Features

The Credit Card that kept me on top of my spending – even overseas!

Went over budget, but knew right away that I did

Published

August 19, 2025

I go on these media trips year after year. Some are fully sponsored, others only partially. Yet no matter what the arrangement, I’ve often ended up unsure about how much I actually spent.

I’ve never been the type to meticulously track expenses (not ideal, I know). But during two of my most recent trips, I finally had a better grasp of where my money was going — thanks to the Maya Black Credit Card.

So, what is Maya Black Credit Card?

The Maya Black Credit Card is Maya’s sleek new premium card that ditches the old-school rules around who gets access to credit.

Instead of relying on traditional credit checks, Maya uses your in-app data and AI-powered models to figure out if you’re eligible. You can apply right from the app, get approved fast, and even start using a virtual card instantly.

The physical card? It’s numberless and shows up at your doorstep in a few days — all managed straight from your phone.

What makes it even cooler is how it’s designed so everyone’s invited, even if you’re still building your credit history. If you’re still working on your credit score, you can get Maya Black Express. It has the same perks as Maya Black, but instead of basing your limit on credit history, Maya bases it on the amount you set aside in your Maya account, and that money still earns while it’s there.

And because it’s still a black-tier card, you get the perks — real-time Maya Miles with every purchase, airport lounge access, and global acceptance via Visa.

Basically, Maya’s making credit cards feel a little less intimidating and a lot more accessible.

Maya made me look

The real game-changer for me wasn’t just the card itself — it was the habit I developed around checking the Maya app. Unlike my regular banking app, Maya’s already part of my daily routine. I open it often, whether to pay bills or just check my balance.

So, when I used the Maya Black Credit Card for my primary expenses on a couple of recent overseas work trips, I ended up monitoring my spending without even trying.

It also helped that I went to cities where credit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere.

Taipei for Computex

This was my first true test. If I remember correctly, I had just received the Maya Black card before the trip. You could say it was a trial by fire.

First hurdle: topping up my EZ Card — Taiwan’s almost do-it-all reloadable card. I had to use cash for that one thing because I wanted to keep it strictly for public transport. That was the only time I needed physical money. Every other transaction went through Maya Black.

From my onigiri-and-iced coffee breakfasts to Uber rides and even that one dinner I had to cover for the team — everything was on the card.

That level of convenience? Unmatched. And at the end of each day, I could easily pull up the Maya app to see where my money went.

Now, I wish I could say it helped me rein in my spending on this trip. But since I’d already paid for everything out of pocket, I figured — no need to add more pressure on myself.

New York, though, was a different story.

Unpacked in New York City

This one was a bigger challenge: a more expensive city, more places to go, and way more temptations. I already knew I’d go over my target budget — but the difference was, I knew exactly when it happened.

The Maya app didn’t just show me the numbers — it made me more conscious of my habits. I started making smarter choices (well, mostly) because I didn’t want to face a giant wall of red transactions after the trip.

Smarter, in this case, mostly meant cutting unnecessary spending. I limited my Uber rides to when I really needed them. The rest of the time, I just took in the city — walking around and soaking it all in.

For dining, I made sure I got my money’s worth — or just tagged along with the delegation. The tipping culture in New York? Let’s just say it’s not something my third-world salary was fully prepared for. But I digress.

Another underrated feature: Maya sends SMS alerts with every transaction. So, I felt the pang of each swipe in real-time — no need to even open the app sometimes.

Best for travel

Overall, the Maya Black card proved to be a reliable travel partner — helping me “manage” my expenses. And I say “manage” in quotes because it wasn’t about strict budgeting. It was more like tracking my behavior and knowing what to improve next time.

There were three key features that stood out:

Instant updates

It felt like having a live expense tracker in my pocket. No guesswork. Just open the app and see where you’re at — any time of the day.

Currency Conversion Clarity

Foreign currency transactions are automatically shown in pesos, so I didn’t have to guesstimate or pull out a calculator just to see if something was worth it.

Security

The card is numberless, and everything’s managed in-app. If anything happens, I could freeze it instantly with a tap. That gave me peace of mind the whole time.

I’m still not the kind of person who logs every peso in a spreadsheet. But Maya Black made me just aware enough to be a more mindful spender — without turning it into a chore.

That’s a win in my book.

Should you get a Maya Black Credit Card?

If you’re someone who travels for work, doesn’t obsess over budgeting, but wants to be more mindful of spending — Maya Black makes that easy.

It’s not just about perks or design. What really makes it work is how seamlessly it fits into your existing app habits. That’s where it sticks.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Maya.

Related Topics:Maya Maya Black Maya Black card

Features

This is the history of basketball videogames since the ’73 Knicks

Did you know that the first basketball videogame was invented in 1973?

