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"Marriott says up to 500 million Starwood Hotels customers affected by hack | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/marriott-says-up-to-500-million-starwood-hotels-customers-affected-by-hack"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Marriott says up to 500 million Starwood Hotels customers affected by hack Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
( Reuters ) — Marriott International said on Friday that hackers accessed up to 500 million customer records in its Starwood Hotels reservation system in an attack that began four years ago, exposing data including passport numbers and payment cards.
Shares were down 5.7 percent in late afternoon trade on news of the hack, one of the largest in history, which prompted regulators in Britain and at least five U.S. states to launch investigations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was looking into the attack on Starwood, whose brands include Sheraton, St. Regis, W and Westin hotels. It advised affected customers to check for identity fraud and report it to the bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The hack began in 2014, a year before Marriott offered to buy Starwood to create the world’s largest hotel operator. The $13.6 billion deal closed in September 2016.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Some 327 million customer records containing information including passport details, birthdates, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses were exposed, according to the company.
The hackers also accessed payment card data for an undisclosed number of customers, the company said.
“What makes this serious is the number of people involved, the intimacy of the data that was taken and the long delay between the breach and discovery,” said Mark Rasch, a former U.S. federal cyber crimes prosecutor.
Some customers complained to Marriott on Twitter, where Starwood was among the top trending U.S. topics. They used terms including “duped,” “angry” and “merger disaster” to express frustration over the incident.
Attorneys filed a lawsuit in a Maryland federal court within hours of the disclosure which seeks class-action status for customers whose data was exposed in the breach.
The complaint accuses Marriott of negligence as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices and sought unspecified financial compensation for harm caused by exposure of their data.
The company said on its website that it learned of the breach on Sept. 8 when an internal security tool sent an alert about suspicious activity.
“We fell short of what our guests deserve,” Marriott Chief Executive Arne Sorenson said in a statement.
Attorneys general in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania said they would investigate the attack, as did the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office.
“The public deserves to know how this happened,” Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement.
Company representatives could not be reached to comment on the lawsuit, government investigations or to explain why it had taken so long to uncover and disclose the hack.
Marriott said on its website that it would inform affected guests about the breach starting on Friday, and that it had reported it to law enforcement and regulatory authorities.
The breach appeared to be the second-largest on record, based on records compromised, after one at Yahoo in 2013 that exposed all of its 3 billion user accounts.
That incident cost $47 million in litigation expenses and prompted Verizon Communications to cut $350 million off the price it paid when it acquired most of Yahoo.
Marriott said it was too early to estimate the financial impact of the breach, though it would not affect its long-term financial health. The hotel chain said it was working with its insurance carriers to assess coverage.
Baird Equity Research said in a note to clients that breach-related costs, including legal fees, technical expenses and increased security, could force Marriott to delay the roll out of a new customer loyalty program planned for early 2019.
“Investor sentiment toward Marriott could remain somewhat negative in the near term until this security incident is fully resolved and its true financial impact is learned,” Baird said.
Retailers Target and Home Depot each incurred costs of about $200 million after massive payment-card breaches in 2013 and 2014.
The Hyatt breach highlights the need for companies to pay close attention on cyber security when making acquisitions.
“Understanding the cybersecurity posture of an investment is critical to assessing the value of the investment and considering reputational, financial, and legal harm that could befall the company,” said Jake Olcott, a vice president with cybersecurity firm BitSight.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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4,814 | 2,018 |
"Nvidia's latest plan to sell its old GPUs: Free V-Bucks! | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/nvidias-latest-plan-to-sell-its-old-gpus-free-v-bucks"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Nvidia’s latest plan to sell its old GPUs: Free V-Bucks! Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Get yourself some Fortnite goods with your graphics card.
Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Nvidia is getting in on the Fortnite partnership just like Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Samsung. The graphics-hardware company revealed that it is now selling Fortnite Bundles of its GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, 1070, and 1060 GPUs.
Each one of these packages include the Founder’s Edition Nvidia video cards and a code for digital goods in Epic’s battle royale shooter.
Whether you get the GTX 1070 Ti, 1070, or 1060, you’ll get the same Fortnite goodies in each box. When you redeem the code, it will instantly add 2,000 V-Bucks (the in-game currency) to your account. The Nvidia bundle also unlocks the rare Reflect outfit and Pivot glider, the uncommon Angular pickax, and the Response Unit back bling.
Of course, you still have to buy the graphics card to get those Fortnite items, and that means spending a few hundred dollars.
1060 Fortnite bundle: $299 1070 Fortnite bundle: $399 1070 Ti Fortnite bundle: $449 It’s worth noting that those prices are slightly discounted from their launch prices, but they’re more expensive than deals from the black Friday shopping weekend.
The 1070 Ti, for example, was selling for $350.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! So you may want to wait to see if prices drop even further.
Nvidia has plenty of 10-series cards to sell It’s not unheard of for a company to continue marketing its last-generation products after introducing a successor. Ideally, Nvidia would want to wind down its last-gen cards as it launches its 20-series RTX models. But Nvidia has an oversupply of cards like the 1060, 1070, and 1070 Ti. The company built a ton of extra cards to meet crypto-mining demand, which has evaporated quickly alongside the falling value of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
So with a glut of GTX 10-series cards in the supply chain, Nvidia is focusing on selling those. In August, it made Gigabyte and EVGA buy a large order of those old cards as part of their RTX deals. But Nvidia apparently still has plenty of cards of its own to sell. And if supply remains high, we could see prices continue to fall into the end of this year.
The good news here is that cards like the 1070 and 1070 Ti are excellent. So if you need a new GPU, now is the time to start looking for deals.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,815 | 2,018 |
"GamesBeat Decides 104: Cheap nylon bags and the FTC | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/gamesbeat-decides-104-cheap-nylon-bags-and-the-ftc"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages GamesBeat Decides 104: Cheap nylon bags and the FTC Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn That's one bad bag, Todd.
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The GamesBeat Decides podcast is back to talk about all of the games and news happening over the last week. That includes a check-in on Red Dead Redemption 2, trying to finish Spider-Man, and trying out The Missing.
In the news, GamesBeat Decides co-hosts Jeffrey Grubb (PC gaming editor) and Mike Minotti (reviews editor) dive into the Fallout 76 mess. Few people love the game, and Bethesda is making things worse with some unforced errors. For example, it sold people a special edition of Fallout 76 with a canvas bag, but then the final product shipped with the flimsiest nylong bag in the history of the world.
The GamesBeat Decides crew also dives into some strong sales for Nintendo Switch, Casey Hudson teasing Dragon Age, and what’s up with The Game Awards.
Listen and enjoy, and maybe even learn something for once: Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Here’s everything we talk about: Games Mike: Red Dead Redemption 2 Pokémon Go Jeff: Spider-Man The Missing: J.J. MacField and the Island of Memories News FTC plans to investigate loot boxes Fallout 76 is a mess Nintendo Switch did well on Black Friday Anthem is getting an alpha Casey Hudson teases Dragon Age The Game Wards will reveal 10 new games Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the fastest preselling Switch game Nintendo kills its revenue-sharing program on YouTube, which no one liked.
Get hyped, and sue anyone who kills the hype.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
"
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4,816 | 2,018 |
"Bloodstained gets support from the 2D experts at WayForward | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/bloodstained-gets-support-from-the-2d-experts-at-wayforward"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Bloodstained gets support from the 2D experts at WayForward Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Battling the sexy and grotesque demon boss in Bloodstained.
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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is one of the most successful Kickstarter crowdfunding projects from 2015 , and it is still in development. But now, a new team is coming in to support production of the Metroidvania-style action game.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero studio WayForward Technologies is joining developers ArtPlay and DICO. Together, all three will polish up the game for its release in 2019.
“As you may already know, [WayForward is] top-tier when it comes to side-scrolling action games,” Iga wrote in a blog post.
“There is even a staff member who previously worked on one of my projects, which is incredibly encouraging.” Fans of the later-day Castlevania games have waited for years to play Bloodstained. But since 2015, producer Koji Igarashi has delayed the game repeatedly.
Iga says his team is struggling to deal with bugs and other elements of development. That is where WayForward is going to come in and offer up its support.
“In consideration of their past achievements, WayForward will be helping the development team realize my vision for this game,” wrote Iga. “Maybe I am even more excited than everyone else — with their help Bloodstained will become an even better game.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Iga notes that WayForward has already started working on Bloodstained. The studio is trying to eliminate a “really tough” bug at the moment.
But WayFoward’s contributions will go beyond quality control.
WayFoward has a pedigree In all of gaming, few studios have worked on 2D sidescrolling action games as consistently and at such a high level as WayForward. The company’s first game was Mickey’s Ultimate Challenge for the Super Nintendo, Genesis, and a variety of other platforms in 1994. It has then spent the next several decades bouncing between its own projects and a number of licensed games.
While fans know WayForward for Shantae, the studio also has a reputation for producing high-quality licensed releases as well. The most famous of those projects is The Mummy Demastered , which is a retro-style adaptation of the Tom Cruise film from 2017. But it has also developed respected licensed games such as Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck , which are both for the Nintendo DS.
Bringing that studio on should give Bloodstained a better chance of living up to expectations. That’s a concern because Iga would likely want to turn this into an ongoing franchise. But to accomplish that, it has to nail Ritual of the Night. If that comes out and disappoints fans, it could come and go similar to other Kickstarter project (and Mega Man spiritual successor) Mighty No. 9.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,817 | 2,018 |
"Anthem closed alpha: When it starts and how to get in | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/anthem-closed-alpha-how-to-play"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Anthem closed alpha: When it starts and how to get in Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn That face when you realize you'll be playing Smash during the Anthem alpha.
Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Electronic Arts is preparing to launch its next big game.
