Entertainment
Aladdin, Detective Pikachu, Fancy: Now Playing
The shows we love are back!
This month started really busy with all these updates from the tech world. Facebook graced headlines with its changes and Google announced improvements on its products. Smartphones are also on top of the news, as a cheaper Pixel was revealed and OnePlus unveiled their most premium phone yet in a simultaneous launch in New York, London, and India.
While we’re busy covering these events, we still try to keep up with the latest in pop culture. See what’s Now Playing on GadgetMatch:
Movies to see
Avengers: Endgame
Rodneil: It took 11 years and 22 films before we reached the conclusion of arguably the most ambitious film franchise of our time. This film wraps up over a decade of storytelling and world-building. It has plenty of emotional beats, nostalgic moments, and huge battle sets to put its viewers on a roller coaster of emotions.
Detective Pikachu
Kevin: As a 90s kid who invested hours playing Pokémon Red on Game Boy, flipping coins for Pokémon trading cards, and even now as I walk for hours playing Pokémon Go, I’ve always wondered: What will life be like with Pokémon around? Well, this film is the closest answer I can get. The story is simple but executed well. Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu — although still quite humorous — didn’t feel like it was Deadpool and that’s a good thing. Oh, and there’s a lot of Pokémon sightings scattered in the movie, so it’s also a game of “Who’s that Pokémon?” throughout the film.
Aladdin
MJ: Aladdin is back and I’m excited to relive my childhood memories! The trailer got me hooked and I can feel the film will be a spectacle, just like the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. It’s going to be a chance for our generation to share this Disney classic with the young ones so we can sing “A Whole New World” together. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 24 (or May 22 in some countries).
TV shows to binge watch
Trigun
Rodneil: This anime was recently added to Netflix. While I’ve seen this more than a couple of times, it’s one of the shows I keep coming back to. It’s a story of a wanted criminal but his personality betrays the crimes accused of him. As you dive deeper, you’ll see the protagonist’s moral compass and conviction tested multiple times. It also helps that it’s set in a cyberpunk Wild West future.
Street Food
Vincenz: It’s not your typical food show as it doesn’t just focus on street food per se, but also on the history and the stories of notable people who made the food live for its taste. The first season focuses on Asian street cuisine, but not totally exclusive to a country’s capital — Delhi, Osaka, Cebu, Chiayi, Yogyakarta, to name a few.
Dead to Me
Dan: Dead to Me is the new must-see Netflix series. It’s an American dark comedy series that talks about grief, guilt, and relationships. The show is primarily about the newfound friendship between a wounded widow and a free-spirited individual. If you love a show with dark humor, twists, and sensitivity, Dead to Me is worth the binge.
Bonding
MJ: Bonding is a seven-episode TV series on Netflix that can act as a transition show in case you’re looking for a new series to binge-watch. It’s about a dominatrix who hired her gay BFF as her assistant in her adventures in and out of the dungeon. It’s a hilarious show that surprisingly offers lessons about confidence, learning to love and open up, and being yourself.
Albums/Songs/Podcasts to listen to
Fancy by TWICE
Rodneil: I’ve only been following TWICE for a little while but it looks like I jumped on the fandom at the right time. Their latest comeback “Fancy” is a departure from their usual cutesy concept. The choreography on the new song is a lot sexier and while there’s a more mature feel to the verses, it still maintains the bright energy that TWICE has been known for.
SSFWL by OH MY GIRL
Vincenz: OH MY GIRL is among the underrated K-Pop girl groups out there. The versatility of OMG’s concepts can be heard through their title tracks but “SSFWL” (which means “Spring, summer, fall, winter, and love”) is a new whimsical musical piece on a whole new level. Their angelic visuals paired with soothing vocals are just irresistible. Fantasy anime song, anyone?
Trend/s to try

KFC Chaco and Famous Bowl
Vincenz: “Chaco” is a taco with a chicken shell. It honestly tastes like a taco without the beef and, surprisingly, the shell doesn’t taste like salty chicken at all, unlike the Double Down. Meanwhile, the Famous Bowl is back again, and you shouldn’t miss it. The mashed potatoes, Funshots, corn, cheese, and gravy all blend together as they all melt in your mouth.
