I used to live in validation. Maybe it’s because of too much exposure to social media and the little hearts that spark joy when you see them across your notification bars from those vibrant displays in your beloved gizmos.
But I’ve seen it from both generations — Millennials, Generation Z, and even Zillennials (Yes, we exist) — and how a lot of people are struggling with taking control of other people’s perceptions.
TikTok, and the past decade or so, changed the way people behave in social media. While there are still clout-chasers, a lot of people found their voices and their most authentic self. Living unapologetically seems to be the trend nowadays, and a trend that I’m willing to be part of.
In an age of flexing your status symbol, presenting a curated version of yourself, and keeping up with everyone — Samsung disrupts this era with its Awesome campaign rooting back in early 2020. (Right before the world shut down).
Now in its fourth year, Samsung brings out the Galaxy A54 5G, continuing its message that awesome is for everyone. And being awesome, of course, is living on your own terms, unapologetically.
To a new you
It takes a lot of detoxing, unlearning old and learning new beliefs, and creating healthier habits to live my truth.
Samsung’s newest phone is a reminder of what it means to be who you are. When the Galaxy A54 looked similar to its flagship Galaxy S series, I couldn’t fathom the thought of being unable to distinguish which is which, especially for the untrained eye.
But the South Korean company’s explanation, in a press briefing I attended a month ago, appeased my confusion. Like a performer making its way through the fog from a smoke machine.
The goal was to make sure that Samsung users — even if they’re using phones from midrange to flagship lines — have the same design language. Kinda like iPhones.
No matter the price, an iPhone is an iPhone. It evens the playing field and there is no shaming on whether you’re using an iPhone 7, XS, or the latest ones.
So many people are hung up on how their phones would fair against other people, that they forgot that it’s just a tool so you can live the life you want.
BRB, becoming myself
What I love about the Galaxy A54 is how it lets me live my life on my own terms. It’s not a flagship smartphone, of course, but flagship smartphones always made me feel like I’m not using them to their fullest potential.
Midrange smartphones, surprisingly, are enough. They come with powerful chipsets and internals that you can do anything you want.
I mean, come on, dude. I’ve been playing Ragnarok Origin on the A54 from morning until the battery drops dead. Okay, just kidding at the drop-dead part. I don’t do that with my smartphones.
I play at 8 in the morning while AFK leveling during work hours and come back to my phone with a 12 percent battery at 3 in the afternoon. It heats up, but not to the point where it’s blazingly hot that you can’t touch it.
Apart from that, I get to simultaneously use it for chatting with my friends from my sports team and measuring my statistics during training via Samsung Health and my Galaxy Watch4 Classic.
I also play my favorite tunes while connected to my Galaxy Buds2 Pro, use it as a hotspot whenever I’m working remotely at some coffee shop, and even multitask for work-related stuff.
You see, that’s what I like about the A54. I may not binge-scroll on TikTok or watch on Netflix until the wee hours but for whatever lifestyle you have, it’s equipped with enough power to get through your day and night.
Its features are so well-rounded, it doesn’t focus on just an aspect of your life. That’s what makes it awesome.
Record the way you like it
Some people just want to take selfies. Some want to capture their favorite moments during their night outs, travels, and everyday life.
And some would love to record videos and take amazing photographs. Whatever you want to do, the A54 is equipped with the right set of cameras so you can live your most unapologetic self.
Here are some of the snaps I took using the Galaxy A54 for a month.
Live unapologetically
The Galaxy A54, in some way and form, helps you stop caring about what other people think. It lets you embrace your authentic self and encourages you to change what doesn’t work for you.
It’s the quintessential mid-range smartphone; an important device to add to your arsenal as you take on life’s daily battles.
It’s powerful, long-lasting, and takes awesome photos — enough to keep up with you and your preferred lifestyle. Hands down, it’s the best midrange device for any kind of lifestyle. Samsung is true to its promise that Awesome is for everyone.
