Just to recap, the phone has a 50MP Super Night Algorithm feature which combines numerous exposures to improve details and eliminate noise for shots taken under such conditions.

The algorithm also takes advantage of advanced computational photography techniques. This significantly enhances the camera’s performance and process photos accordingly in low-light scenarios.

The long shot of the famous Bonifacio High Street has the fountain’s stream of water frozen in the phone’s capture. Meanwhile, the familiar W building and the establishments in the background are illuminated.

The BGC Arts Center, on the other hand, allows travelers to go on a creative adventure. With the vivo Y36, taking shots are again made effortless.

Aside from the phone’s 50MP main camera, it also has a 2MP f/2.4 depth and 2MP f/2.4 macro. There’s also a 16MP wide selfie camera. The phone’s 256GB internal storage ensures that users can take as many shots as they can.

Interested in getting the vivo Y36? It’s priced at just PhP 12,999, available in Glitter Aqua and Meteor Black on vivo’s official website, Shopee, Lazada and TikTok, and physical stores nationwide.

This is a sponsored press release by vivo Philippines.

The post vivo Y36 BGC shoot: Super Night Algorithm at work appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections retells the entire story of the classic Ani-Manga franchise. It’ll tackle everything from Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto. A special story focused on Boruto has been created specifically for the game.

The game features over 130 characters — the most in an Ultimate Ninja Storm game. Announced alongside the release date are three new playable characters: Boro, Delta and Koji Kashin from the Kara Organisation.

Pre-order details

The game is now available for pre-order on PlayStation and Xbox digitally, and on all platforms physically except PC. Players will be able to choose different editions. Pre-order now on Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia’s e-store or visit any participating retailers in your country.

Package Early Purchase Bonus & Digital Pre-Order Bonus

All pre-orders of Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections will give players access to the following bonus content:

Three (3) Costumes

• Naruto Uzumaki (The Final Battle)
• Naruto Uzumaki (TV Anime 20th Anniversary Costume)
• Sasuke Uchiha (TV Anime 20th Anniversary Costume)

Receive an extra pre-order bonus item set which you can use in NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER if you own this full game on top of Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections.

• Nanashi T-shirt
• Merz Costume — Costume: Merz Style and Hair: Merz

These bonuses will be available in NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER after 16 November 2023.

Standard, Deluxe & Sound Ultimate Edition

The contents for the Standard, Deluxe and Sound Ultimate Edition of the game are as follows:

Standard Edition

The main game, NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS

Deluxe Edition

• The main game
• Season Pass containing 5 playable characters that will be announced at a later date
• Season Pass Bonus — 1 costume
• Deluxe Bonus — 1 costume

Sound Ultimate Edition

• Contains the same content as the Deluxe Edition
• Ultimate Bonus — 5 costumes and 2 accessories
• Nostalgic Anime Song & Item Pack — 5 anime songs and 3 in-game items

Premium Collector’s Edition

• The main game
• Two (2) Figurines
• A Steelbook
• Special Reversible Inlay
• (Six) 6 Collectible Cards
• (One) 1 Official Scroll
• Season Pass containing 5 playable characters that will be announced at a later date
• Season Pass Bonus — 1 costume
• Deluxe Bonus — 1 costume
• Ultimate Bonus — 5 costumes and 2 accessories

Additional DLC

Nostalgic Anime Song & Item Pack (available from launch)

With this pack, you’ll be able to change the in-game music during matches and enjoy the battle by listening to nostalgic Naruto songs. This pack comes with 5 iconic songs from the NARUTO anime and 3 in-game items.

NARUTO anime songs:

• Haruka Kanata / ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
• GO!!! / FLOW
• Blue Bird / Ikimonogakari
• Silhouette / KANA-BOON
• Kaze / Yamazaru

In-game items:

• Substitution Item: Microphone
• Substitution Item: Orange Headphones
• Ninja Info Card Skin: Nostalgic Anime Song Skin

The post Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections release date appeared first on GadgetMatch.

For years, Caviar has been known for creating luxurious versions of popular smartphones. Sometimes, the company does tie-ins with popular franchises of the time. The brand is also notorious for selling its products for way higher than the usual price of an unmodified smartphone.

The latest #Barbiecore collection is no different. However, it is iconic of what a Barbie fan might expect from such a model. The collection will include five difference devices: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5, the Galaxy Z Flip5, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the Apple Watch 9.

The Galaxy Z series will come with a golden rear panel outfitted with a small pink pom-pom made of faux fur. The rear panel, engraved with Barbie-themed graphics, will also come with 49 rubies.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 series will come with pink alligator skin for its rear panel. Outside of the stylized panel, the series is covered in 24K gold all over. Plus, the cameras are surrounded by 61 Swarovski crystals.

Finally, the Apple Watch 9 is covered in Rose Gold PVD coating. The pink rubber strap is less spectacular, but it does complement the theme and the attractiveness of the watch.

As always, all devices in the collection cost quite a lot. The Galaxy Z series will start at US$ 8,560. The iPhone 15 series starts at US$ 7,990. Finally, the Watch 9 costs US$ 1,900.

SEE ALSO: Galaxy Z Flip5: Samsung finally FIXED IT!

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After a brief break from the series, Samsung is reportedly resurrecting Fan Editions. The company already spoiled that the Galaxy S23 FE is likely launching later this year. Additionally, Samsung France made no qualms about revealing the existence of a Galaxy Tab S9 FE and FE+.

Now, the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold are the next devices to get an FE-themed rub. According to @Tech_Reve on X, a Galaxy Z Flip6 FE and a Galaxy Z Fold6 FE are coming as early as next year. As the Fan Editions are known for, the rumored devices will likely knock the price points of the foldable series down a notch. By how much is still a mystery, though.

Regardless, a Fan Edition for the foldable devices is still a big bump for the market. Despite the abundance of foldable devices in the market today, Samsung is still feasting atop the industry. Adding a competitively priced foldable will hopefully bring the segment down to manageable prices.

SEE ALSO: Samsung accidentally reveals that a Galaxy Tab S9 FE is coming

The post Samsung is reportedly testing a Galaxy Z FE appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Today, Nintendo, through a post on X, confirmed that Martinet is stepping back from all recording roles at the company. The voice actor had voiced the character since Super Mario 64, the character’s debut in 3D. He has since provided voice work in all games where Mario has a voice. He also voiced Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. Outside of Nintendo, players might recognize him as the voice of Paarthunax, the dragon in Skyrim.

After the announcement, Martinet’s last foray as the plumber in a video game might be in the upcoming title, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Nintendo recently announced the new 2D platformer coming in November.

Martinet is not leaving the company entirely. He is now Nintendo’s official Mario Ambassador. As the voice actor already does now, he will likely pop up for Nintendo during themed events.

Nintendo has not announced who will replace Martinet as the voice of Mario going forward. However, the announcement does say that a video message from both Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles Martinet is coming at a later date. Presumably, the video will address the character’s voiced future.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Direct June 2023: All the trailers you missed

The post The voice of Mario is retiring from the character appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As spotted by Tom Coates on the platform, images from before December 2014 disappeared from the site. Likewise, links from the same period are also broken and lead nowhere. Among those that disappeared, one of the most notorious losses was a photo taken by Ellen DeGeneres at the Oscars — a tweet that garnered an enormous amount of retweets at the time.

X has not publicly commented on the supposed glitch. However, after the deletion was noticed, the platform restored the iconic Ellen DeGeneres photo to its full glory. It’s not a complete restoration, though. A lot of content are still missing.

The single photo’s restoration suggests that the content wasn’t outright deleted but rather misplaced. As some have pointed out, a few instances are still directly available from the servers. Users have also speculated that the glitch was intentionally done to free up valuable server space.

Regardless, the glitch — intentional or accidental — opens up an important issue on how the world can archive content on social media platforms. Despite how inane our conversations can be from day to day, losing a section of social media also means losing entire swaths of public discourse to the ether.

SEE ALSO: Twitter is rebranding to 𝕏

The post X glitch misplaces most photos from 2014 and beyond appeared first on GadgetMatch.

It doesn’t take a lot to look at what’s going on. Some are still reeling from the abrupt end to the unfinished Synderverse. Meanwhile, some are steadily buying into the Gunn and Safran era.

That makes the timing for Blue Beetle quite impeccable. Although this film has been under development since 2018, the movie which stars Cobra Kai protagonist Xolo Maridueña, couldn’t have been released at a better time.

While everyone else sorts things out, here’s an enjoyable buffer with lots to unpack. Besides, what else can be done and enjoyed at this time, right? 

Premise and parallels

Here’s the thing: Blue Beetle has quite the generic superhero movie premise. A random person is either given a superpower or discovers it accidentally, turning themselves into the story’s superhero.

We’ve seen this a lot of times before in at least the last decade alone. It’s important to approach this movie by setting that expectation aside. You will surely see a lot of scenes in the movie that will make you think about either Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Shazam, and even Iron Man.

Entertaining at its core

The movie is set in the fictional city of Palmera, which loosely represents El Paso, Texas in the comics. Jaime Reyes, who later on assumes the titular superhero role, is part of a Latino family struggling with finances. He has just graduated from college and is seeking a job to become the family’s breadwinner.

It’s hard not to laugh at the multiple family culture references dispersed throughout the film. Notably, Filipinos should easily relate to them. There’s Jaime’s funny uncle that everyone has; there’s the telenovelas and superstitions, as well as the tight-knit bond expected of families of our heritage. 

For an even more local touch, the voice of Philippine Airlines herself, Inka Magnaye, took on the role of Khaji-Da. She had two lines in Filipino, giving us a little something to be proud of.

Back to its premise

The story, of course, takes a turn for the unusual when Reyes crosses paths with Jenny Kord. She is the daughter of the deceased Ted Kord the former Blue Beetle. Since Ted’s passing, Kord Industries has been run by his sister, Victoria, has become obsessed with the Scarab to develop advanced armor suits capable of defending the world.

Sounds familiar? Yup, that’s exactly the Darren Cross, Pym Technologies, the Yellowjacket, and the first Ant-Man film narrative all over again.

Victoria would harness the power of the Scarab, but her niece Jenny is reluctant and conscientious enough towards it, like Hope Van Dyne was towards Cross. Jenny would have other plans. In a once-in-a-lifetime coincidence, Jenny sneaks the Scarab out of the Kord Industries facility using Jaime’s help.

That’s when Jaime gets chosen by the apparently sentient Scarab to be its host. Its powers are activated in the process and turns the protagonist into the superhero he never planned on being. That said…

Wow, that superhero is powerful

As generic as some of the parts of the film is, obviously, Blue Beetle is a superhero origin and introduction story. Casual moviegoers definitely do not know much about this protagonist in-depth. So yes, this was a banger way to introduce him into the DCEU.

Unlike Spider-Man or Iron Man whose suits are powered by advanced tech and a talking AI, the Scarab basically merged with Reyes’ body as they became symbiotic. The Khaji Da has sworn to protect its host ‘til death, but towards the latter parts of the film, Reyes realizes he is one with the Scarab so he can control his powers.

The final battle

This proved to be vital in his last battle against the Cyborg OMAC (One Man Army Corps). This is Victoria’s half man, half machine guinea pig who bore the weight of Victoria’s experiments. The OMAC was supposed to replicate the Scarab and its host merging, and boy was he overwhelming at first.

Victoria’s greed leads to her destroying the Reyes family home and the subsequent death of Jaime’s father. Jaime gets caught in the process so Victoria could harness the Scarab’s power inside him. In spite of the devastating loss, Jaime’s entire family, with the help of Jenny, rally around him.

Jenny reveals his deceased father’s secret base underneath their abandoned home, and they team up to raid the Victoria-ran Kord Industries’ location to free Jaime, quash Victoria’s evil plans, and wipe away all of their prototypes.

