Her GadgetMatch

Home appliances that fit your pastel, feminine aesthetic

Home appliances don’t have to be silver and boring

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Nowadays, it’s not that difficult to marry your aesthetic with technology that fits your needs. No, I’m not just talking about phones and personal gadgets here but appliances that make life much easier.

I still remember back in Spring of 2017 when we just moved to Berlin and we were still putting our kitchen together. I wanted some pastel colors in the kitchen. This, to make cooking a fun activity even in my busiest of days and in the dead of winter.  It was hard to find anything that matched my palette that also fit our budget.

Looking through this year’s IFA, we were given a glimpse of what’s now available in the market and what’s to come. Let’s just say, you won’t be stuck with just two options. So if you’re looking for appliances that fit your feminine aesthetic without having to sacrifice technological advancement, we got you covered.

SMEG: Retro Chic

A touch of color and retro feels that can make any Instagram feed happy. Their fridge is a classic and the design is something we are definitely familiar with. For functionality, it does tend to be basic but if you’re someone who wants something that is a straight-up fridge with not much frills, then this would be perfect.

You get ample space that can fit a small family’s needs for a week but it’s not a fridge I would recommend if you’re someone who likes to store food much longer than that. And let’s face it, why would you? You’d just forget about it anyway. Might as well get to them at their best state.

The price tag for a SMEG fridge here in Berlin start at about EUR 1,000 (US$ 1,107). If that’s pretty steep for you, the brand offers other items for your kitchen that come in pretty pastels as well. Something you can get for now while you save up for that fridge. From electric kettles, juicers, toasters, blenders and even mixers that can be a serious threat to Kitchenaid looks-wise, SMEG offers products that can still fit your budget despite its premium status.

What’s impressive is their dishwasher that comes in such a gorgeous shade of Cadillac pink. Despite the retro look, it comes with various modes that any modern homemaker will be happy about. Five programs that even cover your crystal plus five quick versions of each. For all those times when you get unexpected guests and you just need your dishes stat.

Bosch: For the Fickle Minded

We’ve all been there — waking up one day and just wanting to redecorate the whole apartment, wanting a fresh look for all the fresh starts we keep having. But if you decided on a bright red two years ago for your fridge, how in the world will it fit your new, much more relaxed, pastel aesthetic?

No worries, Bosch has the Vario fridge. The first fridge that was designed to be re-styled whenever you want and whatever your color your mood dictates. As long as it fits in their 24-color palette which, come to think of it, already feels like more than enough.

Prices in Germany start at EUR 1,279 inclusive of the standard grey fridge with a pair color panels. Extra panels come at EUR 179 for a pair.

Another thing we definitely enjoyed at the Bosch pavilion at IFA was the CookIt. It may not come in pretty pastel colors but it does come in white – which will definitely go with your colored pieces. The food processor and multicooker in one is definitely a game-changer in the kitchen that it got a GadgetMatch Best of IFA Award.

Samsung: Personalized Elegance

The first in their line of customizable appliances, Samsung introduced their BESPOKE refrigerator line. Not only do you get to choose the colors of your fridge, you also get to design how the modular configuration of the fridge can fit into your kitchen.

From the size, material, the number of doors, handle position, and the way it will all fit in your space, everything is decided by the customer. Choosing the configuration and colours for the fridge also come as an experience for the customer. A screen that immediately lets you see how it will look like in your own (or dream) kitchen wasn’t just convenient, it was fun to use as well.

A choice between nine colors also gives you the power to give each fridge door a different color. Another recipient of the Best of IFA award here at GadgetMatch, the Samsung BESPOKE refrigerators are rumored to come out mid-2020 here in Germany and we obviously can’t wait.

Accessories

Dyson Airstrait: Hair straightening with air, not heat

Less heat, less damage

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People may now straighten hair without worrying about heat damage. Dyson has launched the new Dyson Airstrait hair straightener, ushering a new era in hair straightening. As the product name suggests, this innovative tool introduces a new way to straighten hair using just air.

The Airstrait has a simple wet-to-dry straightening process. Airflow is accelerated through the two arms’ 1.5mm openings, creating a high-velocity downward blade of air at a specific angle. This creates a controlled downward force to straighten hair simultaneously as it dries.

