The Tech Circuit

CEBU, Philippines –  Facebook announced last week that it is conducting pilot tests of “Reactions” in Ireland and Spain.

A post by Chris Cox – Facebook’s chief product officer – defines “Reactions” as a “more expressive ‘Like’ button” – a feature that allows Facebook users to better express their sentiments about posts on Facebook News Feeds.

Cox’s post shows how the feature works: a tab with six animated emoticons opens when the ‘Like’ button is long-pressed. The six emoticons represent the different responses that could be used for a given post.

It is not indicated when the feature will be available in the Philippines, but Cox does note that Facebook plans to “roll it out to everyone soon.”

10-core gaming smartphone makes waves

CAnnounced to sport a 6-inch HD display, 4 gigs of RAM and powered by a 10-core processor, Acer’s “Predator 6” gaming smartphone has been a hot topic among gamers and techies since it was unveiled last month in this year’s Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) consumer electronics trade show.

Bearing an edgy design that’s long been associated with gaming devices, the “Predator 6” also touts of four speakers and an enhanced haptic feedback system for an immersive gaming experience.

A part of Acer’s “Predator” spectrum of gaming-specific devices, it is still unclear if or when the gaming smartphone will be available in Cebu. It has, however, become a highly wanted product among gamers and techies alike – especially now that the holiday season is well on its way.

World’s first multi-aperture computational camera

A video featuring a multi-aperture computational camera made rounds in various social media channels last week.

The device – the “L16” camera developed by the company “Light” – utilizes multiple individual lenses for multi-aperture range – effectively bringing the best of enhanced imaging capabilities and portability all in one compact camera.

The camera’s lenses (or tiny cameras) can capture an image all at once, then merge them to one high-quality image with a resolution of up to 52 megapixels. Pitched as a pocket-sized replacement for a DSLR camera, the “L16’s” optical focusing capabilities is noted to be at par with that of a 35-150mm camera lens.

More information about “Light” and the “L16” is found at www.light.co.