Computers

6 things to consider before buying a smart monitor

Look beyond the widescreen monitors you’re familiar with!

Published

May 6, 2022

MJ Jucutan

Having a smart monitor isn’t something I considered, given that I left a desk station almost a decade ago. I was liberated from the usual office setup, tugging along my laptop wherever I go.

However, the recent circumstances surrounding our working setup changed the way I think about investing in a do-it-all monitor. Now, we’re torn between committing to on-site work, fully work-from-home, or staying in a hybrid setup. I’m certain it’s not just me thinking heavily about investing in one.

To ensure we get the value of the monitors we’re purchasing, here are some things to consider before buying one.

Clear and vibrant display

Frankly, a device’s screen is the most important part. You spend a lot of time looking at the information provided on the display. This is why you need to consider the screen first and foremost before buying a smart monitor.

MacBook Air connected to Huawei MateView, working as a secondary display

An enthralling screen is extremely important, especially if you’re a creative professional. For instance, my Huawei MateView delivers 4K+ resolution, a 98% DCI-P3 color gamut offering 1 billion colors, 500 nits of brightness, and HDR capability. In other words, it has a high-resolution, color-accurate display that’s capable of displaying high dynamic range content.

It certainly helped me in my graphic design, photo retouching, and video editing endeavors.

Adjustable design

We’re not getting any younger — I think we’ve all heard everyone say that. That said, back and neck pain are something you’ll deal with especially when you spend hours looking down on your laptop. It’s inherently bad for your body and posture in the long run.

Experts recommend that you look straight, which is why having an adjustable monitor is important. Forget monitor stands or stacked books, an adjustable monitor will allow you to adjust its tilt and the height of the display to maintain eye level.

Taller screen for better productivity

If you’re more focused on being productive and getting things done, having a monitor with a taller aspect ratio is much better than the usual 16:9 widescreen monitors.

For example, the MateView has a 3:2 aspect ratio which makes it reasonably wide, but still tall enough to fit what you’re working on. In my case, it’s easier to post-process hundreds of photos we took of the devices we’re working on.

Seamless wireless connection

Huawei P50 Pocket

Most manufacturers are heavily investing in ecosystems nowadays. Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and even the likes of Xiaomi are starting to integrate their devices and connect seamlessly through smart features.

My Huawei MateView, for example, quickly connected to the Huawei P50 Pocket which I tapped on the monitor’s base imprinted with Huawei Share or OneHop icon.

It automatically connected to the monitor and allowed me to choose to display what was on my phone. There’s a Desktop Mode which resembled more of a computer OS than a smartphone interface.

You can also connect through Wireless Connection and you don’t have to worry. The monitor is designed in such a way that latency — or lag — isn’t noticeable.

Go wired and keep it tethered

Some people still prefer to use different options for connectivity: USB-C, HDMI, and Mini Display. Personally, I still use the USB-C cable whether for my MacBook Air or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra since it charges the device at the same time.

Samsung DeX on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra while connected to Huawei MateView via USB-C

The Huawei MateView can charge any laptop that requires 65W and under. Also, I like how it works smoothly with non-Huawei devices.

Moreover, there’s a headphone jack if you don’t want to use the front-firing speakers. The port also doubles as a mic input, perfect for important calls.

Aesthetically pleasing to your eyes

We spend time working on our desks for 8 hours or more. Sometimes, it goes beyond 18 hours when you work in a fast-paced environment like an advertising agency or production house.

If you’re going to look at your devices for a long time, make sure you like what you see. It’s easy to stay productive when you have a pleasant setup. It’s not always limited to decorating your desks with fancy accessories and color-matching everything.

Sometimes, you just need a smart monitor that’s pretty to look at, so you get excited to hop on your work and get things done. Of course, it shouldn’t be just beautiful. It needs to be functional too.

As for me, the Huawei MateView delivers exactly what I need. From aesthetics, connectivity, display, and ergonomics — I’m happy to use this for the next few months or maybe, even a year.

Accessories

Acer PA100 portable SSD brings fast, flexible storage on the go

Up to 2TB

Published

September 4, 2026

GadgetMatch

Acer is expanding its storage lineup with the PA100 Portable SSD. It’s a compact external drive designed for users who need faster storage across multiple devices.

