Author: PhilSTAR Tech Team

HONOR is adding more artificial intelligence (AI) features to its latest smartphones with the new HONOR 600 Series, giving users easier ways to write, create, edit, and search using Google’s Gemini AI. The HONOR 600 and HONOR 600 Pro can help with everyday tasks such as drafting emails, summarizing long articles, planning trips, answering questions, and generating ideas through text, voice, or images. Each HONOR 600 Series purchase also comes with a free three-month Google AI Pro subscription. This gives users access to advanced Gemini features, NotebookLM for research and note-taking, Veo 3.1 for AI-generated videos, AI image creation tools,…

Acer continues to be the Philippines’ best-selling laptop brand, according to the latest market data. Figures from Nielsen-GfK covering the first five months of 2026 show Acer accounted for 37% of consumer laptop sales in the country. It also captured 34.5% of the gaming laptop market, keeping its lead in both categories. The latest results build on a strong 2025 for the company. Research firm IDC earlier reported that Acer was the country’s top laptop brand from 2006 to 2025. Last year, the company reached its highest-ever consumer laptop market share at 37.3%, helped by strong demand for both everyday…

Lucasfilm and Production I.G’s upcoming anime series, “Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi,” is set to premiere on Aug. 5, 2026, exclusively on Disney+ Philippines. The eight-episode limited series was announced during a dedicated panel at the Los Angeles Convention Center as part of Anime Expo 2026, where supervising director Kenji Kamiyama, director Shunsuke Tada and producer Hitoshi Ito also unveiled the show’s trailer and teaser poster. The Ninth Jedi is the first title under the new Star Wars: Visions Presents banner, which expands select stories from the Star Wars: Visions anthology into longer-form series. The story continues…

JG Superstore has opened its first flagship store at the third floor of the Annex at SM City North EDSA, expanding beyond online retail as demand grows for cameras and content creation equipment in the Philippines. The company said the branch is its first flagship store and the country’s largest camera store, offering cameras, lenses, drones, microphones, lighting equipment, memory cards, and other accessories from brands including Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Nikon, DJI, Insta360, Lumix, Kodak, Godox, SmallRig, Ulanzi, Yamaha, and SanDisk. The expansion shows the growing number of Filipinos creating content for social media, live selling, podcasts, photography, and video…

Getting the perfect pair of jeans just got a whole lot easier. Salmon has partnered with Levi’s stores in SM Supermalls, allowing customers to pay for their purchases in manageable monthly installments at participating branches nationwide. Whether you’re upgrading your everyday denim or finally buying that classic pair you’ve been eyeing, Salmon makes it simple. Enjoy flexible payment terms of up to 12 months with 0% down payment, so you can walk out of the store with confidence and a great new pair of jeans. Salmon Product Loans are available at 28 Levi’s stores in SM Supermalls across the country.…

PLDT Inc., Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), and DITO Telecommunity have agreed to share parts of their network infrastructure to improve mobile and internet services for more Filipinos. The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that allows them to use each other’s existing network facilities instead of building separate ones in the same areas. No money will be exchanged under the agreement. The partnership covers three areas. First, the companies can use each other’s cell towers where possible. This can help them expand coverage faster, especially in places where building a new tower would take time. Second, they will share…

ASUS has launched the ExpertBook Ultra in the Philippines, introducing what it calls its flagship AI-powered business laptop aimed at executives, professionals and enterprise users. Priced from P129,995, the ExpertBook Ultra is now available at select ASUS authorized stores and tech retailers nationwide. Buyers who purchase the device until July 31 will also receive an ASUS 100W GaN charger and P10,000 worth of SSI gift vouchers. The promotional bundle is valued at more than P13,000. ASUS aims to make its Expert Series the country’s top commercial PC brand by 2028, noting that the company’s local commercial business has grown by…

Google is bringing AI shopping features to the Gemini app in the Philippines, helping users find products, compare choices, and get shopping suggestions without leaving the chat. The update aims to make online shopping easier by reducing the need to open multiple tabs, check different websites, and compare products one by one before deciding what to buy. With the new feature, users can simply describe what they are looking for in their own words, similar to asking a friend for advice. Gemini can then show product suggestions along with details such as prices, reviews, availability, and where to buy them.…

For three Filipino families, winning PLDT Home’s Broadband Free Forever (BFF) promo means more than having free internet. It means easing monthly expenses, creating more opportunities for work and learning, and staying connected to the things that matter most. PLDT Home recently awarded Free Fiber for Life to three grand prize winners during a ceremony in Makati City. Another 75 subscribers nationwide also received one year of free Fiber service. “More than just a promo, the Broadband Free Forever (BFF) program is a celebration of the stories, journeys, and aspirations of every family that we serve,” said John Y. Palanca,…

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) have partnered with GCash to enable fuel subsidy disbursements benefiting drivers of public transportation nationwide. Under this program, eligible beneficiaries receive fuel assistance directly via their GCash e-wallets. This streamlined approach ensures aid reaches transport workers with greater speed, security, and transparency than traditional manual methods, while eliminating the need for beneficiaries to travel or wait in long queues. DOTr, LTFRB, and GCash partner to streamline fuel subsidy disbursements for Filipino transport workers nationwide. The initiative was launched in response to rising global fuel prices, driven by…