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

ChatGPT will soon allow NSFW conversations

The platform will start age-gating users in December.

Published

October 16, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Every day, we inch closer and closer to the strange reality of Joaquin Phoenix’s Her. Today’s AI-powered chatbots have inevitably adapted to address our more carnal desires. Some, such as those offered by xAI, are even explicitly designed to only flirt with the user. Soon, ChatGPT will offer the same thing: a way for adult users to… well, be adults.

Through a post on X, OpenAI’s Sam Altman reiterated ChatGPT’s impending drive to introduce age-gating in December. Keeping younger users from the platform will open ChatGPT to more “mature” conversations. Altman specifically names “erotica” as one of the potential uses of a looser platform.

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have…

— Sam Altman (@sama) October 14, 2025

Additionally, ChatGPT is rolling out an update which will make the platform more personable and comparable to actual conversations. This includes using more emojis or talking like a friend.

The platform is also adding more safeguards when it comes to mental health issues, given that more people are using it as a makeshift therapist. Recently, Altman made sure that ChatGPT treated mental health with more delicateness. To some, especially those without such issues, the platform became more unusable. To bring back how it used to be, the platform will add better tools to detect whether the user is in “mental distress.”

Finally, OpenAI is implementing a backend solution to mental health by creating a new council of researchers and experts to accurately determine the impact of AI on mental health. Currently, it’s still unknown how much this new technology is helping (or harming) our wellbeing.

Apps

YouTube is getting a redesign

The update looks a bit like Liquid Glass.

Published

October 15, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

What’s your favorite YouTube design? I still hold a bit of nostalgia for the silver era, but the practicality of the current minimalist design is remarkable. Now, it’s time for a change. YouTube is refreshing its design starting this week.

Much like Apple with Liquid Glass, YouTube is going for a more transparent approach. The new design lets more content through the interface. It also features rounder buttons, in contrast to today’s blockier features.

The comments section is also getting a bit of an upgrade to allow for more structure between original posts and replies.

For engagement with actual videos, some videos will now have custom like animations. The update gives an example of a music video which puts out a musical note when liked. Adding a video to a custom playlist or the Watch Later list is also more natural.

YouTube is rolling out these updates starting this week. It will also be available for web, mobile, and TV users.

Apps

ChatGPT Go now available in the Philippines, more Asian countries

Access to more popular ChatGPT features for an affordable subscription plan

Published

October 9, 2025

GadgetMatch

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

OpenAI has officially launched ChatGPT Go in 16 Asian countries, including the Philippines. This is the most cost-friendly subscription option yet at just PhP 300 (~ US$ 5.15).

This development gives users in the serviced regions greater access to ChatGPT’s advanced capabilities at a more affordable price.

To get started, simply visit chat.openai.com or download the ChatGPT mobile app, then create an account and select ChatGPT Go as your plan. The payment process is simple.

On the other hand, those who already have accounts may simply upgrade to Go.

The launch comes amid strong growth adoption of OpenAI’s tools in the Philippines. In fact, the country ranks among the top five countries for weekly ChatGPT users in Asia.

In addition, the top five use cases locally are tutoring, editing, personal writing, “how to” advice, and creative ideation.

At PhP 300 a month, ChatGPT Go subscribers will gain access to ChatGPT’s most popular features, including higher message limits, image generation, file uploads, and memory.

These are all powered by GPT-5, OpenAI’s most-advanced model.

Specifically, here’s the perks for the Go plan compared to free:

10x higher message limits
10x more image generations per day
10x more file or image uploads per day
2x longer memory for personalized responses

ChatGPT Go will join existing subscription options Plus (PhP 1,100) and Pro (PhP 9,900).

Plus is for subscribers who need more advanced thinking models and features like deep research, agent mode, and Sora video creation.

Meanwhile, Pro is for professionals, researchers, or organizations who need enterprise-grade scale, pro-level reasoning, and the most advanced features.