Accessories

Fitbit Alta HR review

Published

June 15, 2017

Isa Rodriguez

Working out is like falling in love. The awkward and hesitant start may be quite daunting to most but eventually, something inside (whether it be attraction or diabetes) will compel you to at least try. In fitness (and in love), consistency is key.

This is what I’ve learned in the last two years of attempting a healthier lifestyle (and maybe a few relationships along the way). To be able to achieve a certain level of fitness, one must commit to changing multiple aspects of everyday life. It doesn’t end with just weekly workouts. Diet, sleep, exercise, water intake — they’re all part of the healthy equation; take one out and your fitness progress isn’t optimized.

A good way to get yourself to commit (big word) to this healthy lifestyle is through tracking your daily activity. This is easily doable via a fitness wearable. The Fitbit Alta HR was my weapon of choice for the last few months, and this is how it fared.

Meeting and initial impressions

This newest member of the Fitbit collection features a slim rubber band that comes in many different colors (of course, I chose fuschia) and an equally slim face. It sits comfortably on my small wrist with an unassuming blank screen.

Tap to view, lift to activate

It looks good and it’s very cute, but it matches nothing other than my workout clothes and purple hair.

As cute as the fuschia is, it will most definitely clash with most outfits.

This becomes a problem because the whole point of a fitness wearable is having it on 24/7, and that can’t happen if it does not match half of my wardrobe. (Even I can’t wear athleisure wear all the time.)

After moving on from my initial fashion apprehensions on color matching (i.e., I stopped caring), I now focus on function.

Dates and working out

The Alta HR automatically tracks all your movement and computes your active minutes. Now, a recurring problem I’ve had with other wearables I’ve tried is that they usually wouldn’t record my less basic exercises. Sure, there’s always a built-in tracker for running, but my other activities like HIIT or DragonBoat paddling were exercises nowhere to be found on the pre-made list of workouts.

On the FitBit app, though, that shouldn’t be a problem. Although some exercises aren’t on the list, the Alta HR records the activity with corresponding workout details (like duration, heartbeat, and calories burned). For my Dragonboat training, it usually recorded under “Aerobic exercise” and I just edited the label afterwards.

Sleeping together

Did I mention that this thing is supposed to be on your person at all times? Yes, that includes sleeping and everything in between.

The Alta HR tracks your sleep cycle and it lets you know what quality of sleep you’re getting. This is done through measuring your heart rate and movement throughout the night. What’s great about this is you can also set alarms that will indicate what time you should sleep and wake up to ensure you get enough rest — something that definitely helps if you’re someone who tends to work late nights like me.

The morning after

Updates on your activities are sent via email weekly, which means you could track your fitness progress more easily. I personally appreciate this, as it serves as little benchmarks for my progress or little nudges to get my fitness on (if I’ve been lazy throughout the week).

The Fitbit app is able to track your food intake. If calorie counting is your thing, this will definitely help. I’ve found that consolidating all your health data simplifies everything — calories burned throughout the day are computed against your caloric intake automatically. Additionally, water intake can also be tracked.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

For something that you’re supposed to wear everywhere, I would’ve loved for it to have been water resistant and not just splash resistant. Although it did fare well against the many splashes it endured, this extra feature would have given me a better peace of mind. One too many times (because of my many random activities), I paused what I was doing to worry about if my band would get wet.

By design (even the ones that came in black and neutral colors), the band itself looks cute but a little too sporty for my everyday aesthetic. I would have liked it to look a little less screaming “I WORK OUT!”

I do love the idea of being able to translate everything I do into concrete information, and aside from just taking note of my activities, I found that wearing one does push me to be more consistent in trying to reach my fitness goals.

If you’re someone looking for commitment and a little more consistency in your life, the Fitbit Alta HR is for you; this machine is never too complicated, won’t ever let you down, and never flake on you.

It all works out, like I’ve been doing.

The Fitbit Alta HR retails for PhP 8,490 in the Philippines and INR 14,999 in India.

[irp posts=”10747″ name=”App Review: The road to getting Kfit”]

Accessories

Sony WF-1000XM6 is out now: Price, availability

The new model features better noise cancellation and a redesign.

Published

February 12, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Well, the rumors are true. After briefly showing up in a leak last month, the new Sony WF-1000XM6 is finally here. Sony is launching its latest wireless earbuds today, alongside the debut of a pink colorway option for last year’s WH-1000XM6.

But first, here’s the Sony WF-1000XM6.

Once again, Sony is improving on the lineup’s noise cancellation technology. The earbuds will pack a third-generation QN3e, the brand’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor. The processor can supposedly achieve a 25 percent better noise reduction, compared to the previous generation. Each earbud will also have four microphones to further bolster noise cancellation.

As the leaks hinted previously, the Sony WF-1000XM6 features a redesign for the popular wireless earbuds series. The earbuds themselves are now more pill-shaped and are returning to a matte texture. The brand says that the redesign will help with noise cancellation, comfort, and stability.

