LG's Reviewer Pressure, Apple WWDC, and Crypto in Tesla

Reviewer Influence and Ethics

This week, we dive deep into a controversial interaction between LG and the tech review outlet Hardware Unboxed. The manufacturer attempted to impose strict, unprofessional guidelines on how their products were to be reviewed, including demands to avoid comparing new models to previous ones, dictating specific test settings, and even requesting to see draft reviews in advance.

• Attempts at Control: The Hardware Unboxed team was pressured to ignore previous product comparisons, aiming to shield the new 27GP850 from potential performance skepticism.
• Corporate Misunderstanding: Linus and Luke highlight how major companies often struggle to understand the role of independent tech journalism. They view reviewers as marketing vehicles to be paid or controlled, rather than objective analysts.

"If it's paid, it's not a review. And if it's a review, it's not paid."

Apple's WWDC and Hardware Choices

Apple's recent WWDC keynote introduced several software updates, including SharePlay and enhanced privacy features. However, the discussion quickly turned to Apple's restrictive ecosystem.

The T9 Dialing Rant

• Feature Exclusion: Linus discusses his frustration with Apple’s stubborn refusal to implement T9 dialing, a feature he finds essential for efficiency.
• Ecosystem Lock-in: Apple’s strategy of withholding features from Android users is analyzed as a deliberate tactic to maintain market dominance among younger demographics.

Tech News and Industry Trends

• Cyberpunk on a Tesla: The discussion covers the integration of gaming into the new Tesla Model S Plaid. While impressive hardware-wise, the team questions the real-world utility of gaming on a car's center console versus dedicated handhelds like the Nintendo Switch.
• Windows 10 Sunset: Microsoft's announcement of the Windows 10 end-of-support date by 2025 marks the beginning of the transition to a new OS.
• El Salvador and Bitcoin: A look at El Salvador's historic move to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, noting the innovative (and ambitious) plans to utilize geothermal energy from volcanoes for mining.