Features

Google I/O announcements: What can Android P do?

Pretty cool stuff!

Published

on

Even if we don’t know what Android P stands for yet, we now know a lot about what it’ll be able to do. At Google I/O, Google’s annual developer conference, we got a sneak peak of what’s to come.

This year’s highly anticipated Android update was explained and it’s looking pretty awesome. Google highlighted three main themes: intelligence, simplicity, and digital well-being, and Android P’s features centered around these three themes.

Android P will have an adaptive battery feature powered by machine learning. Basically, your phone will learn your usage patterns and be able to optimize power based on that. This means more battery life for devices, something we all need and clamor for. Adaptive brightness is also improved on Android P. Your phone will actually learn your preference vis a vis actual ambient lighting and adjust your phone’s screen brightness according to that.

Your phone will also be more suggestive. App actions — those two buttons you see below — show up depending on usage patterns. It will also suggest things to you based on context or activities on your handset.

Slices are introduced. These are snippets from the actual app that you can interact with. They’re found straight from the phone’s UI.

Imagine being able to book a Lyft from your Google Search screen! Yup, it will be possible soon.

Google envisions technology that will fade into the background. The following features were designed for that easier smartphone experience.

In line with this, new gestures are unveiled: A swipe up brings you to your overview, a second swipe will show you all apps, and swiping right even allows you to slide through recent apps!

More intuitive changes were also announced. A new volume slider turns up (or down) the media volume by default; it was previously the ring volume. And a tiny rotation button will show up on the navigation bar once you tilt the phone for easy screen orientation changes (my favorite feature thus far).

Google places importance on meaningful engagement and champions digital well-being in this year’s conference. Thus, the Android dashboard is born. This will tell you a lot about your relationship with your phone: how much time you’ve spent on your phone with a particular app, and what you actually do most on your device. It can even tell you how many minutes you’ve spent watching on YouTube across all your devices. It will not only tell all this info and more, it’ll also help control your impulsive phone usage tendencies with Controls. This new feature allows you to set time limits per app. When the time’s over, the icon is grayed out so that you know you shouldn’t be on it anymore.

There’s also a new Shush mode which automatically puts the phone into Do Not Disturb mode every time it’s placed on the table on its face — perfect for dinners and meetings! Of course, you can always star certain contacts to makes sure certain people can still get to you despite the DND mode.

Another great feature addition is the Wind Down mode. This will help you sleep better at night by switching to a grayscale screen in the evening during your bedtime so you won’t be distracted while on your phone.

Android P Beta comes to Pixel phones and a number of other devices today.

Tutorials

How to set up Apple Pay on your iPhone

It’s as easy as a single tap.

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Accessories

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: From a videographer’s perspective

Better tracking, fewer buttons

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Features

GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey

A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Published

on

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

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.

Continue Reading

Trending