That puts Jaime in the final battle against OMAC whom he is able to defeat, thanks to his synergy with Khaji Da. In the end, his human side shows, deciding not to kill OMAC whose backstory was also revealed with the help of Khaji Da being sentient. Instead, OMAC decides to take Victoria with him as his suit was already too powerful to stop exploding.

Again, given the generic premise, I thought it was a pretty decent story development for both the good-versus-evil angle and everything else outside of it.

Execution matters in a movie like this, and they were all able to balance the human aspect, the action-packed scenes, and the superhero premise in the end.

Exciting times for DCEU?

In the mid-credits scene, it was revealed that Ted Kord was still alive. He is trying to make a distress call to his secret headquarters in their supposedly abandoned home. This teases the possibility of another Blue Beetle film. In the comics, Kord is the second Blue Beetle, while Reyes is the third.

As the planned comics series for Blue Beetle also features him and Superman together, it’s safe to say that he will likely be incorporated in the DCEU and perhaps even play a major role in the next Justice League or appear in future movies for continuity.

It wouldn’t be surprising given the superhero’s capabilities. Like what Khaji Da said: “Whatever you can imagine, I can create.” Blue Beetle is a superhero most of us didn’t even know about growing up and yet here we are, given one that’s full of power and potential. It’s all a matter of execution once more for the next chapters of the DCEU.

Hopefully, that’s something we can look forward to enjoying.

Watch the final trailer.

The post Blue Beetle is too familiar but still enjoyable appeared first on GadgetMatch.

TP-Link eyes to better serve and connect to the Philippine market. They plan to do so by bringing their range of connectivity, smart home, and surveillance products directly to Filipinos.

The grand opening was attended by customers, media representatives, and tech enthusiasts. It’s a telltale sign of a bright path for the networking brand. It was packed with lots of promos and fun activities

Delving more into details, TP-Link’s first ever local store has a variety of products readily available as of typing. From their high-performance WiFi mesh systems to their smart home products such as robot vacuum and mop, smart bulbs, smart plugs, and even to their surveillance cameras – both for homes and businesses, can be purchased readily at the store. Moreover, customers can also find products from TP-Link’s sub-brands, Tapo and VIGI.

Faster and wider connection

TP-Link’s Archer AX11000, designed to handle demanding gaming connectivity. It is a paragon of a powerful Wi-Fi system offering speedy and consistently reliable performance to your whole home. It leaves no room for dead spots. Meanwhile, Deco X95 is a high-performance mesh system that delivers faster speeds, improved capacity, and reduced network congestion. There are also other routers to go for if for your other needs and you can check them out yourself in their store or visit their website.

Security and safety at its finest

Zooming in on home security, the Tapo 325WB offers HD video surveillance with 1080p resolution and advanced night vision capabilities. This makes it a versatile and feature-rich security system. There also lies Tapo C225 that packs a handful of useful features. These are Physical Privacy Mode, Smart AI Detection and Notification, Smart Motion and Tracking, and many more! 

On the other hand, consumers may also take their business security to a new and more advanced level with the VIGI C540-W powerful outdoor pan tilt network camera, providing 4MP full-color surveillance to cover every corner flexibly.

Smart Home

Furthermore, TP-Link also offers a variety of products that will make your daily living more convenient and smarter. For one, the Tapo L530E is a smart Wi-Fi light bulb that lets you customize its brightness, light temperature, and colors–with 16,000,000 hues to choose from. All of which can be done within your fingertips!

That’s not all, there are also other amazing smart home products such as TP-Link’s Robot Vacuum & Mop, Smart plugs, and more.

The future of TP-Link in The Philippines

With a resoundingly positive reception from both customers and media, TP-Link is brimming with excitement and unwavering confidence in the boundless potential of its brand within the Filipino market. The remarkable enthusiasm and visible support exhibited by Filipino consumers during its opening last Friday is a great start for the networking solutions pioneer.

As for future branches, TP-Link says that while there are no set details about expanding to other locations, it’s definitely well-considered and is included in their future plans. As of now, TP-Link is focused on providing exceptional products and customer service.

And oh, watch out because promos are definitely coming!

The post TP-Link unveils first Philippine store appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 tips off on August 25. It offers hoops fans the ultimate experience to see the sport’s best global stars.

No less than Gilas Pilipinas will do its best to represent the Philippines proudly at home. Hundreds of thousands are expected to watch the prestigious event in-person from August 25 to September 10.

For those who do not have the luxury of attending live, there are still various ways to watch the World Cup. You can use whatever device from wherever location you’re from.

Here’s a quick rundown:

TV

For Cignal TV prepaid and postpaid subscribers, a one-time Pay-Per-View fee of PhP 650 entitles viewers to all 92 games of the FIBA World Cup in both SD (Ch. 198 and 199) and HD (Ch. 298 and 299).

They will come commercial-free and with access to exclusive FIBA content such as documentaries and highlights of previous tournaments.

For people mainly interested in Gilas Pilipinas games, TV5 is the surefire way to catch the action. The channel is accessible for free via CignalPlay and via any way you access free TV, like digiboxes.

Smartphones, tablets

For smartphone and tablet users, there are a handful of streaming apps that will show the World Cup games live and on demand.

Cignal’s novel streaming platform, Pilipinas Live will show all 92 games for a PhP 99 a month subscription.

Unlike cable subscriptions, this rate does not have a lock-in period. A month would be enough since the World Cup runs from August 25 to September 10. You can cancel afterwards.

Games will also be shown on the Smart Livestream app for FREE. To watch all 92 games, Smart subscribers simply have to connect to a Smart mobile data, TNT or PLDT WiFi while using the Smart LiveStream App. The app is downloadable on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Speaking of Gilas, Smart has a prepaid Gilas Power subscription promo which is inclusive of 78GB of total data, including a fixed allocation for the Livestream app and open access data good for a month.

More details here.

PC and laptops

For PC and laptop users, the best workaround is availing of CignalPlay Premium, which starts at just PhP 75 monthly, inclusive of most channels you’re used to seeing on cable TV from movies to sports to news channels and more.

The post How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As reported by 9to5Mac, the transition to USB-C will come with an increase in charging speeds. With the transition to USB-C, the iPhone 15 can charge with up to 35W of wired charging. It’s a considerable jump since the current models can only support 27W of wired charging.

Since the capacity of the battery is still an unknown, it’s hard to tell how fast the device will charge. It will still be a big improvement, though.

The upcoming slate of changes won’t be a surprise. Recently, the European Union declared that all device makers selling in the region must transition to USB-C if they haven’t already. The transition will make sure that devices will remain friendly for consumers regardless of which brand they choose.

Unfortunately, Apple might still find a way to make sure users keep using their own branded accessories. A previous rumor hinted that Apple might throttle performance on the iPhone 15 if it detects that it’s connected to a third-party cable.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 15 series might not get any leather cases

The post iPhone 15 will have faster charging speeds appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Again coming from Windows Report, the Legion Go can reportedly come bundled with a pair of AR glasses to go along with gaming sessions. Players can wear the glasses for their display and control the action with the main console. The report, however, does not reveal what specs the glasses will have. If anything, it’s expected to have a high refresh rate to accommodate gaming.

After news of a bundled pair of AR glasses, there isn’t much more to reveal from the report. Given previous rumors, the device might come with AMD Phoenix chipsets under the hood, along with other goodies.

Additionally, it might not take long before an official reveal. The report states that Lenovo might debut the new console during IFA 2023, which will happen in a few weeks. During the event, the brand might also reveal how the bundled glasses will work.

Given how the market doesn’t have removable controllers or a bundled pair of glasses, it will be interesting to see how the Legion Go will pair up against the more notable consoles already out in the segment.

SEE ALSO: Lenovo’s Legion Go leaked in first images

The post Lenovo’s Legion Go can come bundled with AR glasses, leak says appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As expected, the upcoming sequel will continue where the previous game left off. Captain Price and Task Force 141 are now going against Vladmir Makarov, a constant antagonist in the long-running series.

Modern Warfare III will also introduce more player control for missions. The new Open Combat Missions will allow players to choose loadouts and playstyles before starting. Players can choose between stealthier playstyles and more gung-ho ones.

To celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the franchise, the next game’s multiplayer will feature a lot of classic maps from the past. Most especially, all 16 maps from the original Modern Warfare 2 from 2009 will be modernized for the new engine. Classic gameplay elements are also returning such as Map Voting and a classic mini-map.

The iconic Zombies mode is returning this year, too. However, the new title will feature the largest map ever. For the first time, multiple squads can team up to fight against endless hordes of zombies.

Activision Blizzard is expected to share more details before the game’s launch. However, pre-orders are now available if you want to grab the game early.

SEE ALSO: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Hands-On: Old fan meets new game

The post Modern Warfare III gets first gameplay trailer appeared first on GadgetMatch.

A 2023 CES Innovation Award winner, the ViewFinity S9 provides top-notch visuals and lifelike colors, and versatile connectivity when needed.

Here are the display’s specs in a nutshell:

• 27-inch screen with 5,120 x 2,880 resolution
• 99% DCI-P3 coverage
• 600cd/m2 brightness for any lighting environment
• Delta E <21 color accuracy
• TUV-certified Intelligent Eye Care

The ViewFinity S9’s display is 50% larger than most UHD monitors and provides exceptional clarity so professionals can work on ultra high-resolution content with accuracy.

The monitor comes with a smart calibration feature that allows users to make adjustments straight from a smartphone.

Mac and Windows PC users also benefit from the ViewFinity S9’s easy connectivity features. It has an assortment of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 and mini DisplayPort inputs in addition to USB-C.

The device is also equipped with a 4K SlimFit camera so it can be utilized for video-conferencing calls; it connects wirelessly so users won’t have to worry about extra wires or cables.

Pricing, availability, preorders

Preorders for the ViewFinity S9 is now open until August 27 before it retails with general availability the next day starting at SG$ 2,288.

Customers who preorder will get a complimentary portable SSD T7 Shield 4T in black worth SG$ 488.

The post Samsung Singapore launches ViewFinity S9 5K monitor appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Customers can get up to SG$ 388 off on selected 4K TVs, as well as a free Sound Bar worth SG$ 726.

For the Grand Top Refrigerator, buyers can get a SG$ 400 upsize for their selected capacity. The Side by Side series fridges, meanwhile, get up to a SG$ 417 off discount.

Purifiers also come with a Buy 1 Take 1 promo for SG$ 302 and SG$ 806, respectively.

Lastly, Sharp’s washers and dryers get up to a SG$ 150 off price cut, plus a complimentary Premium or Universal Stacking Kit.

To enjoy the offers, customers can visit Sharp’s official online stores on Shopee, Lazada, and Qoo10, and its authorized retailers.

The post Sharp Singapore sale: B1T1, free upsize, exclusive promos appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The PS5 is priced at PhP 27,990 from its original price of PhP 30,790 throughout the promo period, which starts on Friday, August 18.

Of course, the gaming experience wouldn’t be possible without some titles. Here are a number of blockbuster games selling for less:

• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS4): PhP 1,990
• Marvel’s Spider-man Miles Morales (PS5): PhP 1,990
• God of War Ragnarök (PS5): PhP 2,490
• God of War PlayStation Hits (PS4): PhP 2,490
• Horizon Forbidden West (PS5): PhP 550

Lastly, PULSE 3D gaming headsets also get a discounted offer at PhP 4,990 to partner with your newly-bought PS5.

You can choose from the Wireless Headset, Midnight Black Wireless, and Gray Camouflage Wireless variants.

2023 has been a fantastic year for PS5 so far, with plenty of games including recently-released titles Hogwarts Legacy and Final Fantasy XVI, as well as PlayStation VR 2 hits Horizon Call of the Mountain, Gran Turismo 7, and Resident Evil Village.

Next in line are Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and NBA 2K24.

The post PS5 gets discount until end of August appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Today, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg officially announced a new feature coming to WhatsApp. Starting now, the messaging platform is rolling out an update to enable HD image sharing.