Anthem , an online multiplayer shooter from developer BioWare, is due out February 22 for PC and consoles. But EA doesn’t want to roll into that launch without giving you a chance to play it and without doing some tests. So the publisher is planning an alpha test that kicks off next weekend.
The Anthem alpha begins December 8 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and it will end the next day, December 9. Like the recent Fallout 76 beta, BioWare plans to run this test in sessions. So the Anthem servers will not run continuously for 48 hours. You can participate in all sessions, but you can only sign up to play on one device.
While EA recognizes that this is how many people will play Anthem for the first time, it is emphasizing that this is a technical test.
“It’s an opportunity for you to check out Anthem, but we’ll also be adjusting things like matchmaking and server load on the fly,” reads EA’s help page.
“These community playtests are more limited than what we want to share in the prelaunch demos. All of these factors combined mean that we’re making access to our playtests limited, which is where the ‘closed’ part of the name comes from.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! What does that mean for you? Well, you can sign up for a chance to try the game, but EA is not guaranteeing your participation.
How to sign up But if you want to take your shot at playing Anthem, which impressed me when I tried it at E3, you need to do the following: Go to EA’s Community Playtesting website.
You’ll then need to sign in with your EA account, which you can register for on that page.
Select PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One for your platform.
You can also let EA know what time you want it to run a play session.
Click submit, and then keep an eye on your inbox to see if you get a message saying you’re in. That will include instructions on how to redeem any relevant codes.
This is the only way to get into the alpha as of the time of this posting. You don’t automatically get a code if you preordered or anything like that. But it wouldn’t surprise me if EA runs a beta later for people who preorder. For now, good luck getting in.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,818 | 2,018 |
"SwiftKey now lets you search the web directly from the Android keyboard app | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/swiftkey-now-lets-you-search-the-web-directly-from-the-android-keyboard-app"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages SwiftKey now lets you search the web directly from the Android keyboard app Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Web search inside SwiftKey Android app Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Microsoft-owned mobile keyboard company SwiftKey is today rolling out a search feature for Android users that lets them browse the internet for content directly from within the keyboard.
SwiftKey is a popular keyboard app for smartphones that enables users to type more quickly on touchscreens — it learns individual writing styles over time to serve up predictive “next word” suggestions, and you can also swipe across the keys with your finger rather than hitting individual buttons.
Microsoft acquired SwiftKey for a reported $250 million nearly three years ago.
Search and ye shall find As you would perhaps expect, the new search function is powered by Microsoft’s own search engine, Bing. The update seems to be mostly about enabling users to share content they find on the web without having to switch between multiple apps on their phone.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! For example, you can search for local restaurants inside SwiftKey and give friends recommendations by screenshotting, cropping, and sharing the results.
Above: Search the web from inside the SwiftKey Android app Or let’s say a friend sends a message asking you to look into some flight options for an upcoming trip. Rather than switching from WhatsApp to Google or SkyScanner, you can simply bring up the little toolbar at the top of the keyboard, enter your flight criteria, and share what you find through WhatsApp without leaving the service.
Above: Search and share flight information in SwiftKey The web search box is also clever enough to spot a URL, so if you type in a specific web address it will take you directly to that website.
“By having Search right there in the keyboard, users can browse for information and share it with their contacts without leaving the conversation, whether that’s for quick fact-finding, checking the local weather, or sharing news headlines and images in a message,” said SwiftKey product manager Colleen Hall.
This is similar to Google’s own Gboard keyboard app , which also lets you glean and share content from the web, though of course it uses Google. The latest update comes just a couple of months after SwiftKey rolled out a new real-time translation tool in more than 60 languages, which followed a similar update to Google’s Gboard app last year.
SwiftKey wouldn’t confirm whether in-app web search would be coming to the iOS app, but those on Android can use the feature from today in 11 markets: the U.S., U.K., India, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Brazil.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
"
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4,819 | 2,018 |
"Microsoft redesigns its Office apps icons | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/microsoft-redesigns-its-office-apps-icons"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Microsoft redesigns its Office apps icons Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Microsoft today unveiled a redesign of its Microsoft Office icons, which were last updated in 2013. The new icons will begin rolling out across platforms where Office is available “in the coming months, starting with mobile and web.” Microsoft says the new icons are “the result of many iterations, a lot of research and testing, and plenty of late nights and weekends.” They are supposed to emphasize how Office is transforming into “a collaborative suite that lets you work together in real-time from almost any device.” That includes the various AI capabilities the company has added to the suite, voice functionality , LinkedIn integration , the inclusion of Microsoft Teams , and so on.
“Today’s workforce includes five generations using Office on multiple platforms and devices and in environments spanning work, home, and on the go,” Jon Friedman, head of Microsoft Office design, explained. “We wanted a visual language that emotionally resonates across generations, works across platforms and devices, and echoes the kinetic nature of productivity today.” VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Friedman offered a few details on the thinking behind the new icons: In terms of color, expect hues that are bolder, lighter, and friendlier.
The letter and the symbol have been decoupled, creating two panels (one for the letter and one for the symbol) that the team can pair or separate. This also adds depth, which sparks opportunities in 3D contexts.
The traditional tool formatting has been removed. Prior Office icons had a document outline for Microsoft Word and a spreadsheet outline for Excel, but now you will just see lines of text for Word and individual cells for Excel.
The letter-to-symbol ratio has also changed to emphasize the symbol. The letter previously occupied two-thirds of the icon, and the symbol took up one-third.
These icons are part of a broader Office redesign that minimizes the ribbon.
Knowing Microsoft, it will take quite some time before we see them everywhere, including Office 365 and Office 2019 (which the company has promised is not its last on-premises version).
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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4,820 | 2,018 |
"Google's Home Hub hits Apple in its new blind spot: Affordable tablets | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/googles-home-hub-hits-apple-in-its-new-blind-spot-affordable-tablets"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Opinion Google’s Home Hub hits Apple in its new blind spot: Affordable tablets Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Google's Home Hub.
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Introduced chaotically alongside Pixel 3 phones, Pixel Slate tablets, and Pixel Stand accessories, Google’s $149 Home Hub seemed somewhat out of place at its October launch event.
Odd name aside, the latest Google “smart display” — a tablet designed to be left in one place — arrived months after similar options from JBL and Lenovo , but included a smaller, 7-inch screen and lacked a front-facing camera.
My colleague Khari Johnson quickly nailed Home Hub’s biggest pros and cons in separate articles, seeing it as an Amazon Echo Show and Facebook Portal challenger on price , but concluding in a subsequent review that it was a somewhat perplexing alternative to the aforementioned JBL and Lenovo smart displays on features. At a time when rivals offered bigger screens, better sound, and video calling, what was Google’s angle? After spending some time with the Home Hub, I’m convinced that Google knew exactly what it was doing when it designed this device — the challenge was in explaining and marketing it. Faced with questions regarding “missing” cameras, Google representatives said they were deliberately omitted to make users comfortable using Home Hub on bedroom nightstands. Some people didn’t buy that explanation, and thought Google was trying to save a few bucks on camera parts, but it makes complete sense to me.
From where I stand, Home Hub is Google’s answer to Amazon’s Alexa-equipped Echo Spot clock, and substantially intended to displace tablets (such as iPads) from their places in bedrooms and other traditional places for clocks. Viewed more broadly, it’s Google’s way of giving its numerous paid and free services a permanent spot where you sleep or work, without following Amazon’s Fire Tablets straight to the bottom of the consumer electronics price range.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Ever since the 2012 release of the iPad mini, Apple has all but completely ignored calls to lower iPad prices below the 7.9-inch tablet’s $329 MSRP: It has offered small educational discounts to bring certain iPads down to $299, but never allowed its tablets to fall to the $199 or sub-$99 price points favored by competitors. Today, the least expensive (and several-year-old) iPad mini inexplicably sells for $399, and the latest models are the priciest Apple has ever released.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that iPad sales have stagnated, and the shine is off one of Apple’s most promising pillars of growth. That partially explains why the company is no longer going to disclose iPad unit sales every quarter, instead focusing on the total revenues it generates — a number it’s trying to goose with this year’s even more expensive iPad Pro models.
Apple’s prices have created an umbrella for competitors such as Amazon to utterly dominate the small tablet market with multiple options in the $50 to $150 price range. Amazon has pitched Fire Tablets as ideal for Kindle book reading, video consumption, and mobile game playing, focusing heavily (though not exclusively) on kids. Now Google is using Home Hub as a convenient way for adults to access its numerous services.
Most of the time, Home Hub will sit in one place — your nightstand or your desk — and look like an alarm clock, a picture frame, or a combination of those two concepts. In pure alarm clock mode, you can choose between purely digital or hybrid digital and analog faces, including options optimized for dim or bright rooms.
Google clearly spent a lot of time working on making its clock and screen software suitable for bedtime use and varied lighting conditions. Thanks to a well-calibrated ambient light sensor, Home Hub automatically adjusts the screen’s color and brightness to perfectly suit room conditions. Moreover, it has an entirely separate clock face that it falls back upon at night, with numbers that dim perfectly to match the perceived brightness and color of the front frame. I’ve been impressed by the thoughtfulness and quality of Google’s clock engineering labors.
Say what you will about the physical size of the 7-inch screen — it’s a clear winner over the much smaller Echo Spot for the price, and backed by great software and services. Used as a photo frame, Home Hub can pull images automatically from Google Photos, a collection of Google and Getty images, Facebook albums, or Flickr galleries, and the pictures consistently look great.
It’s worth noting that Apple shipped the original iPad with a comparatively limited photo frame option, but pulled the feature years later from iOS. The likely reason was that iPad users weren’t just setting their $499 tablets down in one place and leaving them there to display photos. But being reliably available where you left it is a large part of Home Hub’s appeal.