The Galaxy A54 isn’t just a smartphone anymore, it’s a life companion for a few years or so. (It will have four major OS upgrades and five years of security patches.)
The Galaxy A54 5G starts at PhP 24,990 for the 128GB variant and PhP 26,990 for the 256GB variant. It comes in three colors: Awesome Lime, Awesome Black, and an online-exclusive Awesome Violet.
SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy A34 review: Awesome, trustworthy all-rounder
When Superman premiered last year, it was carrying over a decade’s worth of baggage from the ultra-gritty Snyderverse. It held the promise of a fresh superhero world that emphasizes fun. Now, Supergirl is no different. Whereas Superman was tasked with restarting a dying cinematic universe, Supergirl wants to prove that the former wasn’t just a one-hit wonder, and it does exactly that amid a few struggles.
Though David Corenswet’s Superman does make quite a few cameos in the film, Supergirl is about Clark Kent’s titular cousin. It’s also based on the award-winning book, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King.
Celebrating her 23rd birthday, Kara Zor-El travels to planets with a red sun, the only places where she can get drunk as a Kryptonian. In one planet, she meets Ruthye Marye Knoll, who, after seeing Supergirl’s resilience, asks Kara to hunt Krem, the leader of the Brigands who killed her whole family. Kara initially refuses, but when Krem poisons Krypto, her dog, she goes off on her own to find the Brigand.
A classic tale of revenge
As with the original book, Supergirl is a tale of reluctant revenge instigated by a child desperate for it and a more mature mentor who knows better. Despite Kara’s nihilistic tendencies, she believes that revenge isn’t the right path for Ruthye.
It’s your standard fare of a revenge tale, somewhat bordering on a classic Western. In essence, it follows much of the structure of the original book. There are, however, some interesting changes, which may or may not be helpful to the story.
By switching to a more traditional plot structure, Supergirl trades away the book’s fleshed out relationship between Kara and Ruthye. Though Kara still cares for her young protégé, Ruthye has unfortunately been reduced to a fiery platitude, telling people who she is and how much she wants to kill Krem. At one point, Kara even makes fun of her little speech.
Krem, on the other hand, feels much more ferocious. Though the book’s Krem was evil in his own right, he was more of a mundane type of evil, just-an-average-Joe evil. The movie’s Krem is the type you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. He looks like he took a few too many steroids.
On the one hand, these changes make for a smoother film. Though the movie starts off slow, it eventually rolls towards a superhero-level fight at the end. On the other, it loses the message of the original story about the complexities of revenge.
On James Gunn’s universe
Normally, it’s a compliment to have a movie comparable to a James Gunn movie. There is another side to the coin, though.
Despite being tagged as fundamentally different from the tone of Superman, it’s clear that Supergirl was influenced by Gunn’s vision. There are jokes, random aliens, and a liberal use of older songs. On a micro level, it just doesn’t hit as hard as a Gunn flick, though.
For one, in a Gunn movie, each unnamed alien has so much character that you’d hardly believe that they’re just extras. In Supergirl, background characters, even those with speaking roles, don’t lift up from the screen. They just blend into the background. Likewise, the Brigands, despite how much eviler their actions are, don’t look like anything beyond generic sci-fi villains.
On a larger scale, keeping up with Gunn’s vision makes sense. Supergirl’s take on Kara’s story complements Superman’s story so well. Kara’s origin, explored in the film, contrasts with Clark’s. Ultimately, it helps turn Clark and Kara into fully fleshed out characters, rather than the tired stereotypes of Mr. Goody Two Shoes and his apathetic sidekick.
It also helps that Lobo, played by Jason Momoa, adds an interestingly cosmic element to the universe’s growing cast of characters. Finally spreading his wings away from Aquaman, Momoa has finally found a role perfect for him. He steals all the scenes that he’s in.
Should you watch Supergirl?
Supergirl is not on the same level as Superman. While the latter is Gunn at his absolute best, the former is a Gunn-esque film that drops the original story’s message in favor of a plot friendlier to the big screen.