According to WABetaInfo, the feature will bump up image quality to 4096 x 2692 resolution. Now, an upper limit naturally implies that there’s still compression going on, especially for photos taken at much higher resolutions. WhatsApp has not explained how compression will work under the new HD feature. However, it’s still a good improvement.

Alternatively, if users don’t want to handle the increase in storage or bandwidth use, they can continue to send images in standard quality. The option, once the app is updated, can be accessed by an HD icon when sending images.

Besides image sharing, WhatsApp is also working on adding HD sharing for videos. However, Zuckerberg did not share a timeframe for the improved version of the feature. The update should be rolling out now for WhatsApp users.

SEE ALSO: WhatsApp is working on 32-people voice chats

The post WhatsApp now lets users share photos in HD appeared first on GadgetMatch.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple is not planning to make leather cases for the next generation of iPhones. Other leakers, especially on X, have confirmed the same.

While it seems like a small piece of news, Apple usually likes leather to go along with its devices. It’s unclear why Apple might have decided against the material this year. If anything, users might have to rely on other manufacturers to make leather cases for their iPhone 15 models later this year.

There is some expectation that the upcoming iPhone 15 series will be interesting, to say the least. After all, the European Union is finally ordering smartphone companies to all use USB-C going forward. It’s expected that the first iPhone to use USB-C will drop this year. Whether the transition is directly related to the lack of leather cases remains to be seen. It’s a very small possibility that Apple is dedicating more of its resources on the transition, rather than on accessories.

SEE ALSO: USB-C ports for iPhone 15 were supposedly leaked

The post iPhone 15 series might not get any leather cases appeared first on GadgetMatch.

This set of images comes from Windows Report. As with other new devices in the segment, there’s a lot to unpack from the leaks.

First of all, the Legion Go is remarkably thick. The main 8-inch screen hints at hefty power hidden underneath, especially emphasized by a grid of vents for the heat. Likewise, the controllers themselves are a handful.

Speaking of the controllers, the Legion Go looks like it has something that its contemporaries do not have — removable controllers. So far, among the top players, only the Nintendo Switch has removable Joy-Cons. Since the Legion Go is likely focusing on modern PC games, it’s interesting to see what its removable controllers will be good for.

Image source: Windows Report

The renders also depict a kickstand at the back, much like the Nintendo Switch. One reason for detachable controllers might be for more stable gaming on the go.

In terms of layout, the Legion Go’s controllers will look similar to the Steam Deck, especially because of the trackpad on the right side. However, an interesting addition is an apparent wheel behind the right controller.

Now, it’s hard to tell what the hardware might be, just from looking at the renders. However, rumors indicate that it will have AMD Phoenix under the hood. It will also run on Windows 11.

Lenovo has not officially announced the device yet, so it’s hard to tell when the Legion Go will finally launch.

SEE ALSO: Lenovo is working on a Steam Deck competitor

The post Lenovo’s Legion Go leaked in first images appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The special package box from the sunglasses company consists of the following:

• Gentle Tokki tinted glasses
• Detachable D.Va figure
• Overwatch 2 Season 5 free redemption code
• In-game D.Va limited-edition gaming skin

The exclusive eyewear reinvents D.Va’s signature headgear with Gentle Monster’s distinct style. The product will be available in two colors, as well as a soft case with elements from Tokki’s mechanical structure. 

The redemption code may be used to purchase extra in-game items and D.Va skins. The Gentle Tokki skin will be available for a limited period on Overwatch 2, beginning on August 17.

The Gentle Tokki package will be exclusively gifted to lucky winners selected through an online draw.

To join, users may choose between participating in the Instagram “D.Va Challenge” or upload a photo or video taken with a D.Va filter to their accounts plus the event hashtags.

The post How to get Gentle Monsters x Overwatch 2: Invasion exclusive eyewear appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The simultaneous festivity is expected to gather about 5,000 passionate photo and video enthusiasts who shall explore various areas which are set up to celebrate their love for photography and videography.

Participants also get the chance to win coveted items such as the new X-S20 camera (body only), the XF8mm lens, and the GFX50SII 35-70mm Kit medium format camera.

In fact, there are over PhP 700,000 worth of prizes and products to be given away, as Fujifilm has also partnered with several brands.

Here is the official list of locations included in the largest gathering of camera users:

• Baguio
• Agoo, La Union
• Lingayen, Pangasinan
• Dagupan, Pangasinan
• Tarlac
• Bulacan
• Angeles, Pampanga
• Quezon City
• Manila
• BGC, Taguig
• Alabang, Muntinlupa
• Angono, Rizal
• Binangonan, Rizal
• Cavite
• Calamba, Laguna
• Batangas
• Naga, Bicol
• Legazpi, Bicol
• Puerto Princesa, Palawan
• Iloilo
• Cebu
• Bacolod/Silay
• Dumaguete
• Cagayan de Oro
• Davao
• Zamboanga
• Zamboanga Sibugay
• Koronodal, South Cotabato
• General Santos

The post Fujifilm Nationwide Photo and Video Walk 2023: List of all locations appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Power in a compact package

The Cubi 5 and Cubi N offer remarkable power in just compact packages; they are equipped with up to the latest Intel Core i7 processors.

Particularly, the Cubi 5 boasts an extensive range of connectivity options such as Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort.

The series also features Dual Ethernet ports (separate internet and intranet) to improve network security. It comes with a reliable backup to be activated if one port fails.

The Cubi series’ design also allows the devices’ memory and storage to be easily upgradeable.

Astonishingly powerful, surprisingly small

Meanwhile, the PRO DP10 and PRO DP21 come in compact designs with support for maximized productivity and efficiency.

They come with an exclusive MSI Cloud Center software, a wide range of ports for up to four displays on the PRO DP10, and up to eight USB ports on the PRO DP21.

Enhanced security

Lastly, MSI’s Mini PC product line comes with a top-notch security design, featuring TPM 2.0, Kensington Lock, VESA mountable design, and MSI Cloud Center.

The MSI Cloud Center enables secure data transfer between MSI’s Mini PCs and smartphones. It then creates a backup of all photos and videos to a storage location of the user’s choice.

The Cloud Center also ensures files will not be shared on any other servers.

The post MSI releases Mini PCs Cubi and PRO DP series appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Yesterday, Steam adjusted its minimum price threshold for stores using other currencies. Technically, the threshold remains the same. Publishers cannot sell content — full game or DLC — below US$ 0.99. The platform, however, is now enforcing the limit on currencies outside of the American dollar. Countries outside of the United States can no longer have content that costs below the equivalent of US$ 0.99 in their currency.

Additionally, the platform is also enforcing the same limits on discounts. Currently, content priced at US$ 0.99 can still get discounts of up to 50 percent off. Meaning, the lowest possible discounted price is around US$ 0.49. Other countries must now follow suit.

Now, the countries themselves won’t be the ones enforcing the rule. However, Steam might now start hiding content below the threshold in those countries. Customers in affected countries won’t be able to purchase content that hasn’t been adjusted to fit the bill.

The new pricing scheme won’t affect a lot of titles on the platform. A moderately priced title will still continue as is. However, incredibly cheap indie titles and DLCs might get a price bump

SEE ALSO: Steam has revamped its design

The post Some Steam games might cost more in non-US countries appeared first on GadgetMatch.

As expected, Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim will mix the visual style of the graphic novel series and the voice cast of the live-action film. Since series creator Bryan Lee O’Malley is heavily involved in the series, it will retain a lot of the creator’s style including the gaming-themed visuals. The original film’s cast is also back to reprise their respective roles. This includes Michael Cera as the titular character, as well as Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Evans.

The trailer starts off with Alison Pill’s familiar “We are Sex Bob-omb.” It then offers sneak peeks at several characters in the series including Ramona Flowers, Matthew Patel, Lucas Lee, and Gideon Graves. No one scene is under the spotlight, but you can clearly see Patel busting into a concert and Lucas Lee skateboarding in the park.

Besides O’Malley and the original cast, director Edgar Wright is also coming back. Meanwhile, Science Saru is at the helm for the animation.

Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim will start airing on November 17.

SEE ALSO: Netflix will revive Scott Pilgrim as an anime

The post Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim gets its first trailer appeared first on GadgetMatch.

You’ll see traces of horror films that inspired Chainsaw Man in the entire collection. Fans can now join the priority list to be one of the first to get their hands on the many cases and accessories when it officially drops on August 22.

Chainsaw Man features Denji, an impoverished orphan who inherited the debt of his father. He finds work as a Devil hunter. Denki does his hunting with the help of a Devil Dog with a chainsaw on its face named Pochita.

Animated by Studio Mappa (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen), this animé doesn’t hold back on blood and gore. Not to mention some really more adult themes. It’s definitely not for kids.

POCHITA is the star

Pochita, the adorable demon chainsaw doggo that series protagonist Denji merges with is the star of the collection. Made of silicon material, the Pochita Collectible Airpods Pro/Pro2 Case will be available in limited quantity.

Even if you don’t have AirPods, you can still try to snag one as it also works as a decorative piece.

Hold Makima… sort of

If, like Denji, you have the hots for Makima, now’s your chance to sort of hold the Public Safety Special Division 4 Chief. She, along with Denji, Power, Aki, and Kobeni are the featured characters in the cases.

The collection includes tech accessories from Airpods cases to MagSafe wallets and lifestyle items such as water bottles. Here’s a quick look.

Download the CASETiFY Co-Lab app to get fresh updates on drops like this Chainsaw Man collection. App users can save their payment information, shipping details and device type. This makes the shopping experience as smooth as possible.

The post Chainsaw Man is the next CASETiFY anime collection appeared first on GadgetMatch.

But who says you can’t have fun with the Fold? 

While Michael Josh rocked the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, I had the pleasure of taking the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 around Seoul. 

Great for Reels 

One thing I really enjoyed using the Galaxy Z Fold5 for is shooting and editing Reels/Shorts/TikToks. I’ll just call it reels from here on out. 

Its long and narrow form-factor when folded lends itself nicely for taking vertical videos. I said the same thing for the Galazy Z Fold4 a year ago. It’s even better now that the hinge closes the Fold fully. 

It also helped that I was in Seoul for the first time ever and enjoyed my time in the city. This first reel was primarily taken while I was with the Philippine media team dining and roaming around. 

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A post shared by rodneil (@rodneil)

I typically don’t enjoy the experience of editing videos on a smartphone. But that wasn’t the case with the Galaxy Z Fold5 because I had a larger screen to work with. I fired up CapCut and edited a minute-long clip for about 30 minutes while replying to chats and doom scrolling in between. 

I did the same thing when my friend and former work colleague took me to the Spotify x NewJeans pop-up event. 

It was quite a bit of a wait to get in so we decided to grab something to eat first. Fortunately, we were close to Ikseon-Dong which is quite a “hip” spot in Seoul. There were plenty of cafe’s, shops for trinkets, photobooths, and many more. 

We were having our fill of dessert when we realized we had to dash to the pop-up event. Thankfully, we made it in time and went through the pop-up without being super shy. 

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A post shared by rodneil (@rodneil)

Seoul snaps

The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold5 are unchanged, hardware-wise, from its predecessor:

• 50MP Wide-angle Camera Dual Pixel AF, OIS, f/1.8
• 10MP Telephoto Camera PDAF, f/2.4
• 12MP Ultra Wide Camera f/2.2

In terms of the photos produced, it’s your typical Samsung color science which tends to have high contrast and sharpness. More than anything, the images that come out are usually social media ready. 

Sharing some of the ones I took in Seoul: 

Food 

This lunch at Moonts somewhere in Seongdong-gu was nothing short of a feast.

This was somewhere in Myeong-dong. We had Chicken and Beer without the Beer.

I ate at Goobne pizza because of LE SSERAFIM.

Streets and sights 

I roamed around Gangnam, Seongdong-gu, Jong-no, and Myeong-dong with media colleagues and friends.

In Seongdong-gu, Samsung prepared a few spots where people can check out the new foldables.