The other part is that it is optimized to handle the sorts of things you might want from a bedside or desk assistant, and the ways you would interact with such a device. Everything can be controlled by saying “Hey Google” to evoke the extremely capable Google Assistant. But if you prefer to touch and swipe, you don’t have to fiddle with small touch targets on the screen you can miss with an errant gesture, unlike iPads. Home Hub displays options in card-like panes, and automatically surfaces interesting and commonly desired features in fairly large buttons.
You can also enjoy many of the same entertainment features found on Alexa-equipped Echo devices, albeit with Google’s services. YouTube’s there, as is YouTube Music, plus links to Google News, Reuters video news summaries, and even a collection of jokes. Google’s own content is pretty much PG-rated by default, and parental settings let adults lock down explicit music and kid-unfriendly YouTube videos, as well.
During last year’s holiday season, I explained that Amazon had figured out the way to bring Alexa into this Apple-focused user’s life with the Echo Spot. Particularly at its $99 Black Friday pricing, Google’s Home Hub has the potential to do the same for Google Assistant.
Up until now, I didn’t think I had a need for yet another AI-equipped device in my home, and I certainly didn’t need another “smart speaker.” But with the right price, a great screen, and interesting features, Google has found a way to bring its services into more rooms of my house. I suspect it will succeed with many other people, as well.
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4,821 | 2,018 |
"Google doubles Hangouts Meet limit to 100 participants | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/google-doubles-hangouts-meet-limit-to-100-participants"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Google doubles Hangouts Meet limit to 100 participants Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Hangouts Meet: Now supports 100 participants Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Google is doubling the number of participants that can chat simultaneously through the G Suite communications platform Hangouts Meet.
Hangouts Meet emerged last year after Google announced it was splitting the Hangouts platform into two core services: Hangouts Chat, a Slack-like platform for teams , and Hangouts Meet, a Skype-like videoconferencing application.
Updates Google has given Hangouts Meet a bunch of upgrades since its original launch, and exactly one year ago today the company extended videoconferencing support from 30 to 50 participants for G Suite Enterprise subscribers. Today, Google is expanding that figure to 100, while those on the G Suite Business or Education tier will be bumped up from 25 to 50 simultaneous participants.
Above: Hangouts Meet: Now supports 100 people It’s worth noting here that these numbers aren’t restricted to internal employees — anyone can dial in as a guest to participate in audio only, as long as the overall number doesn’t exceed 100.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! For comparison, Skype for Business supports up to 250 people , so G Suite still has a little bit of catching up to do. However, a few months back Google opened up Hangouts Meet to livestreaming , allowing companies to broadcast events, meetings, or messages from the CEO to up to 100,000 people — this is available in view-only mode.
The new expanded participant support will be rolling out to subscribers over the next few days.
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4,822 | 2,018 |
"Apple approves Indian government's Do Not Disturb app, avoiding iPhone ban | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/apple-approves-indian-governments-do-not-disturb-app-avoiding-iphone-ban"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Apple approves Indian government’s Do Not Disturb app, avoiding iPhone ban Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Fed up with years of waiting for Apple to implement anti-spam measures for iPhones, India’s telecom regulator TRAI threatened in July to ban iPhones from the country’s cellular networks if Apple didn’t approve a government-developed Do Not Disturb app by January 2019. With that deadline fast approaching, an Apple spokesperson in India has confirmed that the app become available today in the iOS App Store.
The app, titled TRAI DND – Do Not Disturb , promises to help Indian consumers curb unwanted phone calls and text messages — an issue that has become hugely problematic within the country. Reports have suggested that the average person receives upwards of 10 unwanted calls and messages in a given day, which the app combats by letting users join a “do not disturb” registry and allowing them to report unwanted contacts.
India’s government tackled the problem years ago with its initial release of DND, which Google allowed into its Google Play Store back in 2016, and the country updated the app to version 2.0 earlier this year. But Apple wouldn’t allow the app to be released to iOS users, citing privacy concerns, though it agreed to cooperate on a version of the app that wouldn’t share a user’s call or message logs with Indian authorities.
It’s unclear whether the version of DND released in the App Store implements additional privacy protections beyond what was originally devised by TRAI. The registration process appears to leverage the SMS/Call Reporting framework Apple recently introduced into iOS , tying reporting directly into the Phone and Messages applications, and sharing only specific spam content with authorities. After users select spam calls or messages, DND will auto-create complaint text messages and send them to the appropriate carrier for processing, at no charge.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The TRAI-DND app is available for free from the iOS App Store. It requires iOS 12.1 or later.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,823 | 2,018 |
"Google-led AMP project unveils 'open governance' committees consisting of Microsoft, Twitter, others | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/media/google-led-amp-project-unveils-advisory-and-steering-committees-as-part-of-open-governance-model"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Google-led AMP project unveils ‘open governance’ committees consisting of Microsoft, Twitter, others Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn A Google AMP page.
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The Google-led accelerated mobile pages ( AMP ) project has come a long way since the internet giant first announced the initiative three years back. The AMP framework is now used by 1.5 billion pages across tens of millions of domains to enable fast and efficient mobile web pages, while AMP rolled out earlier this year for emails too.
Though Google has always pushed to position AMP as an open source project for anyone to use — big companies such as eBay have long adopted it to speed up their mobile website — Google has struggled somewhat to convey the message that AMP isn’t purely to help Google. Indeed, AMP has been criticized for being the antitheses of an open web, given that Google hosts the AMP cache and it can garner analytics from any website that uses AMP.
Moreover, in many people’s eyes, Google basically strong-armed publishers into adopting the AMP format, else their mobile websites would not rank highly on Google Search. And, ultimately, AMP pages are better placed to serve Google ads.
‘Open’ for business Against that backdrop, Google recently proposed a new “open governance” model for the AMP project, promising to give a “voice to all constituents of the community, including those who cannot contribute code themselves, such as end-user,” according to Google’s AMP project lead Malte Ubl, who has hitherto had the final say on all things AMP.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Fast-forward two months, and Ubl has now unveiled its model, which constitutes an advisory committee (AC) and a technical steering committee (TCS) represented by a number of technology and media companies.
“We have endeavored to ensure that these committees consist of people who bring a wide variety of perspectives, with representatives from different AMP constituencies,” Ubl said in a blog post.
Microsoft has gradually been expanding support for AMP pages within its own Bing search engine, while Twitter has embraced AMP from the start — so it perhaps comes as little surprise that both Microsoft and Twitter have won two coveted places on the TCS, alongside Pinterest, Pantheon, and — drum roll — Google.
The full technical steering committee consists of: Dima Voytenko: Google Malte Ubl: Google Rudy Galfi: Google Paul Armstrong: Twitter Saulo Santos: Microsoft Chris Papazian: Pinterest David Strauss: Pantheon In terms of the advisory committee, 16 different organizations are represented (including Google): Nicole Sullivan: Google Charles Vazac: Akamai Dane Knecht: Cloudflare Dave Merrell: The Washington Post Elisa Budelli: Automattic Guilherme Souza: Terra Joe Alicata: Vox Media Léonie Watson: The Paciello Group Levi Durfee: Bulldog Creative Services Pablo Delgado: El País Senthil Padmanabhan: eBay Sumantro Das: 1-800-Flowers.com Terence Eden: U.K. Government Digital Service Tim Jones: The New York Times Tobie Langel: CodeSpeaks Yinhuang Lu: AliExpress Additionally, Ubl noted that the TSC will be choosing separate working groups in the coming weeks, which will be more involved in the “day-to-day” activities around AMP.
Google is clearly working hard to disavow notions that AMP is nothing more than a backdoor for it to control the web. But many will still argue that it makes little difference how many different groups and organizations have a say in AMP, if Google is still running the show from a technical standpoint to benefit its own revenue stream.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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4,824 | 2,018 |
"Apple Music will come to Amazon Echo devices in mid-December | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/media/apple-music-will-come-to-amazon-echo-devices-in-mid-december"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Apple Music will come to Amazon Echo devices in mid-December Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Apple has been working to expand the availability of its Apple Music service.
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Instead of keeping streaming music service Apple Music exclusive to its own devices and apps, Apple has let Google Android and Facebook Messenger users sign on in previous years. Now the service is coming to Amazon’s Echo devices, Amazon announced today, with full Alexa integration.
Apple Music for Echo will provide access to over 50 million songs, enabling Alexa to stream everything from individual tracks and playlists to radio stations, even including Beats 1. Users will just have to enable the Apple Music skill in the Alexa app and link their accounts to make the new feature work.
“Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa — since we launched Alexa four years ago, customers are listening to more music in their homes than ever before,” said Amazon Devices SVP Dave Limp. “We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music — one of the most popular music services in the U.S. — to Echo customers this holiday.” With over 50 million subscribers, Apple Music is believed to have surpassed Spotify in U.S. installed base during the summer, but both services continue to grow in popularity. Regardless whether it’s currently number one or two in the country, however, Apple Music support is a win-win for large numbers of Apple and Amazon users.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Amazon’s frosty relationship with Apple has thawed somewhat in recent months, as the sometime rivals reached an agreement to bring new Apple devices back to Amazon’s retail storefront, pushing small, unauthorized vendors out of the store. While Amazon opted not to sell Apple products that compete directly with its own audio and video offerings, it is offering iPads, iPhones, and Macs, as well as accessories.
The exact date for the Echo Apple Music rollout isn’t clear, but Amazon says Apple Music will start to become available on Echo devices during “the week of December 17.” That’s just in time for the end of the 2018 holiday season and a good opportunity for Apple to keep some new iPhone and iPad users from switching to Amazon’s Music Unlimited service, which has become competitive on both price and music catalog size as it chases Apple Music subscribers.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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4,825 | 2,018 |
"Virtual Desktop now mirrors Windows PCs on Oculus Go and Gear VR | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/virtual-desktop-now-mirrors-windows-pcs-on-oculus-go-and-gear-vr"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Virtual Desktop now mirrors Windows PCs on Oculus Go and Gear VR Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Two and a half years ago, the Oculus Rift version of Virtual Desktop enabled users of Facebook’s $400 headset to view their Windows PC desktops within a VR space — including multi-monitor support and theater modes for videos and games. Today, Virtual Desktop became available for less expensive Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR headsets, bringing Windows mirroring to the untethered masses.