The PA100 uses USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectivity. It reaches sequential read speeds of up to 560MB/s and write speeds of up to 430MB/s. This makes it suited for everyday tasks such as transferring large files, backing up content, managing documents, and moving media between devices.

Up to 2TB of portable storage

The PA100 comes in three capacities: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. This gives users options depending on whether they need extra space for documents and schoolwork or larger collections of photos, videos, and project files.

Acer also designed the drive with mobility in mind. The PA100 has a slim 9mm profile and a lightweight build, while its reinforced construction is designed to withstand everyday travel and handling.

The drive comes with a 2-in-1 USB-C to USB-C and USB-A cable. This allows it to connect to compatible PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other devices without requiring a separate adapter. It also supports major operating systems and USB-C mobile platforms.

Designed for everyday use

Power efficiency is another focus. Acer says the PA100 uses less than 3W during operation, while idle power consumption can drop to as low as 0.62W.

The drive also features an optimized thermal design to help maintain stable performance during extended transfers and daily workloads.

The Acer PA100 Portable SSD is backed by a three-year limited warranty. Pricing and availability may vary by market.

Computers

New Mac mini starts at a whopping $899, only 256GB of storage

It comes with the M6 or the M5 Pro.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Almost two decades ago, Apple was infamous for being an anti-gamer brand. Though the company’s devices touted superior protection against viruses, they couldn’t play video games, alienating a significant chunk of the population and forcing them onto PCs. For a while now, the Mac has changed the status quo, bringing in more powerful hardware that can play games. Today, Apple is championing that cause further through the newly launched Mac mini.

Compared to the chunkier Macs, the Mac mini has a lithe 5” x 5” profile, emphasizing the “mini” in its name. Despite the size, the new mini will tout two flavors of Apple silicon: the M6 and the M5 Pro.

The M6 variant delivers with up to two times faster gaming performance with ray tracing when running Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, compared to the previous M4 version. Meanwhile, the M5 Pro version touts up to 4.5 times faster rendering performance with ray tracing in Blender, compared to the M2 Pro. It will come with macOS 27 Golden Gate out of the box.

You won’t have to worry about connectivity, either. The Mac mini comes with compatibility for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet (going up to 10Gb in upgraded versions). It will also have two USB-C ports, three Thunderbolt 5 ports (but only Thunderbolt 4 for the M6 version), and HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a headphone jack.

Unfortunately, price seems to be another thing that it’s getting from PCs. The new Mac mini has an increased starting price. Specifically, the M6 version starts at US$ 899 (with only 256GB of storage), and the M5 Pro version starts at US$ 1,699 (for 512GB of storage). Preorders are open now, but they ship out on September 22.

Computers

ASUS unveils TUF Gaming T700, T700 Mini

Built for extreme operational demands

Published

August 21, 2026

GadgetMatch

ASUS has announced the arrival of its latest TUF Gaming desktop lineup models: the TUF Gaming T700 and TUF Gaming T700 Mini.

These new offerings bring heavy-duty performance and military-grade durability to gamers, engineered to endure extreme operational demands while delivering rock-solid stability.

The new ASUS TUF Gaming T700, in particular, is engineered to take on modern AAA titles with its uncompromising performance.

It has an aggressive mecha-inspired MIL-STD chassis, including a transparent side panel to put powerful components on display. Vibrant orange ambient lighting also adds a bold finishing touch.

Inside is an AMD Ryzen 7 8700F processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU for high-frame rate gaming.

The T700 also features a robust thermal solution equipped with quad 65 CFM fans and a 240mm liquid cooler.

Meanwhile, the TUF Gaming T700 Mini is tailored for competitive gamers while maintaining a compact, battle-tested chassis.

It has an Intel Core Ultra 5 225F desktop processor, paired with with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics.

This combination provides seamless multitasking, crisp visuals, and reliable frame rates across today’s popular titles.

The internal hardware is cooled by a custom thermal matrix featuring dedicated copper heat pipes and a heavy-duty 90mm cooling fan.

True to the TUF Gaming legacy, the T700 Mini is likewise MIL-STD tested to endure extreme operational demands.