Accessories

When elegant craftsmanship meets avant-garde technology

The G-SHOCK MR-G series is every watch collector’s dream~

Published

June 16, 2023

MJ Jucutan

The pinnacle of G-SHOCK has just arrived in the Pearl of the Orient!

Armed with unparalleled Japanese craftsmanship and experience, the G-SHOCK MR-G series dawned with indestructible strength and beauty, integrated with cutting-edge digital technology to keep up with the times.

Homage to history

The MR-G series was born after Engineer Kikuo Ibe, Casio’s Head of Watch Design, created G-SHOCK in 1981. Ibe’s mission to offer a reliable, durable shock-proof watch birthed a timepiece withstanding the austerity of the daily grind.

The MRG-B5000B-1 pays homage to the G-SHOCK brand color featured in the very first model

Paying homage to the very first model, the makers of MR-G employed a Black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating on the MRG-B5000B-1. The coating yielded an all-black exterior, exuding a sophisticated veneer.

To complement the burnish, two Japanese hues were applied to the watch’s bezel and dial. Kachi-iro, known to the samurais as the color of victory, exhibits deep shades of Navy Blue. Meanwhile, the Akazonae evoked an all-crimson armor to illustrate alor by elite samurai units in the Warring States.

A tale of strength and beauty

The new MR-G series was showcased at a fancy dinner with key executives and individuals. Celebrities and select members of the press also graced the event.

L-R: Saki Nagaoka handling the toughness test, Founding father of G-SHOCK Kikuo Ibe together with GadgetMatch’s Associate Creative Director MJ Jucutan, and Sena Kuroda discussing the Frogman.

Kikuo Ibe, together with Sena Kuroda and Saki Nagaoka from Casio Singapore and Casio Japan respectively, demonstrated the beauty and toughness of a G-SHOCK timepiece.

The executives took pride in the timepiece’s durability, thanks to its all-metal construction. The band uses the DAT55G, a titanium alloy three times harder than pure titanium. Meanwhile, the bezels are made of Cobarion and Ti64 Titanium Alloy adding a glowing, radiant finish on top of enduring durability.

Various techniques were also applied in giving a sleek finish to the watches. Sallaz Polishing was executed to achieve mirror finishes on the surface of the titanium. It’s still considered the ultimate polishing technique among highly skilled artisans.

Furthermore, a deep layer of hardening process creates a coating that’s roughly four to five times harder than pure titanium. An added DLC coating also served to enhance scratch resistance.

The state-of-the-art nano processing by YAMAGATA Casio was also applied to create that defined grind mark finish. Its special shape is created with high-precision die molding.

Excellence in craftsmanship

G-SHOCK prides itself on excellent craftsmanship, applying different artisan techniques to create a luxurious finish. ASANO Bihou, master of the traditional tsuiki hammering technique, created a unique relief pattern to produce a rugged texture on the surface.

Meanwhile, Renowned swordsmith GASSAN Sadanobu has carved the Yasuri-me patterns on the bands. An inscription of the GASSAN family is also engraved to show their devotion to sword forging.

Casting artisan KIKUCHI Masano added a rusted steel texture using a special die on the bezel. It was then hand-carved by master chaser KOYABASHI Masao with the image of a majestic dragon.

Lastly, KOMATSU Kazuhito added his cutting and polishing expertise for the mirror-surface facet cuts in cobarion.

A real diver’s watch

The efforts and dedication in carefully crafting the timepieces from design and material to finish proved that the G-SHOCK MR-G is a watch worthy to be added to every watch enthusiast’s collection.

Moreover, an upcoming FROGMAN MRF-BF1000R will come with an ISO-standard 200m water resistance coupled with a titanium exterior. It will also have a sapphire crystal screw-on case back that uses blue vapor deposition to depict the iconic frog character, suitable for a timepiece made for plunging into the depths of the sea and freedom.

A luxury belonging to a premier purveyor

Casio Computer Co., Ltd, in partnership with CSC Time Inc, its official distributor in the Philippines brought the G-SHOCK MR-G series in the Philippines. The luxury timepieces are now exclusively available at the L’Atelier Lucerne at GF15 Shangri-la at The Fort Manila, 3rd Ave. cor 30th St. Crescent Park, West District, Taguig City.

To know more about G-SHOCK MR-G, visit www.casio.com/ph/ and follow its social media pages: Facebook and Instagram.

Accessories

Jackery expands Explorer Series portable power stations

For life uninterrupted

Published

August 19, 2026

GadgetMatch

Jackery has expanded its Explorer Series, introducing three new models: the Explorer 300D, Explorer 500 V2, and Explorer 2000 V2.

These new portable power station models join the earlier Explorer 100 Plus, 300 Plus, and 1000 V2 releases earlier in the year.

Each is built for different needs, from brief power interruptions to outdoor adventures and prolonged outages.

The Jackery Explorer 300D is a grab-and-go variant for unexpected power cuts. It is a compact power station weighing just about 2.5 kilograms and is 64% smaller than standard 300Wh units.