The Go and Gear version of Virtual Desktop arrives with a collection of nice features, including support for any PC running Windows 8.1 or later, quick switching between up to four different PCs, and multiple controller options ranging from the Go controller to Bluetooth mice, keyboards, and gamepads. Developer Guy Godin is promising to add multi-monitor support, 180/360-degree video support, and 3D content in the future.
Instead of piping mirrored video through a tethering cable, the Oculus Go and Gear VR stream PC content over Wi-Fi and/or the Internet. Godin recommends a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection for optimum quality, and says the app has been specifically optimized to provide a balance of high quality video with low latency despite its fully wireless functionality.
VentureBeat’s own Jeff Grubb found the Rift version of Virtual Desktop to be usable for extended periods of video viewing, gaming, and even working on a PC. Reviews of the new Go app have been similarly positive, suggesting that the streaming video quality is better than expected.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Virtual Desktop is $10 from the Oculus Store , and requires 753MB of storage on the Go or Gear VR. In addition to the Go and Rift versions, there’s also a Steam option for HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality users, plus an Oculus Quest version in the works for release next year.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,826 | 2,018 |
"Acer may shutter or sell StarVR after location-based VR revenues sink | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/acer-may-shutter-or-sell-starvr-after-location-based-vr-revenues-sink"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Acer may shutter or sell StarVR after location-based VR revenues sink Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The StarVR One headset.
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Only months after introducing a $3,200 virtual reality headset with an ultra-wide field of view , location-based HMD maker StarVR is facing the threat of imminent closure or sale, Digitimes reports.
Majority-owned by Acer with a one-third stake from Starbreeze , StarVR was delisted from Taiwan’s stock exchange after only six months of trading, and is now expected to be disbanded within three months unless it gets profitable or purchased.
StarVR has spent the past several years as a niche player in the VR market, most notably supplying its eponymous first-generation headset to Japanese Sega arcades, Dubai’s Emaar VR Park, and Imax VR centers. Compared with more mainstream rivals such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, StarVR headsets could fill your peripheral vision with content, rather than empty black space — a benefit for immersion-focused companies like Imax.
But Imax backed off its VR expansion plans earlier this year, closing three of its VR centers and forecasting that it might shutter the remaining four. It also said that it wasn’t planning any VR investments for 2019, a potentially fatal announcement for its primary headset supplier.
Releasing another expensive headset doesn’t appear to have improved the company’s recent prospects. While typical VR headsets feature around 110-degree fields of view, the StarVR One offered a 210-degree horizontal field of view spread across two high-resolution AMOLED displays. Like the original model, the screens and related optical tracking technologies placed the headset out of consumer reach, leaving StarVR dependent on new location-based entertainment customers that apparently haven’t materialized.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! StarVR said that it lost $3.79 million in the first half of 2018, almost 15 times more than its comparable 2017 losses, and its revenues dropped nearly 90 percent year-over-year. While that’s not a huge amount of money for any company to lose, Acer reportedly evaluated the company’s development plans and the status of the VR industry, and is giving the company three months to turn profitable, find a buyer, or disband.
Starbreeze said earlier this month that it would decide on December 27 whether StarVR will cease to be a public company, and that it will retain intellectual property rights to the StarVR One headset. Acer is said to be looking at potential Japanese and Chinese buyers for the company, as the latter market has continued to see strong interest and growth in VR.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,827 | 2,018 |
"The rise of esports as a spectator phenomenon | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/esports/the-rise-of-esports-as-a-spectator-phenomenon"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest The rise of esports as a spectator phenomenon Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The LA Valiant and the San Francisco Shock face off in the Overwatch League.
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In October 1972 at Stanford University, the first known video game competition took place. A handpicked list of the best Spacewar! players at the school were invited to watch and compete, and the lucky winner would take home a subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.
Stanford was the location for the event because its Artificial Intelligence Lab was one of the few places with enough advanced hardware to run the game.
According to event organizer Stewart Brand , very few people in the world even knew that they could play games on computers; the first Pong cabinet would not be installed until several weeks after the Spacewar! tournament.
For a game to become a sport, it needs three core components: competition, tournaments and spectators. Although it may have been unknown by the participants at the time, on that fateful day at Stanford University, the next great sports empire was born. By combining competitive elements of gaming with a fan base, the foundation was set for the nascent world of video games to one day achieve widespread spectatorship and popularity. In fact, esports are now on a fast track to becoming one of the most popular activities watched and played around the world within the next 10 years.
A new type of sports competition From the inception of the video game industry, players have competed for high scores and bragging rights. When Atari hosted the Space Invaders Championship in 1980, more than 10,000 people gathered to sit at rows and rows of computers and zap aliens. Gaming competitions were popular enough by 1989 that a full-length feature film – The Wizard – was released. It was also a vehicle for launching a new game, Super Mario Bros 3.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! As the growth of the internet enabled more connections around the world, gaming was an inevitable addition. The world changed again in 1988 when Netrek, the first team-based internet game (and third internet game overall), was introduced. By 1993, Netrek was attracting up to 5,000 players per day.
It was an entirely new gaming experience. Players no longer needed to track down a friend at the arcade to battle; their opponent could be on the other side of the world or in a house down the street. As hardware advanced, connections improved, and developers enabled gamers to talk to each other, online gaming started to boom.
This explosion was built upon the foundation of one of the great benefits of gaming: on-demand competition and interaction. As technology has caught up, it is also attracting on-demand spectators.
Growth of esports Three core elements are contributing to the esports industry’s rise as the next major spectator sport: streamed competitions with organized leagues, professional players that can be viewed anywhere, and live events in major offline sports venues. If you want to see how this plays out in real time, there’s no better place to go than Twitch , where people from all over the world can tune in and watch gamers, or “streamers,” play video games.
If you aren’t a gamer you may be unfamiliar with Twitch, but as the largest livestreaming platform in the United States, it’s rapidly becoming a household name. Twitch has seen phenomenal growth over the past few years. In 2014, Amazon bought Twitch for nearly $1 billion, though some business analysts questioned the move. Today, Twitch has approximately 5 million active viewers who spend 106 minutes each day watching live gaming, which ranks higher than prime time cable TV networks like CNN.
Overall, the global esports audience is projected to double in the next three years from 300 million to more than 600 million viewers – and by the end of this year, 1.6 billion people will have some knowledge of esports.
Although the audience for gaming content is predominantly found online, traditional television is also making a play for viewers.
In 2016, both TBS and ESPN began investing in esports leagues and broadcasting competitions, and others have followed suit. The appeal of reaching those massive online audiences has TV executives jumping out of their seats.
Why? Games that began as two people huddled over the same vacuum tube screen, and then went global thanks to the rise of internet gaming, are now coming back to bring people together in person. People are consuming esports everywhere – together.
The future of sports is digital Offline sports leagues like the NFL and NBA provide an intriguing analogy. Both were founded in the first half of the 20th century, but they only became revenue powerhouses in the late 1990s. Effectively, it took over 50 years to make something like the NFL the juggernaut it is today. By comparison, in just 46 years since Stanford’s Spacewar! competition, esports viewership is already comparable with the NFL and NBA.
Headline esports tournaments fill major stadiums and draw traveling audiences and media like any marquee offline sporting event. In 2014, Seoul’s Sangam Stadium – a venue used in the 2002 FIFA World Cup — hosted 45,000 in-person attendees to watch the League of Legends World Final.
More than 27 million additional fans watched online. The 2017 League of Legends World Final in Beijing was viewed by 60 million people , up from 43 million the previous year.
However, even with impressive metrics and market achievements, the world of esports isn’t without controversy.
With the rise in popularity come the same issues that have arrived in legacy sports, such as cheating, player exploitation, and even performance-enhancing drugs.
In addition, esports have also opened the door to a new blend of disruption, with cyber attacks becoming more frequent along with overloaded servers and dropped connections. Plus, like with any engaging activity drawing the attention of an increasingly mainstream audience, esports can attract regulatory scrutiny — such as the World Health Organization recently adding a gaming disorder to the International Classification of Diseases.
Despite these growing pains, the popularity of esports shows no sign of slowing down. Look no further than the latest Global Games Market Report from market research Newzoo, which forecasts 2.3 billion players across the globe will spend a whopping $137.9 billion on games by the end of the year, up 13 percent from last year. There’s no question: despite some inevitable challenges ahead for esports, the category is clearly one to watch.
Andrew Paradise is the founder and CEO of mobile esports company Skillz.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"Baron Corbin -- 'fired TGI Friday manager' -- and other successful influencer strategies (VB Live) | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/commerce/baron-corbin-fired-tgi-fridays-manager-and-other-successful-influencer-marketing-strategies-vb-live"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages VB Live Baron Corbin — ‘fired TGI Friday manager’ — and other successful influencer strategies (VB Live) Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Consumers can smell “targeted advertising” from a mile away, but they’ll listen to recommendations from their peers, and they trust the integrity of the influencers they follow. To learn how to tap social media stars to help create brand buy-in, create meaningful connections, and more, don’t miss this VB Live event! Register here for free.
