First introduced at MWC 2013 alongside Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 720 as well as Nokia 105, the new Nokia 301 has just landed in Malaysia. In case you are somehow lost between many devices that Nokia has launched for the past five months, the 301 is a feature phone that includes a number of functionality that worth a mention such as the rather unique voice-guided self-shot mode for its 3.2-megapixels rear camera.

The 3.5G HSPA-enabled phone also includes panorama and sequential shot modes. Several data and social orriented such as Nokia Xpress Browser, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and eBuddy are also pre-loaded into Nokia 301.

Priced at RM 289, the new Nokia 301 has already arrived at retail stores in Klang Valley while consumers in other parts of Malaysia should be able to see it by the end of the week. To learn more about the device, head on to www.nokia.com.

Google tries very hard to get more users into its social platform, the Google+. At the on-going Google I/O, the internet search giant introduced quite a large number of new and cool features on its Google+ like better integration with other products such as Google Maps and Google+ Photos, as well as a new interface design. If you visit your Google+ page now, you will be greeted with a new design that features a multi-column layout, larger images as well as animations to make the site livelier. The new layout is applicable for both web and mobile, giving a familiar feel across a family of devices.

Another new feature in Google+ is the ability to automatic hashtag selected keywords, leaving out the clutter and making it easier for you to discover things of your interest. When you update your Google+, Google will tag whatever you write automatically and when you click on related hashtags, it will flip the card and let you browse related content.

Visit Google+ now to find out more.

From the first moment I was introduced to BlackBerry OS 10 at BlackBerry World 2012 in Orlando, I knew that there was something to it. The way BB10 just shed all preconceived notions about the previous “dated” BB7 OS was astounding. Fast forward to BlackBerry Jam Americas in San Jose – Still no news on the devices that will be showing the OS to the rest of the world. All we got were boxy Dev Alpha and Dev B units and teasers to how it may or may not look like. It was only on my flight back at the San Jose airport that I saw the news that Crackberry released about the leaked Z10 (Then the L series) and I knew that this would be BlackBerry’s glimmer in a sky of ominous looking stormclouds.

Some people may say that the Z10′s fight for relevance is BlackBerry desperately trying to toss everything off the lifeboat, whilst simultaneously blowing on their whistles and shooting every flare they have in hopes of keeping afloat and getting rescued. While I think that there is a little bit of truth to that, I don’t believe we have seen all of what BlackBerry has to offer. Question is, with the Z10, should they have gone all in, or is it a simple case of “too little, too late?”.

Review continues after the jump

Last month, Samsung was rumoured to be “worried” about increasing criticism on the Galaxy line’s build quality and design, especially after its biggest rivals, HTC produced arguably one of the best-looking Android smartphones in the market. The company was rumoured to be strongly considering a radical shift away from the design language first used in 2012′s Galaxy S III, and debut a metal chassis to go with a new design for the Galaxy Note III.

Unfortunately, it looks like somewhere along the way, ruthless business principles got in the way. SamMobile’s insider within the company has said that the company has dropped plans for the new design and chassis material, simply because they will result in longer production times, which will impact the delivery of the new device. Samsung is anticipating yet another record sales amount for the Galaxy Note III, and it appears the company is prepared to rehash the Galaxy S III design once more to avoid a HTC One-like shortage in stocks.

In addition, Samsung will once again out-spec the competition with the Note III. Like the Galaxy S4, the Note III is rumoured to have top-tier specs such as an Exynos Octa processo, 13MP rear camera and 2MP front facing module. The only difference so far? A larger 5.99-inch Full HD AMOLED screen and the S Pen support. The Galaxy Note III is expected to be announced in the second half of this year.

(Source: SamMobile)

It looks like high-end flagship smartphones isn’t the only thing Maxis added to its phone bundles, appearing in the list of devices the telco offers is the new Sony Xperia E that was announced just a couple of weeks ago. Maxis is offering the entry-level Android smartphone (single SIM version) from as low as RM0 when you sign up with a contract under the telco.

The Sony Xperia E is available in selected Maxis stores. Visit Maxis for more information.

Fast lenses have always been a desirable piece of kit in any photographers backpack. The capability to be able to take pictures at extremely low light without a flash, handholding the camera is a coveted one by many a photographer. If you were one of those who jumped on the Nikon 1 System when it was released a while back, you’re in luck! Nikon has released a fixed focal length 32mm (86mm full frame equivalent) f/1.2 lens for you to salivate over. This is most definitely  the fastest in the Nikon 1 Series family of lenses. This is also the first Nikon 1 Lens to use the Nano Crystal Coating that is found on many big brother lenses and has a Silent Wave Motor for quick and silent autofocus. With a lens this fast, it’s also got the M/A autofocus with manual override.

While people wanting to show off whose lens is faster can sit on their perch for a while, the question is would you actually shoot at f/1.2 or is an f/2.8 lens enough? With a crop so tight, I can’t help but feel that the f/1.2 is going to produce way too shallow depth of field to be usable, making the sharp parts so slim, it may actually look soft overall. I suppose for “bokeh whores” this lens would be the holy grail on the Nikon 1 Series but for the rest of us, I think something less tight and maybe a little slower would be perfect.

The Nikon 1 Series 32mm f/1.2 is available now. The retail price has yet to be announced

Finally, it looks Maxis has decided to start offering the HTC One with its phone bundle, quietly. Maxis has updated its Devices page with the flagship HTC smartphone, going off from as low as RM1,299 when you sign up for a contract with the telco. Available with a 12- or 24-months contract, you can opt to pick either a SurfMore plan or a TalkMore plan.

The HTC One phone bundle from Maxis is as follows:

You can purchase the HTC One at selected Maxis Centers (KLCC, Pavillion, Gardens, TTDI, Sunway, e-Curve Cheras, Danga Bay, Queensbay, Penang i-centre), or even at the telco’s online store. Visit Maxis for more information or find out more about HTC One in this link.

Still remember our interview with the first guy in the line for Diablo III’s Southeast Asia launch event in Singapore? Apparently, it has already been one year since Diablo III was released to the market. Time flies indeed.

To celebrate the occasion, Asiasoft – who handles Blizzard’s games in this region – is now offering the game at reduced price of RM 168 instead of the usual RM 218. Furthermore, each purchase comes together with a free SteelSeries Diablo III mousepad and the offer is valid until 30 May.

That being said, Asiasoft didn’t provide the list of participating retailers to us. Hence, you might want to contact your favourite retailers to see if this particular promo actually applies to them.