Published

June 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Knicks fans, rejoice; your long, long wait is finally over! The New York Knicks are once again the NBA Champions. As you’ve probably heard so many times by now, the last time that New York’s own was on top of the basketball pyramid was in 1973, 53 years ago.

Here’s a fun fact that you might not know, though: The last Knicks championship is tied to the history of the basketball in videogames. Did you know that the very first basketball video game was invented in 1973, the exact same year that the Knicks won their last championship?

But, of course, a lot of things have happened since then, and a lot of videogames have come and gone. Here are the most notable basketball games you might have played (or missed playing) in history:

NBA 2K

It would be pointless to start a list of basketball games without stating the obvious first. The NBA 2K series is the quintessential hooper sim today. When you think of the sport in videogames today, you can’t spend two seconds without thinking of the long-running franchise.

Now an annually releasing series, NBA 2K started in 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast. At the time, it was just another drop in a sea of ‘90s basketball games. Now, it’s an institution with constantly updating graphics and mechanics.

NBA Live

Around the time that NBA 2K first started, NBA Live was the king of the jungle. Up until 2018, it was another annually releasing series going alongside (and against) the behemoth known as 2K.

But it’s had a storied history as well. It started off as the NBA Playoffs series. The first one, 1989’s Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, featured eight teams who were part of that year’s playoffs. This went on until 1993 when it evolved into NBA Showdown, one of the first games to feature every NBA team. In 1994, Showdown reinvented itself once again into NBA Live and turned into an annual series before its unfortunate cancellation in 2018.

NBA Street

If sports simulators aren’t your thing, NBA Street is an arcade-style series that has ups the fun with trick shots and streetball rules. It features three-on-three hooping with 29 teams and 5 players from each. Whereas NBA 2K and NBA Live helped gamers live out their dreams to become an NBA superstar, NBA Street was one for the gamers who just wanted a fun time.

The series spawned a few sequels since 2001 but eventually met its end in 2007. Now, however, you can continue the legacy in the recently launched NBA the Run, a spiritual successor created by developers of the original NBA Street games.

NBA Jam

“Boomshakalaka! He’s on fire!”

Even if you’ve never played NBA Jam before, you’ve probably heard its most iconic catchphrase. NBA Jam was so influential that it’s considered one of the most important games of the SNES and the arcade cabinet generation.

Besides impressive graphics for its time, it was a spectacle. Because it had no fouling system, you can physically bully people out of your way. You can catch fire if you’re too good at shooting, hence the “he’s on fire” line. You can jump to gravity-defying heights to make a dunk. Plus, the game features so many fun Easter eggs, including one that turns you into a literal tank on the court.

Double Dribble

Technically a sequel to Konami’s Super Basketball, 1986’s Double Dribble was a fairly straightforward simulator that attempted to feature realistic gameplay in a very two-dimensional time. For its time, the game was remarkable because it featured highly detailed animations for fancy moves like slam dunks.

However, the game came out before the rise of the NBA’s massive popularity in media. It doesn’t have a license to feature actual teams or players. Then again, haven’t you heard of the Boston Frogs or the New York Eagles?

One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird

Contrasted to the above’s five-versus-five or three-versus-three formats, 1983’s One on One featured, as the title says, a mano-a-mano duel between Julius Erving and Larry Bird. With an isometric half-court layout, either player takes turns dunking or shooting over the other.

While one-versus-one modes are available in today’s games, One on One let players live out their fantasies as two of the biggest basketball stars at the time. It even let you shatter the backboard Though the game isn’t much of a talking point nowadays, it was so popular for its time that it helped establish Electronic Arts as a household name in gaming.

Atari’s Basketball

As the father of modern basketball games, 1978’s Basketball, built for the Atari, was the first game to feature the full-court format so popular today. Like One on One, Basketball features only two players. The game was so rudimentary that the two hoops were represented with two sticks, and the two players were different colored blobs.

However, in 1979, Atari released an updated version with detailed graphics. It was also controlled with a trackball, the first of its kind to do so. Though it didn’t have named superstars or teams, it’s clearly the predecessor of the games we all know and love.

Basketball!

And now, we’ve come to the beginning. Released on 1973, Basketball! is officially the first basketball video game in history. Since it’s on the Magnavox Odyssey, the very first home gaming console, that comes as no surprise.

Like Pong, which also found a home in the Magnavox Odyssey, Basketball! features two square dots (the players) bouncing a smaller dot (the ball) into two “hoops” on both sides of a court. The game had a static image laid over the dots to simulate an ongoing basketball game. It was so basic that it didn’t even have a computing system for point. Players had to manually tally scores on their own based on where the small dot lands.