“We really do find that when we activate our brand advocates, we see a lot more of a positive lift in sentiment for our brand,” says Amanda Brown, senior manager of digital marketing, at TGI Friday’s. “We see more organic attraction to that conversation, and from an authenticity standpoint, we recognize a difference in the impact that we have when we have more of a one-to-one channel of conversation with our customers.” Brand advocates, or influencers, form paid partnerships with companies, in which those social media stars share authentic content with their audiences about their experience with a product or brand — and hopefully, about their real, bone-deep love of everything you do. Authenticity is really key, when it comes to tapping effective, actually influential folks who can make a difference for your brand. Brown says they were able to identify their most loyal fans by doing brand health research, digging into some of their listening and analytics tools.
“We started seeing a recurring phrase that kept popping up, ‘favorite restaurant,’” she says. “Obviously we were flattered. But what context is that in? Why does that phrase continue to pop up?” When they dove further into their research, they learned that the phrase was actually “favorite Japanese restaurant.” The restaurant does have a presence in Japan, but the brand image is all about Americana.
This phrase, it turned out, was used by a group of American wrestlers on the international wrestling circuit with New Japan Pro Wrestling, The Young Bucks. They’d stop by the restaurant’s Tokyo location whenever they were on tour, and always tweet photos of themselves there, declaring it their favorite local restaurant, and their fans loved the comedy of it. And so Friday’s digital marketing group reached out to them when they were next in the U.S., and invited them to come out to their headquarters.
They got some major VIP treatment, Brown says: wined and dined in the test kitchen, and given some sneak peeks of their up-and-coming new food. They got to meet the head chef and take pictures with him, take pictures at the ‘history wall’, and even filmed their own content, because they have a hugely popular YouTube channel as well.
“This is a true harmonious relationship that we’re building with these wrestlers,” Brown explains. “You could feel the excitement and the authenticity once we actually met them face to face and started engaging with them. That was the biggest opportunity for us to really bring an authentic influencer relationship to life, versus what we had previously been doing in our strategy with influencers, which is strictly paid.” For previous campaigns, they’d hire a celebrity or a personality to talk about their brand, not knowing if these individuals knew about the restaurant, if they’d ever visited one, or if they even liked the chain.
That taught them a lot about how they should approach their influencer strategy, Brown says. “That influencer’s audience will immediately start questioning: well, I’ve never heard them talk about this restaurant before. Why are they talking about it now? Do they actually go there? It’s only a matter of time before those comments shift into a more negative kind of commentary,” she adds.
Whereas, on the other side of things, when you have a true organic relationship with an advocate influencer, ideally the audience is very familiar with their influencer’s deep love of the brand, and have been seeing that company’s name, and posts, and pictures about the company — before there was ever any paid relationship with that brand.
The relationship Fridays was able to build with the wrestlers, stemming from their initial contact, ended up evolving into a major sponsorship opportunity. As hugely popular figures in the wrestling world, the wrestlers were given an opportunity to host a show, which turned into the All In event that became the largest independent wrestling show in the last 30 years, Brown says, held in the Sears Center in Chicago.
“They said, we’d love you to be a part of it, because we love you and we know our fans love you,” Brown says. “To have that kind of an approach to a relationship and a sponsorship is completely different than anything I’ve ever seen before with a paid agreement. It also helped us build a bigger relationship with our consumers. Once we did sponsor that event, we got so much love from their fan base saying, ‘thank you so much for supporting our favorite wrestlers.’ We got to see the power of really building and establishing a good rapport with our influencers, treating them well, and really welcoming their fan base.” Fridays did an analysis of the All In sponsorship, and found that they achieved 5.7 million organic impressions, and 2,300 engagements on their content alone, and about 6,300 partner influencer engagements, from the the wrestlers talking to and about them — a total of 52,000 total earned and owned engagements.
“Sentiment, obviously, was through the roof,” she says. “It was the second-largest spike that we had had all year in sentiment and overall volume and conversation.” And that relationship grew into ones with wrestlers on the WWE circuit as well, she adds, pointing to a joke on social that grew legs: one of the villains on WWE Raw was rumored to be a fired TGI Friday’s manager.
“We ended up developing a relationship with Baron Corbin and teasing him about getting fired from Friday’s, getting him a severance package of boneless wings ,” she laughs. “There’s a lot that just comes from embracing this niche audience that we didn’t know existed, and then turning that into not only sponsorships, but new and expanded awareness of our brand.” To learn more about developing authentic relationships with the influencers who matter most, finding your niche audience, and making the magic take off, don’t miss this VB Live event! Don’t miss out! Register here for free.
Attend this webinar and learn: How influencers and customers drive brand reputation and how they differ.
The relationship between PR tactics and community voice Real-world tactics used by brands to overcome PR nightmares How to create an influencer marketing plan that retains authenticity and believability How real brands think about influencers + consumers as a strategy to strengthen their bottom line Speakers: Mae Karwowski , Founder and CEO, Obviously Amanda Brown , Senior Manager Digital Marketing, TGI Friday’s Mark Coffey, SVP of Strategic Partnerships, GasBuddy Stewart Rogers , Analyst-at-Large, VentureBeat Rachael Brownell , Moderator, VentureBeat Sponsored by Obviously The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"The DeanBeat: How game developers can drive our platforms forward | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/the-deanbeat-how-game-developers-can-drive-our-platforms-forward"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages The DeanBeat: How game developers can drive our platforms forward Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Pokemon Go is the reigning king of mainstream AR.
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Last night, Pokèmon Go developer Niantic announced that it was investing in a round of funding for DigiLens, a maker of holographic displays for augmented reality. It was rare for a game developer and publisher to invest in a tech startup, but it made sense because Niantic CEO John Hanke really believes its games will shine on AR devices.
We all know that games push technology forward. But Niantic’s move was an interesting development because it means that game developers can be the ones doing that pushing, sometimes more so than the incumbent companies that operate the platforms upon which games are played. In this case, a game developer became so successful that it could push its own agenda forward.
When Half-Life developer Valve became frustrated with the progress of digital distribution in the early 2000s, the game studio decided to create Steam , its own digital distribution service and online store. Many years later, Steam is a huge juggernaut that enables developers to get access to a huge audience of PC gamers. It expanded the market for PC games.
Above: DigiLens’ holographic technology helps to augment the world.
Valve also tried to circumvent Microsoft Windows and create its own Steam Machines, but that effort never took off the way that Steam did.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! But on the Steam store, Valve still takes a 30 percent cut of revenues, and some 16 years after its launch, developers are saying they can use blockchain-enabled digital stores to get rid of all or most of that tax and make digital downloading and payments more efficient.
Epic Games demonstrated a similar attitude when it launched Fortnite on Android mobile devices. When it did so, it chose to skip the Google Play store and instead used the side-loading capability of Android to direct users to Epic’s own web site, where they could download Fortnite. This way, Epic didn’t have to share 30 percent of its revenue with Google.
Epic is also operating its Unreal Engine Marketplace, where it allows developers to keep 88 percent of their revenue, rather than just 70 percent.
Above: Fortnite.
“The awesome thing about Fortnite is it’s brought a huge volume of digital commerce to Epic,” said Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, when I interviewed him in August. “We can now do that very efficiently. We can handle payment processing and customer support and download bandwidth with some great deals. We’re passing the savings along with the Unreal Engine Marketplace. We’ve changed the royalty split from the 30/70 you see everywhere to developers getting 88 percent. We find that’s a great boon for developers.” He added, “I really hope there’s a better trend in the industry toward economic efficiency in distribution. Mastercard or Visa will process payments for 2.5 percent or 3.5 percent per transaction. These stores taking 30 percent is just out of line. There’s a 4X profit margin or more.” In each of these cases, a developer became successful enough because of a big game, and it allowed them to push the collective cause of developers forward. Valve has used its revenues to create platforms such as Steam, Steam Machines, or SteamVR. It has given back to developers.
Niantic is using some of the $2 billion in revenue from Pokémon Go to make investments in augmented reality technology that could usher in a new platform for all game companies. Epic is taking its wealth from Fortnite do do something similar.
Above: Valve’s Artifact in action.
The idea that game developers can control their own destiny is a compelling one, and it feels like it is within the reach for a few. That’s good, as the news about platform companies isn’t always inspiring. The platform makers often don’t share enough of the wealth or innovate fast enough.
But it’s easy for even the successful developers to look out for their own interests. Many indies feel that Valve has reaped too much money for itself from Steam, and it should have been sharing more of those profits with game companies selling their games on Steam. Now Valve is painted as an incumbent.
And a lot of people want to unseat the incumbents, because, just like in our political world, these people are tired of being trod upon. They know they have to take power into their own hands in order to push their own agendas, look out for their own interests, and keep the rewards for their own hard work.
Sweeney wants to usher in the age of the Metaverse, or a whole universe of virtual worlds and games, all connected to each other on open platforms.
Epic’s rival, Unity Technologies, also wants to enable developers to do more and to “democratize game development.” Blizzard has its Battle.net online gaming platform. We can see many examples of developers with power.
Let us hope that everyone’s vision remains pure, and they don’t forget where they came from. Otherwise, in the immortal words of The Who , it will be a case of “meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” But here’s another idea. Maybe these developers should band together to create platforms for the common good. I happened to go to the annual dinner for the Semiconductor Industry Association last night. It has grown to a $450 billion industry, and that is due in part because the entire industry gets together to forecast the requirements of the future platform — a technology roadmap — and then they all figure out how they will create that platform.
Dan Hutcheson , a longtime chip analyst at VLSI Research, told me that other tech industries like the 5G community are learning to do the same thing — banding together to build an ecosystem for the common good.
Maybe gaming should do the same thing.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"Strategy Analytics: Nintendo will overtake Sony as top console maker in 2019 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/strategy-analytics-nintendo-will-overtake-sony-as-top-console-maker-in-2019"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Strategy Analytics: Nintendo will overtake Sony as top console maker in 2019 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Nintendo Switch.
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Nintendo will become the top console maker in 2019, according to a new report by Strategy Analytics.
