Her GadgetMatch

realme Pad X: Great all-around companion

Master your hobbies!

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If I were to rank my gadget priorities, a tablet is somewhere in the middle to near bottom of my list. When it comes to purchasing gadgets, I consider myself an essentialist. I thought there wasn’t a very solid reason for me to purchase one.

But then, realme reached out to (hopefully) change my mind. Enter, the realme Pad X.

First impressions

When the realme Pad X fell into my lap, I was initially impressed with the sleek aluminum alloy body design. I wished they had more color options (realme currently offers two: Glacier Blue and Glowing Grey), although this blue colorway looks elegant.

The button placements were kind of confusing at first, especially coming from a phone layout but it doesn’t take too long to get used to.

There are four speaker grilles on the top and bottom (if you’re in portrait mode). I got excited to use it, especially when I saw that the audio is equipped with the famous Dolby Atmos technology.

Workout buddy

I love doing home workouts. I usually start my mornings with a yoga practice from one of my favorite YouTube channels; Yoga With Adriene using my personal laptop.

Setting up a laptop seems a little tedious to do first thing in the morning, so there are days when I slack off and skip my exercise.

When I started to do my morning routine using the realme Pad X, I noticed that I was able to stay consistent even during busy days.

The realme Pad X is very light and easy on the hands with its 7.1mm Ultra Slim Design. It doesn’t take too long to set it up and position a little above my yoga mat. In fact, it can be easily placed anywhere wherever the best angle is.

Perfect for creative hobbyists and multitaskers

During my downtime, I take conscious effort to learn new hobbies. I recently bought my first guitar and I have been studying my favorite songs through the realme Pad X. Whenever I pick up my instrument, I treat my tablet like Kindle — but for guitar chords.

I can also play some music while running different apps in the background, thanks to its power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Processor. The device also comes with two Cortex-A78, six Cortex-A55 Cores and paired with an Adreno 619 GPU, so it’s also pretty steady for multitasking and casual gaming.

An audio champ

Perhaps my favorite feature, the realme Pad X is equipped with Dolby Atmos Quad Speakers with Hi-Res Certification and Adaptive Surround Sound. It gives a sound experience like no other.

As a heavy podcast listener (especially while doing house chores), I enjoyed streaming through my realme Pad X, most especially the video podcasts. The sound is very crisp and immersive, no need to connect the tablet to a Bluetooth speaker!

Bigger screen, yay!

Streaming my favorite shows through the realme Pad X gives an almost full cinema experience. The device features a 10.95” 2K Full View Display. The colors are bright and neat, and there’s a bigger screen to match. Not the best display out there, especially for 1080p and 4K videos, but still okay for a decent watch.

I love a big screen partnered with high quality audio — a great binge buddy whether I’m watching while sitting on my desk or while I’m snuggling in bed.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Overall, the realme Pad X is worth it as an additional device. It’s a great everyday companion as I juggle through different hobbies.

One thing I noticed, though, it somehow fails in the camera department. I don’t expect much in tablets, but the video quality didn’t deliver much especially during online meetings.

Regardless, it’s a great media device for people who want the combined advantages of a phone and laptop in a sleek, convenient package. And oh, did I mention it has 6 GB RAM and 128 GB memory? Yay for storage!

The realme Pad X is available starting today, August 26. It retails for PhP 15,999.

Accessories

Dyson Airstrait: Hair straightening with air, not heat

Less heat, less damage

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People may now straighten hair without worrying about heat damage. Dyson has launched the new Dyson Airstrait hair straightener, ushering a new era in hair straightening. As the product name suggests, this innovative tool introduces a new way to straighten hair using just air.

The Airstrait has a simple wet-to-dry straightening process. Airflow is accelerated through the two arms’ 1.5mm openings, creating a high-velocity downward blade of air at a specific angle. This creates a controlled downward force to straighten hair simultaneously as it dries.

With the tool, stylers can achieve a naturally straight and shiny finish that maintains the hair’s strength and healthy look. The Airstrait also speeds the process up by about 25%. What’s best is there is no heat damage, unlike traditional straighteners.