If it’s hard for you to imagine just how long today’s Knicks fans have waited for a championship, this was the state of gaming when they got their last ring.

Cameras

What HYROX Hong Kong looks like up close

Photographed on the Canon EOS R6 Mark III.

Published

June 11, 2026

MJ Jucutan

HYROX drew people from all over the world for a single purpose: finish the course. In Hong Kong, athletes showed up at AsiaWorld-Expo ready to run, row, and push through 8 stations of pure functional fitness.

So, we brought the Canon EOS R6 Mark III to capture one of the most demanding fitness races on the planet.

The Expo floor is a lighting nightmare, a mix of harsh overheads and deep shadows, but the 32.5MP sensor handled the contrast without breaking a sweat.

The 40fps electronic shutter and Pre-continuous shooting meant we were already capturing the moment half a second before we consciously decided to press the shutter.

Covering a race means staying mobile, and the 8.5-stop IBIS let us move freely alongside athletes without losing the shot. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF II stayed locked on athletes even when they were squinting through the final stretch.

What came out were stories of triumph and determination. Even when their bodies were screaming, they pushed through anyway.

This is what HYROX Hong Kong looked like from the inside.

Words by MJ Jucutan. Photos by Sky Rodillas.

Buyer's Guide

Buyer’s Guide: Xiaomi Pad 8 Series

Do you need the base or the Pro?

Published

June 8, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Choosing between the Xiaomi Pad 8 and the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro feels like picking between a “sweet treat” and a “full-course meal.”

It’s deciding between a reliable travel companion and a specialized workstation. Both tablets rock a slim 5.8mm profile and a manageable 485-gram weight, and a 9200mAh battery.

However, under the hood, they are playing in different leagues. Especially since the “Pro” moniker adds serious muscle to the internals, and a solution for that glossy screen distraction.

Specs at a glance

Product	Xiaomi Pad 8	Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro
Processor	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (4nm)	Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm)
Display	11.2″ 3.2K IPS LCD (144Hz)	11.2″ 3.2K IPS LCD (144Hz)
Surface	Ultra-Glossy Glass	Optional Matte Nano-Texture
Storage/RAM	Up to 12GB LPDDR5X / 256GB	Up to 16GB LPDDR5T / 512GB
Rear Camera	13MP	50MP
Front Camera	8MP	32MP
Charging	45W Turbo Charge	67W HyperCharge
Pricing	Starts at PhP 20,999	Starts at PhP 38,999

Why you should pick the Xiaomi Pad 8

The standard Pad 8 is that “Goldilocks” device, hitting that sweet spot between price and premium hardware.

It’s ideal if your tablet usage is centered on media consumption and light productivity. Since it shares the same 11.2-inch screen size as the Pro, it fits perfectly on an airplane tray table, making it a dream for frequent flyers.

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is no slouch; it still runs titles like Racing Master at 60fps on Ultra-High settings. If you’re a fan of XG or KiiiKiii, you’ll appreciate the quad-speaker setup and Hi-Res Audio support without needing to pay the “Pro” tax.

It’s the smart choice for those who want a capable second screen to complement their main laptop.

Why you should level up to the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro

The “Pro” is for those who found the standard model’s limitations — like the glossy screen reflections or the 128GB storage ceiling — to be a dealbreaker.

The biggest upgrade is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, a powerhouse chip that turns the tablet into a legitimate workstation for video editing in CapCut or heavy multitasking in HyperOS 3.0.

Beyond power, the Pro version offers a Matte Glass Edition, which completely solves the “reflection” issue that can ruin your movie sessions or drawing time under bright lights.

You also get significantly better cameras, such as a 32-megapixel front sensor for professional-looking video calls. There’s also a 50-megapixel rear camera for high-res document scanning.

Finally, the 67W HyperCharge means you spend less time tethered to a wall and more time being productive.

Which Xiaomi Pad is your GadgetMatch?

Swipe Right on the Xiaomi Pad 8 if you want the best value for your money.

It’s thin, light, and powerful enough for 90% of users. It handles gaming, writing, and music playback with ease, making it a worthy recipient of a seal of approval for anyone on a budget.

Just be sure to skip the 128GB entry model and go for the 256GB version to ensure you get those faster storage speeds.

Swipe Right on the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro if you are a “power user” who hates screen glare. If you plan to use the Focus Pen Pro for serious creative work or need 512GB of space for a massive game library, the Pro is worth the extra investment.

It’s a high-speed machine that charges faster, captures better photos, and runs every app with flagship-level fluidness.

The Xiaomi Pad 8 starts at PhP 20,999 with Normal Keyboard while the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro starts at PhP 38,999 with Touch Keyboard. Both tablets come with free Focus Pen Pro.