It predicts that Nintendo will sell more Switch systems than Sony will move PlayStation 4 consoles.
This would be the first time Nintendo has lead the console market since 2009, during the Wii era. Specifically, Strategy Analytics projects that Nintendo will sell 17.3 million Switch systems worldwide. The PlayStation 4 won’t be far behind at 17.1 million.
Microsoft will be at a distant third with the Xbox One. The research firm projects it will sell 10 million consoles.
2018 has been a strong year for consoles, with total system sales nearing 41.6 million. That’s the highest that number has been since 2010. The retail value of the global games business is expected to reach $15.4 billion this year, which would be up 7.6 percent from 2017. Increased console sales are good for the entire industry. More people with consoles means there are more people looking to buy games. If more people have PlayStation 4s, than that’s more people that can buy God of War and Spider-Man.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! There will still be more PlayStation 4 systems out there than Switch consoles. The PS4 came out in 2013, while the Switch debuted in 2017. Sony machines account for almost half of all used video game consoles.
This year had been slower for the Switch following 2017’s strong start, but the recent release of Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee and the upcoming debut of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are helping the system end the year on a strong note. Those games should continue to sell well during 2019.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
All rights reserved.
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"Shards of Infinity deck-building cyberpunk game goes digital in 2019 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/shards-of-infinity-deck-building-cyberpunk-game-goes-digital-in-2019"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Shards of Infinity deck-building cyberpunk game goes digital in 2019 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Shards of Infinity Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Stone Blade Entertainment and Temple Gates Games are bringing the deck-building cyberpunk game Shards of Infinity to digital platforms including iOS, Android, and Steam.
The digital versions of the game will debut in the spring of 2019 for $8. The board game was made by Justin Gary and Gary Arant, who were also the designers of its predecessor, Ascension.
Theresa Duringer, founder of Temple Gates Games, is also a fan of board games and met the designers at the massive GenCon board game event a couple of years ago. They collaborated as Temple Gates Games made a virtual reality version of Ascension. And they teamed up again to make Shards of Infinity.
Shards of Infinity combines both strategy and customization, and it introduces the Mastery mechanic, giving players multiple paths to victory in a quick and cutthroat game. The digital version will have local pass-and-play, asynchronous multiplayer, as well as artificial intelligence opponents.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: Shards of Infinity “Our job on the app side is to get out of the way of the board game, let the design take the stage, and communicate all important bits of information to the players, with immediate responsiveness,” Duringer said in an email to GamesBeat.
Temple Gates Games uses neural network technology to create formidable AI opponents. As the AI trains it will grow stronger to keep up with advanced Shards of Infinity players.
“There are a lot of things to be critical about right now, but one thing that is kind of crazy cool is that you can work on a creative project and take it to market without the huge corporate machinery,” Duringer said. “Which also means sometimes you can work on what you really want to work on.” Above: Shards of Infinity The game will be in beta form soon. Temple Gates Games will release expansions to the card game over time.
In the card game’s story, the Infinity Engine was shattered a hundred years ago and its reality-bending shards have destroyed most of the world. Now, it falls upon you to gather your forces, defeat your adversaries, and rebuild the Infinity Engine.
Two to four players can play at a time, with matches lasting 30 minutes.
Rather than competing for points, players must outlast their opponents and reduce their health to zero, which can be done in a number of ways. Each player starts the game with a basic deck of cards, and they can acquire new cards from a central display of six cards (as in Ascension) and add these new cards to their deck or use them immediately, depending on what they are.
Every character starts with 50 health and zero mastery. On each turn, you can spend one gem (aka, money) to gain a mastery point. The more mastery you have, the more powerful your cards become. This lets even the weak cards in your starting deck become more powerful as the game progresses.
If you reach a total of 30 mastery, you can activate your Infinity Shard, which instantly defeats your opponent. As you acquire new cards, you can employ allies and champions to craft your strategy. Mercenary cards can be added to your deck as in other deck-building games or they can be played immediately from the center row for their ability.
Temple Gates Games’ first mobile board game, Race for the Galaxy, has been a top seller in the board game category on app stores. The board game itself has been in the wild for over ten years and sold over a million copies around the world.
Above: Temple Gates Games takes about six months to a year to convert board games into mobile games.
The full Shards team includes Arant and Gary, as well as additional game design and development from Ben Lundquist and Jason Zila, graphic design by Ryan O’Connor, illustrations by Aaron Nakahara, Digital Art Chefs, Rod Mendez, Thien Nguyen, and creative development from George Rockwell. Jeff Gates was a programmer and Duringer was also a designer. Other contributors were Bryan Hughes, Glover Parker, and Randall Parker.
To adapt board games, Duringer said the team targets a six-month to 12-month development cycle. Such bite-size projects helps reduce risks and keeps the team disciplined on scope.
“Ten, 20 years ago, a team like ours wouldn’t exist, without self-publishing tools like the app stores, Steam, and without smartphones that bring little computers to everyone’s pockets,” Duringer said. “But at this moment, this is something we can do.” GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
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"Sensor Tower: Black Friday was biggest day ever for U.S. mobile game revenues | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/sensor-tower-black-friday-was-biggest-day-ever-for-u-s-mobile-game-revenues"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Sensor Tower: Black Friday was biggest day ever for U.S. mobile game revenues Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Black Friday saw $55.8 million spent on mobile games in the U.S.
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People spent an estimated $55.8 million on mobile games in the U.S. App Store and Google Play on November 23, making Black Friday 2018 the single largest day for the category in history, according to measurement firm Sensor Tower.
It shows that the same excitement around Black Friday spending with other kinds of holiday shopping has come to mobile games. Combined U.S. gaming revenue across both stores grew 23.8 percent from Black Friday in 2017, compared to the 23.4 percent it grew between 2016 and 2017, Sensor Tower said.
U.S. player spending on Apple’s App Store accounted for most revenue on Black Friday, reaching an estimated $35.2 million or 63 percent of the total. On Google Play, players spent $20.6 million, or 37 percent of all gross revenue for the day.
Sensor Tower said mobile game revenue on the App Store grew 23.3 percent year-over-year, while on Google Play was up 24.7 percent over Black Friday 2017. In terms of the percentage of total revenue on both stores games contributed last Friday, they made up about 68 percent of spending on the App Store compared to 86 percent on Google Play. In other words, games still rule mobile.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: Sensor Tower tracked Black Friday growth over time. 2018 broke records.
Supercell had two of the top 10 grossing mobile games across both stores for the day, including Clash of Clans at No. 1 with an estimated $2.1 million in revenues and Clash Royale at No 5. with $920,000 spent by its players on in-app purchases.
Fortnite from Epic Games was a standout at No. 4, thanks almost entirely to App Store revenue at $1.2 million. This figure was 86 percent higher than the $646,000 that Sensor Tower estimated the game grossed on the preceding Friday.
Above: Top games of Black Friday 2018.
Most of these games benefited from special deals on in-app purchases and limited-time bundles for Black Friday that drove players to buy into them.
The record for Black Friday is beat every year, said Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower, in an email. But he said the all-time revenue record is typically broken on Christmas.
“In other words, if you look at the historical data, Black Friday 2017 was smaller in terms of total mobile game revenue than Christmas 2016. This year, Black Friday was actually larger than Christmas 2017. This bodes well for Christmas 2018 in terms of spending in mobile games,” Nelson said.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"P2P Sports Betting Platform ZenSports Launches Token Sale | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/p2p-sports-betting-platform-zensports-launches-token-sale"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release P2P Sports Betting Platform ZenSports Launches Token Sale Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Token Sale Goes Live Dec. 1st SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–November 30, 2018– ZenSports , a decentralized peer-to-peer sports betting marketplace, is launching a cryptocurrency Token Sale on December 1, 2018. With an iOS and Android app already live and in market, ZenSports is looking to use the proceeds of the Token Sale to expand its existing customer base and revenue.
ZenSports’ mobile app allows anyone to create and accept sports bets with anyone else in the world, without the need for a centralized bookmaker. Bettors can fund their accounts, place bets, pay fees, and cash out their winnings directly within the app, both in fiat or cryptocurrencies.
“We believe that the gaming market is the best first use case for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies,” said ZenSports Co-Founder & CEO, Mark Thomas. “Traditionally, anyone looking to place a sports bet with an online bookmaker has had to take the laborious steps to wire money or use a credit card to fund a gaming account. These payment methods can take several days, come with high fees, and are even flat-out rejected oftentimes by banks. There’s also a lack of trust that the online bookmaking platform will properly honor your account and pay you out when it’s time. Cryptocurrencies and smart contracts solve for these payment issues.” In addition, traditional sports books only make money when you lose, and so they always set the odds, terms, and dispute resolution processes in their favor. Through the use of blockchain and smart contract technologies, ZenSports is able to offer a trust-less system that allows bet makers to set their own odds, be guaranteed to be paid out when they win, and to have all disputes resolved through a proprietary marketplace voting system.
ZenSports’ Token Sale goes live on December 1, 2018 at 00:00 UTC Time. During the Token Sale, ZenSports will be pre-selling its own cryptocurrency token, SPORT. SPORT will be the primary cryptocurrency token used on the ZenSports platform, and customers will be able to place bets, pay fees, and conduct other transactions using SPORT. In addition, all betting fees earned by ZenSports will be distributed to SPORT token holders on a pro rata basis each month. As a result, SPORT token holders can earn a monthly dividends and passive income just by holding SPORT.
As SPORT is being issued as a security token by ZenSports (as an STO, not an ICO), the Token Sale is open to accredited investors in the United States, and both accredited and unaccredited investors outside of the United States. All investors can complete the required Know-Your-Customer information, and officially participate in the Token Sale by clicking HERE.
