Accessories

Wireless earphones: A life-changing switch?

With the headphone jack slowly dying, is it time to switch to wireless earbuds?
Photos by Andrew Deloso

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I’ve used wired earphones all my life until a month ago when a friend gave me the Anker Zolo Liberty+ earphones. How has it changed my life, you ask?

There are three major points in the day when I use earphones: when I’m on my commute, when I’m working out, when I’m at work. Overall, there’s a feeling of freedom with using wireless earphones. This is probably why Anker dubbed their wireless earphones line “Liberty”. Now, let me share how being untethered feels like.

When I’m on my commute

Gone are the days of detangling wires whenever I’m on my earphones and have to get something out of my backpack. Definitely not going to miss wires getting caught up in any of my purse’s zippers.

There’s also a better sense of security. As a woman who commutes in a city like Manila, I have this constant fear of my gadget getting nabbed from me whenever I’m walking in the streets. The wireless earphones are subtly nestled in the ears so it’s less conspicuous and harder to reach for anyone with bad intentions.

When I’m working out

At the gym, I would often plug my wired earphones to the treadmill. I would be really conscious of how fast I’d be running because the intensity might accidentally pull the earphones from the machine.

With wireless earphones, I get to run as fast or slack off as much as I want to. Surprisingly, the earbuds fit really well and don’t fall off even when I jump, run, or do squats.

When I’m at work

Have you ever tried turning your swivel chair round and round with wired earphones plugged to your laptop? Probably not, because you’d get all tied up and even drag your laptop down the floor. I tried doing it with wireless earphones. It was liberating.

This is probably my favorite feature of the Zolo Liberty+ — being able to move in any direction with sounds on, without being tethered to my laptop or my phone.

I’ve also noticed some differences that don’t work in the favor of wireless earphones. Although it lasts a really long time, one main gripe about is that I can’t track how much battery is left on the earbuds. If I were to nitpick, there’s also the weight of the earphone case — it’s a bit heavy because you actually use the case to charge the earphones.

Lastly, while wired earphones are just plug and play, wireless earphones still require searching and pairing with my devices. It feels like an extra step to listening to my tunes.

But I can live with all these. You probably can too; just give it a try. The convenience of switching to wireless earphones far outweighs the hitches that come with it.

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Jackery Explorer 300D: Power and portability in one

Uninterrupted workflows for digital nomads, freelance creatives, more

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September 18, 2026

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For digital nomads, freelance creatives, and even work-from-home professionals, staying productive on the move means carrying around multiple gadgets, cords, adapters, and power banks to survive the day.

Having to carry such weight, quite literally, is vital for maintaining workflow continuity.

For a more seamless experience and to have just one extra portable device to power all working parts, there’s the Jackery Explorer 300D.

Launched just last month, this grab-and-go offering from Jackery is designed for the modern lifestyle.

It moves away from Jackery’s traditional aesthetic with a sleek, speaker-like form factor. It weighs just 2.5 kilograms and is 64% smaller than standard 300W units in the market.

This ultra-compact size was made possible by a smart engineering choice of swapping bulky traditional AC wall outlets for highly efficient DC-only and USB-C ports —  which also helps eliminate idle power loss.

With a 288Wh capacity, the Jackery Explorer 300D holds enough juice for up to nine power banks.

It can keep a Type-C fast-charging laptop for up to three to four full cycles, a Wi-Fi router alive for hours, and recharge cameras or drone batteries up to five times for a lengthy production day.

For smaller gadgets like smartphones and portable fans, the power station can juice them up for up to 22 times.

It can even charge five devices simultaneously with a total of three USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a DC 12V car charger port.

All these ensure users are never disconnected, wherever they may set up their mobile office.

Another brilliant touch is the two-in-one shoulder strap that easily unclips to double as a heavy-duty 140W USB-C charging cable.

The everyday carry is available via Lazada and Shopee, and at the official Jackery kiosk in SM Fairview, as well as other partner stores.

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Accessories

Apple is reportedly working on its own gaming controllers

It might launch under the Beats brand.

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September 14, 2026

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Last week, the iPhone Duo changed how you look at the ubiquitous smartphone. Foldables are in, and Apple is right there with it. But the company isn’t stopping with the foldable segment. Apple is reportedly working on its own branded game controllers.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has been working on a controller since last year. Further, a piece of code linked to macOS 27.4, spotted by MacRumors, includes references to two unknown gaming controllers.

Because Apple just concluded its huge event this month, it will likely be a while before we see confirmation of this controller. And it could be anything. Of course, because the Duo is fresh on our minds, the easiest answer is a mobile controller than can maximize the foldable’s ability to stand by itself. It could also use Apple’s larger screens like the iPad, the MacBook, or the Mac. Some even speculate that this could be Apple’s stronger push into the gaming market.

Outside of the actual hardware, the reports are also claiming that the controller will arrive by way of Beats, rather than from Apple itself. At first, the branding comes off as a surprise, but then again, Beats hasn’t really evolved past an audio brand in a long, long time. Is it time to revitalize Beats as something more than just a peddler of headphones?

SEE ALSO: First Look: Apple iPhone Duo

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Accessories

New AGON gaming monitor features up to 1000Hz refresh rate

New level of speed, flexibility for competitive gaming

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September 10, 2026

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AGON by AOC has released the new AGON Pro AGP277QK dual-mode gaming monitor for the competitive segment.

This new offering features up to 1000Hz refresh rate at HD and 540Hz at QHD so gamers have the flexibility to prioritize either clarity or speed.

The 27-inch IPS gaming monitor comes with NVIDIA G-SYNC, synchronizing the monitor’s refresh rate with the GPU to help minimize screen tearing, stuttering, and input lag.

This is combined with 0.3ms MPRT and 1ms GtG response times for fast-moving action that is sharp and responsive, giving competitive players a clear visual advantage.

Moreover, the AGON Pro AGP277QK features VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification for enhanced contrast and more vivid, lifelike visuals.

Delta E < 1 color accuracy also provides precise color reproduction not just for gaming but even other scenarios like content creation.

For even smoother high frame-rate gameplay, MBR Sync combines motion blur reduction with variable refresh rate (VRR) technology. This helps maintain clarity during rapid movements.

The monitor also includes Low Input Lag, customizable Light FX ambient RGB lighting, Gaming Mode presets, and Shadow Control.

The display comes with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity, along with a height-adjustable stand and G-Menu support.

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