Apps

5 free apps for amazing deals in the Philippines

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Being cheap doesn’t mean getting the worst; you just have to be practical to get the best deals in town. You don’t even have to look too far, because your smartphone is just waiting for you to download these apps to get discounts and freebies.

We personally use these apps, so we’re a living testament to how great they are. From commuting to eating, watching movies, and staycations, we’ve got you covered!

Angkas

When Uber was suspended in the Philippines, we turned to other ride-sharing and booking services. One of them was Angkas — a motorcycle passenger service. Riding on a motorcycle through major thoroughfares is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it gets us to our destinations faster! We also get discounts every week, ranging from PhP 20 to PhP 40 from user-exclusive promo codes. We use Angkas during rush hour traffic since it’s cheaper compared to Uber or Grab’s spiked-up rates.

Download: iOS / Android

Booky

You gotta love Booky for their amazing Buy One, Get One deals! The app started off as your go-to restaurant finder that works even when you’re offline. It then offered table reservations with discounts of up to PhP 500, and now, they have a wide selection of buy one, take one promos. You can get two Potato Corner jumbo fries for the price of one, and more!

Download: iOS / Android

GMovies

If you love going to the cinemas, you should have GMovies on your phone. With this app, you get to check out current show times from popular movie theaters, join other movie buffs with their discussion, and most importantly, get rewards and discounts. You receive an initial PhP 100 off your first ticket purchase, and earn points which you can convert for a movie ticket. GMovies also gives out discount codes for new movie releases every week, plus surprise deals for movie festivals.

Download: iOS / Android

TravelBook.ph

While there a lot of online hotel booking services, TravelBook.ph always give us the best deals in the Philippines. When trying a number of similar services, we always end up with TravelBook.ph since they have the cheapest prices. Not only that, you also get generous points (one point = one peso) every booking, plus seasonal discount codes that you can apply. You even get bonus points for providing an honest review and by being loyal to the service.

Download: iOS / Android

Zen Rooms

If you’re traveling abroad or even locally, you should check out Zen Rooms. We first discovered Zen Rooms when their service was limited to selected places, but now, they cover more Asian countries and Philippine cities like Cebu, Bohol, and Boracay, to name a few. While their quality-assured rooms are already cheap, you also get discount codes through their newsletters. Additionally, you can search for more Zen Room coupons online that you might have missed.

Download: iOS / Android

SEE ALSO: Five Uber app alternatives for your daily commute

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Apps

New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

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New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

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Apps

Disney+ might get always-on channels similar to cable TV

Featuring content from Marvel, Star Wars, and classic Disney

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Disney+ | Disney Plus

The burden of choice on streaming platforms is real. If you’re like us, you’ve spent hours just mindlessly scrolling through titles on Netflix or Disney+ without watching anything. Netflix, at least, has a Play Something button to fight off that irresistible urge. Now, Disney+ is reportedly trying something different: always-on channels.

If you already cut cable from your lives, you’re likely missing traditional channels or networks that have pre-determined programming. It was a flawed system that eventually ended up with mediocre content and a downpour of ads. However, cable did allow us to keep watching without deciding what comes next.

Now, according to The Information, Disney+ is working on adding those channels to its streaming service. Naturally, these channels will include content from the platform’s library such as Marvel, Star Wars, and its list of classic animated films.

Strangely, the reported feature might still have ads in between programs. Though the addition of ads does mean a better similarity with real television, users still have to be paying subscribers to access the channels. Even if you’re already paying for Disney+, you might still get hit with ads.

Disney has not confirmed the reports yet. The platform might launch a version of the feature outside of the scope included in this report. It’s also unknown when these always-on channels will launch.

SEE ALSO: Macross to be available on Disney+

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Apps

Google might offer satellite connectivity soon

Starting with the Pixel 9 series

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A few years ago, Apple unleashed one of the most interesting features for the iPhone today: Emergency SOS. Designed for those who like their fair bit of the outdoors, Emergency SOS allows users to contact emergency services without network coverage. Other manufacturers, however, are struggling to adopt the same feature. Now, Google might soon join Apple in providing satellite connectivity for its users.

Despite the convenience, satellite connectivity hasn’t taken off as much as the industry expected it to. For one, a network of satellites isn’t the easiest thing to maintain. Apple is still currently offering its services for free, a gamble that may or may not pay off. Now, the iPhone maker won’t be alone.

According to Android Authority, Google might start offering the same service to Pixel 9 users. Starting with this year’s upcoming flagship, the company is reportedly teaming up with T-Mobile to create satellite connectivity for its users. The telecommunications network is teaming up with SpaceX for the feature.

The same report describes how the feature might work. Once activated, the feature will ask users of their situation: is everyone breathing, are people trapped, are weapons involved, among others. The phone will then relay this information to emergency authorities for a rapid response.

Unfortunately, pricing remains a mystery. While Apple is still offering its satellite connectivity for free, other brands might put the burden of cost on the end user. Hopefully, they won’t, but a paid version is unfortunately expected at this point.

SEE ALSO: Should you be excited for Apple’s satellite connectivity?

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