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☆ Meta is building virtual world open to app makers, CEO tells antitrust court
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Katie Paul | Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Meta Platforms Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg leaves federal court after attending the Facebook parent company's defense of its acquisition of virtual reality app developer Within Inc., in San Jose, California, U.S. December 20, 2022. REUTERS/Laure AndrillonSAN JOSE, Calif., Dec 20 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) boss Mark Zuckerberg defended his acquisition of a virtual reality fitness app to an antitrust judge on Tuesday, arguing that his company was helping to build a nascent virtual reality industry, not dominate it. On fitness apps, he said, "it's less important that we own the experiences than that they exist." Platform companies have built "the key apps, what they call the killer apps," Zuckerberg said, "but they're not the only apps available." Within developed Supernatural, a VR app it advertises as a "complete fitness service" with choreographed workouts.

☆ Meta to delay closing Within Unlimited deal by one month
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Facebook parent Meta Platforms (META.O) does not expect to seal its acquisition deal with Within Unlimited, maker of the popular fitness app "Supernatural", before Jan. 31, according to a court filing from Tuesday. In August, Meta had agreed not to close the deal until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31. Meta already has the best-selling VR headset, the Quest 2, and controls a Meta Quest Store with hundreds of apps. Within Unlimited, founded in 2014, creates original content for virtual reality. It describes itself as "the premier destination for cinematic virtual reality."

☆ Meta says it's committed to the metaverse and will continue to invest 20% of its spending in it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta's chief tech officer wrote in a blog post on Monday that the company is committed to the metaverse. Meta will continue to invest 20% of its spending on the efforts. Bosworth addressed criticism that the company was diverting attention away from its core platforms like Instagram to focus on the metaverse. The post comes after John Carmack, who was the consulting CTO of Meta's virtual-reality initiative, including its Meta Quest headset, left the company last week. "During boom times, it's easy to make big, ambitious investments in what's coming next," Bosworth wrote in his Monday post.

☆ John Carmack: Virtual reality titan is leaving Meta
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Video game pioneer John Carmack is resigning from his consulting position at Meta with “mixed feelings” about the “end of his decade in VR,” he announced in a Facebook post Friday. Carmack stuck around through the company’s more than $10 billion investment into virtual reality technology. He was an early advocate for virtual reality, thought it was not uncommon for him to criticize Meta. Meta bought Oculus VR in 2014 for $2 billion, and now sells the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets. “I think my influence at the margins has been positive, but it has never been a prime mover,” Carmack said.

☆ John Carmack, the consulting CTO for Meta's virtual-reality efforts, is leaving. 'I wearied of the fight'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Carmack joined Oculus in 2013 as CTO, prior to its acquisition by Facebook. John Carmack, the consulting CTO for Meta's virtual-reality efforts, is leaving, according to two people familiar with the company. Overall, Carmack said he simply "wearied of the fight" with Meta, formerly known as Facebook, which acquired Oculus in 2014. Despite being one of the best known and more popular VR headsets on the market, Meta changed the name of the brand last year to Meta Quest. During Meta's developer conference in October, Carmack hosted a solo hour-long talk about the company's Oculus or Quest headset.

☆ People are paying $12 to go on VR tours of turtle nesting in Costa Rica or India's Holi festival from their couches. Meet a tour guide who's cashing in on this travel niche.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ligia Morera, based in Costa Rica, leads virtual tours on the Japanese platform Dokodemo Door Trip. A VR tour guide needs AI software to reach a worldwide audienceMorera filming a VR tour. In other words, these VR tours are as much a marketing program for its core business as a standalone revenue stream. Another source of referrals is other VR tour guides. "In Costa Rica, sometimes we get little problems with that," she said.

The best Cyber Monday game console dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price Xbox Series S During the holidays, Microsoft is offering their budget console, the Xbox Series S, for $60 off. The best Cyber Monday game dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $39.99 from Best Buy Originally $59.99 Save 33%The best Cyber Monday gaming accessory dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deals on essential subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch Online are also available during Cyber Monday, too.

Cyber Monday is here and the sales event is delivering some of the best gaming discounts of the year, like this deal on the Meta Quest 2. The Meta Quest 2 typically comes with the rhythm-centric game Beat Saber, and this special bundle also packs in the iconic survival horror title Resident Evil 4. Deal Meta Quest 2 with Resident Evil 4 and Beat Saber Bundle (128GB) As part of a Cyber Monday promotion, you can now snag a Meta Quest 2 VR headset (128GB) with two free games, Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4, for $350. Deal Meta Quest 2 with Resident Evil 4 and Beat Saber Bundle (256GB) The Meta Quest 2 VR headset (256GB) is now on sale with two free games. You can usually get the 256GB headset for $500 with Beat Saber, so this package saves you $70 and adds another free game.

