Author: Jayvee Fernandez

UGREEN, king of mobile accessories is back with what I deem the last powerbank you will ever need. It’s compact, light, charges fast, and has multiple USB slots that can charge everything from your phone, compact camera, to your laptop. I’m currently using one now at IFA, Berlin: because of typhoon Enteng, our Manila to Berlin flight got waylaid by a day and I found myself booked at a hotel, before leaving almost 24 hours later. In that span of time anxiously waiting from the airport to the hotel — then back again to the airport — which flew us…

I don’t pay too much attention to the prices of smart TVs in the market, because unlike smartphones, you really just buy one or two of these televisions for your home and forget about it. What I do know is that the price of TVs have a steep curve downwards when new technology is introduced. The first flatscreen TVs from brands like Sony were pegged at P1M pesos for an 80″ screen. Yep. You heard that right – one million pesos. This was way back in the mid 2000’s when flatscreen LED technology was new. A few years later you…

Third time’s the charm! I was a huge fan of the HONOR Magic V2 when it was released it earlier this year. At that time it promised to be the thinnest foldable phone in the market, taking jabs at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5. With this new iteration, HONOR is again taking jabs as a marketing technique — claiming that the new HONOR Magic V3 is thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6. Here is a photo to prove it, with the Fold6 on the right. The V3 is slightly — but noticeable thinner than the competition. Does thin matter…

In an era where smart home solutions are rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern living, TCL stands at the forefront of innovation and quality. As the company embarks on a new chapter under the leadership of Peter Chen, who was appointed CEO this August, the focus is clear: to solidify TCL’s presence as a global leader in consumer electronics, particularly through their ambitious Whitelines Campaign. A Vision for Global Expansion Peter Chen’s journey with TCL spans nearly a decade, with eight years dedicated to overseas operations. His deep understanding of the market dynamics has positioned him perfectly to lead the…

This isn’t the first time we’ve written about the latest iteration of foldables from Samsung. In fact, we’ve written quite extensively about our experiences with these new Samsung devices and how they relate to the entire ecosystem. In the video below I gave my fresh perspective on the new devices — it’s less of a review of the new phones but more of a commentary on the state of Android: that there are really two types of Android users — those that are concerned about specs (mostly the China brands) and, well, Samsung. The latter doesn’t seem to care too…

Following the tradition of the SMART Amazing Phone in the 2000’s and the SMART Netphone in 2011, SMART has unveiled its new SMART-branded phone that will make 5G access easier and cheaper for the everyday Filipino. It’s been 13 years since SMART launched the Netphone, a device that was meant to push mass adoption of data and apps through WAC (Wholesale Application Communities) which was sort of like an open source version of Play Store / app store. It ran on a 600mhz ARM 11 processor. Yesterday SMART revealed the ZTE Blade A75, which is the Netphone’s spiritual successor. It…

It’s August 2024, more than half a year since a January report by our sister publication Businessworld on Filipinos expecting to lose their jobs because of Artificial Intelligence. In the study, 73% of Flipinos who were surveyed said this technology will lead to job losses, with 48% saying that AI will not help create new jobs. When I reference AI, I am talking about specific technologies such as Generative AI (GenAI) and machine learning that can be used for certain levels of creative output and customer service such as chatbots. Anecdotally, I’ve heard from friends in the BPO industry that…

itel has unveiled its latest super-budget phone, the P65. If you’re looking for an entry level phone that does NOT look cheap, consider this. Here are the specs: SPECS So yes, as you can see this is a device that really answers the question “I need an Android phone for less than P5,000 but looks mid-range.” In terms of camera performance, there isn’t much to write home except that it does what it was destined to do: take photos. It only comes with one 50 MP rear camera with no frills. The default camera mode is called AI CAM. It…

I consider OnePlus to be more of a marketing company than a phone manufacturer, as it really is a flashier subsidiary to OPPO. There was a time, long ago, when they used to build hype through online-only reservation channels. But in the highly competitive world of C-brand phones, it’s easier to stand out as an odd outlier. I actually like this phone. The Nord CE4 Lite 5G comes with a tad of things I can enjoy. Smart packaging with the iconic red charging cable (it’s 80W SUPERVOOC ready), a 3.5mm jack for the old-school audiophile, 5500mAh battery, 8GB RAM +…

If you’re a content creator looking to level up your game, you shouldn’t fade on the Hollyland Lark M2. As someone who has been on the go lately, I’ve been trying to figure out a new setup for my content creation needs that’s (a) pocktable and (b) modular. For my setup, I have my trusty smartphone, a Fuji X-T30ii, and a GoPro HERO12 with an AI tracking gimbal. The one thing I lacked was a versatile wireless mic that could fit on all three of these devices. A wireless mic makes a huge difference in content consumption. Cheap mics from…