Places to visit
Paris, France
Marvin: Having been around Europe a few times in the past — from Berlin and Prague, to Madrid and Zurich — it was a shame that I never got a chance to visit Paris. Until now, that is. To my delight, the hype is real. Although the Notre Dame Cathedral is no longer open to tourists, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, and Arc de Triomphe are still worth the journey. Airbnb options are plenty now, so low-cost lodging is easier than ever to find.
Now Playing is the GadgetMatch team’s favorite games, movies, TV shows, and more each month. If you’re curious to know what we’re into at the moment, this is what you should check out. So grab your popcorn, get some drinks, and enjoy what’s now playing!
Entertainment
ITZY’s YUNA is Infinix’s first ever global brand ambassador
Infinix is in with YUNA in the scene
Infinix is entering a new era — and the brand is bringing one of K-Pop’s most sought-after stars along the ride.
A first for Infinix
In line with the launch of the latest NOTE 60 series, Infinix has also named YUNA of ITZY as its very first Global Brand Ambassador. The company calls this a bold step forward for both innovation and style.
For the record, this is the first time Infinix has tapped a global ambassador — and the choice makes sense. YUNA is known for her confidence, vibrant energy, and unapologetic self-expression. These qualities align closely with Infinix’s “Joy Tech, Beyond Limits” philosophy.
In a statement, YUNA shared her excitement about the partnership. She said she’s looking forward to connecting with fans in a new way and creating meaningful stories together with the brand.
For Infinix, this collaboration is more than just a celebrity endorsement. It signals a shift in how the company wants to position itself globally — not just as a smartphone maker, but as a lifestyle tech brand for expressive, tech-savvy youth.
The more, the merrier
The partnership goes along the debut of the NOTE 60 Series, further fueling Infinix’s move toward a more premium smartphone experience.
Like YUNA, the NOTE 60 line also brings notable names in the table:
- Powered by Snapdragon from Qualcomm
- Design collaboration with Pininfarina
- Audio tuned with JBL
It’s a clear attempt that Infinix wanted to elevate both performance and design by blending in flagship-level specs, more refined aesthetics, and immersive sound altogether.
Infinix says this launch also marks its expansion into more premium international markets.
With YUNA as the face of the brand, the company hopes to strengthen its appeal among younger users who want both powerful hardware and a device that matches their personality.
Rather than focusing purely on specs, Infinix is leaning into storytelling — highlighting how technology can spark creativity, joy, and individuality.
With the NOTE 60 Series and YUNA front and center, Infinix appears ready to redefine its brand identity on a global scale.
I’m starting to think that cosmic horror is near-impossible to adapt to the big screen. Often, the point of this subgenre of horror is to showcase the unfathomable, a horror so unknowable that it’s impossible to describe. Now, for a medium that thrives on “show, don’t tell,” a full-length movie doesn’t seem like the best format for this type of horror. I’ve seen so many cosmic horror films, and a majority of them fail to land the satisfaction of a more traditional horror film.
Iron Lung, directed by and starring Markiplier, takes a stab at this elusively complex genre.
After the sudden disappearance of stars and planets in the universe, a lone space station explores a nearby moon to search for a way to save humanity. The catch is that the entire moon is covered in an ocean of blood. A convict, played by Markiplier, is tasked with exploring the moon in a one-man submersible, in exchange for his freedom.
Naturally, an ocean of blood isn’t the best place to be. The moon’s ocean hides mysteries and monsters beneath all the gore.
On the impossibility of cosmic horror
Though a movie is all about showing and not telling, Iron Lung navigates through these intricacies by not showing anything.
Because everything is just blood outside, the submarine needs a special camera that takes only grainy photos directly in front of the submersible. There’s always a sense of claustrophobic dread. What’s outside the submarine? What were those sounds? Did the camera really take a photo of something alive?
The film’s premise alone is a perfect source of horror. This is where cosmic horror thrives: on the questions, on the tiny sneak peeks of a monster lurking around the corner.
But, then again, this is also where the subgenre can paint itself into a corner. Eventually, audiences ask for more. They need to see and know the beast for real. Think Cloverfield, when the massive alien finally shows its face, or The Nun with… well, The Nun.