A few more shots of various streets in Seoul.

Bright night scenes

Some parts of Seoul can be really stunning at night.

Hongdae was buzzing.

People 

I didn’t have a lot of chances to take portrait photos. But these candid-ish shots from the lovely people I hung out with have a general feel-good vibe.

Rush lunch at a convenience store, channeling the K-Pop trainee energy lol.

Might be the only selfie, using the actual selfie cam, I took.

K-Pop adjacent things 

As a K-Pop enjoyer, I naturally had to take snaps of the ads around the city featuring some of my faves.

The BT21 x NewJeans store. Actual merch weren’t available yet when I took this photo.

One of my other main girls outside of Momo. Spotted a Kim Chaewon ad and had to take a snap.

IVE was practically everywhere.

Beyond just more screen real estate

Outside of video and photo-taking things, I really enjoyed the large screen on the Galaxy Z Fold5. And it goes beyond giving your more screen real estate. 

Some apps like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook now adapt their layout to the screen’s orientation. Instead of just being a blown-up version of the smartphone, certain UI elements now take advantage of the extra display space. The navigation buttons on Facebook are flushed to the right. The comments section on TikTok appear on the right hand side with the video still in full view. This is in contrast to other foldables without this kind of software integration which completely obscures the video. 

Do not touch Momo

Speaking of video watching, it’s such a joy on the large screen. Most of the time you really don’t see crease in the middle, especially if you’re holding it straight up. The crease only appears if you view it from certain tilted angles. I brought a tablet with me as in flight entertainment heading into South Korea. But on the flight back, I relied only the Galaxy Z Fold5 for that purpose and the screen space didn’t leave me wanting. 

Work mode

Work doesn’t necessarily spark joy for most people. But completing tasks on the Galaxy Z Fold5 has been quite enjoyable for me. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve been using a tablet as sort of my more-mobile-and-compact laptop alternative. However, since I got my hands on the Galaxy Z Fold5, I’ve found myself not needing the tablet as much. 

I handle plenty of correspondence both internally and externally. This ranges from emails, text messages, and various chat apps. I find handling these on the Galaxy Z Fold5 better than on a generally larger tablet. 

Additionally, I’m also able to copy edit articles on-the-go with the Fold in hand. And in certain occassions, I even do some writing myself. In fact, parts of this review were written using the Galaxy Z Fold5. 

Narrow screen, general thickness 

My personal gripes with the Galaxy Z Fold5 generally align with most criticisms about it. Despite the improved hinge, it still feels pretty thick. And that narrow screen is pretty tough to use for regular phone browsing. 

Samsung really needs to rethink the folded form factor. If it can improve on that, then they can have a firmer hold on the book-style foldable market. Outside of being easy to hold for photo and video taking, there’s no real advantage to the narrow cover screen.

As it stands, I find the OPPO Find N2 and the Huawei Mate X3 to be superior book-style designs. Hopefully, Samsung improves this aspect on the Galaxy Z Fold6. 

Join the Fold side? 

There’s been more excitement around the Flip than the Fold. The Galaxy Z Flip5 truly is the more mainstream foldable and might just be more appealing to a larger group of people. 

General usage is fine, media consumption is great, and the battery life is par for the course. On my truly heavy usage days – which include taking photos and videos — it held out for about 12 hours before it prompted me to juice up.

However, if you enjoy and believe would benefit from a larger screen real estate, the Galaxy Z Fold5 is the clear choice. Samsung might have maxxed out what it can do for this particular form factor. If you’re jumping in just now or are upgrading from the Fold1 or Fold2, then the Galaxy Z Fold5 should be an acquisition worthy of your hard-earned money.

The post Taking the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 around Seoul appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Via UploadVR, a few leaked images from a Chinese outlet have reportedly spoiled what Samsung’s upcoming headset will look like. According to the leaks, the unnamed headset doesn’t look that different from the standard fare of headsets available today.

Much like the Meta Quest series, Samsung will use four tracking cameras — one on each corner of the headset. However, setting itself apart from current standards, the headset will follow in Apple’s footsteps by relying on hand- and eye-tracking for user input.

Inside, the Samsung headset will reportedly sport the Exynos 2200 processor. Though it’s not the most updated processor out there, it’s a big boost for a wearable headset.

Samsung confirmed the headset’s development back in February. The company called it a new Extended Reality experience or XR. While hardware was a mystery at the time, Google was already penned as the official developer of the headset’s software. Software will play a big role in competing against Apple. When the Apple Vision Pro was announced, it heralded its own ecosystem apart from Apple’s smartphone and tablet offerings.

SEE ALSO: Apple Vision Pro First Impressions

The post Leaks reveal Samsung’s upcoming XR headset appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The latest smartphone features a 200-megapixel main camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor, coupled with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and macro camera with a 112° field of view, and a 2-megapixel depth camera. Up front, it houses a 50-megapixel camera capturing selfies with exceptional detail.

Impressive content

Harnessing the power of its impressive hardware and software, the HONOR 90 5G produces photos with excellent high dynamic range and keeps a detailed and bright shot even in low-light situations.

Portraits are also enhanced, improving the facial features, skin tone accuracy, and an authentic-looking bokeh effect that blends the background naturally.

But photos aren’t the only stunning output coming from the HONOR 90. The smartphone employs artificial intelligence for video denoising and video mode recommendations, along with an AI Vlog Assistant that helps generate a social media-ready 15-second video with just a few taps.

Impressive display

Consuming content looks delightful with the HONOR 90, thanks to its 6.7-inch quad-curved floating display. It supports a high resolution of 2664×1200, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, with up to 1.07 billion colors. It also allows optimum display readability, even under intense bright light due to its peak brightness of 1600 nits.

Further, the HONOR 90 comes with a fast, responsive screen with up to 120Hz refresh rate along with HDR10+ support and HDR certifications from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

To prioritize safety, the HONOR 90 is also equipped with TÜV Rheinland’s Flicker Free Certification while also supporting the industry’s highest Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Dimming frequency of 3840Hz which minimizes the strain a display puts on users’ eyes.

To alleviate eye fatigue, the display features dynamic dimming which simulates natural light, and the Circadian Night Display technology filters blue light to promote natural melatonin secretion at night.

Impressive experience

The HONOR 90 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition, promising 20% better GPU and 30% better AI performance compared to its predecessor. It’s also equipped with a large 5,000mAh battery which lasts up to 19.5 hours of continuous local video streaming. It easily juices up with its 66W HONOR SuperCharge, backing up to 45% in just 15 minutes.

Moreover, the device has a 147% larger vapor chamber for efficient heat dissipation, keeping the internal temperature in check for a cool, chill experience.

Speaking of experience, users can personalize their smartphones through HONOR MagicOS 7.1 which is based on Android 13. The HONOR 90 comes with enhanced smart features that users can take advantage of.

Impressive design

The HONOR 90 looks stunning with its sleek and stylish design inspired by haute couture and luxury jewelry. It looks classy with its 7.8mm thin and 183g lightweight body, adorned by smooth, rounded edges. It also comes with deeply reinforced glass, providing peace of mind in terms of durability and reliability.

On its rear, the HONOR 90 features the iconic Dual Ring Design, producing a brilliant shine and adding an extra touch of elegance.

Price and availability

The HONOR 90 5G comes in three colors: Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Diamond Silver. Pre-order HONOR 90 5G from August 16-25, 2023 for only Php 24,990 and Get a FREE JBL Flip 6 worth Php 7,499 until supplies last!

Get it at select HONOR Outlets or online channels such as Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop!

HONOR Fans can also avail of the HONOR 90 5G via Home Credit for as low as Php 1,002 per month on a 0% interest installment payment.

Leading credit card providers BDO, BPI, Citibank, Eastwest, Metrobank, PNB, and Security Bank also offer 0% interest, payable up to 12 months.

The post HONOR 90 5G: Price, availability in the Philippines appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Historical buildings and landmarks continue to stand the test of time, becoming a home to cultural pursuits and a display of Manila’s rich history.

Every nook and cranny picture a story that only shows when you take the moment to walk through its cobblestone alleys.

That je ne sais quoi of the walled city is indescribable with mere words.

Yet, here are some attempts to capture its grandeur using the HONOR 90 5G, one afternoon stroll inside Intramuros.

Heritage bar

First stop: Batala Bar! This heritage bar located in Plaza San Luis has always been a staple to our Intramuros strolls. Situated in front of San Agustin Church, the bar can be easily seen while traversing the cobblestones of General Luna Street.

It’s a two-story bar serving craft beer, craft coffee, specialty ice cream, and delightful meals worth taking any time of the day.

It also shares a space with the Philippine Artisan Trade Gallery on the second level, housing unique handmade products exclusive to the Philippines.

There’s a balcony where you can enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun while admiring the quietness of the city.

On the other side, there’s an overlooking view of the fountain in Plaza San Luis. You can also get a glimpse of Casa Manila, a living museum of what life as an affluent Illustrado looked like in the past.

It’s a glance at an opulent life from centuries ago. The architecture and intricate details served as a photo opportunity for the ‘gram.

Good food, good company

What’s good food without company? GadgetMatch’s Philippine team was out for a late lunch with our jet-setter and freelance journalist friend, Ayano Tominaga.

While waiting for our meals, we ordered a seasonal fruit shake. Batala bar served us a dragon fruit shake — which was currently in season — blended with banana and milk. It’s best to cool down from the scorchingly hot weather with a tasty, ice-cold blended beverage!

I ordered a Tinapa Puttanesca. It’s a linguine pasta savored in homemade red sauce, capers, olives, and of course, Tinapa. ICYDK, Tinapa is a smoked fish usually made from blackfin scad or milkfish.

On the other hand, Martynne ordered a Shiitake Aglio Olio. It’s an oil-based pasta cooked with tomato, paprika, and chili flakes, and topped with vegan parmesan, basil, and lemon.

Meanwhile, Vincenz ordered a Pollo Quesadilla. It’s basically chopped chicken adobo stuffed with mozzarella cheese, red onion, pickled chili, and tomato salsa.

Rodneil and Ayano ordered Bomba Longga Silog, which is loosely translated as a bomb Spanish sausage with fried rice and egg. It really is a bomb, though!

The homemade skinless Spanish sausage tasted delicious, served alongside a sunny-side-up egg, pickled vegetables, and garlic rice. It simply is a good pick-me-up order, any time of the day.

Ice cream, anyone?

Given that the Philippines is basically a tropical country that has summer weather all year round, Batala Bar is a good spot to cool down after a long walk inside Intramuros.

They serve homemade ice cream that even I, a lactose-intolerant kiddo, can’t resist.

Rodneil and Ayano shared one serving of Banana Split Sundae, which melted in just a few minutes. That’s how hot that day was.

Making my way downtown

After our merienda, we walked alongside General Luna Street to head over to Fort Santiago, a citadel where the Philippines’ national hero, Jose Rizal, was imprisoned before.

Of course, it’s not a quick walk across a few blocks. Martynne took the chance to have her photos taken by yours truly.

We also stopped by the Manila Cathedral and got some bottled water in the shade of trees situated in Plaza Roma, a public square in Intramuros.

While everyone was hydrating, Martynne posed in front of the cathedral. I played around with the wide-angle lens to make the shot somewhat touristy. Let’s pretend we’re not always in Manila.

Hidden cafe!

After queueing to get to Fort Santiago, we made our way to the hidden cafe tucked in the corners of the defense fortress. Papakape, which had its first branch as a glass house cafe in Makati, opened its doors inside Fort Santiago.

It’s situated inside a 400-year-old water cistern, extended with an al fresco garden seating.

The interiors, albeit quite small, are as cozy as any home.

Bayongs, traditional handwoven bags made of dried leaves, are displayed in the corner along with a wooden guitar.

Another corner seemed pretty for a spot to read and write, what with the cozy lamp and table facing a brick wall.