☆ These are the hottest Black Friday tech deals from Amazon, Apple, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

They're offering around-the-clock coverage of all the best deals — Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Below, you'll find the hottest deals on games, laptops, Apple products, and more. Check out our live coverage of all the best deals here. We gathered the top deals from Best Buy's Black Friday sale. Shop the best deals from Best Buy.

☆ Meta is promoting its VR headset with a 3D spaceman bursting out of London's most famous advertising billboard
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meta unveiled a new 3D ad for its Meta Quest 2 VR headset on London's Piccadilly Circus. Meta's Reality Labs took over the Piccadilly Lights in the heart of London's West End to promote its Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset. Since 2019, the Facebook owner has pumped $36 billion into Reality Labs, according to an Insider analysis of Meta's financial filings. Reality Labs posted an operating loss of $9.4 billion in the first nine months of this year alone. The Meta Quest 2 ad will run until the end of the year and it will be rolled out across the US as well.

SKIP AHEAD Cyber Monday 2021 bestsellers | Is Cyber Monday a thing? What to buy and what to skip on Cyber MondayWhen Cyber Monday began, it was known as a tech-heavy deals day, said Kristin McGrath, shopping expert and senior editor at RetailMeNot. Apple products are often discounted during sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and AirPods, Apple Watches and Apple Pencils were all top sellers on Cyber Monday 2021. Because the line between Black Friday and Cyber Monday has blurred over the years — and because deals now start so early — many shoppers are wondering, is Cyber Monday still a “thing”? “Cyber Week” refers to the week after Cyber Monday, which is full of sales and deals from online retailers.

☆ Testing Meta’s Quest Pro VR headset with CNBC Technology Executive Council members
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Susan Caminiti | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Much of this vision hinges on Meta's $1,500 Quest Pro headset, which went on sale last month. The new virtual reality headset has some noted improvements over the mass consumer $400 Quest 2 headset model (which will remain on sale, though a Quest 3 is expected next year) — notably better sound and sensors. The Quest Pro can track your eyes and face, so your avatar can make the same faces that you do. Meta is betting that businesses, not consumers, are going to be the first big market for the Pro headset. Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., demonstrates the Meta Quest Pro during the virtual Meta Connect event in New York, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022.

The bundle comes with two free games including the rhythm-centric, Beat Saber, and the iconic survival horror game, Resident Evil 4. Deal Meta Quest 2 with Resident Evil 4 and Beat Saber Bundle (128GB) As part of a special Black Friday promotion, you can now snag a Meta Quest 2 VR headset (128GB) with two free games, Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4, for $350. The headset typically comes with Beat Saber for $400, so this deal saves you $50 and adds an extra free game. Deal Meta Quest 2 with Resident Evil 4 and Beat Saber Bundle (256GB) The Meta Quest 2 VR headset (256GB) is now on sale with two free games. You can usually get the 256GB headset for $500 with Beat Saber, so this package saves you $70 and adds another free game.

☆ Meta Quest Pro review: A very expensive VR experiment that doesn't have a target audience
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

In this article META Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSofia Pitt using Meta Quest Pro Sofia PittI've been testing the new $1,500 Meta Quest Pro virtual reality headset since it launched on Oct. 25. In other words, the Meta Quest Pro is a very expensive experiment built to help figure out the use cases for the metaverse. Meta Quest Pro vs. Meta Quest 2: Design upgradesThe fit and design of the Meta Quest Pro are a huge upgrade compared with the Meta Quest 2 headset, which launched in 2020 under the name Oculus Quest 2. Meta Quest Pro. Painting VR on Meta Quest Pro Sofia PittThese experiences are not new or exclusive to the Pro.

The PlayStation VR2 headset launches February 22, 2023 for $550; preorders start November 15. PlayStation VR2 The PS VR2 is a new virtual reality headset built for the PS5. PS VR2 featuresThe PlayStation VR2 carries over many features found on the original model released in 2016, while offering a few key upgrades and new options. SonyTo get the PlayStation VR2 at launch on February 22, 2023, you'll need to preorder it from Sony via the online PlayStation store. That said, other competitors designed for PC cost way more than PS VR2, like the Valve Index and the $750 Vive Cosmos Elite, both of which require external sensors that PS VR2 doesn't need.

One year and billions of dollars later, the so-called metaverse still feels years away, if it ever manifests at all. And Meta’s flagship social VR app Horizon Worlds can feel like a ghost town (albeit a ghost town with laser tag). Meta’s latest headset, the Quest Pro, is its first effort at combining the immersiveness of VR with the real world. The VR headset market is still tiny compared to, say, an established gadget market like console video games. A visitor to the 2022 Tokyo Game Show tests the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.

