News
Google Wallet rolls out in the Philippines
Android users can now tap-to-pay and store digital essentials in one app
Google has officially launched Google Wallet in the Philippines. This gives Android users a secure and convenient way to pay in stores, online, and in-app. The service also supports digital items such as loyalty cards, boarding passes, event tickets, and more.
Google Wallet is available for download on the Google Play Store starting today. You can add a participating bank card to Google Wallet, then pay with your Android phone or Wear OS device wherever contactless payments are accepted.
Prep Palacios, Country Manager of Google Philippines, said the launch aligns with the country’s growing digital lifestyle and supports faster, safer transactions.
FinTech Alliance PH chairman Lito Villanueva noted the service strengthens financial inclusion, backed by collaboration between the private sector and government.
BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto E. Tangonan emphasized that banks and e-money issuers remain responsible for risk management when working with technology service providers. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said Google Wallet supports the nation’s digitalization agenda.
Features and supported partners
Google Wallet stores digital credentials securely. The app holds your payment cards, and Google Pay completes the transaction. You can also add boarding passes from Philippine Airlines and other carriers, with instant alerts for flight changes. The app supports event and cinema tickets, loyalty cards, vouchers, and digital car keys.
Participating issuers include Visa and Mastercard cardholders from banks such as China Bank, EastWest, RCBC, GoTyme, Maya, UnionBank, Wise, Zed, and GCash. Online payments are supported on platforms like Shopee and select merchants via partner payment service providers.
For transit, users can tap and pay at MRT-3 stations, modern jeepneys in Cebu and Mandaue City, and other terminals that accept Visa or Mastercard. Google Wallet supports digital tickets from Easybook. Beep App integration will follow soon.
Setup and security
To enable tap-to-pay, users can add a card inside the app, agree to terms, and complete verification. Google Wallet uses tokenization and device-specific security codes for every transaction, with screen lock required for access. Lost devices can be secured or erased via Find My Device.
Google Wallet is now available for download through the Google Play Store.
Gaming
AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1 now available for Radeon RX 7000 Series
Update drops earlier than expected, powering more than 300 supported games
PC and handheld gamers can officially skip the wait, as AMD has launched its FSR 4.1 upscaling technology for Radeon RX 7000 series (RDNA 3) GPUs.
Computing and Graphics Group Senior Vice President and GM Jack Huynh made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter). This development brings machine learning powered gaming to millions of players across more than 300 games.
By downloading the latest AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.6.2 driver, users can unlock the new AI upscaling suite on existing RX 7000 series desktop graphics cards.
(The driver can be downloaded here.)
The update drastically sharpens image reconstruction, delivers far superior temporal stability, and keeps motion ghosting to an absolute minimum. That’s across a massive library of supported titles.
Beyond optimized frame rates out of the gate for those two blockbusters, the release packs vital architecture stability improvements and bug fixes for the broader Radeon ecosystem.
Huynh added that AMD is actively engineering lightweight machine learning models to expand FSR 4.1 optimizations to a wider base of gamers. More details are to come.
Moreover, the driver for the FSR 4.1 upscaling technology will deliver day-one support for two highly anticipated releases: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations.
if you are wielding an RDNA 3 desktop rig or an RDNA 3-powered handheld, like the ROG Ally X or Lenovo Legion GO, simply open up the AMD Software suite, get the update, and test the new AI tech.
TECNO is giving its experimental AI assistant, EllaClaw, a major upgrade.
Still in its Beta stage, EllaClaw is evolving from a simple AI chatbot into a more proactive Agentic AI (not to confuse with AI Agent) that can manage your phone, learn your habits, and even interact with third-party apps on your behalf.
From chatbot to personal phone caretaker
TECNO says EllaClaw now goes beyond answering questions and can actively help optimize your smartphone.
Powered by over 40 Smart Skills, the AI agent can perform tasks such as:
- Cleaning up RAM and CPU resources to reduce lag
- Identifying apps that consume excessive battery power
- Optimizing background activity to cool down the device during heavy use
- Monitoring mobile data consumption based on your usage habits
Importantly, major changes still require user approval, keeping people in control before any action is executed.
Learning your routines
EllaClaw is also gaining persistent memory capabilities, allowing it to remember user habits and preferences over time.
This enables more personalized features such as morning briefings, combining your calendar, weather, travel plans, and news updates in one.
There’s also Trip Preparation Assistance that can arrange transportation and set departure reminders. Moreover, context-aware reminders to stay connected with family members and loved ones.
The idea is to transform EllaClaw into a digital companion that proactively helps organize daily life.
Cross-app support
Perhaps the biggest leap forward is EllaClaw’s ability to work across different apps. With user permission, it can interact alongside shopping apps, transportation services, food delivery platforms, as well as smart home ecosystems.
Rather than operating invisibly in the background, TECNO says EllaClaw uses a visible, human-like interface that lets users see every action it takes which include:
- Booking rides through a single voice or text command
- Monitoring connected smart home devices
- Acting as a shopping assistant that finds products inside e-commerce apps such as Lazada
The future of Ella?
TECNO emphasizes that EllaClaw remains an exploratory project undergoing internal testing and closed beta development.
The move is part of TECNO’s broader “Practical AI” strategy, which aims to make advanced AI features more useful and accessible, particularly for users in emerging markets.
While there’s no official release date yet, the company says more details about future availability and additional capabilities will be announced as its development continues even further.
Still, with the latest update, it offers a glimpse at where mobile AI is headed: less about asking questions and more about having an assistant that can proactively get things done for you.
Apps
Honor, Xiaomi are working on their own Privacy Displays
Samsung’s Privacy Display is apparently very popular.
Normally, a smartphone brand’s blatant copying of another brand’s feature is not a good practice. Today, however, there is a new feature that we wish other brands would copy: Samsung’s Privacy Display. Thankfully, some brands, like Honor, have finally gotten the message and are working on version of the feature.
As reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Honor is reportedly working on a privacy screen for its smartphones. Likewise, Xiaomi is working on the same thing, potentially launching the feature for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.
For the uninitiated, the Samsung Privacy Display is a built-in feature that blocks visibility of the screen at certain angles. If you’re not looking at the screen from the front, all you’ll see is a black void. It’s a built-in version of those protective screens that you can buy separately. Besides adding a nice layer of protection against scratches, it’s also meant to prevent snooping from your shoulder.
Samsung’s take was widely acclaimed for being insanely useful. When it arrives, this feature will be a godsend to more brands. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on third-party screen just to enjoy the privacy.
That said, there’s still no indication as to when these features will arrive on either Honor or Xiaomi.
SEE ALSO: LE SSERAFIM Chaewon flexes Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display
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