Papakape offers a few, good coffee that we thoroughly enjoyed. We tried the Black Gulaman Americano, an espresso-based drink with pandan syrup, grass jelly, and basil seeds.

The same drink that Canadian Singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen drank when she visited Papakape early this year.

Another signature drink is called Tahoat, a combination of Taho (Silken Tofu mixed with Brown Sugar Syrup and Sago Pearls) and Oatmilk.

Of course, it’s also espresso-based and instead of purely silken tofu, it used soy curds and tapioca pearls.

Capping it off

Intramuros puts on a different face when the sun sets and the night fills the street. We decided to call it a day and part ways after having good laughs and conversations inside the walled city.

But before that, we took one last glance at the outdoor seating in Papakape. It hits differently when you enjoy the drink in total silence, completely disconnected from the hustle-bustle of Manila and the hubbub of the tourists flocking the defense fortress.

We also didn’t pass up an opportunity to do a photo-op inside the ruins. For the ‘gram, remember?

And what’s a day without a sunset photo? Overlooking the Pasig River and Manuel A. Roxas Memorial Bridge, the sunset allowed us a moment to recollect our thoughts and memories.

It was a good day filled with good food, conversations, sight, story, and company.

Before we get off Fort Santiago, here’s a night shot of a tree adorned with pretty lamps at night. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll take you on another tour. Perhaps, Intramuros After Dark?

An exquisite camera

The HONOR 90 5G is an excellent midrange smartphone equipped with a superb camera system that will let any user capture sights and stories. It’s certainly a device worth using, not just for the ‘gram, but for capturing your daily life.

Pre-order HONOR 90 5G from August 16-25, 2023 for only Php 24,990 and Get a FREE JBL Flip 6 worth Php 7,499 until supplies last! Get it via Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop.

This feature article is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and HONOR Philippines.

The post Inside Manila’s walled city appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Tech disassembler @jerryRigEverything did just that, giving everyone an inside look, quite literally, of Honor’s latest flagship foldable device.

You may watch the video here:

The video has already racked up more than half a million views in its first 24 hours.

Viewers can see the improvements on the Magic V2 in detail, such as the improved titanium hinge which makes up for the book-style folding mechanism that has been tested for 400,000 folds.

Using titanium over aluminum or steel also reduces the smartphone’s overall weight. Also seen in the clip are the Magic V2’s groundbreaking silicon-carbon batteries – the thinnest in the foldable segment – and flexible screens.

It is certainly quite the deep dive and a cool point of view to see your phone from the inside, with all parts arranged to make it work on the same page.

Released last month, the Magic V2 has the following specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
• OS: MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13
• Graphics: Adreno 740
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage: 256GB
• Displays: 7.92-inch 120Hz foldable OLED; 6.43-inch 120Hz LTPO, both 100% DCI-P3, HDR10+, Flicker Free, and with PWM Dimming and stylus support
• Camera: Triple 50MP (f/2.0 ultra-wide OIS, f/1.9 wide, f/2.4 telephoto OIS) and Dual 16MP wide selfies (one each for interior and exterior display), all capable of 4K shooting
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen 1
• Audio: Symmetrical Stereo Dual Speakers, IMAX enhanced

The post Assembling the 9.9mm thin HONOR Magic V2 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Recently released in India and Malaysia, the vivo Y27 boasts of 44W fast wired charging on its 5,000mAh battery, making it one of the fastest-charging phones in the entry-level segment.

The phone has AI-powered protection and features to prevent overcharging and nighttime charging, extending the battery’s lifespan.

Elsewhere, the phone comes with a Helio G85 processor, 6GB RAM, and a 128GB internal storage capacity. It will run on an Android 13 platform.

The camera package consists of a 50MP f/1.8 main shooter and an 8MP selfie camera, while the screen is a 6.64-inch IPS LCD display.

Customers can expect the vivo Y27 to be priced anywhere between PhP 8,000 to PhP 10,000.

This article is a sponsored press release by vivo Philippines.

The post Upcoming vivo Y27 to feature 44W fast charging appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The glamour starts outside, with the phone’s Glitter Aqua and Meteor Black colorways that give users a phone to pair with any style.

The Glitter Aqua’s crystal glass design is inspired by ripples of a lake, giving it a shiny and shimmery look. The devices also have 2.5D curved edges for a comfortable feel.

Of course, the vivo Y36 features a 50MP main camera to let its young users stand out with their OOTDs. In front is a 16MP selfie camera to capture high-quality images too.

Speaking of the phone’s camera, the vivo Y36 has feature to bring out the creativity in users, like Double Exposure.

The vivo Y36 is equipped with a 6nm Snapdragon chip, 8GB RAM with Turbo Memory Booster, 256GB of internal storage, and 5,000mAh battery, making it reliable for gaming and all-day use.

The phone is available for just PhP 12,999 available via vivo Philippine’s official website, e-stores such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok, as well as physical stores nationwide.

This article is a sponsored press release by vivo Philippines.

The post vivo Y36 becoming an ideal phone for fashionista Gen Zs appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Revealed today in China, the upcoming OnePlus Ace 2 Pro will feature a new screen. More than being simply waterproof, the new feature, called Rain Water Touch, can tell where your finger is, even if it’s wet.

To showcase the new screen, OnePlus released a teaser video on Weibo. The brand put the new screen side by side with an iPhone 14. As expected, the video shows that the iPhone 14 couldn’t work properly with wet hands and while it was raining. The user even had difficulty unlocking the Lock Screen.

In contrast, the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro worked perfectly well under the same conditions. The feature is certainly a big help, especially for everyday conditions such as washing dishes or after taking a shower.

Recently, Samsung also showed off its incredibly water-resistant screen. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra can work perfectly even when submerged underwater. With more brands touting water resistance, devices might finally make much-needed improvements to durability and resistance.

SEE ALSO: OnePlus teases OnePlus Open as its first ever foldable

The post OnePlus teases a more waterproof screen than the iPhone 14 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

In today’s world, an earlier release is a lot less common than a delay. Developers are more likely to delay an upcoming game because of production issues or just general polishing. However, today, Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Mirage has gone gold, meaning that it’s ready for release. Instead of the original release date on October 12, the title will launch on October 5.

It’s a big change for the series. After Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s thorough enmeshing in the world of pure RPGs, Assassin’s Creed Mirage will reportedly take the franchise back to its stealthy roots. The game, featuring Valhalla’s Basim Ibn Ishaq, will see players sneaking through ninth century Baghdad. Unlike Valhalla’s bloated gameplay, players will reportedly only take a fraction of the former’s playtime to finish Mirage.

It’s a nice change especially for those fatigued over the dozens and dozens of hours required to complete a modern open-world game today. Plus, a shortened playtime will allow players to play more games.

In that way, Mirage’s earlier release date is a good strategy for Ubisoft. October and November are currently packed with hotly anticipated titles including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. With the new launch date, Ubisoft will get first dibs over the fourth quarter rush.

SEE ALSO: Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade gets a closed beta period

The post Ubisoft will launch Assassin’s Creed Mirage a week earlier appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Starting today, Netflix has started the first public tests for its cloud gaming service, which was first teased months ago. Once again free for subscribers, the cloud-streamed games are available for smart TVs and PCs. By having the app on their TV or on a web browser, subscribers can access the platform’s gallery of available games.

Users won’t need special controllers, either. PC users can naturally just use mouse and keyboard to control the game. On the other hand, TV users can control their game by downloading a controller app called the Netflix Game Controller on the App Store and the Play Store. The app offers a simple interface for those familiar with console gaming.

Currently, the tests are available only in Canada and the United Kingdom. The platform will likely expand its reach as time goes by. Further, only two games are currently available for the test: the aforementioned Oxenfree and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a new arcade title.

The testing version of the feature is compatible with smart TVs and platforms including Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, LG, Nvidia Shield, Roku, Samsung, and Walmart. Netflix is working on expanding compatibility for other devices in the future.

SEE ALSO: Netflix adds a new ‘My Netflix’ tab for your content

The post Netflix officially enters the cloud gaming space appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The Audio Magic Eraser reportedly does what it says on the tin. When recording a video, the Pixel 8 will automatically detect background noise and will offer an option to reduce it. The leaked marketing video portrays a skateboarding video with all the sounds of the skateboard rolling through the pavement edited out.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say whether the leak is real. While the short video does look like something Google would produce, it was leaked by a likely throwaway account on X. Currently, there’s no way to verify its authenticity. If anything, Google is notoriously loose-lipped when it comes to unannounced products. The company’s devices always find a way of emerging into the spotlight — through leaks or sudden appearances in public — before their expected launch dates.

Not much is known yet about the upcoming Pixel 8 series. However, it’s naturally expected that the smartphone series will sport Google’s Tensor G3 chipset, following the trend started by the Pixel 6 series. Thankfully, it won’t be a long wait. Google usually launches the next generation of flagships in early October.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel Fold Review

The post Pixel 8’s biggest feature might be the Audio Magic Eraser appeared first on GadgetMatch.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a thinner form factor for its wearable lineup. Emphasized by a smaller chassis, the redesigned wearable — potentially called the Apple Watch X — will also have magnetic watch band attachment points and a microLED screen. In terms of features, the upcoming watch might also have a blood pressure monitor.

By deviating from its original design, the wearable might enjoy a more powerful processor and larger battery in the future. However, in exchange for a new design, the upcoming Apple Watch will likely need newer straps. Users might not be able to reuse straps between an old design and a new one.

Fortunately for wearable users, the transition won’t be sudden. The smartwatch is expected to drop between the second half of 2024 and early 2025, which is right on time for the series’ tenth anniversary. In the meantime, the new wearable generation launching this year will likely offer only a minor to modest upgrade over the current generation.

SEE ALSO: Hermès Apple Watch Series 8: Unboxing and Full Set-Up

The post Apple Watch will get a major redesign next year appeared first on GadgetMatch.

So, along with the group of people I consider as my family outside home, I decided to give myself that long-needed trip overseas. Obviously, we booked the tickets way before and I needed to make sure that I would use this time to be away from home for a while; to disconnect, if you will. Of course, just to make sure I keep the memories safe, I’m bringing the Canon EOS R8 with me.

We departed from Manila, and was finally en route to a small, bustling island known simply as Taiwan.

The sights within the streets

My significant other and I had a game plan on how to completely maximize one week in Taiwan. This while also considering I still had work to do.

Part of the itinerary was to explore as much of the Taipei area. This includes every nook and cranny that presented itself. With the Canon EOS R8, this was pretty easy.

Needless to say, I looked like I was gathering memories of the simple streets that the country had to offer. 

The food we got to eat

Part of any person’s journey to another country is trying out all the food that’s out for the tasting. Fortunately in Taiwan, there was an abundance of establishments and food spots that you simply cannot miss.

Of course, as working professionals, you can’t help but try your luck at some cafes in the area, and there were a lot of them.

The EOS R8 enabled me to capture some of the food I got to try with near-perfect detail. Even the most minute detail on specialized caffeinated drinks became the highlight of the photos I took. Although, it wouldn’t be as quick and easy to get the perfect shot compared to using a powerful smartphone. 

The attractions we got to experience

It wouldn’t be a trip to another country without going everywhere and anywhere that stands out to us. In my case, apart from the streets, it’s the grand attractions that even the most typical of tourists visit. Considering that most of these are attractions even during night time, this would be the perfect opportunity to see if the EOS R8 stacks up.

During the entire time I was in Taiwan, most of the mornings were pretty cloudy so daytime shots had a dimness to them.

At some point in the day, it rained and you can imagine how difficult it is to bring a camera with a long camera lens to boot.

Still, the shots I took looked pretty decent and no details were sacrificed.

Night time shots and even photos in less than favorable lighting conditions were good enough.

Shifting to Manual Focus gave me the opportunity to create the near-perfect conditions to take quality night shots within Taiwan’s well-known night markets.

Also, since the Museum of Contemporary Art had an exhibition under rather low-light conditions, I also gave it a shot.

