Author: Jayvee Fernandez

The Deco BE85 is TP-Link’s flagship mesh product in the Philippines. In the world of wireless mesh setups, this router is a glimpse into the future of large home connectivity. “But it’s just WiFi.” Well yes, and more. Let me talk about my experience setting this router up to help you decide if this huge purchase decision is worth your money. Easy set up for new or existing mesh networks A little bit about me. I’m a huge networking nerd, especially with TP-Link products. I’ve used their Archer series and have three existing X50/55 Deco mesh units spread across the…

Back in the 2000’s, before social media, Netflix, and Android devices, many tech enthusiasts obsessed about the concept of “ruggedizing” their devices. This was the janky era of tech where LED screens snapped and a bit of water damage short-circuited your PDA (a personal digital assistant, the precursor to the smartphone). Makeshift waterproof cases, silica gel packs, and “jackets for your gadgets” defined the weird era of early waterproofing. And here’s the thing – waterproofing your gadgets wasn’t cheap. Who would have thought that today, you can find a device that’s truly rugged: dust proof and water resistant for only…

The 5G race in the Philippines is heating up, with PLDT Home WiFi 5G+ leveraging itsexpansive network and DITO Telecommunity seeking traction behind its RedCaptechnology. But does it really deliver the 5G experience? Speed: Who Delivers More? The PLDT Home WiFi 5G+ device delivers speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps, while DITO’s servicecaps speeds to 100 Mbps—a significant difference that could shape consumer choices as demand for faster, more stable connections grows. PLDT’s uncapped speeds position it as the preferred choice for households juggling multiple devices, ensuring smooth streaming and low-latency gaming. In contrast, DITO’s capped 100 Mbps speeds raise…

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is comically huge. Just so you know, the screen is bigger than my 14” laptop but still a tad lighter. The S10 Ultra is a quick refresh from last season’s tablet, the S9. In true Samsung fashion, we don’t see a significant hardware upgrade from the previous generation devices. This goes across the board with the Fold and Flip series, the flagship S23 and S24 series, and now with the high end tablets. So what’s with this thing? The S10 Ultra is Samsung’s top of the line Android tablet. Did we forget to say…

Two decades ago, I was a budding tech journalist writing about how to synchronize my Palm Pilot with website RSS feeds using AvantGo. The Internet was at a kilobyte pace back in the day, and I remember it took me 10 minutes trying to synchronize my favorite websites into my handheld device. It was text only and in monochrome. So much has changed in 20 years. We’re now in the age of gigabit fiber, WiFi 7, the Internet of Things, and now, a world first – true 5G tech that employs a technology called RedCap. I was surprised to discover…

Is this a car or a golf cart? One thing’s for sure. The VinFast VF3 is making waves as a darling of an EV on the roads of Manila as of late. Would you buy this for P645,000 (battery subscription)? Watch our in-car conversations to find out if this is meant for you! I’ve been seeing this Vietnam-made VinFast VF3 making waves on my newsfeed so I was very much elated to have gotten an invitation to take it for a test ride around Aseana. Apart from a golf cart, this is my first time to sit behind the wheel…

I’ve been tinkering with the realme 13+ 5G lately. As a fan of the series since the 11 that came out in 2023, realme has been constantly knocking value for money phones with decent specs and cameras. The 13 series follows the tradition of the 12 in terms of looks. They both have cameras housed at the center of the device, almost like a timepiece, but the new 13+ foregoes the faux leather finish for something that looks like marble. I’ve noticed this trend in other brands as well. Personally I loved the leather feel from the previous model, but…

“Oh it’s a Mondrian!” This was the first thing I blurted out when I saw the Nubia Music unveiled to me at a brunch meeting with ZTE at Wildflour in BGC. “You’re the only one who said that!” one of the execs exclaimed. On paper, it’s referred to as “Pop Art” design, but for a phone that is only P3,999 I find the pop culture reference towards the Piet Mondrian style of art rather refreshing as it’s something you don’t usually see in these post Y2k times, especially as a phone design. So yes that was neat. The Mondrian design…

Slightly bigger. Slightly slower. Great Leica camera. Xiaomi 14T Pricing What we like: Before you buy: As the tech cycle for 2024 approaches Q4, Xiaomi is on schedule to release a mid (or end?) year refresh to the flagship number line that it unveiled earlier this year. To recall, the Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 14 Pro, and Xiaomi 14 Ultra were released in the early part of 2024, with the Philippine market only getting real access to the Xiaomi 14. I have written about this peculiarity in the past and have thus treated the Xiaomi 14 as the “true flagship” for…

We just got back from IFA 2024 at Messe, Berlin. First off, we’d like to thank the ACER Philippines team for sending us over to witness their new unveils. We’ve covered them extensively in a previous post but also have a lot of video coverage of the key unveils — namely the ACER Nitro Blaze 7 gaming handheld and the DUAL PLAY CONCEPT that is to be integrated in other Predator devices soon. Check out the video below. ACER’s launch event was held two days before the actual conference — a sneaky but brilliant move so as to get a…