Apps

STEPN: The app that lets you earn while you walk, jog, or run

Earn as you move

Published

June 16, 2022

GadgetMatch

Have you ever wondered what to do with numbers after tracking a walk, jog, or run workout?

What if we told you that you can monetize your workouts? That’s the premise of the up-and-coming play-to-earn lifestyle app STEPN.

Launched in December 2021, STEPN allows players to quite literally earn while they move.

This is done by incorporating blockchain technology for the decentralized transfer of information and assets.

That makes it possible for the game to use non-fungible tokens (NFTs) which can later be traded for cryptocurrencies.

How it works

Of course, the process does take effort. Users must follow these steps:

Download v through the Apple App Store or Google Play
Sign up and create a wallet for the application
Buy an NFT sneaker from the in-app marketplace that fits their activity type (Walk, Run, Jog, or Train)
Players may pay for the NFT sneaker using SOL, the native crypto token of the Solana blockchain (Solana also created STEPN)

For those unaware, SOL is available on PDAX, the Philippines’ crypto exchange site. Here, interested users may convert pesos to SOL to start their purchase of an NFT sneaker.

Once a player’s sneakers are set, all they have to do is to begin moving.

The app’s GPS will track a player’s movement and reward him or her for successfully maintaining the required pace of the sneaker type they’re wearing.

Cash-outs from PDAX later on may also be done through popular outlets like Maya, InstaPay, PESONet, and more.

How much will one earn

Depending on the type of sneaker for your workout, one unit of Energy can earn you varying levels of GST – STEPN’s in-game token.

The more difficult the workout, the more GST tokens you get. Walking gets you up to 4 GST for 1 to 6 kilometers an hour while running gets you up to 6 GST tokens per Energy at 8-20 kilometers of movement per hour.

As of writing, a GST is approximately worth PhP 30.

In the future, STEPN users will also be able to collect another token called GMT in future app updates.

The GMT may be earned by leveling up your NFT sneaker.

Both GST and GMT can then be traded for other cryptocurrencies or even fiat currencies to enable players to earn as they move.

Apps

WhatsApp will introduce usernames to hide your phone number

Hide your number from others.

Published

June 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

WhatsApp is about to get an extra later of protection. After thriving on number-based chatting, the platform will soon add usernames, eliminating the need to share your number with strangers.

Usernames are the standard way of maintaining your anonymity online. Though most platforms today require users to log their email addresses or phone numbers, establishing a username can prevent other users from seeing this information way too easily.

Today, Meta has started rolling out reservations for WhatsApp usernames. The feature itself isn’t available yet, but early adopters can grab theirs as soon as the setting becomes available on their app.

To access the reservation, users can go to Settings > Account > Username. Of note, this isn’t available for everyone yet. But if you want to take dibs on a specific name, be on the lookout for the setting.

As for the username itself, users can reserve anything as long as it’s unique. Business owners and creators can also use their Facebook or Instagram handles as their WhatsApp usernames.

The feature, once it launches, will stop users from accessing your phone number when messaging. Similarly, other users will now need your exact username to start a conversation. Users can also set a separate code to protect conversations further.

Apps

HONOR, Xiaomi are working on their own Privacy Displays

Samsung’s Privacy Display is apparently very popular

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Normally, a smartphone brand’s blatant copying of another brand’s feature is not a good practice. Today, however, there is a new feature that we wish other brands would copy: Samsung’s Privacy Display. Thankfully, some brands, like HONOR, have finally gotten the message and are working on version of the feature.

As reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, HONOR is reportedly working on a privacy screen for its smartphones. Likewise, Xiaomi is working on the same thing, potentially launching the feature for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Privacy Display is a built-in feature that blocks visibility of the screen at certain angles. If you’re not looking at the screen from the front, all you’ll see is a black void. It’s a built-in version of those protective screens that you can buy separately. Besides adding a nice layer of protection against scratches, it’s also meant to prevent snooping from your shoulder.

Samsung’s take was widely acclaimed for being insanely useful. When it arrives, this feature will be a godsend to more brands. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on third-party screen just to enjoy the privacy.

That said, there’s still no indication as to when these features will arrive on either HONOR or Xiaomi.

Apps

Meta is reportedly experimenting on a gambling app

Users can spend virtual points on Arena.

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Meta does not have the most stellar of reputations. Despite offering the world’s most popular social media platforms, the company, through its various experiments throughout the years, continuously proves that it has other priorities than just providing the best for its users. Today, another reported experiment wants to take Meta to a new market that its users might fall into: the prediction market.

If you haven’t heard of the prediction market, consider yourself lucky. These apps, such as Kalshi, are basically just gambling platforms without the glitz of playing cards or the rigor of the stock market. Users gamble on mundane circumstances like the weather and more serious ones like war.

Today, as reported by The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly asking Meta to develop a prediction app of its own. Interestingly, the experimental app, supposedly called Arena, will use virtual points, rather than real money. However, Meta has not ruled out real money — and hence, real gambling — in the future.

Meta is entering the industry at an extremely volatile time. The world is starting to crack down on prediction markets. Some users, for example, have been accused of using insider information to get easy wins on these platforms. Some markets have also accused these platforms of subverting anti-gambling laws.