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PMC Infinite Smiles: Discounts, art contest, more this Christmas

Celebrate the festive holiday season

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Power Mac Center has three Christmas gimmicks this holiday season as part of its “Infinite Smiles” campaign.

Customers can get their hands on discounts on Apple accessories and other brands, as well as a digital art contest and a donation drive for worthy beneficiaries.

Christmas memory digital art contest

To encourage people to reminisce about their Christmas highlights and moments in a better way, Power Mac Center has a contest that is open for all participants.

The contest period is from December 2 to 31. To join, they simply have to create a digital artwork that features their most memorable Christmas story and post it publicly on Instagram.

Tag @PowerMacCenter and use the hashtags #PMCChristmasStories and #Pixelworx.

Only one entry is allowed per participants and artworks must be either in high-resolution JPEG or PNG.

Participants must also submit a short video no longer than one minute in duration that shows the creation of the artwork.

A total of three (3) winners will take home a curated set of Power Mac Center premium accessories worth PhP 25,000.

Big discounts for gift-shopping

The Power Mac Center holiday catalog also features selected Apple accessories and Dr. Dre products with discounts worth up to 80% off.

Accessories from other brands like Anker, Logitech, Energea, WHOOSH!, Twelve South, SwitchEasy, Microsoft, and Transcend also get up to 20% off.

For Mobile Care, customers can enjoy 15% off on diagnostic and software services for all Apple devices. Basecamp, meanwhile, offers 25% off on the iPad coding training course.

PMC points for a purpose

Lastly, PMC is also holding a fundraiser until the end of the year that shall benefit underprivileged children battling cancer and other chronic illnesses.

Customers with 1 Infinite membership are invited to donate their points and raise funds for the beneficiaries.

Members can go to any PMC or The Loop store and donate a minimum of 100 points, no purchase required.

As a token, each donation will entitle the member to a raffle entry for a chance to win an AirPods Max worth PhP 33,990.

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Samsung Galaxy A57, A37 bring Galaxy AI closer to more users

Galaxy AI meets midrange

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Galaxy A57, Galaxy A37

Samsung is expanding its AI push beyond flagships with the launch of the Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A37 — two devices positioned as accessible entry points into the broader Galaxy ecosystem.

These new Galaxy A Series smartphones don’t just refresh specs. They carry over a growing part of what Samsung now considers core to the Galaxy experience: AI-powered tools, long-term software support, and tighter ecosystem integration.

For users who aren’t quite ready to commit to a flagship Galaxy S device, this is Samsung making its case: you can start here.

A softer entry into Galaxy AI

The headline feature here is what Samsung calls “Awesome Intelligence,” its midrange-friendly take on Galaxy AI.

Running on One UI 8.5, both devices bring features that feel familiar if you’ve seen Samsung’s recent flagships — just scaled for a wider audience.

There’s Voice Transcription baked into the Voice Recorder, letting you convert recordings into text. AI Select surfaces contextual actions directly from the screen, making it easier to grab text, images, or snippets without jumping between apps. And yes, Circle to Search with Google is here too, now with multi-object recognition.

Even Samsung’s voice assistant gets a boost. Bixby becomes more conversational, while Google’s Gemini is integrated to handle more complex, cross-app tasks.

It’s not the full flagship AI suite, but it’s enough to give you a taste of how Samsung sees everyday interactions evolving.

And that’s really the pitch: not everything, but enough to get you started.

Cameras that lean on AI, not just megapixels

Both phones pack a familiar but reliable triple-camera setup, anchored by a 50MP main sensor.

On paper, it’s straightforward. In practice, Samsung is leaning heavily on AI to elevate the experience.

Object Eraser now produces more natural edits. Best Face (on the Galaxy A57 5G) helps salvage group shots. And scene optimization works in the background to balance exposure, skin tones, and detail.

Low-light photography also gets a boost with improved Nightography, aiming for clearer shots without needing manual tweaks.

The Galaxy A57 pulls slightly ahead here, with better image processing, faster shutter speeds, and more refined detail handling — the kind of upgrades you’ll notice when shooting moving subjects or tricky lighting conditions.

For most users, though, both cameras aim to do the same thing: remove friction. Point, shoot, fix — all within seconds.

Built for everyday use (and long-term ownership)

Where the Galaxy A Series continues to shine is in longevity.

Both the Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G promise up to six generations of Android and One UI updates, plus six years of security patches — a commitment that used to be reserved for premium devices.

That’s paired with practical hardware choices:

  • 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED displays with up to 120Hz refresh rate
  • 5,000mAh battery on both models
  • IP68 water and dust resistance
  • Samsung Knox security with features like Private Album and Privacy Alerts

The Galaxy A57 5G adds a bit more headroom for performance, with upgraded CPU, GPU, and NPU, along with a larger vapor chamber to keep things stable during longer sessions. That’s true whether it’s for gaming, recording, or just heavy multitasking.