☆ Meta plans to lose even more money building the metaverse while its ads business shrinks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., demonstrates the Meta Quest Pro during the virtual Meta Connect event in New York, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reiterated his commitment to spending billions of dollars developing the metaverse amid investor concern about the health of his company's online advertising business. Meta's Reality Labs unit, which responsible for developing the virtual reality and related augmented reality technology that underpins the yet-to-be built metaverse, has lost $9.4 billion so far in 2022. "We do anticipate that Reality Labs operating losses in 2023 will grow significantly year-over-year," Meta said in a statement. "Beyond 2023, we expect to pace Reality Labs investments such that we can achieve our goal of growing overall company operating income in the long run."

☆ Oculus founder Palmer Luckey compares Facebook's metaverse to a 'project car,' with Mark Zuckerberg pursuing an expensive passion project that no one thinks is valuable
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Luckey founded Oculus and sold it to Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. He wants the metaverse to be built, but says Facebook's current product Horizon is "not good." Luckey sold Oculus, a virtual-reality startup, to Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion. Luckey was fired from Facebook in 2016, which he said happened because of his political donations to an "unpopular" cause. He said the amount of money Zuckerberg is putting behind the project alone means there's a chance Horizon Worlds will get better and the metaverse will be a success.

☆ Meta documents show main metaverse is losing users and falling short of goals, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Horizon Worlds, Meta 's flagship metaverse for consumers, is failing to meet internal performance expectations, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reviewed internal company documents. Additionally, the documents showed that most users didn't return to Horizon after the first month on the platform, and the number of users has steadily declined since spring, the Journal said. As a result, Meta created Horizon Worlds, which is a network of virtual spaces where users can engage with one another as avatars. Representatives for Meta didn't immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Read the full Journal report here.

☆ Mark Zuckerberg sets expectations for his new $1,500 metaverse gadget at rock bottom
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Steve Kovach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., demonstrates the Meta Quest Pro during the virtual Meta Connect event in New York, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Mark Zuckerberg himself was too. His comments effectively place expectations for the success of the new Meta Quest Pro, which goes on sale Oct. 25, at next to zero. Specifically, he told The Verge "it's not going to be until later this decade" when metaverse gadgets like the Quest Pro will be "fully mature." WATCH: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveils $1,500 mixed reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro

☆ Wall Street is being shortsighted on Meta Platforms, ignoring things that can go right
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Club holding Meta Platforms (META) seems to be a hated stock on Wall Street no matter what it does. The stock hit a new 52-week low Wednesday, one day after the company unveiled its new Quest Pro headset at its 2022 Meta Connect conference. Quest Pro Starting with the Meta Quest Pro, at $1,500, the headset is targeting a different audience than its Meta Quest 2 counterpart, which starts at $400. Tools and partnerships While the Quest Pro is impressive in its own right, what makes it really intriguing are the tools and partnerships that were announced with it. The Meta Quest Pro headset during the virtual Meta Connect event in New York, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022.

☆ Meta Quest Pro: A $1,500 Virtual-Reality Headset for Working in the Metaverse
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Joanna Stern | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It’s Monday, and you’re running late. You strap your Meta Quest Pro on your head, you squeeze in around the virtual wood conference table and you smirk at your boss, who isn’t pleased with your tardiness. He rolls his eyes, but you don’t take him seriously because, well, he looks like a levitating Woody from “Toy Story,” except with no cowboy hat…or legs. When the meeting is over, you’re back in your real home office, but three giant virtual computer monitors hover in front of you. On the wall hangs a virtual whiteboard with a motivational quote: TEAMWORK!

☆ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveils $1,500 mixed reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveils $1,500 mixed reality headset, the Meta Quest ProCNBC's Steve Kovach joins "The News with Shepard Smith" to discuss the new mixed reality headset from Meta, called the $1,500 Meta Quest Pro.

☆ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg debuts Meta Quest Pro VR headset that will cost $1,500
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer and founder of Facebook Inc., demonstrates an Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset and Oculus Touch controllers. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday that his company's newest virtual reality headset, dubbed the Meta Quest Pro, will cost $1,500 and start shipping on Oct. 25. Zuckerberg debuted the device at Meta's Connect conference, geared toward VR and augmented reality developers. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also appeared during the online event and discussed a partnership with Meta intended to bring some of his company's work-collaboration apps to Quest VR devices. WATCH: Meta to release new high-end VR headset

☆ Meta’s newest VR headset is impressive. Here’s why you probably won’t buy it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Rachel Metz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN Business —Meta’s newest virtual-reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro, is a slick, powerful device. Buyers can pre-order the Quest Pro as of Tuesday, and it will ship out on October 25. Meta's latest VR headset, the Quest Pro, is aimed at business users and costs $1500. Updated hand controllersThe headset is also more of a mixed-reality headset than a VR headset, as it isn’t meant to block out all ambient light all the time. The Quest Pro headset has sensors that can track your eyes and facial expressions.

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