Apps

3 reasons why Tinder is the best travel app

Tips on how to make the most out of your travels!

Published

November 4, 2019

MJ Jucutan

There are plenty of travel apps nowadays to help you make the most out of your travels, but nothing comes close to the splendid experience I had using Tinder. Yes, you read that right. I used Tinder — a dating app — as a travel app.

There’s always a stigma surrounding Tinder. Whenever I mention I’m using the app, people frown. Tinder, to these people, is an app for hooking up or for those desperate to find love. Pity them for they don’t know that an app like this has a lot of uses, particularly during your travels.

Here are the reasons why it’s the best travel app, ever.

You can get the best recommendations from a local

No one knows a place better than a local. Want to know the coolest yet un-crowded cafe in the neighborhood? How about some speakeasy bar that only a few can go into? These locals know the spots where you can best enjoy the city so it’s best to ask them.

A while back, I was in Taipei for a business trip. Seeing how I have a spare day to go around, I asked a few matches in the area on where to go and what to do. A local suggested visiting chic cafes, art galleries, and other hiking destinations aside from the popular Elephant Mountain. A bar owner — whom I matched with — suggested visiting his bar in New Taipei City. However, it was too far and it would have taken so much time so I decided to pass.

These suggestions helped me plan my itinerary which would later allow me to take Instagrammable photos around the city, buy local beef jerky as a souvenir to my now ex-crush, and see more of what Taipei has to offer.

You can have a date, tour guide, and photographer in one

Some matches are eager to meet you in person. If you decide to meet these Tinderfellas and Tinderellas, they can easily become your tour guide and your photographer on your date.

A year ago, my flight was delayed for seven hours. Stuck at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, I decided to open Tinder and asked my matches the best places to visit around the area. I was keen on exploring nearby destinations since Cebu is known for its horrible traffic jams, and I didn’t want to miss my flight.

A match gave me tourist spots in Lapu-Lapu city (where the airport was located) and I explored for an hour. A few moments later, he asked if I wanted to meet up and I immediately said yes. I took a motorcycle ride to the capital and met him at SM Seaside City Cebu, the third-largest shopping mall in the Philippines.

Seeing how I had limited time to explore, my match took me to the best spots where we could eat and take lots of amazing photos, particularly at the mall’s rooftop where we both watched the sunset together.

You can make connections that last a lifetime

It’s marvelous to find people whom you can connect with on a different level, and it’s even more interesting if they came from different cultural backgrounds. These people are full of ideas and opinions that it’s hard not to be drawn and share your own thoughts. The conversation we have with these people can lead to a different kind of connection, something that we yearn in most of our relationships with other people.

However, not everything is about romance. Some connections are bound to stay as friendships. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances now that I initially met on Tinder, and I was able to forge harmonious (and professional) relationships with all of them. To date, I still grab meals with them and keep up with everything that’s happening in each other’s lives, especially when I’m around town.

Yes, Susan. You can build a wholesome and professional relationship with your Tinder matches. It’s not just for hook-ups, but if that’s your jam, then…

Bonus: Get free accommodations for a night!

If you’re down for a sexy time, Tinder can get you free accommodations, too! You can ask your date and stay at his/her place and voila, life hacked. Just be careful about who you sleep with, screen them properly, inform at least one of your friends, and don’t forget to use protection!

What’s your Tinder story? Connect with us on social media and share your stories!

Accessories

TicNote AI recorder launches in the Philippines

AI-powered transcription, translation, insights, more

Published

December 19, 2025

Manila Connoisseur

Mobvoi has officially launched TicNote, its AI-powered note-taking device in the Philippines for PhP 9,499. The thin and lightweight recorder is currently available offline and will soon roll out on Lazada and Shopee.

The pocket-friendly TicNote comes with 64GB of memory and offers up to 25 hours of continuous recording. Beyond these, it supports real-time translation in over 120 languages through the TicNote app.

Moreover, powered by Shadow AI, the device goes further with advanced insights, including Smart Summary, Mind Map View, Deep Research Reports, Aha Moment, and even AI Podcast Generation.

To complement the device, Mobvoi offers unlimited TicNote cloud storage and 600 minutes of free monthly recording time.

On paper, the TicNote AI recorder has several professional applications. It can be used for meetings, legal and medical consultations, and more scenarios to record high-quality audio.

Meanwhile, journalists can leverage the tool for press conferences and media scrums. Even content creators can use the tool as a microphone as TicNote can process high bitrate audio and save it to .wav format.

Still, there’s a catch. Users will still need a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to make the most out of TicNote’s AI-powered features.

And that raises the dilemma: modern phones already offer AI translation, real-time transcription, and audio-to-text uploads through popular AI assistants.

For consumers, the question becomes whether TicNote offers enough beyond what their phones already do — or if it will just make having both devices redundant.

Apps

Disney Plus: NBA Christmas Day games to stream live

More sports content also available on the platform

Published

December 19, 2025

GadgetMatch

Disney+ will stream the entire 2025 NBA Christmas Day games slate live on the platform for Philippine basketball fans to enjoy.

Fans can tune in to the anticipated matchups starting at 1:00 AM (Manila time) on December 26.

Here’s the full schedule:

1:00 AM: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks
3:30 AM: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
6:00 AM: Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors
9:00 AM: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
11:30 AM: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets

And in case viewers missed a tip-off, the full replays will also be available on the app. Worth noting is the second matchup, which is a rematch of the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals.

Meanwhile, the third pairing brings long-time former Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson back to the Bay Area in a compelling match.

Plus, the Rockets-Lakers showdown features two seasoned veterans and future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and LeBron James in their latest meeting.

Beyond the NBA Christmas Day games on Disney+, fans can stay plugged in all day with ESPN’s NBA Tip-Off at 12:00 AM. Inside the NBA, on the other hand, airs at 8:30 AM.

In addition, for something totally different, check out NBA alt-cast, Dunk the Halls, the first real-time animated NBA game.

This playful showdown happening also on December 26 at 1:00 AM reimagines the Cavaliers-Knicks tiff on Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park, with some help from Mickey Mouse and his friends.

In line with Disney+’s NBA Christmas Day games, the platform has also uploaded highlights of the 2025 League of Legends KeSPA Cup on the app. The tournament features top teams from Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and North America.

Disney+ continues to strengthen its sports offerings on the platform, with an all-new Sports Page for easier access.

Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode

Waze needs this update, pronto.

Published

November 28, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

In a congested country like the Philippines, using navigation for shortcuts is a requirement. However, these apps can hog a lot of battery. If you forgot your car charger, it’s practically game over for your phone. Today, Google is shipping out a Maps update which can save your phone’s battery for those long drives.

Announced earlier this month, the update will include a Power Saving mode for Google Maps. The new mode will turn the normally colorful interface into monochrome with particular emphasis on black. The interface will reduce all interactable elements, so you can just focus on the display.

Presumably, it also reduces the power required by the app, while still prioritizing navigation. According to Google, smartphones will get up to four hours more juice when the mode is enabled.

Unfortunately, it’s not a widely released update yet. Google is limiting the update’s rollout to the Pixel 10 series for now. It’s also limited to driving mode; it won’t work if you’re just walking or cycling. The option is accessible through Driving options under Navigation in the settings.

In countries where Android Auto isn’t the norm just yet, a power saving mode for navigation is a godsend. Besides hoping that the update arrives on more devices, one can also hope that Google, who also owns the app, will introduce a similar mode to Waze. (To be fair, Waze did have a battery saver option, but it just dimmed the display for long straights.

SEE ALSO: Android now supports AirDrop!