Features
Disney On Ice through the lens of the OPPO Find X8
Healing your inner child should be a moment frozen in time!
Before I wrapped up 2024, I decided to give my inner child a big, sparkly hug by checking off a major bucketlist item: watching Disney On Ice at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
ICYMI, I lived my best Disney Princess life at Hong Kong Disneyland last year, so belting out childhood anthems at Disney On Ice felt like the cherry on top of my magical sundae.
To make things even sweeter, I experienced it all with a longtime crush. My heart was doing pirouettes, much like the skaters on the ice.
Every moment felt like a scene from a Disney movie, made even more magical with the OPPO Find X8 in hand, ready to capture the memories from our perfect Lower Box Premium seats.
I want to be where the people are
Imagine being stuck in Manila’s traffic jams, embattled with torrential rains while looking for a parking spot? We found ourselves dashing through the arena’s hallways trying to make our way to the entrance.
And arrived 15 minutes late. Ariel was already trading her voice for legs with Ursula (bad deal, girl, but you do you).
Even if with a frazzled start, I dove right in to belt out “Part of Your World” with enough gusto, rivaling Ariel herself.
We know the way
Moana and Maui hit the ice with a performance that was giving island life. The standout moment came when Moana had her big emotional breakdown (been there, girl) and then her Gramma showed up as a glowing manta ray.
I swear, there were goosebumps everywhere.
Now, I see the light
When Rapunzel and Flynn glided onto the ice, my excitement hit its peak. I let out a shriek so loud, I’m surprised no one asked me to leave.
The lantern scene from Tangled has always been my favorite, and seeing it reimagined on ice was nothing short of breathtaking.
Rapunzel’s story holds a special place in my heart. It’s my reminder to keep believing in love. After all, it’s like a love letter to hopeless romantics like me.
Yes, I cried. Yes, I’m still single. And yes, I’d happily be tangled up in love this 2025.
Tale as old as time
Watching Belle and Beast’s performance was straight-up enchanting, bringing back all the feels I felt when I was a kid.
Growing up, Beauty and the Beast taught me to look beyond appearances. Because, hello? What if your Beast turns out to be ridiculously hot? You never know.
Did I tear up here, too? Obviously. Some moments never lose their magic, no matter how old you get.
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
Elsa owned the ice with her powerful vocals and queenly vibes, showing that Frozen’s “Let It Go” will never fail to hit differently. Even after a decade when it made its debut.
It’s the perpetual anthem for letting loose and living unapologetically, and a reminder to embrace your true self and ignore what everyone else thinks.
This segment was my reminder that freedom is the best power move. Queen Elsa taught us to shake off the haters (like Taylor Swift), and honestly, I’m still taking notes.
We don’t talk about Bruno (or Abuela)
The show wrapped up with the Madrigal family skating with a lively performance from Encanto. While they’re all talented and mesmerizing, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the storyline.
Seriously, Disney needs to stop glamorizing toxic family dynamics. Come up with a movie about setting boundaries with gaslighting relatives (like Abuela), and that’s something I’ll eagerly watch.
Please. I’m willing to pay for Abuela’s therapy sessions so she can get some seminars on emotional intelligence.
Nevertheless, Isabel gave us something to root for. Her struggle with perfectionism hit close to home, because keeping it together 24/7 is exhausting. Sometimes, we all need a break from being fabulous.
Having my own Disney ending
The OPPO Find X8 proved to be the perfect companion at every wonderful occasion and every emotional high.
Its reliability and sharp snapshot quality made taking memories easy, and its 3x zoom captured the fine details of the performances. Every show seemed like a movie experience, and each shot was a work of art.
Healing your inner kid, singing your heart out, and crushing on your date, all while using a smartphone that works just as hard as you? Now that’s what I call a Disney ending.
Apple Pay is officially in the Philippines!
Pushing the country forward into a cashless and cardless future, Apple has now brought its contactless payment system to the Philippines. As with other countries, Apply Pay will work seamlessly and easily even for those who have problems with technology.
Now, despite how easy it is, sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction. Here’s how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone:
Everything starts with the Wallet app. First, open your Wallet app. Tap the “+” button on the top and select “Debit or Credit Card.”
Normally, this is where you can input your card details (which you can still do, by the way), but the default method now is to just tap your card on the back of your iPhone. Your phone does the rest. You might need to confirm with your bank, but it’s as easy as a single tap.
Pick which cards to use. Once you have your cards online, you might need to change which one is the default card. Again, it’s easy. Just drag your preferred card to the front.
Afterwards, you can tap to pay in supported stores by priming the Wallet app for use. Tapping to pay is also available for Apple Watch. Meanwhile, online transactions can also work on MacBook.
Secure, all the time. If you’re worried about your security especially with online transactions, Apple keeps your information only between you and the seller. They don’t store your data.
Also, it’s not easy to make a transaction without your consent. You need Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. If you lose your phone, you can easily shut your phone down with the Find My app to prevent malicious parties from making transactions.
DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.
The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.
Freedom behind the lens
The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.
On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.
FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.
ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.
It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.
None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.
And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.
The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.
The trade-offs in touch
The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.
DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.
You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.
Finding your ideal workflow
The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.
If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.
Price, availability
DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.
- Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
- Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
- Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.
Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?
The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.
If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.
Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.
Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.
And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.
Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.
This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.
Features
GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey
A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra
Westminster Abbey isn’t just another stop on the London tourist trail.
It’s the stage for coronations, royal weddings, and burials that span nearly a thousand years, all still playing out under the same vaulted ceilings that have been standing since before most countries had names.
Once you get past the crowds and the audio guides, a quieter version of the abbey starts to show itself: worn stone steps, poets resting a few feet from kings, light that shifts across the nave like it’s in on the performance too.
While losing track of time in Poets’ Corner (yes, me, playing amateur historian for an afternoon), I unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and decided the abbey deserved more than a quick tourist snap.
All photos captured using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.
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