With a speaker-like form factor, 288Wh capacity, and 300W total DC output, it is the ideal power station for content creators, remote workers, and outdoor enthusiasts who live life on the move.

It can juice up a fast-charging Type-C laptop three to four times, smartphones up to 22 times, and drone batteries four to five times.

The Explorer 300D comes with unique DC-only design to eliminate idle power loss. It also has a 2-in-1 shoulder strap that unclips to double as a heavy-duty 140W USB-C charging cable.

Meanwhile, the Jackery Explorer 500 V2 packs a 512Wh capacity and 500W max output into a sleek frame.

It has an Uninterruptible Power Supply switchover time of under 10 milliseconds, ensuring devices such as Wi-Fi routers or laptops will not drop connection. It can also power up a desk fan for about 8.5 hours.

For easy storage, it has a fold-down handle. This makes the power station also portable to carry with you wherever you need it.

Lastly, the heavy-duty Jackery Explorer 2000 V2 features a massive 2,042Wh capacity and 2,200W inverter.

Weighing just 17.9 kilograms, it is about 41% lighter and 34% smaller than standard generators in the 2kWh category.

It can power a standard inverter refrigerator for up to 14 hours, run a 1.0 HP air conditioner for up to 3.5 hours, or power multiple electric fans for up to 28 hours.

It can also power kitchen essentials like rice cookers, small water heaters or coffee makers, and microwaves, in case hunger strikes amidst a power interruption.

The Explorer 2000 V2 also features an EV-grade LiFePO4 battery engineered for over 10 years of daily use.

The entire Jackery lineup is available on Lazada, Shopee, the Jackery kiosk at SM Fairview, and other partner stores.

Accessories

Pulse Elevate wireless speakers come to Southeast Asia this November

Pre-orders open September 2

Published

August 19, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

PlayStation is expanding its audio lineup with the Pulse Elevate wireless speakers, its first wireless speakers developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The speakers will launch in Southeast Asia starting November 12, 2026, with pre-orders opening September 2.

The Pulse Elevate speakers are designed for desktop gaming on PS5, PC, and Mac, while also supporting portable use with the PlayStation Portal remote player and smartphones. They combine planar magnetic drivers, built-in woofers, and PlayStation Link wireless connectivity for low-latency, lossless audio.

Each speaker uses a studio-inspired planar magnetic driver to deliver sound across the audible spectrum. Built-in woofers add richer bass, while the speakers can enhance positional audio in PS5 games that support Tempest 3D AudioTech.

The right speaker also has a built-in microphone with AI-enhanced noise rejection. This allows users to handle voice chat without wearing a headset while helping filter out unwanted background noise.

Designed for gaming and beyond

Pulse Elevate uses PlayStation Link for ultra-low-latency wireless audio with compatible devices, including the PS5, PC, Mac, and PlayStation Portal. The speakers also support Bluetooth, allowing users to listen to audio from a Bluetooth device while using PlayStation Link for another connected device.

A PlayStation Link USB adapter is included and works with USB-C ports. The speakers also feature built-in rechargeable batteries, letting users take them on the go. Charging docks are included for returning to a desktop setup.

Users can adjust the speakers’ volume directly and position them horizontally or vertically. PS5 and PC users can also customize EQ, sidetone, volume, and microphone mute settings through system menus.

Pulse Elevate will be available in Midnight Black and White.

Price and availability

Pulse Elevate wireless speakers will launch starting November 12, 2026. Pre-orders begin September 2 at local retailers. Availability may vary by market and retailer.

The recommended retail prices are:

Singapore: SGD 319
Malaysia: MYR 1,099
Thailand: THB 8,499
Philippines: PHP 14,709
Vietnam: VND 6,999,000

The Pulse Elevate marks Sony Interactive Entertainment’s first entry into wireless speakers, extending the PlayStation audio ecosystem beyond the Pulse Elite headset and Pulse Explore earbuds.

Accessories

Apple is working on AirPods with built-in cameras

References to the wearable were spotted inside a new macOS beta.

Published

August 18, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The launch of operating system betas is a cause of celebration for those digging into what’s next for a brand. No other company does that better than Apple. Today, Apple released a new release candidate for macOS Tahoe 26.7. As expected, the release has a treasure trove of references to unreleased devices, including a new type of AirPods with built-in cameras.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. The references include a slew of unreleased iPads, Macs, and HomePods. Since these devices are already expected to come out, they’re hardly worth nothing. This includes the iPhone 18 series. If anything, the references confirm the iPhone Ultra, the rumored entry into the foldable market, but that’s it.

Now, the more interesting inclusion is a pair of AirPods with cameras. Despite the controversies surrounding cameras on smart glasses, Apple is reportedly building audio-based wearables with cameras themselves.

In a short demo video (also obtained from the macOS beta via MacRumors), the AirPods can apparently “save” things that it sees, including a book you might want to search for later. In that way, the built-in camera acts more like a voice assistant, rather than a recording device.

Though the references don’t confirm a launch date, it’s likely that the camera-based AirPods will come out sometime soon. After all, why would a blatant reference be inside a publicly available beta?