Designed for multiple hair types

The Airstrait runs on a specifically-engineered Hyperdymium motor, a 13-blade impeller that spins up to 106,000rpm and generates 3.5kPa of pressure. Like Dyson’s hair care range, the Airstrait features intelligent heat control that measures the airflow’s temperature to ensure there is no damage.

Users may switch between two styling modes: Wet and Dry. The Wet and Dry modes are pre-set with specific heat and airflow combinations for the best results. A Cool mode is also available to set the style. Moreover, the airflow control has two speed settings, low and high. Drying, meanwhile, can be set to cold shot or root drying.

The science

Dyson has constantly invested a lot financially in research and technology development to craft innovative products in its specific industry. In creating the Airstrait, Dyson engineers studied every detail, from airflow dynamics to hair structure. They also considered thermal, mechanical, and chemical damage and their effects to hair health.

In the end, the Airstrait works based on one key principle. In styling hair to a new shape, hydrogen bonds from each hair strand are broken down. Traditionally, this is done through heat or moisture. But Dyson came up with a tool that just lets water weaken the hydrogen bonds, and then style hair with the optimum level of heat and controlled airflow.

Price, availability

The Dyson Airstrait is available starting April 16 in two colorways: Bright Nickel/Rich Copper and Prussian Blue/Rich Copper. It is priced at PhP 33,900.

Those interested in preordering may already do using this link: Dyson Airstrait

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Her GadgetMatch

Filipina who created Window Garden joins Google Play program

More indie games to come?

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Filipina-owned CLOVER-FI Games is taking the next step to build more accessible mobile games through Google Play. One-woman developer and publisher Camilla Santiago is representing the country at Google Play’s Indie Games Accelerator (IGA) program this year.

Her CLOVER-FI Games studio is behind hit local game Window Garden. The idle game lets players plant and decorate their own virtual indoor garden while relaxing in chill vibes, lo-fi music, and a cottagecore aesthetic. It was released in October 2021, back when Santiago learned app development amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Windows Garden has since amassed a million downloads. In almost three years, it has been received well by gamers with a 4.7 rating based on more than 8,200 reviews.

Google Play IGA

The Google Play IGA is a 10-week course designed for high-potential indie game studios. The program allows these startups to access the best of Google’s programs, products, people, and technology to be able to build and improve a successful organization.

The last Philippine representative in the program was Ranida Games, which had created one-on-one fighting game Vita Fighters. Through IGA, the title received benefits, allowing the developers to improve it.

Like Ranida Games, Santiago’s CLOVER-FI Games is just getting started. Her studio’s goal is to ultimately create more cozy-themed games that are accessible to everyone through mobile platforms.

With the help of the IGA, Santiago will be equipped with the necessary skills and experience needed to create another potentially successful title just like Window Garden. We can only wait as she empowers Filipinas through her craft.

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Her GadgetMatch

Dyson unveils ‘most intelligent hair dryer’ yet

The Supersonic Nural

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During its global launch event in Seoul, South Korea, Dyson has unveiled its “most intelligent hair dryer” yet: The Dyson Supersonic Nural.

The styling tool harnesses Dyson’s new automatic Nural sensor technology to protect scalp health and enhance hair’s natural shine.

One of the Dyson Supersonic Nural’s key features is a Scalp protect mode which is activated by the Nural sensors.

This automatically reduces the dryer’s heat as it nears a person’s head, protecting the scalp from damage. The process is done by having the sensors recognize when the dryer is already nearing the person’s head.

In addition, the Supersonic Nural’s LED light automatically changes under Scalp mode, depending on the distance from the head. Users will see yellow for low heat, orange for medium heat, and red for high heat, for convenient usage.

Moreover, the tool intelligently remembers your last used heat and airflow settings and will apply them the next time it is in use.

Price, availability

The Dyson Supersonic Nural comes in two color palettes: Ceramic Patina and Topaz or Vinca Blue and Topaz.

The entire package will come with five attachments, including two new ones:

  • Gentle Air Attachment
  • Styling Concentrator
  • Smoothing Nozzle
  • Diffuser
  • Flyaway Smoother

However, the technology has not been made available in the Philippines yet as of writing time. To be the first to know when it arrives, sign up here.

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