News

iPhone 16 adds Camera Control, Apple Intelligence, new colors

Better experiences on the more powerful new flagships

Published

September 10, 2024

Manila Connoisseur

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have been officially introduced via Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event in Cupertino, California on Monday. These base models feature the new A18 chip and Apple Intelligence features, but an even more interesting new addition is the Camera Control button.

Located on the lower right bezel when on a portrait orientation, this add-on lets users access the Camera app with just a click, making it easier for them to take quick snaps and videos.

Apple positioned the Camera Control button in a way where it replicates the shutter button on traditional film cameras especially when holding the iPhone 16 in landscape mode.

This way, users do not need to adjust the grip anymore after launching the Camera app. And for filming, they simply have to click and hold the Camera Control button to start recording right away.

Moreover, the iPhone 16 Camera Control button is designed to understand haptic feedback, differentiating full presses from light touches.

When the Camera app has already been opened, users may simply light press the button to frame the shot. Another light tap will show various settings like depth of field, exposure, and more.

They may then slide their fingers on the button to adjust these settings. The same gesture helps them to zoom in and out easily. These same features can be utilized when filming. Furthermore, when on portrait orientation, Snapchat may be accessed directly from the control for quick sharing.

iPhone 16 cameras

Speaking of cameras, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus feature a 48MP main camera and a 12MP telephoto camera.

The main camera absorbs light 2.6x better than its predecessor. Users may take macro, ultra-wide angle, normal, and 2x zoom shots without compromising quality, all thanks to the 48MP Fusion camera.

The new flagships also leverage powerful machine learning algorithms for better audio pickup on video recording and video calls.

First iPhones built for Apple Intelligence

And as the iPhone 16 series is the first generation of iPhones specifically built for Apple Intelligence, users can take advantage of a handful of AI-powered features, like Clean Up to remove unwanted parts on photos.

The A18 chip on the devices also allow them to support the Apple Intelligence features easily. With a 6-core CPU, including two performance cores and four efficiency cores, the A18 chip delivers a 60% faster performance than an iPhone 12. Yet it uses 30% less power than an A16 Bionic chip, making the iPhone 16 Series even more power efficient.

One of the Apple Intelligence-powered features is Writing Tools. This can be used to help with proofreading texts or changing its tone with just a few taps. There’s also Genmoji, which lets users be creative with generating emojis with just text prompts.

Siri has likewise been supercharged so that simple voice prompts lead to browsing through apps to pull up vital information.

iPhone 16 series price, availability

The iPhone 16 is priced starting at US$ 799 for the 128GB model. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Plus retails starting at US$ 899 for the 128GB option.

Both come in the new Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink, colorways, joining the classic White and Black options.

Enterprise

Google illegally destroys 250,000 trees for a single AI data center

This is what we stand to lose with data centers.

Published

October 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In the Philippines, it’s illegal to cut down a single tree without a permit. It’s a constant reminder that the preservation of nature should be a civil, besides being a moral, obligation. And yet, corporations are seemingly immune from obligations and morals. Google, the company that used to stand for “Don’t be evil,” shows off its true colors by illegally cutting down 250,000 trees in Finland for a datacenter.

As first reported by The Guardian, Finland is now staring at 330 hectares of land suddenly denuded of around 250,000 valuable trees, all thanks to Google. A local ecologist has also said that the company killed a further 150,000 trees at a separate site.

The environmental desecration is part of Google’s multibillion-dollar push to build data centers all over the world for artificial intelligence. Google has since been ordered to stop the development in the country after Finland found that the company acted without securing the needed assessments and permits to clear the area.

Google brushed away the report by saying that they acted “on the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time.” The company also said that they are protecting the water quality at the affected sites and committed to replanting trees across 130 hectares, a pale comparison to the total area affected.

Other AI companies are also trying to weasel their way into other countries to build data centers. An example is the controversial Pax Silica in the Philippines. Finland now stands as a cautionary tale against the unimpeded and unsupervised growth of data centers for a service that no one asked for.

Don’t be evil, my ass.

Accessories

Bose acquires Skullcandy

But both are still separate brands.

Published

October 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As one of the wisest sages of the 2000s once said, “He was a punk, she did ballet. What more can I say?” Sometimes, opposites attract. Now, two of those opposites in the audio space are coming together: the punk Skullcandy and the ballet-loving Bose.

Today, Bose has announced its acquisition of Skullcandy. The latter will continue to operate as a separate brand but now officially under the Bose umbrella. Although, it’s not a new collaboration as the two brands have previously worked together on devices before. Skullcandy will just have more access to Bose’s technologies moving forward.

Alternatively, Bose will now have access to Skullcandy’s more varied audience. Compared to Bose’s focus on premium products, Skullcandy caters to more alternative lifestyles. Though the brand has since mellowed from its more radical roots, it is still known as one of the alternative brands.

Bose, on the other hand, is still a household name for home audio and noise-cancelling headphones. The new relationship between two polar opposites might be seen as a weird one, but it’s ultimately beneficial to both parties. Besides, both brands were very strong in the 2010s. Keeping both brands going is a boon to audiophiles of the past decade.

Gaming

Next Xbox might cost double the price of an Xbox today

The most expensive Xbox Series X costs $900. The next Xbox’s price might double that.

Published

October 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Buying a new gaming setup must be one of the most torturous things you can purchase these days. The rising price of chips has hampered the buying ability of many a consumer today. Sadly, that trend isn’t changing anytime soon. According to new reports, the next Xbox might cost double of what an Xbox costs these days.

The next console is currently codenamed Project Helix. Spearheaded by relatively new Xbox CEO Asha Sherma, Project Helix has hopes of being an all-around gaming machine capable of playing PC games besides console exclusives. Sharma obviously wants the platform to come back as a worthy destination for gamers.

That’s a monumental task, though, especially after the rising prices of chips are constantly threatening the prices of new devices. Now, according to a profile of Sharma published by Fortune, the next Xbox might cost as high as US$ 1,800. For reference, the limited 25^th anniversary edition of the Xbox Series X currently costs US$ 899.

Should Fortune’s estimate hold true, a new console in the coming years is double the cost of the most expensive Xbox Series X variant available today. The next generation of gaming might be even more of a luxury than it already is.

Unfortunately, things aren’t getting better across the board. Gaming on PC and on PlayStation aren’t going to be much cheaper as the RAM crisis continues.