BY the time you read this, it will only be 11 days before Christmas! Have you completed your list and checked it twice?
As December 25 draws closer and the Christmas shopping buzz grows louder, gift ideas somehow become more elusive with each trip to the store (online or not). Sometimes you also realize that a lot of items you’ve stacked on your cart don’t seem like good ideas anymore, and you’d rather buy things that you could give anyone (without making them feel like an afterthought).
Everyone wants to give something to make the receiver feel special, and if you envy those gifting pros who always manage to give amazing gifts, let me tell you a little secret: the thought doesn’t always count!
Now, I’m not much of a food, fashion or style expert, but having tried and tested a lot of gadgets and lifestyle accessories this year, I do have several suggestions that are sure to make your loved ones feel merry and bright.
FOR THE WANDERING ADVENTURERS
1. Pacsafe BAGS. I’ve featured Pacsafe in several of my previous columns and I have been using the same Pacsafe Sling Bag since 2013, which just goes to show how durable and safe it makes me feel whenever I travel. I even have a Pacsafe wallet (complete with strap), which I only used for travels before, but has now become my everyday wallet, especially when I have to commute.
This year I got two Pacsafe bags from Urbanize: a Vibe 20L backpack which survived my snow adventure in Japan and, more recently, a Pacsafe Vibe Econyl Anti-Theft Sling Pack. Besides all the Pacsafe anti-theft technology—lockable zips, cut-resistant materials and RFID blocking pockets—I love this bag because it’s deceptively spacious. It can fit a 10-inch tablet, several smartphones (I usually bring three), travel essentials and more (cables, powerbanks, mini tripod, sanitizer, plus some snacks).
It is also eco-friendly because its made of regenerated nylon fiber from fishing nets and other discarded nylon. The new collection also includes a couple of their best-selling lines, such as Venturesafe EXP45 and Metrosafe LS350, and recreates them utilizing recycled waste so there’s definitely a style that will suit your needs.
Not only will this gift give them some peace of mind when traveling, but you also get to show your support to Save Philippine Seas and World Wide Fund Philippines.
2. HYDRAPAK STASH. “Bring a water bottle” is one of the most often overlooked travel tips, because who wants to carry around a big heavy empty tumbler? I have accumulated all sorts of tumblers from attending events, but never have I once brought them on trips. Instead I’d buy a plastic water bottle from the airport and reuse it until my next mineral water purchase. Well, not anymore. The Hydrapak stash is a flexible water bottle that you can collapse and store easily when its empty. Its available in several sizes and features a TPU carry handle and grip ring so you can just clip it on the side of your bag. It also doesn’t taste like plastic or rubber like those cheaper ones you can find on the market. Its also great for running or going to the gym.
FOR THE MUSIC LOVERS
1. MARSHALL SPEAKERS. Besides being one of the best-sounding speaker brands, Marshall also has the rock and roll looks that will make it a great addition to any home or office. What’s even better is that you can save from P2,000 to P5,000 at the ongoing Grand Marshall Sale at Digital Walker and Beyond the Box. If you’re getting one for yourself, the Stanmore II Voice with Google Assistant is my pick as it is the most versatile speaker in the Marshall lineup. The Stanmore II Voice is perfect for any room size and produces clean and precise audio, even at the highest levels. Another good choice is the Acton II Voice if you want a smaller speaker. It has three dedicated class D amplifiers that power its dual tweeters and subwoofer, for a sound that is nothing short of large. Now, if you want a 2-for-1 deal there’s the Marshall Stockwell II which comes with a free Major III Bluetooth worth P7,890. The Stockwell II offers 20-plus hours of portable playtime on a single charge. It utilizes Blumlein Stereo Sound construction for a multidirectional experience that will immerse you in your music indoors or out.
2. JOYROOM JR-T04S. True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds are becoming more popular these days especially for those who don’t want the hassle of untangling messy wires, or have migrated to smartphones which have ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack. However, these things can be quite expensive, so if you are looking for something more affordable, then the Joyroom JR-T04S TWS might just be the one you are looking for.
