News

Google Year in Search 2025: NBA Finals, Halalan, Dionela, Alex Eala, more

Elections, AI, rising icons, sports, Korean series, more

Published

December 6, 2025

GadgetMatch

Google has released its Year in Search 2025, revealing the trends and moments that shaped the online habits of internet users this year.

Specifically for Filipinos, Gemini AI topped the overall trending list. Just under that is “Halalan 2025 results”, as it is a mid-term general election in the country. It shows that Filipinos are still very invested in what’s going on as far as politics are concerned.

During the 2025 elections, citizens voted for 12 senators to elect into office, representatives from their legislative districts, as well as local positions in provinces, cities, and municipalities.

Netflix series Squid Game also made the Top 10 list at No. 6. Reflecting the Philippines’ unwavering love for basketball, “OKC vs Indiana” also made it to No. 9. The Oklahoma City Thunder, of course, beat the Indiana Pacers in seven games to hoist this year’s NBA title.

Curiously, Khan Academy also made it to the magic 10, pretty much implying that several Filipino professionals constantly have upskilling in their minds.

Alex Eala, Dionela rise

Moving on to more specific lists, Filipino tennis rising star Alex Eala was definitely a talk of the town this calendar year. She is the most searched female personality overall, topping the likes of Bea Borres, AJ Raval, Jessica Sanchez, and Mika Salamanca, to name a few.

She is also ranked fourth in the list of most searched sports terms, behind “OKC vs Indiana”, “Pacquiao vs Barrios”, and “NBA standings 2025”.

Interestingly, the Golden State Warriors are No. 8 on that list but the Los Angeles Lakers have not made an appearance in this year’s Top 10.

Meanwhile, for male personalities, Dionela is at No. 4 on a more diverse list which includes Andy Byron (No. 1), Ed Gein (No. 2), and even Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon (No. 7) and Bronny James (No. 8).

Taylor Swift’s fiance, NFL star Travis Kelce (No. 9) and Kendrick Lamar (No. 10) wrap up the male personalities list.

OPM power

Dionela did make his presence felt on another list — Songs — where his famous track “Marilag” is at No. 2 behind Earl Agustin’s “Tibok”.

In fact, it’s a rather OPM-laden list, showing how invested Filipinos still are in their own music. There’s Cup of Joe’s “Multo” (No. 4) and even Ogie Alcasid’s “Nandito Ako” (No. 5) which has enjoyed quite a resurgence, thanks to social media and former American Idol runner-up David Archuleta even singing it during a recent music festival.

Trending social media hits “Gnarly” and “Opalite” by KATESYE and Taylor Swift, respectively, round out the most searched songs list.

Entertainment

And speaking of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, Netflix’s Physical Asia is curiously missing from the most searched shows and series this year. Although, they are No. 9 in the more specific Top Korean Series list.

Just behind Squid Game are When Life Gives You Tangerines, S Line,and Bon Appetit, Your Majesty on both lists.

For movies, the term “Final Destination” is the most searched, thanks to the franchise’s sixth installment, Final Destination Bloodlines.

Horror/mystery movies have been quite impressive this year, with “Conjuring” referencing Conjuring: Last Rites and Weapons at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively.

Of course, Kpop Demon Hunters has likewise made noise, coming in at second. Superman took the third spot, while another superhero movie, Thunderbolts, is at fourth.

Farewells

For farewells, the passing of Meteor Garden female protagonist Barbie Hsu shocked a lot of Filipino fans — especially those who grew up watching the hit Taiwanese drama series from the 2000s.

The death of Emman Atienza, the daughter of TV personality Kuya Kim Atienza, also resonated deeply among younger audiences as she spoke candidly about mental health issues prior to her passing.

Among other top searches under the category are for Pope Francis (No. 3), celebrities Nora Aunor (No. 5), Gloria Romero (No. 6), Pilita Corrales (No. 10), and former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (No. 7).

AI-related

Lastly, when it comes to AI-related search terms, Filipinos continue to learn more about how AI can help their everyday lives.

Gemini AI comes in at first, DeepSeek is at second, while Claude rounds out the top three. There’s also ChatGPT (No. 8), Nano Banana (No. 10), and Verse (No. 6).