Meanwhile, the charging case switches over from a pill-shaped design to a sharper one.

Like its predecessors, the earbuds will boast studio quality design. Calling functionality, likewise, will get a boost, thanks to a bone conduction sensor, two microphones for AI beamforming, and AI-based noise cancellation to isolate voices from background noise.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 debuts today with two colorway options: Platinum Silver and Black. Both variants will sell for US$ 329.99.

If that’s not enough, the Sony WH-1000XM6, the lineup’s larger sibling, will debut a Sand Pink colorway option. The new model will carry the same price tag: US$ 459.99. However, interested buyers can enjoy an initial sale price of US$ 399.99 through February 15.

Accessories

Sony WF-1000XM6 was accidentally leaked online

The design suggests some interesting changes.

Published

February 3, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Despite how small they are, the unannounced Sony WF-1000XM6 has just made a huge appearance, albeit accidentally, in an online retail store. Though the leak doesn’t reveal all the technical details about the device, the scant photos and specs are enough to paint an interesting picture about Sony’s next earbuds.

Via The Walkman Blog, an online retailer called Power Buy accidentally released a store page for the WF-1000XM6. The page contains extensive photos and a few specs for the device. Now, the specs don’t reveal much. As we can already ascertain based on previous releases, the earbuds will have Active Noise Cancelation and IPX4-rated water resistance.

The photos, however, are telling. For one, the WF-1000XM6 will return to a completely matte texture after a brief switch to a glossy texture for the current generation. The overall design is more elongated or pill-shaped, too. Previous earbuds feature a more circular or compact design.

Conversely, the charging case switches from a pill-shaped design to a more angular one, featuring flat bases. The flatter design should make the case stabler while on a surface but might make it clunkier when inside a pocket.

The leak caps it all off by including a price: THB 11,990 (or roughly US$ 381), which is a lot higher than the current generation. Either Sony went crazy with the price increase, or this is just a placeholder price. Only time (and an official launch) will tell. The leak, unfortunately, doesn’t reveal a launch date, so it might still be quite a wait.

Accessories

OBSBOT launches AI-powered 4K Tiny 3 series webcams

Professional-grade audiovisual features in compact bodies

Published

January 28, 2026

GadgetMatch

OBSBOT has announced the global launch of two new AI-powered 4K webcams: the Tiny 3 and Tiny 3 Lite.

Designed for content creators, streamers, podcasters, remote professionals, educators, and more, the Tiny 3 series sets a new benchmark for professional webcams.

The products combine studio-grade spatial audio, flagship-level imaging, and industry-leading AI intelligence.

The two variants also come in ultra-compact aluminum-alloy bodies while delivering premium sight and sound.

Both the Tiny 3 and Tiny 3 Lite feature industry-leading triple silicon MEMS microphone array. This system combines one omnidirectional and two directional microphones powered by Sisonic MEMS technology.

The architecture is commonly found in premium TWS earbuds and professional audio equipment. Such technology enables:

ultra-low distortion up to 130 dB SPL
exceptional 69dB signal-to-noise ratio
full spectrum 50Hz-20kHz frequency response
consistent unit-to-unit studio quality

This way, users can expect immersive sound that rivals dedicated microphones without the need to buy an extra product.

In addition, the Tiny 3 series features five dedicated audio profiles so users can tailor fit the webcams for various needs:

Pure Audio Mode — zero processing, studio-grade capture
Spatial Audio Mode — enhanced left-right stereo separation for vlogs, storytelling with soundscape
Smart Omni Mode — AI-powered 360-degree pickup with balanced vocals, ambient sound
Directional Mode — focuses on voice in front while cutting surrounding noise
Dual-Directional Mode — clear audio capture from front and rear while rejecting side noise

Moreover, the Tiny 3 series comes with Voice Locator. This feature lets the product find users, smoothly rotating the gimbal and tracking them automatically.

They can also leverage voice commands or the OBSBOT Vox SE wireless lavalier for cable-free audio.

Flagship imaging

Picture wise, the Tiny 3 features 4K@30fps video and up to 120fps high-frame rate capture. The system also uses advanced DCG HDR for balanced highlights and shadows, as well as ultra-fast dual all-pixel PDAF autofocus.

And powered by OBSBOT’s AI algorithms, the series introduces AI Tracking 2.0. Key capabilities include:

accurate tracking of subjects like individuals, groups, hands, objects, and more via Only Me mode
auto zoom, customizable composition lines, Face Framing
Voice Tracking
Multiple AI modes, including dedicated Desk Mode, Whiteboard Mode
Intuitive gesture and voice controls

For further control, users can use the OBSBOT Center and OBSBOT live for creative controls. These cover exposure and gamma curve adjustments, manual white balance tuning, and more.