Apps

5 steps to making the perfect Spotify playlist

Published

August 13, 2017

Alven Villavicencio

I’m a believer that one thing we all have in common is love for music. We may not all listen to the same songs, but I think we can all agree that music is a big part of our lives.

For me, I loved music so much that I wanted to make a career out of it. Because of that, I became a Radio DJ so I could share my playlists with the world.

If you’re like me, you listen to music that matches whatever mood you’re in. And while there are a million great playlists out there, sometimes you can’t help but think that you can make a better one yourself.

So, let’s do this: Let’s make a playlist!

There are several steps to consider when it comes to putting together a fire playlist, and the key to making sure that it’s worth the listen is that you ask yourself who this playlist is for every step of the way.

Step 1: Decide on a theme

What kind of playlist are you putting together? Is it based on a mood? Is it for a specific occasion? Did you look out the window, see it was raining and think, I’m going to make a rainy day playlist! Whatever inspiration brought you to take out your phone and open up your Spotify app, deciding on the theme of your playlist is always step one.

Step 2: Choose the first two songs

The first two songs can make or break a playlist; this is where people decide if they’ll stay and listen, or if they’ll look for something better. It’s also important to consider who you’re making this playlist for. If it’s for yourself, then it really doesn’t matter what you choose — you’ll listen anyway. But if you’re making this for other people to listen to, it’s important to pick some crowd-pleasers, so they’ll want to stick around.

Step 3: Keep it consistent

You are essentially telling a story through your song choices, and the people listening to your playlist are on it because they relate to its theme or mood. If your playlist is titled “Good Vibes” and out of nowhere Adele’s “Someone Like You” starts playing, that’s an automatic buzzkill. If it were me listening to your playlist, I’d switch to another one immediately.

Step 4: Sandwich the “unknown” songs between two popular songs

One of the best feelings ever is introducing new music to someone and seeing them love it, especially when it’s a song that no one’s heard of and you just want to gift it to them. The thing is, if you play too many songs that people don’t know, they’ll lose interest in the playlist and want to listen to something else. It’s always good to put an “unknown” song that everyone knows and loves in between two hit songs so that they don’t lose interest.

Step 5: Enjoy yourself and share it with friends

Listening to music is meant to be fun, so don’t stress yourself out too much when it comes to making your playlist. Share it with your friends and ask them what they think. Don’t be afraid to check out their playlists as well to get some ideas of songs you might want to add to yours. Remember, this is meant to be a fun experience to share with other people. No matter how good you might think your playlist might be, you won’t be able to please everyone.

And, that’s it: My tips on putting together a good Spotify playlist. What do you think? If you think you have a great playlist, leave a link in the comments and I’ll give it a listen!

[irp posts=”2332″ name=”You can now ‘Netflix and chill’ and have control over your data usage”]

Apps

The No-Nonsense guide to mid-year shopping

Let AI do the heavy lifting for you this Lazada 6.6 Super WOW Sale

Published

June 5, 2026

MJ Jucutan

The mid-year sale season is here, but the days of mindless impulse buying are over.

Shoppers are shifting toward intentional, value-driven decisions, focusing on quality, authenticity, and actual utility over flashy, low-quality gimmicks.

From 8:00 PM on June 5 until 11:59 PM on June 8, 2026, the Lazada 6.6 Super WOW Sale is dropping major discounts. But the real win is using the platform’s tools to maximize your budget.

Lock in the baseline discounts

Before diving into specific items, map out how to stack the core offers.

You can stretch your money by hunting down LazFlash Deals for up to 90% off, collecting up to PhP 3,000 in stackable vouchers, and ensuring every order qualifies for the free shipping offers available throughout the event.

True value comes from combining these three layers of savings on things you already need.

Jisulife: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Filter for authentic value

Shopping smart means avoiding the trap of “too good to be true” counterfeits that end up in the trash.

Data shows a massive consumer shift toward trusted quality, with LazMall growth vastly outperforming standard listings during major sales.

To ensure your money goes toward genuine products with real warranties, restrict your browsing to official, brand-certified stores.

If you are upgrading your tech, parenting gear, or wardrobe, look to trusted names anchoring the sale like UGREEN, JisuLife, ANTA, Maserati Watches, Momcozy, and O.TWO.O.

UGREEN: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Outsmart the noise with built-in tech

Don’t waste hours scrolling through endless listings or guessing which product is better.

The smartest way to navigate a massive mid-year event is to let the platform’s built-in features cut through choice paralysis.

Tools like AI Lazzie and AI Picks allow you to instantly compare similar items, analyze prices, and get personalized recommendations based on actual data rather than generic marketing hype.

Smart Shopper Tip: True value is a mix of the right price, verified authenticity, and a seamless return policy. Use this sale period to stock up on everyday essentials and high-quality upgrades rather than panic-buying items you’ll regret later.

Apps

Meta adds subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp

Published

May 28, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Is your wallet buckling from the weight of so many subscription services? Well, Meta has a trio of new subscriptions for you to sink your hard-earned cash towards. If you have a few dollars, here’s Facebook Plus, Instagram Plus, and WhatsApp Plus.

All three subscriptions are designed to add new features which can enhance the experience for those who practically live on these apps. Among the three, Instagram Plus is the meatiest. It offers users the ability to view other people’s Stories without showing up as a viewer, create more tailored audiences outside of Close Friends, and extend the duration of a Story beyond 24 hours, among others.

View this post on Instagram

Since it shares similarities with Instagram, Facebook Plus offers much of the same features. WhatsApp Plus, however, offers more customization options including new themes, ringtones, and stickers.

If that’s not enough, Meta has also released a new subscription system for Meta AI. Though the basic use of the AI is still free, the new Meta One Plus and Meta One Premium plans offer more capacity and performance for power users. The company is also testing new creator-focused plans, Meta One Essential and Meta One Advanced.

Of course, the new AI-based plans are more focused on those who actually use the AI software. Meanwhile, the three app plans are more for regular users. Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus will cost US$ 3.99 per month. Meanwhile, WhatsApp Plus will cost US$ 2.99 per month.

Apps

Meta quietly launches Forum app for Facebook Groups

The app highlights discussions from Facebook Groups.

Published

May 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Since the rise of other platforms, Facebook Groups haven’t enjoyed as much popularity anymore. Despite this (or maybe even to help with this), Meta has unleashed an all-new app called Forum.

Designed specifically with Facebook Groups in mind, Forum collates discussions from Groups that the user might be interested in. Much like the websites of the same name from the 2000s, the app wants to feature conversations, rather than canned content that the algorithm shoves towards users on the main Facebook feed.

Users can also ask questions. Forum will sift through real discussions to find an answer. The closest analog today is searching Reddit for troubleshooting questions to get answers based on human experience. The main feed of the new app, however, feels more in tune with Quora’s concept.

That said, it’s a refreshing way to bring social media back to human-made feeds. It’s also a stark admission that the main Facebook feed (and, frankly, Instagram too) is just too inundated with content that users are not interested in.

Lately, Instagram also made the same admission by launching its own “lightweight” app called Instants. Like Forum, Instants was made to recapture the essence of Instagram before the rise of the almighty algorithm.

Forum, however, was launched with much less fanfare than Instants. There was no announcement. Rather, it’s just a casual drop from out of nowhere. The app is available now on the App Store and the Play Store.