Accessories

The Huawei x Gentle Monster Eyewear II makes the future look stylish

It’s a little like meeting ‘the one’

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Every now and then, a piece of tech comes along that changes the way you live a certain aspect of your life. It might be something you never thought you needed. Maybe something some movie that’s supposed to be in the distant future showed you a version of? But one thing’s for sure. It’s a little like meeting the one. It certainly was how I felt with the Huawei x Gentle Monster Eyewear II.

The second version of the Chinese tech giant’s stylish wearable is now in the Philippines. Listening to music or taking calls while on the go has never looked this good.

Choose your style: The many faces of Huawei x Gentle Monster Eyewear II

I’ve been eyeing Gentle Monster’s Her sunglasses ever since I saw Son Ye Jin wear them on Crash Landing on You. Frames so big, they can practically make anyone look like a K-drama star. Living in Berlin at that time with no Gentle Monster store nearby, it was hard to try it on before buying.

Sunglasses, for me, had to be bought in a physical store because of how picky I can be. But when the Smart Myma style of this collab landed on my desk, I totally forgot about the style I’ve been looking at for months. They had Her in the first generation line-up but why miss out on Eyewear II’s new features?

Sure, this style is ginormous and can look quite comical on those with small faces. But if you’re someone like me who’s got a pretty strong jawline that makes your choice of glasses quite limited — well, lucky us. This style is perfect. For the rest of you lucky people with smaller faces, there’s always the smaller but still as eye-catching Smart Lang.

People who wish to opt for prescription glasses have the Smart Kubo and Smart Havana. For the best of both worlds, you can always switch to transition lenses to give you the best of both worlds.

The future looks stylish

Now on to the tech. Sure, there’s no doubt the glasses are stylish. But what makes them special or better than the first generation? A lot.

I tried the first generation Eyewear during IFA and one of my first comments was how the arms weren’t so comfortable. This issue was addressed in Eyewear II. I personally find that they stay on better with the way the arms bend towards the end. After wearing these glasses for hours, there was also no discomfort.

It also has five hours of music playback and up to three hours when used for phone calls. It also easily pairs with your current phone — even if it’s not Huawei. These glasses connect almost instantly to my iPhone 12 Pro as soon as I put them on.

The audio is also pretty good. Some say the bass falls a bit flat but I personally don’t notice that. The audio quality is pretty at par with your usual, wireless earphones. Calls come in crystal clear and the mic also functions really well even when you’re in a pretty noisy environment.

Control on your fingertips

The controls are pretty easy and to be honest — are pretty cool. Pairing the Eyewear II only requires a gentle pinch on the left temple. The voice assistant, meanwhile, is activated by a double-tap also on the left temple.

To move on to the next song on your playlist, you just need to swipe your finger on the right arm of your glasses to the front. Swiping back brings you to the previous song.  Doing the same gestures on the left side will control the volume.

Removing the glasses will automatically pause music playback and will resume the moment you put it back on within three minutes.

Sure, it’s great — but what about the negatives?

The glasses do have enough battery to power through a long chat or a decent listening session. When you need to charge it, you pop it into its case that — sadly — doesn’t have a battery. So you have to keep it plugged in with a USB-C cable to get some juice and listening time back. Maybe the next versions on Eyewear will have a battery built into the case but that might also mean a little more added weight.

There’s a little bit of audio spilling out. Sure, a person who’s nearby might hear that there’s music coming out of your glasses but it’s not enough for them to recognize any words or music. No need to worry about people eavesdropping. The audio leak is also hardly noticeable outdoors.

I always felt awkward talking on the phone using my AirPods when my hair is down and they could hardly be seen. I’ve often gotten stares from people who think I’m talking to myself. Those stares got worse with Eyewear II. During a pretty long phone call that lasted while walking through Greenbelt, I’m pretty sure I left a couple of people thinking I was having quite the monologue. But who cares about what other people think? My dog thinks my Smart Myma is cool and his is the only opinion that’s valid.

The Huawei x Gentle Monster Eyewear II is available wherever you can score Huawei devices in the Philippines. It currently retails for PhP 21,999.