That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad movie. In fact, it does well to expand the lore started by the first film. Supergirl is still a worthy, albeit smaller, addition to the growing DCU oeuvre.
Global K-pop sensation LE SSERAFIM is returning to BlizzCon.
Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the five-member girl group will perform as the closing musical act at BlizzCon 2026. LE SSERAFIM will take the Main Stage on Sunday, September 13 (PT), bringing fans another live performance after its BlizzCon debut in 2023.
The appearance also comes ahead of the group’s upcoming U.S. tour. Blizzard teased that the performance will make it a “Perfect Night” for fans attending the convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.
View this post on Instagram
LE SSERAFIM returns to Blizzard
LE SSERAFIM debuted in 2022 under SOURCE MUSIC, a label of HYBE. The group is composed of Sakura Miyawaki, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha Nakamura, and Hong Eunchae.
The group’s name is an anagram of “I’m Fearless,” reflecting the confidence that has defined its music since debut.
This won’t be LE SSERAFIM’s first crossover with Blizzard. The group previously collaborated with Overwatch 2, bringing themed cosmetics and a special event to the hero shooter.
BlizzCon 2026 is sold out
BlizzCon is Blizzard Entertainment’s annual community celebration. It brings together fans of World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and other Blizzard franchises for game announcements, developer panels, esports, cosplay, and hands-on experiences.
Passes for BlizzCon 2026 have already sold out. However, Blizzard says tickets may still become available through the Tixr public resale marketplace.
Fans can learn more about LE SSERAFIM’s appearance on Blizzard’s official blog.
Her GadgetMatch
Dyson’s viral portable fan arrives in the Philippines
If there is one Dyson launch that has generated unusual levels of anticipation this year, it is the Dyson HushJet Mini Portable Fan.
The compact cooling device quickly gained a following after its international release, reportedly selling out within a day in several markets. Now, just in time for the hottest and most humid months of the year (no thanks to climate change), it is finally arriving in the Philippines.
With temperatures continuing to climb, the timing feels almost inevitable. Lightweight and designed for use on the move, the HushJet™ Mini brings Dyson’s airflow technology into a portable format that fits easily into everyday life—whether commuting through the city, attending outdoor events, traveling, or spending long days under the sun.
Its appeal extends beyond functionality. Finished in Dyson’s Stone/Blush colorway, the device combines cooling performance with a sleek aesthetic that feels at home alongside the accessories people already carry daily.
The launch also marks one of the most accessible entry points into the Dyson ecosystem. Priced at PhP6,499, the HushJet Mini offers consumers a practical way to experience the brand’s engineering and design in a product built for everyday use.
Given the strong demand seen overseas, interest is expected to be high when the fan officially launches in the Philippines.
Where, when, and how to get your own Dyson HushJet
The Dyson HushJet Mini Portable Fan in Stone/Blush will be available beginning June 25, 2026 at 3 p.m. at participating Dyson stores, including Mall of Asia, Podium, Greenbelt 5, and One Bonifacio High Street.
For those hoping to get their hands on one, it may be worth keeping a close eye on Dyson Philippines’ official social media channels and Dyson.ph. If international demand is any indication, this could be one of the season’s most sought-after releases.
-
News2 weeks agoTECNO’s SPARK 50 Pro is the latest budget smartphone battery beast
-
Buyer's Guide1 week agoBuyer’s Guide: TECNO SPARK 50 Pro vs SPARK 50 5G
-
Singapore3 days agoXiaomi opens largest Singapore store yet at VivoCity
-
Reviews7 days agovivo X300 Ultra review: A “Whole Different Animal”
-
News1 week agoBudget smartphone realme C100 Series launches
-
Reviews1 week agoHONOR Watch 6 Review: Less guessing, more knowing
-
Laptops2 weeks agoROG launches 2026 Strix gaming laptop series
-
Reviews1 week agoThe realme P4 Power: realme’s midrange power play?


































