Apps

Wise helps transfer money easily from abroad to the Philippines

Setup is easy as 1-2-3

Published

May 22, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

Decades of sending Filipino workers abroad, transferring money from another country to a loved one in the Philippines continues to be a source of frustration for millions of OFWs. Today, a more modern solution wants to help move your money in fewer steps and less fees. Wise, a British fintech company, is now available in the Philippines.

Since starting in 2011, Wise has expanded globally, hiring over 5,500 employees and servicing 10 million active customers worldwide.

Though the company started as a simple transferring service between different currencies, it has since added more services including an international prepaid card. In the Philippines, the company is starting with its standard transferring service, an international prepaid card, and the ability to shop online with a Wise account.

How to set up a Wise account

Wise is now available through the App Store and the Play Store. Creating an account on the platform is easy. All you need is an email address and a phone number. After making the account, the app will ask you basic questions: home address, occupation, preferred currencies.

However, to use the services, you’ll need a bit more to verify your identity. It will require users to upload a photo of a valid ID such as a driver’s license or a passport.

After everything’s set up, you can start a balance with a selected currency. If it’s your first time setting a balance up, Wise will require you to deposit of PhP 1,400. This isn’t a fee, though. You can use the deposit immediately. You can also now send details for your new balance to senders from abroad.

How to fund your new account

Currently, there are two ways to add funds to your account.

The first way is, of course, by receiving funds from a sender. The second way is to use any bank-issued debit or credit card to top up your account.

Wise hopes to add more ways to fund your account in the future. At the time of this writing, the company has already promised future partnerships with e-wallets.

How to move money from your Wise account to a bank account

Once you have your balance set up and have funds to transfer, you can go to the app, select your balance, and hit Send. Enter the amount you want to send and the account details of the receiving bank account.

If you need to convert your funds into another currency, the app will show you the exact exchange rate and fees associated. (Wise says that their fees are lower compared to other methods.)

How to get a Wise card

And now, the juicy part. Under the Card tab, users can apply for a prepaid card they can use anywhere in the world. It will cost a small fee (PhP 369.60 including VAT). While standard delivery is free, users can pay a bit for a faster delivery through DHL.

Once it arrives, users can activate the card by putting in the 6-digit code that comes with the card. After activation, they can use this card everywhere cards are accepted.

Alternatively, users can create a digital card for free and instantaneously.

Apps

Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.

Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.

Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.

According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.

Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.

Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.

Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a 3D mode

The app will also have a Gemini chatbot baked inside.

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.

In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.

In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.

Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.

Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.

Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.

Apps

Apple Music, TikTok launch Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience

Rolling out worldwide exclusively through Apple Music

Published

March 12, 2026

GadgetMatch

Ever came across a viral 15 or 30-second music snippet on TikTok that instantly became your jam on repeat?

For years, TikTok has been a regular source of songs that have become part of our playlists. And together with Apple Music, listening to the music you discover has just gotten even easier.

That’s through Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience, which launches exclusively though Apple Music.

With the new feature, Apple Music subscribers can now enjoy full-length tracks that they discover on TikTok. That’s without ever leaving that popular streaming app.

Fans who discover a song that they love on their For You or Sound Detail page can simply tap the Play Full Song button to open up an Apple Music player and enjoy the song in its entirety.

From there, subscribers can continue listening to a personalized stream of recommended songs. That means no more need to switch apps and search separately.

The new Play Full Song experience helps music fans move seamlessly from the moment of discovery to deeper listening. It’s also designed to be instant and all within the same environment.

Moreover, users can also save their favorite songs to Your Music and add them directly to their Apple Music playlists.

Built using Apple’s MusicKit, full-length song playback takes place on Apple Music. This way, streams are paid within the Apple Music service, supporting artists and rights holders while giving fans a smooth, uninterrupted experience.

Listening Party also launched

The feature builds on the success of TikTok’s Add to Music App. This was previously launched to help artists and fans convert discovery on TikTok to a playlist save in Apple Music and other streaming services.

To cap the announcement, TikTok and Apple Music are also introducing Listening Party. This new feature is designed to bring artists and fans together around music.

It creates a shared environment where fans can listen to songs from their favorite artists in real time, interact with each her, and engage directly with the artist during the session.