No 'friends' for the LG G6
After trying to incorporate modular accessories on its last flagship smartphone, the G5, LG has reportedly given up on the concept with the G6, which will instead launch with the added security of an iris-scanner, as seen on the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7. The G5, while praised for the quality of its dual camera setup, did not do well, with the reason being attributed to the fiddly implementation of the modular accessories, which the company dubbed 'friends'. The company remedied this somewhat in the recently-released V20 , which uses a similar mechanism to swap out batteries while still retaining a metal unibody look, a decision which has been well-received. It would appear the G6 will use a similar technique and retain a removable battery.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The PlayStation 4 now has third party controllers for pro gaming, built by Razer and Nacon. Caleld the Razer Naiju and Nacon Revolution, these controllers boast added functionality like removable triggers and caps, custom profiles and adjustable weight and sensitivity. While the Naiju keeps the button placement similar to the original DualShock controller that comes with the PS4, the Revolution goes for an Xbox-like layout for the analog sticks. Interestingly, both controllers feature elongated grips similar to the Xbox controller, as opposed to the stubbier ones found on the DualShock. The controller are set to hit stores before the year end.
Tesla unveils solar roof tiles
The latest step in Tesla's quest to build a sustainable, eco-friendly ecosystem was unveiled by Elon Musk recently in the form of solar roof tiles. The glass tiles are designed to look much like regular tiles, and can be placed exactly as normal tiles are on the roof. This is to help remove the taboo around aesthetically unappealing solar panels. Musk also claims that Tesla's tiles can achieve 98 per cent of the efficiency of regular solar panels, and can provide similar environmental resistance to regular roofing materials at the same cost. The company says the tiles can power a regular home, and in case of unfavourable weather conditions, can store excess energy in Tesla's Powerwall battery, which the company had showcased earlier.
ADVERTISEMENT
Apple and Microsoft reinvent device interaction
It's been a busy week for Apple and Microsoft. The former launched its new line of Macbooks while Microsoft unveiled its first stab at making a desktop device with the Surface Studio. The important takeaways however, besides Apple axing more ports and ironically retaining the headphone jack on the Macbooks, were the new interfaces the company's debuted. Apple added a context-sensitive touch bar to higher variants of the Macbook Pro, which displays options depending on the scenario the device is being used in, along with TouchID fingerprint recognition. Microsoft on the other hand went with a full touchscreen display that can tilt at various angles and introduced the Surface Dial, a knob that can navigate the interface by rotation. It can even be attached directly to the screen and used with a stylus to change brush sizes and colours on the go, without needing to lift the stylus.