The company you’re with

One great thing I appreciated about this trip was the fact that I was with great company all throughout.

Sure, there was only like one full day wherein we all had one place in mind, but it was worth it!

Because I had the EOS R8 for the trip, I became the group’s photographer whenever possible.

In a way, we all needed the disconnect from going through our usual routines back in Manila. Even though most of us still had work to do during the last few days before heading home, it felt refreshing. Plus, I think it allowed us to get work done faster to enjoy the trip as much as we can!

Heading home

After one whole week of walking around, taking beautiful pictures and having delicious meals, it was time. An early morning flight back to Manila was waiting for us at the airport, which was honestly just a handful of train stops away from the main Taipei area. Unfortunately, the Canon EOS R8 was already tucked inside my luggage and I didn’t have enough time to pull it out once we got to the airport.

Although, what I do appreciate about it is how compact it can be when storing it inside. Despite having a rather wide body and with a long camera lens, it doesn’t take up too much space. In my case, it was better to tuck it inside a carry-on with bubble wrap and reinforced with soft clothing. After a few hours and a delay in our flight time, we arrived in Manila and returned to the heat of the world.

For trips like these, having both the Canon EOS R8 and a smartphone of choice allowed me to capture beautiful yet short-lived moments in time. Whether we were inside closed spaces or exploring the natural attractions, it grabs everything in full detail with the proper adjustments. I would consider this as a must-have for anybody looking to travel anywhere they want; just make sure you make space and take care of it while you’re out.

SEE: Elevate your vlogging: Canon announced EOS R8, R50 cameras

The post Disconnecting in Taiwan with the Canon EOS R8 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

If you watch GTA RP, you might have heard of FiveM. In essence, the tool allows developers to customize the world of Grand Theft Auto V to allow a lot of experiences outside the main game. The tool has already created a plethora of modded servers where players can create and completely embody their characters in the city of Los Santos.

Today, Rockstar has confirmed that it is now working with the organization behind the tools. The partnership will also include RedM, Cfx.re’s tools for Read Dead Redemption 2, which also houses a lot of notable servers for roleplaying.

Right now, the announcement does not reveal what the partnership means for the game and its players. At the very least, it will likely ensure smoother operations since Cfx.re finally has support from the main company. It might also make modding quicker when Grand Theft Auto VI launches in the future.

It’s a big show of recognition from Rockstar Games. Whereas other companies might have put a stop to these activities, the publisher allowed these servers to operate, albeit in a gray market. Now, it’s official. Modding and roleplaying are now legal.

SEE ALSO: Grand Theft Auto VI might launch next year

The post Rockstar officially partners with Grand Theft Auto V roleplay servers appeared first on GadgetMatch.

In contrast to the original models, the Slim has a thinner for factor but potentially packs beefier hardware in one way or another. Though it launched alongside the original PlayStation 4, the PS4 Slim eventually replaced the original as the default model when the PS4 Pro came out.

Currently, it’s unclear what Sony has in store for the PlayStation 5 generation. The original models are only just balancing its supply with the demand especially after a scalper-plagued launch. Plus, the series already has two variants available for purchase.

According to past rumors, one potential change is the ability to add a disc drive to an otherwise discless console. Right now, PlayStation asks users to choose between having a disc drive or going completely digital. An upcoming model might offer a drive separately.

The latest leak does not reveal much about the rumored model. An accompanying graphic (and some rumors circulating around Chinese forums) does hint that the PS5 Slim will be shorter, instead of just thinner. Besides that, there’s not much more to learn. There is a claim that a video might be coming soon, though.

SEE ALSO: Sony announces launch date of PlayStation Access controller

The post PlayStation 5 Slim supposedly leaked online appeared first on GadgetMatch.

If you live too far from PICC, fret not — Cinemalaya 19 is also screening at selected Ayala Mall Cinemas until this weekend, thanks to the renewed partnership of The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Cinemalaya Foundation Inc. with Ayala
Malls Cinemas.

Following the theme IlumiNasyon, you can watch the following 10 competing full-length films this coming weekend:

• ANG DUYAN NG MAGITING (THE CRADLE OF THE BRAVE) by Dustin Celestino
• AS IF IT’S TRUE by John Rogers
• BULAWAN NGA USA (GOLDEN DEER) by Kenneth De la Cruz
• GITLING by Jopy Arnaldo
• HULING PALABAS (FIN) by Ryan Espinosa Machado
• ITI MAPUKPUKAW (THE MISSING) by Carl Joseph E. Papa
• MARIA by She Andes
• ROOKIE by Samantha Lee and Natts Jadaone
• TETHER by Gian Arre
• WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER by Kevin Mayuga

Additionally, you can watch the short films in the competition. Here are the shorts entries for Cinemalaya 19:

• ANG KINING BINALAYBAY KAG AMBAHANON KO PARA SA IMO (THESE RHYMES AND RHYTHMS MEANT FOR YOU) By Kent John D. Desamparado
• GOLDEN BELLS By Kurt Soberano
• HINAKDAL (CONDEMNED) By Arvin Belarmino
• HM HM MHM By Sam Villa-Real And Kim Timan
• KOKURYO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BB. UNDAS 2019 By Diokko Manuel Dionisio
• MAKOKO SA BAYBAY (I AM GOING TO THE BEACH) By Mike Cabarles
• MAUDI NGA ARAPAAP (LAST DREAM) By Daniel Magayon; SIBUYAS NI PERFECTO (PERFECTO’S ONION) By Januar Yap
• SOTA (HORSE CARETAKER) by Mae Tanagon
• TONG ADLAW NGA NAG-SNOW SA PINAS (THE DAY IT SNOWED IN THE PHILIPPINES) by Joshua Caesar Medroso.

Cinemalaya 19 is currently screening until August 13, 2023, at Glorietta, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, UP Town Center, and Trinoma. Check the full schedule here. Tickets are available at the ticket booth and SureSeats.com.

For more information, check out the CCP and Cinemalaya websites and social media.

The post Catch Cinemalaya 2023 films at Ayala Malls this weekend appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The Galaxy Z Flip5 will be available with Smart Postpaid’s Signature Device Plan 1999, inclusive of 15GB of open access data, unlimited all-net calls, and texts, and 150 minutes of calls to PLDT per month.

For more data inclusions, the Galaxy Z Flip5 may also be availed as an add-on to Signature Plan 1499, which includes unlimited 5G for 12 months, 40GB of open access data, and unlimited all-net calls and texts, including landline calls.

On the other hand, the new Galaxy Z Fold5 is best paired with Infinity Plan 5000, which includes unlimited data, all-net calls and texts, and unlimited landline calls.

Subscribers who avail of the Galaxy Z series via Smart until August 17 also get exclusive discounts and perks:

• Free storage upgrade from 256GB to 512GB
• One year of free Samsung Care+ subscription worth PhP 10,554
• Discount vouchers on Samsung wearables of up to 50% off

To get started, visit Smart Postpaid’s link here: https://smart.com.ph/Postpaid/GalaxyZSeries5.

Welcome to the Flipside

Samsung officially released its latest devices in the Z series a few weeks ago at the Galaxy Unpacked event.

Now in their fifth generation, the Flip5 and the Fold5 come with significant improvements while carrying over their beloved features from previous iterations.

The Flip5 now sports a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED display for its cover screen, called the Flex Window.

The Fold5 comes with an improved Flex Hinge for a thinner appearance when folded, plus an S Pen Fold edition.

The post Smart opens pre-orders for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Fold5 appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Add to the fact that it’s a spy-thriller film, which has been my genre of choice for going to the cinemas (please believe me, thank you). What else could I ask for?

The last time I was this giggly was watching The Gray Man last year, a few days before my birthday.

Seriously, Netflix has a habit of releasing action films that will keep you glued to your screens and entertained during summer. It’s defo Leo season.

hold up, what is it about?

Blabber aside, Netflix’s Heart of Stone gives an impression of a spy film shrouded in games and mystery, thanks to the Playing Card references. But its synopsis is simply about Rachel Stone — played by Gal Gadot — who lives a double life.

Stone works as an inexperienced tech on an elite M16 unit headed up by lead agent Parker, played by Jamie Dornan. But… that’s only her front.

Heart of Stone – (L to R) Jing Lusi as Yang, Paul Ready as Bailey, Jamie Dornan as Parker and Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone in Heart Of Stone. Cr. Robert Viglasky/Netflix © 2023.

What her team doesn’t know is she’s a phenomenal field agent aliased ‘Nine of Hearts’ who works for the Charter, a secret peacekeeping organization.

The Charter uses cutting-edge technology to neutralize global threats, harnessing the power of a piece of tech called “The Heart”.

Heart of Stone – Matthias Schweighöfer as Jack of Hearts in Heart Of Stone. Cr. Robert Viglasky/Netflix © 2023.

big brother is always watching

The Heart is like a combination of Big Data and the Big Brother conspiracy where you’re always watched. Every piece of information is documented, it feels like it knows more about you.

The truth is our technology, especially with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, keeps collecting various data to create an algorithm and somehow predict the future. The Heart mirrors the reality of our rapidly evolving technology. It’s both scary and astounding.

Heart of Stone – BTS – (L to R) Director Tom Harper and Alia Bhatt as Keya Dhawan on the set of Heart Of Stone. Cr. Robert Viglasky/Netflix © 2023.

The Charter uses this cutting-edge technology which aids its field agents in completing missions with a 100% success rate. It’s so powerful that the villains in the film worked on a plan to get their hands on its power.

Eventually, Stone and The Charter tracked down a hacker named Keya Dhawan, which was played by Alia Bhatt, who plans to take The Heart. Yup, she’s Indian and a hacker. Tell us something different, Netflix!!

action-packed with lots of cackles

Heart of Stone is filled with daredevil stunts and adrenaline-filled scenes that rev up your heart. There were a lot of fight scenes you’d typically see in a generic spy thriller film. Still entertaining, by the way.

Heart of Stone – (L to R) Jing Lusi as Yang and Jamie Dornan as Parker in Heart Of Stone. Cr. Robert Viglasky/Netflix © 2023.

I find it hilarious to see Jing Lusi (Amanda from Crazy Rich Asians) portraying Theresa Yang, a glamorous Asian agent who’s adept at martial arts while wearing fancy dresses and stilettos. I’m in love with the femme fatale!

The film is filled with chucklesome scenes along with mouth-gasping adventures that got me hooked in my seat. Stone exhibited marvelous action scenes in different locations: the Italian Alps, Lisbon, Reykjavik, Senegal, and an epic fight thousands of feet above the desert. That sequence is just oomph!

HEART OF STONE. Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone in Heart of Stone. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.

on beating the algorithm

Spoiler alert: The enemies got their hands on The Heart, which Stone needs to retrieve. Time and time again, Stone listened to the accuracy of The Heart to provide her with a good outcome in every scenario.

Heart of Stone – Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone in Heart Of Stone. Cr. Robert Viglasky/Netflix © 2023.

At some point, she disconnected from The Charter and blew her cover, believing in her gut instinct instead. This adds a human touch to the story; exhibiting emotions in covert operations that require you to be as heartless as you could be.

Towards the end, The Charter decided to put their faith in Stone after The Heart was taken and everything went offline. A grim reminder that life before technology was incredibly challenging if you’re not resourceful enough to make things up as they go.

On another note, Stone proved that algorithms can be beaten by being human. The odds may not be in your favor, but you can still change the tide and get a different outcome.

keeps you entertained on a weekend

Heart of Stone – BTS – (L to R) Director Tom Harper, Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone and Jamie Dornan as Parker on the set of Heart Of Stone. Cr. Robert Viglasky/Netflix © 2023.

Netflix’s Heart of Stone may be as generic as it gets for a spy thriller film, along with a plot that seemed too similar to Mission Impossible. Even then, Tom Harper’s film still delivered thrill and twists that can make your lazy weekends action-packed

At best, it’s a good pick-me-up before you hop on a different kind of action. Netflix and chill, anyone?

