Accessories
Power Mac Center Festival Mall and Native Union both celebrated a re-birth
The newest Apple Premium Partner store in town welcomes an updated iPhone accessory from 2009
Last June 27, 2025 (Friday), Power Mac Center Festival Mall re-opens its doors to the public as the Philippines’ newest Apple Premium Partner store in town.
Re-launched: Apple Premium Partner
Usually, most Power Mac Center branches are only tagged as an “Authorized Reseller”. But, with the company’s continuous expansion, they have already established seven (7) APP (Apple Premium Partner) stores:
- Power Plant Mall
- Greenbelt 3
- SM Mall of Asia
- SM Megamall
- The Annex at SM City North EDSA
- Robinsons Magnolia
- TriNoma
The latest (and eighth of which) is none other than its Festival Mall branch located at the very core of Metro Manila’s South: Alabang in Muntinlupa City.
Just ICYMI, what makes an APP store different are its in-store services. Not only it has all the latest and greatest Apple tech and accessories inside, it also holds free group demos and has a dedicated service team for diagnostic and repair needs — much like any Apple Store in countries like Singapore and the United States.
Up until June 30, buyers can snag up to PhP 28,000 off of Apple products with select payment methods through BPI, GCash GGives, HSBC, Metrobank, and RCBC.
Selected premium accessories are also slashed at 20%. New Mac owners will also receive a free polishing cloth upon purchase in the said dates.
For existing customers, diagnosis and non-repair services are capped at 25% off.
Re-birth: Native Union
In line with PMC Festival Mall’s re-opening lies the re-birth of Native Union’s MoshiMoshi which was introduced way back in 2009, or the era of iPhone 3GS.
This can even be considered as the relaunch of the brand’s Pop Phone Retro Handset launched in 2012.
Instead of the aging 3.5mm audio jack, it now features a USB-C plug for seamless connectivity between iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Even Android smartphones (plus tablets), and Windows tablets alike.
This was introduced to us by none other than the CEO and Co-Founder of Native Union, Igor Duc.
He showed us three more colorways in their respective colorful boxes.
In total, there would be eight popping flavors to choose from:
- Piano Black
- Latte
- Alarm Red
- Candy
- Lilac
- Lemon
- Racing Green
- Pine
Emotional Products in a Digital World
Being a designer, Igor leans into design more than the tech side of things.
But, going back to the drawing board, he wants their products appeal to the masses not only for its tech, but for what type of feeling it gives to the end-user.
The Paris-based brand is known for its relentless pursuit in pushing products that offer both form and function — which can be seen in Native Union’s products.
They might serve the same function like other accessories of other brands. However, giving utmost importance in design is still in their brand’s DNA.
During Igor’s presentation, he even showed everyone how their products work well with Apple products alongside his work and lifestyle.
From his (Re)Classic iPhone case and power bank, to handy cables like the Portable ones plus the Belt Cable Duo, as well as GaN and Magnetic Wireless chargers.
As well as his Apple Watch featuring the Active Magnetic Band with a reversible duo-color scheme.
His MacBook is protected by Native Union’s W.F.A Sleeve in gray.
There’s even the slim yet sturdy black W.F.A Backpack as well as the W.F.A Tech Organizer in Kraft colorway.
They were made not only with creativity and practicality in mind, but also crafted with sustainable materials.
Some of these truly exceptional stand-out products by Native Union are available in select Power Mac Stores nationwide.
Phones flip and fold. Now webcams do too.
Foldable screens have found their way into phones, tablets, and laptops in recent years. Now, OBSBOT is taking that idea in a considerably smaller direction: the webcam.
The OBSBOT Meet Flip is the company’s first foldable 4K webcam packing:
- 1/2-inch stacked CMOS sensor
- intelligent audio
- a collection of AI-powered meeting tools
All of these inside a body weighing just 37.7 grams.
A fold that does something, not just a gimmick
The OBSBOT Meet Flip isn’t foldable just to make it easier to throw into a bag.
Closing the webcam physically blocks the lens and puts the device into sleep mode. Open it when you want to be seen, flip it shut when you don’t.
A physical privacy cover isn’t novel in itself. What’s clever here is how it’s part of the folding design.
As someone with a love-hate relationship with data privacy, I almost always keep some physical barrier over my laptop webcam. And if I can avoid having a webcam there entirely, even better.
Serious camera hardware in a pocket-sized webcam
Despite its size, OBSBOT hasn’t treated the Meet Flip like a basic laptop-camera replacement.
Inside is a 1/2-inch Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor with Quad Bayer technology, capable of recording 4K UHD at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps. It also packs an f/1.8 aperture, HDR, PDAF autofocus, ISO 100–6400, and up to 4x digital zoom.
At its core is a 1/2-inch Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor with Quad Bayer technology.