It’s also slimmer and lighter, with a more refined finish that pushes the Galaxy A Series closer to flagship territory, at least in-hand.

The ecosystem play

More than anything, the Galaxy A57 and Galaxy A37 feel like onboarding devices.

They’re not trying to outshine the Galaxy S lineup. Instead, they introduce you to how Samsung wants everything to work together — from AI tools to SmartThings to cross-device workflows.

It’s the kind of phone you get when you’re curious about Galaxy, but not fully committed yet.

You get a preview of the experience. The AI tools. The software longevity. The ecosystem hooks.

And if it clicks, Samsung is betting you’ll eventually move deeper into its lineup.

Pricing and availability

Philippine pricing and availability

The Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G are now available in Samsung Authorized Stores nationwide.

For pricing, the Galaxy A57 5G comes in three configurations:

  • 128GB – PhP28,990
  • 256GB – PhP30,990
  • 512GB – PhP37,990

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A37 5G is available in:

  • 128GB – PhP25,990
  • 256GB – PhP27,990

Color options vary per model. The Galaxy A57 5G is offered in Awesome Navy, Awesome Gray, Awesome Icyblue, and Awesome Lilac. The Galaxy A37 5G, on the other hand, comes in Awesome Lavender, Awesome Charcoal, Awesome Graygreen, and Awesome White.

For added peace of mind, Samsung Care+ is also available, offering coverage options designed to help protect the device’s value over time.

In the US, the Galaxy A57 5G starts at $549.99, while the Galaxy A37 5G starts at $449.99.

Context matters here.

In the US, these price points sit firmly in the midrange — not quite “entry-level,” but still more accessible than flagship devices that typically start at $799 and above. They’re often positioned as practical upgrades for users coming from older devices or prepaid/carrier plans.

But when directly converted to Philippine pesos, that’s roughly around PhP30,000+ and PhP25,000+, respectively — a range that already overlaps with aggressively priced upper midrange and even some near-flagship alternatives locally.

For comparison, what many would consider a true “entry point” in the Philippines usually starts closer to PhP12,000 to PhP15,000 ($200–$250).

Which makes the positioning interesting.

These may be “entry points” into the Galaxy ecosystem — but not necessarily entry-level in terms of price, especially in markets like the Philippines. That’s a distinction that matters.

Early take

On paper, the Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G check a lot of boxes: modern design, capable cameras, meaningful AI features, and long-term support.

As much as these feel like “entry points,” they’re also creeping closer to premium territory. And that balance will ultimately decide how compelling they really are.

 

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Biwin launches high-speed Amber microSD card for intensive gaming

With up to 900/800 MB/s read/write speeds

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Biwin has expanded its Amber series with the launch of the ME300 microSD Express Card. This next-generation portable storage is engineered for smoother gaming and more scenarios with its high-speed performance.

The Amber ME300 microSD is built on the SD 7.1 specification and is powered by PCIe NVMe technology. Aside from exceptional speed, it has ample storage capacities and broad compatibility.

The memory card has sequential read speeds up to 900 MB/s and write speeds up to 800 MB/s.

As such, it dramatically reduces load times, accelerates game launches, and delivers smoother responsiveness especially during intensive gameplay.

This makes the product ideal for gaming handheld consoles. In other scenarios, it can also support media processing, like for a Kodak Charmera or budget smartphone.

Customers can choose from 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage configurations. This allows gamers the freedom to build larger libraries without deletion or re-downloading.

In addition, the Amber ME300 is backward compatible with UHS-I for a flexible option for upgrading in stages.

As for maintenance, Biwin built the Amber ME300 with comprehensive protection features. Users can expect it to withstand dust, water, accidental drops, shocks, and more.

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Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition out now

Classic platformer returns

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Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition launches February 14 on Ubisoft+, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Ubisoft Store and Steam.

Ubisoft developed the anniversary release with Digital Eclipse and Ubisoft Montpellier to celebrate 30 years of the original 1995 platforming classic. The package includes five versions of the game, covering PlayStation, Atari Jaguar, MS-DOS, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Color.

Players return to familiar locations like the Dream Forest and the Band Lands. The goal remains the same. Rescue the Electoons and stop Mr. Dark.

This edition keeps the original experience intact while adding new content. Highlights include a never-before-playable SNES prototype, 120 extra levels from bonus packs, and a reimagined soundtrack by composer Christophe Héral. New quality-of-life features are also included, such as a 60-second rewind, infinite lives, and optional invincibility.

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition also features an exclusive interactive documentary. It offers over 50 minutes of new interviews with the original developers, alongside unseen concept art, early sketches, and design documents that trace the series’ origins.

The game launches digitally tomorrow. A physical edition arrives in select regions this June.

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