With the tool, stylers can achieve a naturally straight and shiny finish that maintains the hair’s strength and healthy look. The Airstrait also speeds the process up by about 25%. What’s best is there is no heat damage, unlike traditional straighteners.

Designed for multiple hair types

The Airstrait runs on a specifically-engineered Hyperdymium motor, a 13-blade impeller that spins up to 106,000rpm and generates 3.5kPa of pressure. Like Dyson’s hair care range, the Airstrait features intelligent heat control that measures the airflow’s temperature to ensure there is no damage.

Users may switch between two styling modes: Wet and Dry. The Wet and Dry modes are pre-set with specific heat and airflow combinations for the best results. A Cool mode is also available to set the style. Moreover, the airflow control has two speed settings, low and high. Drying, meanwhile, can be set to cold shot or root drying.

The science

Dyson has constantly invested a lot financially in research and technology development to craft innovative products in its specific industry. In creating the Airstrait, Dyson engineers studied every detail, from airflow dynamics to hair structure. They also considered thermal, mechanical, and chemical damage and their effects to hair health.

In the end, the Airstrait works based on one key principle. In styling hair to a new shape, hydrogen bonds from each hair strand are broken down. Traditionally, this is done through heat or moisture. But Dyson came up with a tool that just lets water weaken the hydrogen bonds, and then style hair with the optimum level of heat and controlled airflow.

Price, availability

The Dyson Airstrait is available starting April 16 in two colorways: Bright Nickel/Rich Copper and Prussian Blue/Rich Copper. It is priced at PhP 33,900.

Those interested in preordering may already do using this link: Dyson Airstrait

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Filipina who created Window Garden joins Google Play program

More indie games to come?

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Filipina-owned CLOVER-FI Games is taking the next step to build more accessible mobile games through Google Play. One-woman developer and publisher Camilla Santiago is representing the country at Google Play’s Indie Games Accelerator (IGA) program this year.

Her CLOVER-FI Games studio is behind hit local game Window Garden. The idle game lets players plant and decorate their own virtual indoor garden while relaxing in chill vibes, lo-fi music, and a cottagecore aesthetic. It was released in October 2021, back when Santiago learned app development amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Windows Garden has since amassed a million downloads. In almost three years, it has been received well by gamers with a 4.7 rating based on more than 8,200 reviews.

Google Play IGA

The Google Play IGA is a 10-week course designed for high-potential indie game studios. The program allows these startups to access the best of Google’s programs, products, people, and technology to be able to build and improve a successful organization.

The last Philippine representative in the program was Ranida Games, which had created one-on-one fighting game Vita Fighters. Through IGA, the title received benefits, allowing the developers to improve it.

Like Ranida Games, Santiago’s CLOVER-FI Games is just getting started. Her studio’s goal is to ultimately create more cozy-themed games that are accessible to everyone through mobile platforms.

With the help of the IGA, Santiago will be equipped with the necessary skills and experience needed to create another potentially successful title just like Window Garden. We can only wait as she empowers Filipinas through her craft.

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Dyson unveils ‘most intelligent hair dryer’ yet

The Supersonic Nural

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During its global launch event in Seoul, South Korea, Dyson has unveiled its “most intelligent hair dryer” yet: The Dyson Supersonic Nural.

The styling tool harnesses Dyson’s new automatic Nural sensor technology to protect scalp health and enhance hair’s natural shine.

One of the Dyson Supersonic Nural’s key features is a Scalp protect mode which is activated by the Nural sensors.

This automatically reduces the dryer’s heat as it nears a person’s head, protecting the scalp from damage. The process is done by having the sensors recognize when the dryer is already nearing the person’s head.

In addition, the Supersonic Nural’s LED light automatically changes under Scalp mode, depending on the distance from the head. Users will see yellow for low heat, orange for medium heat, and red for high heat, for convenient usage.

Moreover, the tool intelligently remembers your last used heat and airflow settings and will apply them the next time it is in use.

Price, availability

The Dyson Supersonic Nural comes in two color palettes: Ceramic Patina and Topaz or Vinca Blue and Topaz.

The entire package will come with five attachments, including two new ones:

  • Gentle Air Attachment
  • Styling Concentrator
  • Smoothing Nozzle
  • Diffuser
  • Flyaway Smoother

However, the technology has not been made available in the Philippines yet as of writing time. To be the first to know when it arrives, sign up here.

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