Up to 5B SPORT tokens will be available for sale in four separate tranches, with each tranche only being open for a specific amount of time, Each successive tranche will charge a higher price per token than the previous. If the hard cap of $12 million USD is reached during any tranche, no new tokens will be sold and the sale will officially end. Any of the 5B SPORT tokens left unsold by January 5, 2019 will be burned and never be made available for sale again. More information about ZenSports, including all investor materials, can be found on its website.
ZenSports is available for download in both the App Store and Google Play Store.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only about an upcoming initial coin offering involving the tokens described above. This is not an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any tokens, which will be made only pursuant to a offering memorandum prepared by ZenSports. The information contained in this press release is highly summarized, is subject to change, and is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed information, including disclosures about significant related risks, that is contained in the offering memorandum. You should not rely on this press release as a basis for any investment decision. A copy of the offering memorandum is available to qualified potential investors on request. You should understand that past results are not a guarantee or necessarily even an indication of future performance.
Further, while we believe that the forward-looking statements made in this press release are based on reasonable assumptions, they are opinions and estimates only and in no way constitute a guarantee of actual future performance, which may vary to a considerable degree from such projections and forward-looking statements.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181130005016/en/ Media Contact: Mark Thomas, ZenSports, [email protected] VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Jam City lays off a number of game developers | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/jam-city-lays-off-a-number-of-game-developers"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Jam City lays off a number of game developers Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Jam City Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Fresh off the acquisition of two games, casual game publisher Jam City laid off a number of employees on Friday.
It isn’t clear yet how many lost their jobs, but one source, who asked not to be identified, said a large number of employees were laid off.
In a statement, Jam City said, “Jam City rolled out organizational changes today that altered some teams and staff positions. We are re-allocating resources to support the goals of our global business. This is an extremely difficult decision, and Jam City is making these changes with the utmost respect for every person affected. We are providing exit packages and other types of transition assistance to impacted employees.” The company declined to say how many people were laid off.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! On November 14, Jam City announced a long-term partnership with Disney and said it was acquiring the Glendale, California-based team that made the successful mobile game Disney’s Emoji Blitz.
In an interview with GamesBeat a couple of weeks ago, Chris DeWolfe, CEO of Jam City, declined to say how many employees were being offered jobs at the Glendale location. But DeWolfe said that Jam City had grown to more than 650 employees.
Above: Rachel DiPaola’s post on LinkedIn about Jam City layoff.
This week, Jam City acquired the Bingo Pop game and its team from Uken Games in Toronto. Jam City president Josh Yguado said in an interview that all of Jam City had more than 500 employees, and he declined to say how many were added with the acquisition of Uken’s team. But Chris Ye, CEO of Uken Games, said in an email that 42 Uken people would join Jam City’s Toronto team, and 68 would stay with Uken.
The layoffs reportedly affected teams across all departments in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego.
In the meantime, former Jam City executive producer Rachel DiPaola said on LinkedIn that she had been laid off. She wrote, “Hey peeps — Sad to say that I was part of a layoff at Jam City today. Ironically, it’s my one year anniversary of working there! So — on to the next adventure. Please let me know if you have any leads for me. And I’m OK — it’s just biz.” Others tweeted sympathetic remarks about the layoffs and said they were hiring.
Back it May, J am City also had a layoff , but the overall headcount is still a lot more than it was in previous years. If anything, it tells you how topsy turvy the game business is.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"How to get a piece of the growing esports pie (VB Live) | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/how-to-get-a-piece-of-the-growing-esports-pie-vb-live"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages VB Live How to get a piece of the growing esports pie (VB Live) Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn How do you monetize esports? The traditional sports broadcast model is tried and true, but new approaches to engaging audiences and driving revenue are gaining traction. To learn how to get the most out of the old methods and explore the new, don’t miss this VB Live event! Register here for free.
“What you’re seeing is a tectonic shift in viewership and consumption from the millennials and Gen Z — gaming is the preferred entertainment,” says Kent Wakeford, Co-founder and COO, Gen.G.
According to Wakeford, more than 22 percent of American millennials watch esports, which is more than the number of millennials that watch either Major League Baseball or the NHL.
And it’s a global phenomenon. If you look at the global reach which includes o ver 300 million viewers and enthusiasts of esports , over 50 percent of that audience is in APAC, with 15 percent in North America, about 18 percent in the EU, and the rest scattered around the world.
But as the industry has grown, the revenue model has stayed very much the same, mimicking the traditional sports template — which is why you see so many traditional sports teams moving into esports, Wakeford says. The key revenue drivers in esports are media rights, sponsorship sales, live events, merchandise, and prize winnings, but there are a number of unique and innovative areas of activation and engagement between the teams and leagues and fans in several areas.
Traditional revenue models are evolving Media rights, for instance, is becoming a big area of change and growth recently. Wakeford points to the significant partnership that the Overwatch League formed with Twitch, setting new records for partnerships in the space, plus the partnership with ESPN for linear broadcast These big media deals are not quite of the scope you see in the NBA and the NFL, but are significant media partnerships, really showcasing the power of the audience and the viewership for esports. But it’s not just staying at the league level.
“I think what you’re going to see is media rights growing not only with the big leagues, but also with the individual teams and the player streams,” Wakeford says. “That’s a key area of differentiation from traditional sports, where esports teams are highly engaged and doing a lot of innovative content creation through streaming platforms, through social platforms, doing IRL [in-real-life] content.” Sponsorship is going to be the next big growth area for esports, he says.
“Every month you hear about another big brand stepping into the esports space,” Wakeford continues. “Well-known Fortune 500 brands and marketers coming into the space. That trend is going to continue, especially as you have more structure around the leagues and a more clear understanding of who the top teams are and who the top players are.” He predicts that we’ll see a lot more brands coming in and a lot more innovation around the types of activations that teams and players and leagues will do around esports, in order to really include those brands in an authentic way in front of consumers.
Live events is another area of growth to keep an eye on, starting in 2019, but growing significantly in 2020 and beyond.
“You’re starting to see live esports events become part of the cultural fabric,” he says. “As these arenas start to come online, you’ll start to see innovative ways to provide live entertainment and live experiences for fans. Live events is just going to keep growing and growing.” As a by-product of all of this, as the teams continue to grow and the leagues continue to grow, merchandise becomes a bigger and bigger area of growth for teams, with a number of leagues jumping into the category by creating merchandise that has an authentic feel for consumers.
But esports can still learn a number of significant things from media and broadcast.
A lot to learn still from the old world One of the most important ways to engage fans is to tell the story of the players, by adding rich backstory, Wakeford says.
For example, if you watch ESPN or listen to podcasts, so much of the content is about individual players, the dynamics and the stories of the players, and what they’re doing. As a fan, you can engage and form a deeper connection and relationship with those players based on all the content and programming that’s been developed by the ESPNs of the world. And that’s going to start coming to the esports world, he predicts.
“As these traditional broadcasters like ESPN start to come into the market, they’ll start to tell the backstory of the players and the dynamics and the rivalries, and that will really help a lot of people start to engage at a deeper level with esports,” he explains.
The esports world already has a leg up in the digital world, with its teams and players. Many esports players stream on Twitch, and post or stream on YouTube, creating a direct relationship with their audience. It’s that direct, one-to-one relationship that’s going to further grow in the next couple of years, Wakeford says.
On the sponsorship side, one of the key things the esports world can learn from traditional sports is leveraging sponsorship packages and activations with major brands that are measurable and that fit into the way brands are used to engaging in sponsorships or buying media. There are tools being developed, whether it’s companies like Fan.AI or GumGum that are able to put a lot of data behind the sponsorships and ensure measurable outputs. Those technologies are going to really help enable the flow of sponsorship dollars into esports.
Connecting to the global market “What you’re seeing with esports is that it is truly global,” Wakeford says. “In order to reach a global market, streaming is a great way to connect with fans, but you need to be thinking about platforms that are not just Twitch and YouTube, but may be very specific to other countries.” Global streaming is going to be a key area of growth, and something that you don’t necessarily see with a lot of more traditional sports.
Social is also important, as is getting a foothold on platforms which have really deep engagement, a passionate fan base, and a number of ways for players to engage.
“These platforms that are connecting players with their fans are going to continue to grow esports, and it’s on a global basis, not just a regional basis.” The future of esports “I’m a big believer in esports,” Wakeford says. “I believe that in the future we’re going to see viewership continue to grow and surpass traditional sports, including the NFL. I think live esports events will become prevalent in every major city in the U.S.” To learn more about the growing esports phenomenon, the rich opportunities to mine for esports gold, and where the money is coming from, don’t miss this VB Live event! Don’t miss out! Register now to join us for free.
Attend this webinar and learn: How the current esports model stacks up against traditional sports, and where the money is coming from now The new technologies that will change the existing business model The difference between formal esports and personalized broadcasting — and what those differences mean for your bottom line Speakers: Robb Chiarini , Director esports, NCSA at Ubisoft Kent Wakeford , Co-founder and COO, Gen.G Jonathan Singer , Industry Strategist, Akamai Dean Takahashi , Lead Writer, GamesBeat Sponsored by Akamai The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Firefox Reality VR browser gets support for 7 new languages, bookmarking, and more | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/firefox-reality-vr-browser-gets-support-for-7-new-languages-bookmarking-and-more"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Firefox Reality VR browser gets support for 7 new languages, bookmarking, and more Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Firefox Reality Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Mozilla has announced the first major update for Firefox Reality, its open source cross-platform browser for AR and VR headsets, ushering in support for 7 new languages in addition to a handful of other new features.
By way of a brief recap, Mozilla first unveiled Firefox Reality in April , pitching it as an easier way for manufacturers not only to integrate a browser into their headsets, but adapt it to suit their needs. At launch Firefox Reality supported the HTC Vive Focus and HTC Vive Wave platforms, but was later offered as a download for HTC Viveport, Oculus Go, and Daydream.