Accessories

CASETiFY Match: Finding the right case for your Galaxy Z8 Series phone

Cases that match your personality

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CASETiFY cases for Galaxy Z8 series phones

A phone case can be more than protection. It can also be a way to show off your interests, personality, and the little things that make you, well, you.

For our CASETiFY Match for the Galaxy Z8 Series, we asked the team one question: Why was this CASETiFY design your Match?

From Spider-Man fandom and capybara obsession to feline-inspired art and snake motifs, here are the designs that found their way into our team’s everyday carry, plus a couple of bonus picks worth checking out.

Rodneil: A little New York energy for a certified web-head

If it wasn’t obvious enough, I’m a certified web-head. I love anything and everything Spider-Man, especially the iconic red-and-blue motif. Though, if we’re being honest, I’m more partial to the red.

I had my eyes on the Spider-Man suit design for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and the Spider-Man Mask Snappy Grip Stand. Unfortunately, those designs aren’t available for the Galaxy Z Fold8.

So, I went with a design that gives off a bit of New York energy instead. It still pairs nicely with the Spidey Snappy Grip Stand, letting me bring a little of that Spider-Man vibe to my everyday setup.

V: Keeping it cool with capybaras

I’ve been a capybara stan since 2020, long before the world finally caught up with just how cute and chill these animals are. Seeing them get the recognition they deserve has been a source of much excitement.

Finding cool and cute capybara cases and accessories for the phones I use every day, however, hasn’t always been easy.

That’s where Deville Dewil’s capybara collection comes in. It fills that gap while making my Galaxy Z Fold8 feel like an even more personal accessory.

At this point, I’d like to identify as a capy/bara.

Luigi: A cat design that’s playful without being too loud

There’s no shortage of cat-themed cases out there. If you’re a cat lover like me, chances are you’ve considered one at some point.

The tricky part is finding a design that isn’t too whimsical or loud. I love the little furballs, but I still want something sleek and clean.

CASETiFY’s cat collection speaks to that balance. In particular, this design by Catwheezie blends artistry with a touch of whimsy. It lets me show off my personality without being too flashy.

MJ: A little reputation energy

I’ve always had a soft spot for snake motifs, and CASETiFY’s Transparent Kingsnake case gives me Taylor Swift’s reputation era energy.

I love how snakes symbolize transformation. As someone who’s always evolving and never afraid to reinvent himself, that meaning feels personal.

The black-and-white design also brings a sleek, rebellious edge. Paired with my Galaxy Z Flip8, it’s giving statement accessory with a little bite.

Bonus Match: Sunglasses at Night

Sometimes, keeping it simple is the way to go. The Sunglasses at Night design is tasteful and understated, letting me show off the actual color of my phone without competing with it.

Bonus Match: Pink Weekly Planner

For the girls (and gaes) who plan their days–and life–ahead. And of course, for when they need to keep their Wednesdays pink.

Find your Match

There’s no single way to find a phone case that feels right. It might be a favorite character, an animal you’ve loved for years, a piece of art, or a symbol that means something to you.

For our team, the right CASETiFY design is the one that brings a little more personality to a device we carry every day.

So, which design would be your Match?

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Accessories

Bose acquires Skullcandy

But both are still separate brands.

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As one of the wisest sages of the 2000s once said, “He was a punk, she did ballet. What more can I say?” Sometimes, opposites attract. Now, two of those opposites in the audio space are coming together: the punk Skullcandy and the ballet-loving Bose.

Today, Bose has announced its acquisition of Skullcandy. The latter will continue to operate as a separate brand but now officially under the Bose umbrella. Although, it’s not a new collaboration as the two brands have previously worked together on devices before. Skullcandy will just have more access to Bose’s technologies moving forward.

Alternatively, Bose will now have access to Skullcandy’s more varied audience. Compared to Bose’s focus on premium products, Skullcandy caters to more alternative lifestyles. Though the brand has since mellowed from its more radical roots, it is still known as one of the alternative brands.

Bose, on the other hand, is still a household name for home audio and noise-cancelling headphones. The new relationship between two polar opposites might be seen as a weird one, but it’s ultimately beneficial to both parties. Besides, both brands were very strong in the 2010s. Keeping both brands going is a boon to audiophiles of the past decade.