At first glance you might even mistake it for the Apple AirPods, as it comes in similar looking white case that’s made of plastic and has a glossy finish. But once you take it out of the case, you’ll see the difference as the Joyroom earbuds are more flat with buttons on the side and charging ports at the bottom. What I like about them is that they are very easy to set-up. Just take the earbuds from the case and they automatically switch on and pair with one another right away. Then you just need to connect them to your smartphone to start listening to your favorite tunes.
3. JBL TUNE 120TWS. I’ve been using the JBL Tune 120 for almost half a year now and I’m so satisfied with it that I often forget I have a lot of other earphones. This is perfect for those who want a simple no-nonsense true wireless earphones and don’t need all those other features. The audio experience is solid, especially if you love listening to music with heavy bass thanks to its 5.8mm driver featuring JBL Pure Bass sound. It comes with several silicone eartips and fits quite snugly and comfortably. You get about four hours of battery life per full charge, plus 16 extra hours using the nice-looking charging case. You can even use it to enjoy stereo hands-free calls or connect to Siri or Google Assistant with just a push of a button.
4. HUAWEI FREEBUDS 3. Now this is the one that retires my JBL Tune. I’ve been quite excited to try this out ever since it was first announced. The Huawei FreeBuds 3 is the world’s first earphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) and comes with Huawei’s Kirin A1 chip. This intelligent chipset can eliminate background noise during calls and enhance your voice simultaneously so calls will sound like face-to-face conversations. It is also very lightweight and the Dolphin Bionic Design brings not only maximum comfort but stability while delivering focused sound deeply in your ears. Battery life is rated at four hours of playback, with its super nice rounded charging case adding another 16 hours.
Part 2 next week.
HUAWEI LAUNCHES BUDGET-FRIENDLY Y6S
IF you are looking to get a second phone with a big storage, good cameras and an even more attractive price, you might want to check out the just released Huawei Y6s.
The Huawei Y6s features a 6.09” Dewdrop display with 87 percent screen-to-body providing a nice view for gaming, browsing and reading. It has a 13 MP rear camera and 8 MP front beauty camera featuring a wide f/1.8 aperture lens, with up to 50 percent more light for better day and night shots. Clarity in your brilliant shots will be enhanced no matter the time day or night.
The Huawei Y6s is powered by a MediaTek MT6765 2.3GHz octa-core CPU and comes with a 3GB RAM plus 64GB storage which is expandable via microSD of up to 512GB. Huawei Y6s comes with two nature-inspired colors: Orchid Blue, which has a similar finish to the most recent colorways of the P30 Pro with an upper glossy part and
lower matte part that effectively resists fingerprints; and Starry Black, which shimmers with hidden reflective particles in the light.
For security, the Huawei Y6s provides a rear fingerprint sensor and face unlock. This phone can be unlocked in a flash and protects your personal information perfectly.
Last, the Huawei Y6s has a 3020 battery with intelligent battery optimization, to keep your phone going all day long. The Huawei Y6s is priced at P6,990.
ANGKAS MEETS SOPHIA, THE WORLD’S FIRST ROBOT CITIZEN
Its shaping up to be a very interesting Corporate Governance Conference (CGCON) 2020 as global thought leader and acclaimed American roboticist Dr. David Hanson brings his AI creation, Sophia, the world’s first robot citizen and the first robot Innovation Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
Hanson will be delivering a keynote, titled “Revolutionizing Boardroom Dynamics”, which will touch on how artificial intelligence and robotics are changing the way information impacts the boardroom.
Sophia, on the other hand, will be talking alongside Angkas CEO Angeline Tham on the topic “The Future is Here.” Guests will also have the chance of interacting with Sophia as they can have selfies taken with her after the talk.
Other topics that will be discussed in the conference are: how IoT is enhancing the workplace environment, transparency and efficiency; the ethical implications of technological advancement to the business ecosystem; and why T.R.A.F.F.I.C. (short for Transparency, Responsibility, Accountability, Fairness, Foresight, Innovation, Culture) is important, and how it creates value for investors and stakeholders respectively.
The CGCON, which will be held in March 2020 at the Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City was organized by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and will have the theme “How T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Creates Sustainable Businesses.”