This week in tech

LG V10 comes to the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Before the year winds down, LG has one more trick up its sleeve. Announced in New York last month, the V10 is an innovative new smartphone from the Korean tech giant. A new, experimental, premium phone with unique features like dual front-facing cameras (one for selfies and the other for “groufies”) and a second ticker-like display for displaying shortcuts to favorite apps and contacts. The phone will be available in select countries around the world including the Philippines. Yay! While a launch date has yet to be announced, LG Philippines says the phone will retail for P37,990. Sources tell us to expect it before the end of the year.

Facebook tests reactions in the Philippines

If you’ve noticed your Facebook page looking different this week, you’re one of the lucky few who’s gotten the new Reactions feature – “a new way for people to express themselves” and an evolution of the Like button. Facebook began rolling out the feature last Nov. 17, so those who have the feature enabled will be able to hold down on the Like button for a range of other emotions including, love, haha, yay, wow, confused, sad and angry. Facebook plans to learn from the results of this test before it rolls out the feature globally. It previously tested the feature in Spain and Ireland.

Google+ Redesign

Just when you thought it was going away, Google’s social network Google+ has been “reimagined” putting an emphasis on Collections and Communities. The redesign is more a reflection of how the existing community is using the platform versus Google forcing their social network to be another Facebook. Before, like that other blue social network, the positioning was to connect with people you already know. But over the years its users have gravitated to people of mutual interests banding together to form communities. The update is available on desktop, iOS and Android, but you’ll have to opt-in. Look for a pop-up next time you visit your Google+ page and hit “Let’s Go.”

Asus chromebit

A computer the size of a USB flash drive – that’s the Asus Chromebit, a computer that you can actually plug into the HDMI port on the back of your TV. The device runs Chrome OS so you’re limited only to basic tasks like watching YouTube, or surfing the net using the Chrome Browser of course. But you can very well also work on documents in the cloud via the Google Docs suite of applications. Just pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you’re all set. The Asus Chromebit comes with 2GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, a USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth & WiFi and retails for $85.

Grabtaxi & Uber bring battle to the skies

Had enough of Metro Manila traffic? Get this, both GrabTaxi and Uber are prepping to launch helicopter services soon. Teasing its upcoming service, Uber offered free UberChopper rides last Saturday, Nov. 21, to lucky users via their Uber app with participants receiving scenic aerial tours of Metro Manila. GrabTaxi on its Facebook page is teasing “awesome weekends up in the air” with their service set to go live on Nov. 24.