It’s an unwritten rule in horror films that the monster must make an appearance. It becomes a paradox for cosmic horror because the beast must also be unknowable.
When the beast finally shows up in Iron Lung, the audience never learns an understandable reason why it’s stalking the submarine. It’s not hungry, it doesn’t want revenge, and it doesn’t want to take over the world. It just is.
Is that a satisfying enough conclusion? If you’re a fan of cosmic horror, then it’s par for the course. However, if you’re more used to the more traditional horror film, it might leave you wanting more.
On madness
A mysterious monster isn’t the only thing that cosmic horror is known for. It’s also about madness and how the protagonist goes insane after seeing the unknown.
It’s apropos, then, that the convict starts hallucinating right after seeing a glimpse of the ocean’s beast. He starts to lose track of what’s real and what’s not.
In other movies, madness is an effective tool in subverting expectations and amplifying the horror. For example, in The Lighthouse, Winslow, the protagonist, also loses his sanity and questions reality. The film is all about this descent into madness and the questionable actions as a result from it. In Shutter Island, madness is a punchline, a plot twist that invites the audience to revisit the entire film and question their own perception.
Iron Lung, however, is neither a complete descent nor a plot twist. Rather, it’s a clear third act stemming from the convict’s encounter with the monster.
Since it’s clearly delineated in the third act, it’s hard to empathize with the convict’s plight. There’s a sense of vertigo moving from a creature feature into, in the convict’s own words, “alien shit” where you’re not sure of what’s real. Likewise, it’s not a plot twist either. You don’t reevaluate whether the entire movie was a hallucination.
Madness is understandably a major plot point of the original game that the movie is based on. However, its translation into film isn’t the smoothest. It’s both too short and too long.
But is it a good film?
Despite its struggle with the format, Iron Lung is still a spirited attempt at a one-room horror film. Markiplier melds into his role and doesn’t just showcase his on-screen YouTube personality.
The premise is, at once, frightening. It’s eerie and creepy. There is always a pervasive need to figure out what comes next. That’s pretty much what you want from a movie anyway. Yes, the ending might be polarizing, especially to those more used to the usual horror film, but the journey is still worth the price of admission.
And, at the very least, the film got me interested in watching Mark’s original playthroughs.
Entertainment
Netflix does the unthinkable: Mayweather-Pacquiao II set for September
Streaming globally on the app
Netflix has done the seemingly impossible: a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mega fight rematch is set for September 19. It will stream globally on Netflix with no additional cost for standard subscribers.
The historic bout will be the first-ever boxing match to be held at The Sphere, the 20,000-seater modern indoor venue in Las Vegas known for its immersive, 16K wraparound LED display.
Arguably two of the greatest icons in boxing history, Floyd “Money” Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs), will square off in an official, professional rematch.
The development comes on the heels of Mayweather announcing coming out of retirement an almost decade-long hiatus.
Meanwhile, it will be Pacquiao’s first professional fight since July 2025 when he and Mario Barrios fought to a majority draw. At the time, he also came out of a four-year retirement.
During the span, both fighters have been active in exhibition boxing matches. Notably, Mayweather fought against Tenshin Nasukawa and Logan Paul, whose brother Jake popularized novelty exhibition boxing matches. Pacquiao, for his part, fought against DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo.
Interestingly, both Mayweather and Pacquiao
The upcoming rematch follows the two protagonists’ 2015 “Fight of the Century” wherein Mayweather outpointed Pacquiao via a unanimous decision.
A rematch had been sought for so long, especially with both fighters having encounters with each other numerous times.
Full details regarding undercard and ticket availability will be announced in the coming weeks.
Netflix taking over sports broadcasts
The Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch comes just a few days after Netflix announced a Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano MMA super fight.
This match is a collaboration between the streaming giant and MVP promotions, which is co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian.
On the other hand, the upcoming boxing slate in September is primarily more of a broadcast for Netflix.
The platform has actively been getting into broadcasting premier sporting events, including the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford fight last year.
Unlike pay-per-views (PPV), Netflix does not require extra payment for viewers to be able to watch such sporting events. A standard subscription to their platform is already enough.
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