Heart of Stone premieres on August 11, only on Netflix.

The post Uh, I think you need to watch Netflix’s Heart of Stone appeared first on GadgetMatch.

In an interview with CNBC, Yaccarino, who took the reins from Elon Musk earlier this year, announced that “soon, you’ll be able to make video chat calls without having to give your phone number to anyone on the platform.” As if that’s not enough, Andrea Conway, a designer at the company, also posted that she “just called someone on X.”

Given Conway’s post, the feature should be in a relatively stable part of the development process. However, it’s not clear when and how the platform plans to launch video chats for the public. It’s also unclear whether the feature will be available to all users or only to those who pay for X Premium, formerly known as Twitter Blue.

With the evolution of all social media platforms (and not just X), it’s not a surprising development for the company. The industry is dedicated to creating the next “everything” app or a hub where users can find everything they’ll need for their digital world: social media, communication, commerce, and other functionalities. TikTok, for instance, recently started tests to support podcasts.

SEE ALSO: X is bringing back livestreaming

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In an earnings call this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that the platform is “actively exploring ways to address account sharing.” For now, the company will just issue a new subscriber agreement later this year to make it clear where Disney+ stands on the issue. However, the platform will roll out more punitive action starting in 2024.

Iger did not elaborate on what those measures might be. For reference, Netflix started a new pricing scheme wherein users can pay a bit more to have someone outside of their household use the account. Netflix also blocks users if they detect that the device is not in the same household as the main account owner. Disney+ has precedent for following the same scheme.

Besides a potentially different scheme going forward, the platform is also raising the prices for its ad-free subscription in the United States. Starting October 12, the platform will charge US$ 13.99 per month for the tier, up from only US$ 10.99 per month. Hulu, another Disney-owned platform, will also raise its prices to US$ 17.99 per month from US$ 14.99 per month. To somewhat lessen the blow, Disney+ is introducing an ad-free bundle with Hulu for US$ 19.99 per month starting on September 6.

SEE ALSO: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to be on Disney+ from August 2

The post Disney+ will start cracking down on password sharing appeared first on GadgetMatch.

What DJ does is optimize personalization technology and generative AI to offer listeners a personalized experience based on their music taste.

The feature was first rolled out in the United States and Canada, then in the United Kingdom and Ireland in May.

The DJ also has a “voice,” making the experience even more personal and catered to the user’s specific preferences.

How to access your DJ

Here’s how Spotify Premium users can access their personal DJs:

• Open the Spotify mobile app on your iOS or Android device
• Go to the Music feed on Home and tap DJ, or find it in the Made for You hub within the Search tab
• Let Spotify do the rest

DJ will serve up a lineup of music picked just for you, alongside short English-language commentary on the songs and artists.

To change the genre, artist, or mood, simply tap the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen.

The post Spotify DJ feature now available in the Philippines appeared first on GadgetMatch.

The upper mid-ranger which succeeds the vivo X90 series is expected to be equipped with a Zeiss HD 12MP periscopic telephoto lens.

On the other hand, the Pro variant will reportedly get a 200MP telephoto lens with 10x zoom.

The phones will also get a 50MP Sony IMX989 main camera and a 32MP ultra-clear wide-angle lens. This camera system will be supported by dual optical image stabilization.

Powerful chipsets

Meanwhile, the standard X100 and the X100 Pro are said to be powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipsets with four Cortex-X4 mega-cores.

These Cortex-X4 mega-cores are expected to deliver 15% higher performance compared to the X3.

Moreover, the X100 Pro+ is rumored to carry the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.

More specs

Speaking of, many reports have already posted the X100 series’ other specs. As the series is close to a flagship, it is said to have at least 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The display shall be a 120Hz AMOLED screen. Elsewhere, the devices will likely have a 5,000mAh battery with support for 100W fast charging.

The post vivo X100 series camera specs reportedly revealed appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Unboxing the Xiaomi Pad 6 and its accessories

Xiaomi was pretty darn generous sending over not only the tablet but also the multiple accessories you can use with it. In the video below, we unboxed the Xiaomi Pad 6, the Xiaomi Pad 6 Keyboard, the Xiaomi Pad 6 Cover, and the Xiaomi Smart Pen. 

@gadgetmatch

Xiaomi’s best Android tablet has just got an upgrade! #Xiaomi #XiaomiPad6 #Android #Tablet #fypシ

♬ original sound – GadgetMatch – GadgetMatch

‘Laptop’ on the go 

In the past couple of weeks, the Xiaomi Pad 6 fulfilled the laptop-on-the-go role that I desperately needed, and then some. Most notably, I took the tablet with me on an overseas coverage trip. True enough, I found myself in the exact same situations I would have found myself in had there been events domestically. 

With the Pad 6 on hand, I didn’t have to bring a backpack with me. All I needed was the trusty Xiaomi Sling bag that I’ve had for years, my mirrorless camera, a couple of smartphones, and my mobile loadout was ready to go. 

I found it much easier to move around as we traversed from one location to another during the many events spread across the week. In certain stops here or there, I was able to sit down to catch-up on some emails. Having access to a full-sized keyboard is a godsend for the number of emails and other correspondence I had to reply to. 

Not only that, having the Xiaomi Pad 6 around also made it easy to copy edit a few articles here and there. As an editor that can’t exactly be glued to the desk all the time, this was a huge relief. 

The typing experience is satisfactory and the general performance switching from email, to browser, to chat apps, was hiccup-free. If this is what you’re after the tablet for, know that it is more than capable for these types of tasks.

Great entertainment hub

Zom: 100 is hilarious.

The 11-inch display is the sweet spot for me. Small enough to fit in a sling bag, but large enough to serve as in-flight entertainment. Prior to flying, I downloaded episodes of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Mushoku Tensei, as well as a couple of movies like Shin Kamen Rider. 

I never realized how small the in-flight entertainment screen was in the economy flights I took until I had this 11-inch tablet with me. It’s such a better viewing experience and it allowed me to catch up to shows I was already watching versus settling for whatever’s available on the flight. 

Best part? I conserved my smartphone’s battery levels by making the Xiaomi Pad 6 my primary entertainment hub. Not only did I download shows and movies, I also had plenty of storage room to spare for my main playlists on Spotify along with a handful of podcast episodes. 

The pen is good for whoever will find use for it 

Which isn’t yours truly if I’m being honest. My days of scribbling and sketching are way, waaaay behind me. You can probably tell from my sad, sorry, attempt to sketch Mina of TWICE/MISAMO in the photo below. 

What I can tell you though is that the Xiaomi Smart Pen handles great even with the limited usage I squeezed out of it. It certainly still feels like you’re sketching on glass and there’s nothing mind boggling here like the experience feeling like pen-to-paper, but it works nonetheless. 

Mina stans, please don’t hate me.

If you’re into sketching, scribbling, and whatnot, it shouldn’t take too long to get used to the feeling. 

And with the multi-window feature, you should, in theory, have an easier time referencing any material you’d like to draw. 

Speaking of the multi-window feature, as someone who writes, it’s a great way to quickly see information at a glance and quickly add it to whatever you’re writing. It’s a handy feature that I’m sure a lot of people will be able to take advantage of. 

Xiaomi Pad 6 specs

• Display – 11” WQHD+ (2880 x 1800) display at 309 ppi
• Processor – Snapdragon 870 Mobile Platform
• Battery – 8840mAh
• RAM and Storage – 6GB+128GB / 8GB+128GB /
• 8GB+256GB
• OS – MIUI Pad 14/Android 13
• Cameras – 13MP rear, 8MP front 
• Connectivity – USB 3.2 Gen 1, BLUETOOTH 5.2, Wi-Fi 6

More quick notes

I installed a couple of games on it but never got to really, really play. It ran Asphalt 9 and Honkai: Star Rail just fine in my very, very limited play time. I personally never saw myself playing on this as much. 

I also never truly exhausted the battery. The lowest it ever got was after I used it thoroughly on a 4-hour flight. And even then, I didn’t even hit 50% despite consuming plenty of media both video and audio. It supports up to 33W fast charging. If you juice it up with anything over that, you can expect the quick charge feature to kick in and top you up pretty quickly. 

MIUI Pad 14 on Android 13 is fine. There’s nothing offensive about the UI and any shortcomings against the most popular tablet in the market has more to do with Android itself than the skin that Xiaomi put on top of it. It’s still good, it’s still very much functional, and pretty easy to figure out how to use if you’re at all familiar with Android.

Is the Xiaomi Pad 6 your GadgetMatch? 

Like I mentioned at the start of the article, I had a very specific use-case in mind as I took the Xiaomi Pad 6 with me on my daily grind. For the editor part of my job, it worked perfectly. It’s compact, capable, and can do more than what I originally set out for it to do. With a starting price of just under PhP 30,000 for the full tablet-keyboard-pen package, it’s also one hell of a deal. Even moreso when you see the discounts during the first few days of sale. 

The Xiaomi Pad 6 has to be the easiest Android tablet to recommend right now. It’s the ultimate bang-for-your-buck tablet, squeezing out plenty of features and functionality for a package price that’s more than reasonable. Xiaomi has a winner on their hands. One that deserves the GadgetMatch seal of approval. 

Price, availability

The Xiaomi Pad 6 comes in Gravity Gray, Gold, and Mist Blue. The 8GB+128GB variant is priced at PhP 20,999 and the 8GB+256GB variant retails for from PhP 21,999.

The first 50 online buyers will get a free Xiaomi Smart Pen on a first come first serve basis starting August 11, 2023, and with an early bird promo:

8+128GB

• SRP: Php 20,999
• Early bird promo (August 12-20):
  • Php 16,999  (Aug 11, 2023; online only)
  • Php 17,999 (Aug 12-20, 2023; online only)

8+256 GB

• SRP: Php 21,999
• Early bird promo (August 18-27): Php 19,999

Xiaomi Pad 6 Keyboard

• SRP: Php 3,499
• Early bird promo (August 12-27): Php 2,499.30

Xiaomi Smart Pen

• SRP: Php 3,999
• Early bird promo: (August 12- 27) Php 2799.30

The post The Xiaomi Pad 6 is great for the editor on-the-go appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Put on your headphones and listen to this line. “Best believe I’m still bejeweled when I walk in a room, I can still make a whole place shimmer.”

That line struck me with how I always move in my circles, and that’s certainly how the HONOR 90 made its debut in the city of love. The young technology company showcased an exquisite beauty bewitching anyone who dare to lay their eyes on it, on a stage where you can marvel at its grandeur. Yes, it’s in Paris — and Taylor Swift has a song with the exact title.

I’m starting to believe that the HONOR 90 is a match made for me.

Bedazzling, bejeweled

After the GadgetMatch team witnessed the parade of the HONOR 90 in the revered city of love, I flew to China to witness the unveiling of the HONOR Magic V2. I brought the HONOR 90 with me, thinking it’d be an ideal companion as I walk through the streets of Shenzhen and Beijing.

Spoiler alert: Some days, it did not. The lack of IP rating didn’t give me the confidence to take it out while I’m running or braving the streets during a heavy downpour.

But it gave me attention, what with the dazzling design inspired by luxury jewelry as seen on my Diamond Silver unit. The sight of a glimmering silver smartphone with the sunlight shining across its diamond-like panel can bedazzle anyone who locks their eyes on the device.

It felt like a must-have accessory for summer and sparkling nights. The only caveat? You can’t get it wet. Let’s bid goodbye to pool parties and trying to meet someone in the pouring rain.

Not your ordinary midrange smartphone

Nevertheless, it gave me an exquisite experience. I’ve used the HONOR 50 and the HONOR 70 more than just review devices, I actually spent time using it as my secondary phone to play games, take extra footage of my workouts, and scroll on my other apps like the one with a yellow bee. So trust me when I say that the HONOR 90 is both different and similar to its predecessors.

Running on MagicOS 7.1 with enhanced CPU and GPU performance, the HONOR 90 offers a buttery-smooth performance. It also maintained an ultra-long battery life.

