Apps

Apple Card takes on credit cards, offers lower fees with better app

It also comes with a physical titanium card

Published

March 26, 2019

Daniel Morial

The titanium Apple Card | Image credit: Apple

Part of Apple‘s ecosystem expansion is the new Apple Card. As its name implies, Apple Card is the company’s very own credit card which is right inside the iPhone’s Wallet app and works like Apple Pay.

According to Apple, they created Apple Card as a new kind of credit card designed to help their customers have a healthier financial life. By using Apple’s expertise in making things simpler, Apple Card brings together the company’s hardware, software, and services to create a new credit card experience. Since the Apple Card is a digital-first credit card, everything is done within an iPhone.

Apple is delivering this service in partnership with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard as the issuing bank and global payments network.

Apple Card is built into the Wallet app on iPhone | Image credit: Apple

Apple Card works like any credit card, but with seamless integration to the iPhone; it’s practically a credit card designed for the iPhone. The Apple Card and Wallet app make everything easy to understand and record detailed transactions in real-time. Also, support is available 24/7 by simply sending a text from the Messages app.

To entice customer’s to try it out, Apple will offer a rewards system called Daily Cash. Customers will receive a percentage of their every purchase: two percent for items bought with Apple Pay or three percent if the transaction is made directly with Apple. What’s unique about Apple’s rewards system is it’s added daily to the customer’s account (hence its name) and can be used right away.

To top that, Apple Card has no annual, late, international, or over-the-limit fees. Paying off the balance is made simpler too through the Wallet app. This helps customers make better and more flexible payment terms.

Each Apple Card has a unique number which is stored in an iPhone’s Secure Element, a special security chip used by Apple Pay. Of course, Face ID or Touch ID is used to authenticate each purchase.

When shopping at locations where Apple Pay is not yet available, Apple has designed a physical titanium Apple Card. It’s a minimalist and secured piece of metal for purchasing. It has no card number, CVV security code, or any crucial information printed since all these are accessible within the Wallet app.

Privacy and security are taken seriously by Apple, and they assure that neither them nor Goldman Sachs will share or sell data to third parties for marketing and advertising.

For now, only US customers can sign up for the Apple Card. It’ll be available in the coming months to qualified customers.

Related Topics:Apple Apple Card Apple Pay

Accessories

TicNote AI recorder launches in the Philippines

AI-powered transcription, translation, insights, more

Published

December 19, 2025

Manila Connoisseur

Mobvoi has officially launched TicNote, its AI-powered note-taking device in the Philippines for PhP 9,499. The thin and lightweight recorder is currently available offline and will soon roll out on Lazada and Shopee.

The pocket-friendly TicNote comes with 64GB of memory and offers up to 25 hours of continuous recording. Beyond these, it supports real-time translation in over 120 languages through the TicNote app.

Moreover, powered by Shadow AI, the device goes further with advanced insights, including Smart Summary, Mind Map View, Deep Research Reports, Aha Moment, and even AI Podcast Generation.

To complement the device, Mobvoi offers unlimited TicNote cloud storage and 600 minutes of free monthly recording time.

On paper, the TicNote AI recorder has several professional applications. It can be used for meetings, legal and medical consultations, and more scenarios to record high-quality audio.

Meanwhile, journalists can leverage the tool for press conferences and media scrums. Even content creators can use the tool as a microphone as TicNote can process high bitrate audio and save it to .wav format.

Still, there’s a catch. Users will still need a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to make the most out of TicNote’s AI-powered features.

And that raises the dilemma: modern phones already offer AI translation, real-time transcription, and audio-to-text uploads through popular AI assistants.

For consumers, the question becomes whether TicNote offers enough beyond what their phones already do — or if it will just make having both devices redundant.

Apps

Disney Plus: NBA Christmas Day games to stream live

More sports content also available on the platform

Published

December 19, 2025

GadgetMatch

Disney+ will stream the entire 2025 NBA Christmas Day games slate live on the platform for Philippine basketball fans to enjoy.

Fans can tune in to the anticipated matchups starting at 1:00 AM (Manila time) on December 26.

Here’s the full schedule:

1:00 AM: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks
3:30 AM: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
6:00 AM: Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors
9:00 AM: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
11:30 AM: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets

And in case viewers missed a tip-off, the full replays will also be available on the app. Worth noting is the second matchup, which is a rematch of the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals.

Meanwhile, the third pairing brings long-time former Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson back to the Bay Area in a compelling match.

Plus, the Rockets-Lakers showdown features two seasoned veterans and future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and LeBron James in their latest meeting.

Beyond the NBA Christmas Day games on Disney+, fans can stay plugged in all day with ESPN’s NBA Tip-Off at 12:00 AM. Inside the NBA, on the other hand, airs at 8:30 AM.

In addition, for something totally different, check out NBA alt-cast, Dunk the Halls, the first real-time animated NBA game.

This playful showdown happening also on December 26 at 1:00 AM reimagines the Cavaliers-Knicks tiff on Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park, with some help from Mickey Mouse and his friends.

In line with Disney+’s NBA Christmas Day games, the platform has also uploaded highlights of the 2025 League of Legends KeSPA Cup on the app. The tournament features top teams from Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and North America.

Disney+ continues to strengthen its sports offerings on the platform, with an all-new Sports Page for easier access.

Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode

Waze needs this update, pronto.

Published

November 28, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

In a congested country like the Philippines, using navigation for shortcuts is a requirement. However, these apps can hog a lot of battery. If you forgot your car charger, it’s practically game over for your phone. Today, Google is shipping out a Maps update which can save your phone’s battery for those long drives.

Announced earlier this month, the update will include a Power Saving mode for Google Maps. The new mode will turn the normally colorful interface into monochrome with particular emphasis on black. The interface will reduce all interactable elements, so you can just focus on the display.

Presumably, it also reduces the power required by the app, while still prioritizing navigation. According to Google, smartphones will get up to four hours more juice when the mode is enabled.

Unfortunately, it’s not a widely released update yet. Google is limiting the update’s rollout to the Pixel 10 series for now. It’s also limited to driving mode; it won’t work if you’re just walking or cycling. The option is accessible through Driving options under Navigation in the settings.

In countries where Android Auto isn’t the norm just yet, a power saving mode for navigation is a godsend. Besides hoping that the update arrives on more devices, one can also hope that Google, who also owns the app, will introduce a similar mode to Waze. (To be fair, Waze did have a battery saver option, but it just dimmed the display for long straights.

SEE ALSO: Android now supports AirDrop!