Facebook Gets Oculus; Google News
One of the more memorable devices I saw at this year’s International CES was the Oculus Rift Crystal Cove prototype, pegged by many as the next big thing in gaming. It’s a wearable virtual reality headset like no other, as it combines an ultra-wide field of vision with highly accurate 3-D motion tracking. It makes you feel like you are right there in the action. Needless to say, I’m highly impressed.
Last week Facebook announced it will acquire Oculus. What does this mean? According to Facebook’s press release, its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “Mobile is the platform of today, and now we’re also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow. Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate.”
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Facebook’s deal includes $400 million in cash, 23.1 million shares of Facebook stock and an additional $300 million earn-out in cash and stock based on the achievement of certain milestones. Oculus received 75,000-plus orders for development kits, which means several industries are experimenting with the technology, and it has the potential to expand significantly.
The company plans to extend Oculus’s existing advantage in gaming to new levels, including communications, media and entertainment, education and more. Virtual reality technology has the potential to emerge as the next big social platform and change the way we work and communicate. It will be interesting to see what Facebook will do with this at its fingertips.
On another note, Google Glass is about to become a little more stylish by partnering with Oakley and Ray-Ban, owned by the Italian Luxottica Group. It announced a partnership with Google to make the technology look “less geeky.” Luxottica currently has 5,000-plus stores to help Google sell its popular Google Glass once it becomes more widely available.
Both companies will be involved in the development of the upgraded product, and I can’t wait to see what it will look like!
NEET Cable Management
Yet another innovation I found at this year’s International CES was the NEET cable management product. It’s the first of its kind, as it’s made to prevent tangles with an eco-friendly silky material that also provides a protective shield and allows you to adjust the length of your cords.
NEET launched this new line of products earlier this year and initially started with sleeves to fit Apple’s lighting cables. Now there are universal sleeves available (different lengths), and the company plans to expand to commonly used electronics for custom fits, ear buds and computer cords. There is a variety of colors to choose from, as NEET is trying to take a stylish approach.
This product is so simple yet so useful. As with the majority of the world, all my cords seem to be one big spaghetti mess. Having NEET on my iPhone’s cord significantly helps to avoid tangles, especially in the car. The bright color also makes it easy to identify and find in the midst of other cables. Visit neetproducts.com to make yourself NEET, too.
clickchick@outlook.com
