News

Fitbit Versa is the company’s latest attempt at smartwatches for just $199

It looks like an Apple Watch

Published

March 14, 2018

Daniel Morial

Fitbit‘s first smartwatch, the Ionic, is not doing well for the company but that doesn’t mean they’re giving up already. How do you create a smartwatch that attracts potential buyers? Make it look friendlier and price it cheaper.

The Fitbit Versa is designed to have “mass appeal” according to the early report before the official announcement today. It doesn’t have Ionic’s hard-edged design but rather a rounded square shape that Fitbit calls “Squircle.”

Fitbit Versa

It also has an entry-level price of just US$ 199 which would be ideal for first-time smartwatch buyers that are not into extra features like LTE connectivity. Since it’s cheaper than the Ionic, Fitbit has to cut corners like putting in a smaller battery (four days of battery life instead of five) and not including GPS.

But, most of the features of the Ionic are on the Versa: It still has a touchscreen, heart rate monitor, SpO2 sensor for sleep apnea, runs on Fitbit OS, and can be worn even while swimming. Fitbit Coach is also on board for guided exercise routines with an optional premium subscription for US$ 40 per year. The watch also has internal storage for songs and can stream from Pandora or Deezer.

Fitbit Versa (left) and Fitbit Ionic (right)

The Fitbit Versa has different strap designs available to make it more appealing as an everyday accessory. The price of the wearable also makes it more affordable than Apple and Samsung’s offerings. Pre-orders are already open through the company’s official website.

Alongside the announcement, the company also introduced Fitbit Ace, a fitness tracker for kids. It’s basically an adapted version of the Alta with a smaller band to fit tinier wrists and toned-down features (it doesn’t count calories). Like the Alta, the Ace is showerproof and has a battery life of up to five days.

Fitbit Ace

The Ace is made to encourage kids to build physical habits, according to Fitbit. Parents can track their kid’s activity levels and hours slept through the Fitbit app. The Ace also rewards users with badges.

It’s priced at US$ 100 with two color options: purple and blue.

Related Topics:Fitbit Fitbit Versa Versa

Apps

Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity

Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more

Published

August 8, 2026

GadgetMatch

Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.

That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.

As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.

This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.

Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.

The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.

Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.

Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.

News

The iPhone 18 might sell out for an unexpected reason

The ongoing shortage might play a part in the phone selling out earlier than expected.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

An iPhone selling out is not news. Because of how popular the phones are, it’s within the realm of probability that Apple runs out of stock at some point. According to a new report, this year won’t be any different… but it’s for an entirely different reason.

First reported by analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is reportedly struggling to meet its demand for semiconductors for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. The ongoing memory shortage is cutting off Apple’s ability to deliver the required supply of smartphones in a timely fashion. The report even claims that TSMC, which helps produce the iPhone, is sitting on a shipment of processors, worth US$ 1 billion, that don’t have memory chips.

Now, Apple is still confident that it can weather the launch. However, if the shortage persists, the iPhone 18 generation will likely sell out much more quickly than expected.

It’s an interesting time for Apple to experience such a shortage. It’s been heavily rumored that the company will launch its very first foldable phone next month, creating a new market for the brand. Apple definitely wants this attempt to succeed after the tepid response to its last new product, the Vision Pro.

News

These “smart” glasses just sold out in under a week

DuckDuckGo touts that these glasses have zero AI, zero cameras, and an infinite battery life.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While a chunk of the population views them as cool and innovative, another significant chunk sees them as a privacy nightmare. If you’re in the latter group but want to see what life is like on the former, DuckDuckGo has a new product: a pair of anti-surveillance glasses with no camera or AI, otherwise known as just normal sunglasses.

If it’s not obvious, yes, it’s a troll product. DuckDuckGo is a search engine famously known for pushing privacy as a priority, opposing Google’s penchant for advertising and AI. Now, the search engine is taking on the smart glasses market.

Partnering with Knockaround, DuckDuckGo released the Paso Robles, a pair of sunglasses touted as having zero cameras, an always-offline mode, and a battery life of infinity.

It’s a statement piece. The rims have a logo mark, similar to the Meta’s glasses. The packaging also states that the glasses are “designed to block the sun, not send data to the cloud.”

Now, if you want a pair, they cost only US$ 35, as opposed to Meta’s US$ 299 price tag, but they are already sold out.

Which says quite a bit about today’s sentiment against AI and for privacy. Of course, to be fair, DuckDuckGo’s supply is certainly less than Meta’s stock for their smart glasses. It does, however, prove that the sentiment is there.

As of now, the world is slowly realizing that unimpeded smart glasses aren’t such a good idea, leading to people concerned about their privacy. In fact, some states have already started banning the technology in certain public spaces.