SEE ALSO: Sony unveils three premium Walkman music players

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Accessories

Fujifilm’s new instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 make room for more creative memories

A new pocket camera and a collage-making printer join the instax family.

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Seeing a memory take shape beyond your screen changes how it feels. A favorite photo becomes a print you can tuck into a journal or pin beside your desk, and the everyday moments you capture get a little more room to live.

That was the spirit of Fujifilm’s instax Playhou2e launch in Makati, where visual artist Jill Arteche brought her signature illustrations into the event space.

Her artwork surrounded the latest additions to the instax family, the instax Pal 2 and instax Link WIDE 2. Both devices treat photography as a form of personal expression, from the snapshots you take throughout the day to the printed memories you want to keep close.

A pocket-sized camera that goes wherever you do

The original instax Pal made the case for carrying a camera without a full-sized setup. Its successor, the instax Pal 2, builds on that with a refreshed design and improved image quality.

The palm-sized camera is built for everyday adventures and can capture angles that are awkward to get with a smartphone. Its compact body also makes it easy to bring along if you like documenting your day as it happens.

Fujifilm gave the Pal 2 a semi-matte finish. A new monitor on top lets you review shots right after you take them, and the added viewfinder, control dial, and lever give it a more tactile feel to shoot with.

The specs have moved up, too. The Pal 2 captures 10-megapixel images, double the original’s five megapixels, and its internal storage holds up to 100 images compared with 50 before. A separately sold microSD card adds more room.

The creative options are where the Pal 2 gets playful. It offers 30 effects, so you can give images different moods without editing each one from scratch. Its instax Animation mode strings up to 10 consecutive shots into a flipbook-style animated video.

Transferring your photos is straightforward. The Pal 2 supports wireless Bluetooth transfers, and a USB Type-C connection offers faster transfers to compatible smartphones. From there, you can edit the images and post them to social media or keep them in your camera roll.

Because the Pal 2 is part of the instax ecosystem, its digital photos can also be printed on instant film through compatible instax printers. That means you can shoot first and decide later which moments deserve a physical copy.

Turning your camera roll into something worth keeping

Taking photos is only half the fun. The other half is deciding what to do with the hundreds of images that pile up on our phones.

The instax Link WIDE 2 is Fujifilm’s answer for anyone who collects travel photos or documents celebrations. As the brand’s WIDE-format smartphone printer, it prints at twice the image area of the instax mini format, which leaves more space for group photos and landscapes.

Its biggest new feature is Photo Mixer, which builds scrapbook-style collages from multiple images you pick in the dedicated app. Instead of printing a single photo, you can combine highlights from a trip or a gathering into one larger keepsake.

The app suggests layouts based on your chosen photos and adjusts image sizes, angles, text placement, and fonts to keep the design cohesive. You can then add your own text and stamps. A cutout function identifies people and objects in your photos so you can layer them into the collage.

With Photo Mixer, printing becomes part of the creative process, and your camera roll turns into material for building a visual record of an experience in a single print.

The Link WIDE 2 also gets a design refresh, with two-tone finishes in Duo Beige and Duo Blue. The light and dark surfaces give it a polished look on a shelf or desk, and an illuminated instax logo glows while it prints.

Connectivity has expanded, too. Beyond smartphones and tablets, the printer works with PCs, Fujifilm X Series cameras, and the instax Pal 2, so digital artwork and other compatible images can become physical prints.

A more personal way to keep your memories

The instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 share the idea that photography is a way to express yourself. The Pal 2 makes it easy to capture moments as they happen, and the Link WIDE 2 gives those images a place in the physical world.

Jill Arteche’s artwork at the launch backed that idea up. Her illustrations filled the space with personality and showed how photos and art can make an environment feel more personal. The event also made a case for revisiting and reinterpreting the images we collect.

Taking a photo takes seconds, and printing one can make the memory feel more special. The instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 bring that into everyday life and give your snapshots room for creativity, from the moment you press the shutter to the moment you find a place for the print.


In the Philippines, the Fujifilm instax Pal 2 retails for PhP 10,599, while the Fujifilm instax Link WIDE 2 is priced at PhP 10,999. Both devices are now available on Fujifilm’s authorized stores and retailers nationwide.

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