News

Lenovo introduces the immersive Referee View for the World Cup

Keep up with the action.

Published

June 17, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The traditional way of watching a football match is a wide view of the pitch. Given how quick action can get, this is still the quintessential way to watch the sport. But what if you can watch from a different angle? This World Cup season, Lenovo introduced Referee View, an AI-powered feed that brings the action right to your screen.

As the name suggests, the new view will take you to the point of view of a referee during a match. Since referees have the best view of the action, your World Cup experience won’t get as immersive as this.

Plus, with Referee View AI Stabilizer, the view reduces jitter by up to 50 percent so the image stays steady even while on the move. Lenovo says that it even caught goal from Mexico’s Julian Quinones, the very first goal of the World Cup this year.

With Lenovo as the technology partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026, fans can get in the action with every match using Referee View.

News

TECNO’s SPARK 50 Pro is the latest budget smartphone battery beast

Just two months after the SPARK 50 5G

Published

June 16, 2026

Vincenz

One after another, TECNO launches the SPARK 50 Pro with a beastly battery within. That’s just days after the grand launch of the POVA 8 5G in India.

Built to last

The icing of the cake has got to be the battery of the SPARK 50 Pro. However, the battery capacity will differ depending on where you live.

There’s a 5600mAh dual-cell version and a slightly larger single-cell model hitting the 6000mAh mark.

Still, despite that battery capacity, it measures just 7.8mm thin.

If you’re worried about battery longevity, the SPARK 50 Pro can still last more than 80% of their original battery capacity — even after 1900+ charging cycles in six years.

Charging support is faster at 60W, better than what TECNO’s 45W speeds in their most recent smartphones.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Beneath that battery lies MediaTek’s Helio G100 Ultimate SoC. When it comes to memory, it allows up to 24GB extended thanks to Memory Fusion 4.0.

Up front, there’s a 6.78-inch 120Hz display paired with DTS-supported dual stereo speakers.

Finally, the SPARK 50 Pro also boasts SGS Five-Star durability certification alongside IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance — making it one of the budget-friendly devices to have such durability rating.

More than meets the eye

Unlike the base SPARK 50 5G, the SPARK 50 Pro is powered by a 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 (or LYT-600) main camera. The said sensor promises improved low-light performance compared to typical cameras in its category.

The company is also bringing its TECNO’s very-own FlashSnap capabilities found in higher CAMON series. This feature offers shutter speeds of up to 1/10,000 of a second to better capture fast-moving subjects like pets, sports, or action shots.

Speaking of, TECNO’s Universal Tone technology also returns, aiming to produce more natural-looking skin tones across different environments.

Several AI-powered editing tools are included as well. That includes AI Eraser 2.0 and AI Extender for photos, AI Noise Cancellation for clearer calls, as well as AI Health Assistant. Even Ella as your AI Assistant was not left behind.

For off the grid communication, FreeLink 2.0 exists when needed.

Pricing and Availability

The TECNO SPARK 50 Pro comes in five color choices: Ink Black, Titanium Grey, Midnight Blue, Dynamic Orange, and Cloud White.

TECNO has yet to announce official pricing and regional availability.

News

Nothing is coming to over 500 Best Buy stores in the United States

Also available online

Published

June 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As the newest kid on the block, Nothing hasn’t made it terribly easy to grab one of their phones. But that’s all part of the allure. After all, fashion shouldn’t be easy.

Thankfully, all that difficulty isn’t forever. Nothing, together with all its phones and accessories, are coming to over 500 Best Buys across the United States.

It’s been a long time coming. Last year, Nothing expanded first in Canada as part of its push to spread across the North American continent. Now, after all the wait, the brand is finally available in one of the other North American country’s biggest retailers for tech.

From coast to coast, fans of the fashionable brand can grab the Phone (4a) Pro, the Headphone (a), the Phone (3), and the Ear (3) at their nearest Best Buy branch. Alternatively, they can also order any of these devices online through BestBuy.com.

It’s been a quiet year for Nothing. Though the brand successfully launched the Phone (4a) Pro series earlier this year, it has no plans to launch a follow-up to last year’s Phone (3) yet, leaving the flagship market hanging by another year. That said, there’s still much to love about the brand this year, from its heavily notable designs to its capable specs.