's about to launch in the Ring of Fire. It's about to launch in the burning Ring of Fire. Sales are down, down, down, and the burning platform feels higher. But it's going on sale, sale, sale, in the Ring of Fire. And also China. The full press release is after the break.
New iPad launching in 21 additional countries this month
Apple today issued a press release announcing the new third-generation iPad will go on sale in another twleve countries starting on Friday, April 20. Notably, one of the twelve is the important South Korean market. The other eleven countries include Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela. Then one week later on Friday, April 27, Apple will begin selling the new iPad in an additional nine countries: Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand. Both the Wi-Fi and 4G models will be on sale and available through Apple's online store and at select Apple Authorized Resellers. The new iPad will be available in 56 countries around the world as of April 27th.
'New' iPad landing in South Korea, Israel and 19 other countries, officially ceases to be new in US
Are you not in one of the 35 countries that already has the "new" iPad? Well, this week may finally mean you can get your hands on the tablet that's already become old hat here in the US. The "resolutionary" slate is landing in South Korea, Venezuela and ten other nations this Friday, while Israel, India and seven more will be granted membership to the cool club on April 27th. Outside of some region-specific language tweaks the devices will be exactly the same as those that have been on sale here in the US for whole month now. (Isn't it amazing how time flies!) If you want to see if you're home is joining the list of places you can pick up a Retina display-equipped tablet head on after the break.
Proton and Yes team up to offer Malaysia's first 4G-connected car, promise more to come
The first one may only amount to a MiFi housed in the dash (although that does come standard), but automaker Proton and Malaysian carrier Yes seem to have some fairly grand designs on 4G-connected cars. In addition to providing a WiFi hotpot for passengers, they eventually hope to use the 4G connectivity for a range of automotive-related applications, including vehicle diagnostics, security, and other location-based services. Notably for potential buyers, Yes's 4G coverage of Malyasia is fairly widespread, encompassing over 65 percent of the country's populated areas and the full 960 kilometer stretch of the country's North-South Expressway, as well as a "large portion" of its East-Coast Expressway. While details on those promised services or any future cars remain a bit light, that first one (the P3-21A sedan) will apparently soon be available.
M3 Android NFC Communicator mixes something old, something new for prepaid subs
Malaysia may not be on the tip of anyone's tongue when wireless comes to mind, but that's not stopping local outfit DMD Mobile from attempting to make its mark. Set for an official unveiling at next week's Mobile World Congress, the M3 Android NFC Communicator is the outfit's clumsily titled stab at the prepaid market in South Asia and the Middle East. The touchscreen handset, to be available in both 2.6-inch portrait QWERTY and 3.2-inch candybar form factors, comes loaded up with a surprising mix of last- and current-gen specs: 650Mhz single-core CPU running a skinned version of Gingerbread 2.3.5, support for dual-band HSPA+ (850 / 2100MHz) and quadband GSM, VGA front-facing / 3MP rear cameras, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi and NFC. Sure, it's not the most thrilling of forward-looking devices to surface this year, but priced at RM500 (that's about US$165), it's certainly more of a great deal than it is bargain bin entry. Hit up the source below for additional info on this low-hanging mobile fruit.
Windows Phone Marketplace now accepting app submissions for China, five other countries
It wasn't long ago that the Windows Phone Marketplace hit 50,000 unique titles, and very soon, developers may find themselves with a whole lot more exposure. Microsoft's virtual store is expanding once again -- this time to Argentina, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru and the Philippines. While it's not yet live in these countries, proactive developers may submit their apps now to benefit from early certification. Practically speaking, this also enables Microsoft to have its "shelves" fully stocked come opening day. So, unless you're an odd duck who doesn't like more money, the time seems ripe to get those apps submitted.