It can record:
- 4K UHD at 30fps
- 1080p at 60fps
You also get:
- f/1.8 aperture
- HDR
- PDAF autofocus
- ISO 100–6400
- up to 4x digital zoom
On paper, that gives the Meet Flip a better shot at handling the situations built-in laptop webcams often struggle with: dim rooms, harsh backlighting, changing lighting conditions, or simply moving around in front of the camera.
HDR helps keep faces visible against bright backgrounds, while PDAF autofocus continuously adjusts focus as you move closer to or farther from the lens.
The wider f/1.8 aperture should also help in less-than-ideal lighting.
The point is that once the Meet Flip is set up, you shouldn’t have to spend much time thinking about the camera itself.
It listens differently depending on the room setup
The Meet Flip also uses an intelligent dual-microphone system combining omnidirectional and directional microphones.
Instead of relying on one pickup pattern for every situation, it offers four audio modes for different setups:
Directional Mode focuses on sound coming from the front, making it the obvious choice for solo calls.
Dual-Directional Mode listens to both the front and rear of the webcam, which could be useful for interviews or conversations between two people sitting across from each other.
Smart Omni Mode is designed for group meetings, picking up voices from around the room.
And Pure Audio Mode provides unprocessed left and right stereo channels for users who would rather handle the audio themselves in post-production.
Auto Gain and AI Noise Reduction also work across the first three modes, helping clean up audio without requiring much manual adjustment.
It gives the Meet Flip more flexibility than a typical webcam microphone, especially if you regularly switch between solo calls, interviews, and group meetings.
AI that doesn’t intrude
AI has become an almost obligatory addition to new hardware in 2026, but several of the Meet Flip’s features put it to work on real-world meeting annoyances.
AI Auto Framing keeps you in frame, with options for:
- Group
- Single Close-up
- Upper Body
- Full Body
Gesture controls can also toggle Auto Framing or adjust the zoom without reaching for a keyboard or mouse.
More interesting is AI Magic Notes.
Through OBSBOT Center, it provides real-time transcription and can automatically generate meeting summaries with key points, decisions, and action items. It works across Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
Although AI Magic Notes is offered as a subscription service, every Meet Flip includes 120 complimentary minutes to get started.
MORE with OBSBOT Center & OBSBOT Live
There are plenty of other software features as well. OBSBOT Center includes:
- Background Blur and Background Replacement
- Real-Time Beauty Mode
- Picture-in-Picture overlays
- Smart Eye Tracking
- Teleprompter support
- Detailed image adjustments
The Meet Flip isn’t limited to laptops or desktops either. Through OBSBOT Live, it can connect directly to smartphones and tablets over USB-C for mobile streaming and content creation.
Flip it open. Fold it away.
None of those features reinvent the webcam on their own.
Taken together, though, they make the Meet Flip a more thoughtful take on a piece of hardware whose basic design and features have barely changed.
The flip may grab your attention first, but it’s how OBSBOT uses that design alongside its camera, audio, and software features that makes the Meet Flip interesting.
The OBSBOT Meet Flip is now available at US$ 119 and is currently available through OBSBOT’s official store, Amazon US, and select retailers.
Accessories
England, Wales start banning Meta Glasses
The smart glasses are now banned in courtrooms.
Earlier this year, New York became the first state to issue a blanket ban against smart glasses in courtrooms. The new regulation marks one of the first public spaces to prevent the contentious devices. Now, England and Wales are following suit in their courtrooms by banning Meta glasses inside.
As reported by The Guardian, courtrooms in both countries will confiscate Meta Glasses from those taking them into the building. Owners can retrieve them again upon exit.
Like the decision in New York, the English and Welsh bans are simple enough to follow. As it is everywhere, it’s forbidden to record video inside courtrooms in England and Wales. Because Meta Glasses have cameras (and are primarily used for their video capturing capabilities), they fall under prohibited items.
Notably, smartphones are not included on this list, despite having sizable cameras themselves. Although, to be fair, it’s much more difficult to discreetly record video using a smartphone. Smart glasses pride themselves with the ability to take videos seamlessly.
Meta Glasses are having such a moment today. Though some users, especially creators, are excited for them, a significant chunk of the population is concerned over their ability to take videos without subjects knowing they’re being recorded. Some users have even found ways to disable the built-in LED indicators which should, in theory, warn the public that the glasses are recording. It’s since turned into a privacy nightmare.
What if smart glasses could make you more present instead of recording everything around you? Check out MemoMind or back it up on Kickstarter.
After spending time with the MemoMind One around New York City, THE Michael Josh wanted to answer one question: Do smart glasses actually become more useful when they stop trying to be a camera?
In this video, we take a look at the MemoMind One — a new pair of AI-powered smart glasses that take a very different approach.
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