Compared to other smartphones equipped with 5000mAh Super Battery, HONOR’s N-devices last longer for me even with heavy data usage. I can last a day without a power bank even with mobile data turned on. And if I ran out of juice, the 66W HONOR SuperCharge comes in handy. I don’t need to wait almost an hour to get it recharged.

It might be disappointing to some since the POCO F5 — a much cheaper device — sports a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 1 while the HONOR 90 houses a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset. Even so,  the smartphone does the job! There were no hiccups when browsing, scrolling, multitasking, creating content, and definitely when taking a high-resolution photo. You know, the 200MP ones?

Between the past and the future

The new HONOR 90 takes pride in having the best-in-class camera system for a midrange smartphone. FYI, it sports a 200-megapixel main camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and macro camera, a 2-megapixel depth camera, and a 50-megapixel front camera.

Combined with its hardware and software prowess, the HONOR 90 captures any moment you deem important vividly. It takes excellent content, for the most part. It’s been like that since its predecessors, only just getting grander.

But what’s the point of telling all these perspectives when I can just parade foolproof evidence to back my claims? They say to see is to believe, so let me take you through a tale of two cities captured with the might of the HONOR 90.

Sight

Shenzhen and Beijing exhibit different faces of China. One is like the Silicon Valley of Asia that set its sights on the future, and the other looks back at the rich history of the country. While both cities exude different vibes, they both something have in common: a picturesque cityscape wherever you go.

From towering skyscrapers to wide avenues, and even architecture that encapsulates the country’s identity through intricate design and details. The HONOR 90’s 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera came in handy to see the beauty of both cities.

Taste

The memories of a trip is sometimes stored in photographs of food. It’s a glimpse of a country’s culture that can be cherished everytime you see it on a screen. The HONOR 90’s 2x zoom is perfect for capturing the rich, tasty cuisine of every culture you explore.

Feel

Truth be told: We’re not photographers who’ll need a 200-megapixel main camera to shoot our everyday life. I also take quick snaps to record a memory I want to treasure and share with my friends. If it’s pretty enough, it gets to be in my Stories. The HONOR 90 takes quick snaps without any delays, making it a great companion to capture the feel of your exact moment.

Look

Of course, what’s a trip and everyday life without selfies? The HONOR 90 is equipped with a 50-megapixel front camera with an option for a wider selfie. Like its predecessors, the selfies are still padded with extra beautification despite turning off the beauty mode. I still don’t like it though. Silver lining? You’d look fresh any time of the day.

Best for your eyes

The HONOR 90 takes pride in sporting a quad-curved display with an incredible viewing experience. Its 6.7-inch display goes toe-to-toe with almost every tall and huge smartphone out there, right now.

Just like most midrange smartphones with a “flagship-level” feature, the HONOR 90 has an HDR10+ certification along with Amazon Prime Video HDR and Netflix HDR. The pictures are quite vivid, you’ll enjoy watching any content even with just a smartphone.

It’s a bonus that the smartphone is lightweight enough that you can carry it with just a single hand.

It also has a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate and a TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification for eye comfort. Speaking of which, the HONOR 90 is also equipped with the 3,840HZ PWM Dimming technology which I’ve seen in action through the HONOR Magic V2.

Basically, it exhibits a pulse at a rate of up to 3,840Hz that helps maintain a more comfortable, flicker-free viewing experience even at lower brightness levels.

It prioritizes alleviating eye fatigue to increase blood circulation. With the Circadian Night Display, the HONOR 90 also adjusts the display into warmer colors to reduce the amount of blue light.

Now, you don’t need to take lots of melatonin to fall asleep quickly even after using your smartphone. Your smartwatch might want to thank you for having better sleep quality.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The HONOR 90 does a lot for a midrange smartphone. It’s not as specced up as other midrange competitors, but it surely stacks up when it comes to providing a flagship experience at a price that doesn’t break the bank. It’s got an incredible display that’s both pleasant and comfortable to the eyes, a hiccup-free performance coupled with long-lasting battery life, and a super-fast charging speed.

More importantly, it comes with an impressive camera system with the 200MP main sensor taking the spotlight.

The only caveat would be the lack of IP rating and to some, an option for wireless charging. What irks me would be the limited security and software updates. Meaning, if you get this smartphone, you’re bound to buy another one for the next year or two.

If you’re the type of person who frequently changes their smartphone, the compromises wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s a solid deal, depending on your territory. The price really varies when it comes to different countries.

The HONOR 90 retails for GBP 450 for the 8GB/256GB unit and GBP 500 for the 12GB/512GB variant. It comes in three colors: Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Diamond Silver — an exclusive color to the HONOR website, HiHonor.

In the Philippines, it retails for Php 24,990. Get it at select HONOR Outlets or online channels such as Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop!

The post HONOR 90 review: Simply bedazzling appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Today, as confirmed by The Verge, TikTok has started issuing invitations for select creators to upload their podcasts on the app. When uploaded, users will no longer need to leave TikTok to listen to the podcast. Creators can also link their shortform videos to a respective episode.

Including actual podcast episodes is a big development for the platform. A lot of the biggest social media platforms today are evolving beyond their roots, attempting to become all-in-one apps. Instagram, for example, allows for integration with commerce options. X, besides expanding into long-form content, also has livestreaming and Spaces.

In the ongoing war for social media supremacy, platforms are experimenting with ways for users to never leave their respective apps anymore. With the new feature, TikTok will double as a podcasting app. Though the usual slate of podcast apps are available, other platforms have also expanded to the medium including Spotify.

SEE ALSO: TikTok adds passkey support for iOS

The post TikTok will soon support podcasts appeared first on GadgetMatch.

Being in the intersection between fitness and technology for over three years now, I would attest that smartwatches are expensive. With only a few bucks to spare, you’re lucky to get a functional smart band that can track your basic needs. Up your budget a notch, and you might get a decent smartwatch to accompany you on your fitness journey.

This is where Xiaomi aims to break the barriers of smartwatches. The Redmi Watch 3 Active is an affordable smartwatch that’s definitely a step up from a smart band, especially when it comes to features, design, and of course, price.

Monitor what you only need

Smart bands barely have any screen real estate to preview your fitness data. Smartwatches, on the other hand, are built differently. The same goes with the Redmi Watch 3 Active, which has a 1.83-inch screen that makes it easy to view information.

Truth be told: Smartwatches can get intimidating, especially when it packs plenty of features. I sometimes get overwhelmed when I get my hands on flagship and premium smartwatches. There’s so much going on, tbh.

The Redmi Watch 3 Active, somehow, provides comprehensive data by showing only what you need. With its full-scale fitness tracking, it’s easy to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen level. You can also see how many calories you’ve burned, how many steps you’ve taken, and if you’ve been moving enough to be closer to your goals.

Tracking your sleep, as well as stress levels, help give an overview of your current lifestyle and what you still need to change. These data may sound overwhelming, but these are pretty basic for a smartwatch. These are the only information you’ll ever need. Nothing fancy, just straightforward figures that might help you in your fitness journey.

The screen is big enough to house plenty of data, and swiping between widgets is easy. Although, not as smooth as most smartwatches. But then again, this smartwatch is considered entry-level, so temper your expectations.

More than just a fitness tracker

The most important indicator of your fitness level, for me, would be your heart rate. It shows how many beats per minute depending on the activity you’re doing. When I was taking photos of the Redmi Watch 3 Active, my heart rate spiked to over 100 bpm since I was under the sun trying out some calisthenics workout with my dip bar.

The accuracy may not be the same as most smartwatches, but seeing my resting heart rate go between 60-65 bpm means it’s close enough to my Apple Watch. FYI, my current resting heart rate as of writing is 58 bpm.

It’s pretty normal for athletes (some actually have lower) to have that low resting heart rate. A good indicator would be having 60 up to 90 bpm, which is counted as normal. If your resting heart rate is around 100 or beyond, it’s time for you to get off the couch and stop being a potato.

If you don’t have a gym membership — and a coach, even — then you don’t have to worry. The Redmi Watch 3 Active is equipped with over 100 workout modes, which include 10 professional workout modes.

It’s highly suitable for beginners since you can find workouts like running, walking, freestyle, hiking, and cycling. There are specific workouts as well, categorized into outdoor activities, training, dancing, combat sports, ball sports, winter sports, and recreational sports.

Suitable companion

After completing my first elite race at Spartan Stadion (a grueling 5KM race with 20 obstacles inside New Clark City’s Athletic Stadium) last mid-July, I took a short hiatus to recover from the race burnout.

Running in a category filled with national and pro athletes was exhausting for my mind, body, and spirit. It was a difficult test of my strength, pride, and willpower. The Redmi Watch 3 Active came a week after, prompting me to get back to taking care of my body with grace.

Somehow, the smartwatch’s advent into my life has impeccable timing. It was raining in Manila, endlessly, for days. I also didn’t have the energy to sign up back to the gym and start my training for Spartan’s Trifecta Weekend in November, dealing with post-race blues and personal affairs that caused me to lose weight.

I knew I had to resume training. Luckily, the Redmi Watch 3 Active’s different workout modes accompanied me in getting my strength back.

Train your mind and body

With jump rope as a workout mode, I get to measure my skips in the morning. There are also workouts that are highly specific depending on your equipment such as Dumbbell, Wall Ball, Barbell, Weightlifting, Deadlift, Burpee, and Sit-Ups.

Something more general includes strength, physical training, and functional fitness training. If you’re focused on certain parts of your body, the workout modes have the option to focus on the upper body, lower body, abs, and back.

As for me, I only pick functional fitness training when I do home workouts since I use bodyweight exercises that help with my athletic performance. When I’m training my muscle strength, I opt to do calisthenics using my dip bars and pull-up bar. There are no guides if you’re clueless about what workouts to do.

The training modes just allow you to see how many kilocalories you’re burning, the duration of your workout, and the intensity of your heart rate while performing the exercises. It’s usually categorized between light, intensive, aerobic, anaerobic, and VO2 Max — which refers to the maximum oxygen consumption. Usually, that’s when you hit your limit.

For everyday life

The Redmi Watch 3 Active pairs easily whether on an Android smartphone or an iPhone. With only the Mi Fitness app, you can see comprehensive data regarding your health and fitness.

Since it pairs seamlessly with any smartphone, the smartwatch makes it easy to read notifications, answer calls, check your calendar, and adjust music playback. You can even remotely capture photos from your phone using just the camera button on the smartwatch!

Even if it’s connected with Bluetooth and WiFi, the smartwatch lasts for at least 7 days — even when using it for different workouts. When on standby, the Redmi Watch 3 Active also indicates how much battery is left and how many days it would last. Fun fact: With several settings off and a full battery, the smartwatch promises up to 12 days of battery life.

In a way, the Redmi Watch 3 Active gives off an everyday smartwatch vibe. It has all the bells and whistles of a smartwatch, in a design that looks elegant when working out and balancing work and life.

The watch faces are customizable, with over 200 options to choose from. It also comes with optional straps to match your everyday style. Lastly, it’s lightweight and waterproof with a 5ATM. Just what you need out of a reliable smartwatch!

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The Redmi Watch 3 Active is quite packed for an affordable smartwatch. It has everything you’ll need to kickstart your fitness journey, and a little bit more. You can stop making excuses about having a smartwatch before starting to work out or sign up for a gym membership. This one’s highly affordable, priced at PhP 1,999, and available at Xiaomi’s exclusive Shopee store.

It’s not as smooth, powerful, and feature-packed as most smartwatches. You’ll need to shell out money for that, especially if you want to elevate your performance. But if you’re just starting out, this smartwatch is a must-have to cop. Xiaomi breaks the notion that smartwatches have to be expensive to be functional. The Redmi Watch 3 Active might just be the best value-for-money smartwatch right now.

The post Redmi Watch 3 Active: Basic but better appeared first on GadgetMatch.