Thus far, Firefox Reality has supported English only, but with version 1.1 of the browser it will also cater to French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese, and Korean.
Above: Firefox Reality: Choose your language Additionally, Firefox Reality will now support voice search in these seven languages too, while it also sports an upgraded theater viewing mode that works with 360-degree videos.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: Firefox Reality: Voice search Elsewhere, the new Firefox Reality browser now also offers search suggestions in the URL bar, and it supports bookmarking.
While most of the main headset manufacturers already offer their own browsers, Firefox Reality may be appealing to some users for cross-platform syncing, meaning they can access the same bookmarks and browsing history inside their Oculus Go as they do on their phone or laptop. For now, the bookmarking functionality inside Firefox Reality is limited to saving and viewing locally; however, Mozilla said that cross-device syncing will be arriving soon.
Above: Firefox Reality: Bookmarking Growing market The global AR and VR markets are estimated to be a $18 billion industry this year, according to IDC — around double the figure of 2017 — and this could rise to as much as $100 billion by 2023.
We’re seeing significant investment and resources expended on next-gen devices spanning VR, AR, and mixed reality. Amazon-backed North recently launched $999 Alexa-powered holographic glasses, and Acer introduced a detachable OJO 500 Windows Mixed Reality headset with built-in speakers. Elsewhere, Finnish startup Varjo raised $31 million for a industrial VR headset with human-eye resolution, while Mojo Vision launched its “invisible computing” AR platform out of stealth with more than $50 million in funding.
And that is the environment that Mozilla is trying to adapt Firefox to. The platforms of the future are leaning heavily toward VR, AR, and mixed reality, with “voice” playing a pivotal part of the interface interactions.
In the future, Mozilla said that it’s looking into supporting content-sharing across browsers, multiple windows and tabs, and other features that you’ll no doubt be familiar with from Firefox on other platforms.
Firefox Reality 1.1 is rolling out for Viveport, Oculus, and Daydream headsets today.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Epic delays Fortnite's account-merging tool to 2019 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/epic-delays-fortnites-account-merging-tool-to-2019"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Epic delays Fortnite’s account-merging tool to 2019 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn I love skin! Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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If you are waiting for the chance to bring together your Fortnite items from the PlayStation 4 version and the other versions together under one account, well you’re already used to waiting. Epic has delayed its account-merging tool, which it planned to launch before the end of November.
Now, it is telling fans that it won’t have tool ready until sometime in 2019.
The merge tool is necessary because of Sony. Before September, Fortnite players needed a separate PlayStation 4 account. It would work with the mobile and PC releases of Fortnite, but not the other consoles. This meant if you made a purchase on the Switch, it wouldn’t carry over to the PS4.
But Sony reversed that policy in September, and that enabled Epic to begin launching new, unified accounts. Existing players with bespoke profiles would have to wait for the merge tool. And now, they’ll have to wait even longer.
“Due to some ongoing technical concerns, we will be delaying the Account Merge feature until early next year,” reads a Fortnite Team blog post.
“We want to make sure that this process is thoroughly tested and working properly before releasing it to those of you currently looking to transfer purchases from other accounts to your primary account. We’ll be sure to update you as we get closer to the release of the feature, which will include a web page on launch to help guide you through the flow.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! What this means This is only a problem for people who have purchases on PlayStation 4 and also on one of the other consoles. And even those players are already earning all of their current and future progressions on a single profile regardless of where they’re playing. Epic’s account linking ensures that it tracks that progress in a platform-agnostic way.
This delay just means old skins will stay on old accounts. They will still eventually work on your one, primary profile, but just not yet. And really, who wants to wear old skin anyhow? GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"DigiLens raises funding for holographic AR displays from Niantic and Mitsubishi Chemical | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/digilens-raises-funding-for-holographic-ar-displays-from-niantic-and-mitsubishi-chemical"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages DigiLens raises funding for holographic AR displays from Niantic and Mitsubishi Chemical Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn DigiLens’ holographic technology helps to augment the world.
Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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DigiLens has raised a new round of funding from Pokemon Go maker Niantic and Mitsubishi Chemical’s Diamond Edge Ventures to develop holographic waveguide displays for augmented reality applications.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it is the third round of funding for DigiLens.
The investment will let Sunnyvale, California-based DigiLens continue to make quality holographic waveguide displays for global automobile, enterprise, consumer, avionics and military brands.
Previously, DigiLens raised $25 million in May from Germany’s Continental, a tech company interested in automotive applications for holographic displays. At that point, the company had raised $60 million.
“We are thrilled to have Niantic and MCHC join Continental AG and our other strategic investors,” said Chris Pickett, DigiLens CEO, in a statement. “These investments will strengthen the ecosystem of support for DigiLens, its licensees and their customers for the manufacturing of large volumes of displays at consumer price points that cannot be matched by other technologies.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! DigiLens is creating proprietary nanomaterials and core technologies for transparent, augmented reality (AR) displays for several global industries. The new relationship with Mitsubishi Chemical will result in first-of-its-kind plastic material for waveguide displays that will be lighter, less expensive and nearly unbreakable, which is especially important for eye-glass thin smart glasses and displays for smart helmets.
Niantic makes consumer AR gaming experiences with titles such as Pokemon Go, Ingress, Ingress Prime , and the forthcoming Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Niantic CEO John Hanke has made no secret that he wants to help push augmented reality technologies forward.
“Niantic has spent years transforming the world into a game board,” said Hanke, in a statement. “DigiLens is on an amazing path, in collaboration with MCHC, to bring more affordable and accessible hardware experiences to players around the world, making it possible for characters and game play to be seamlessly woven into the real world, supported by compelling safe and lightweight plastic AR displays.” Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings makes advanced materials, and it created Silicon Valley-based Diamond Edge Ventures in July 2018 to engage with startup companies and the venture community worldwide.
“We could not have found a better first investment than DigiLens, as it demonstrates how MCHC’s advanced technology can help create a new market through strategic partnership with a world technology leader.” said Patrick Suel, president of Diamond Edge Ventures, in a statement. “Through this investment, we also become an active participant in an AR/VR technology ecosystem projected to have broad impact across [industries], and we will accelerate adoption of a new computing platform that will benefit users worldwide” The company has developed a photopolymer material and holographic copy process to manufacture precision diffractive optics by printing rather than traditional expensive methods like precision etching. The resultant eyeglass display has higher efficiency and wider field of view at a low cost.
DigiLens has formed strategic partnerships with other HUD and AR market leaders including Panasonic, Sony, Rockwell Collins, Continental and Foxconn.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Chip industry honors former Stanford president John Hennessy | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/chip-industry-honors-former-stanford-president-john-hennessy"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Chip industry honors former Stanford president John Hennessy Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Jensen Huang (left), CEO of Nvidia, talks with former Stanford University president John Hennessy.
The Semiconductor Industry Association honored former Stanford University president and chip designer John Hennessy, who founded MIPS Computer Systems in 1984 and cowrote the book on how to design microprocessors.
Hennessy received the Robert N. Noyce Award, named after the founder of Intel and the highest honor the chip industry trade group gives to its leaders. In no small part due to engineers like Hennessy, the semiconductor industry has grown to $450 billion in annual revenues, with growth targeted at $500 billion by 2020, according to the SIA.
“Every 10 years, John has done something pioneering,” said Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia and a former student of Hennessy’s at Stanford. He spoke onstage with Hennessy in front of a few hundred people at the SIA’s dinner in downtown San Jose on Thursday night.
Hennessy taught chip engineering at Stanford University, starting in 1977. He became Stanford’s 10th president in 2000, remaining in that position until 2016. In the 1980s, with UC Berkeley’s David Patterson, he pioneered the RISC computer processor architecture. That tech was used by MIPS and became the chief rival to Intel’s x86 architecture. And while Hennessy’s company didn’t win the processor wars, you could say his architecture eventually won, as it is the foundation for ARM’s architecture, which beat Intel in creating processors for smartphones and power-efficient devices.
Hennessy is remembered by engineers as co-author of two seminal books on microprocessor design, Computer Organization and Design: the Hardware/Software Interface and Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach.
“I love teaching,” Hennessy said. “I’ve been teaching freshman seminar for the last few years.” Ideas from the books on instruction-level parallelism and multi-stage pipelines became a trend and are still used in modern computers.
Above: Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron, announces John Hennessy as winner of the Robert N. Noyce Award for 2018.
In his acceptance speech, Hennessy marveled at technology’s progress, most of all the lifespan of Moore’s Law, the prediction made in the 1960s by Intel chairman emeritus Gordon Moore that the number of transistors on a chip would double every couple of years.
“When Gordon Moore made that observation, he didn’t call it a law,” Hennessy said. “It was an ambition. It has lasted more than 50 years, and it has been truly amazing.” As Moore himself observed, “all exponentials come to an end,” Hennessy said. Then we will all be challenged to think differently. But he said this is a moment to be appreciated for its past results. If the auto industry had made similar advances as semiconductors, we would drive from San Francisco to New York in a few minutes and then pack the car away in a briefcase.
“I still remember seeing my first layout of a microprocessor,” Hennessy said, noting it was a Zilog processor in 1980. Since then, the advances enabled by the chip industry include smartphones, servers, the internet of things, personal computers, and even Apple watches.
He noted that Silicon Valley has reached success thanks to brains imported from all over the world. Every major IPO company had a founder who was an immigrant, he said.
As for what will succeed Moore’s Law, Hennessy offered a challenge: “All you software guys out there: The hardware industry has been carrying you on its back for the last 40 years. Now it’s up to you.” He said we’ll have to move to heterogeneous systems that do a variety of processing jobs at the same time using a variety of different types of cores.
Hennessy has marveled at advances such as Google’s Alpha Go beating the best human Go board game player, and he described humans as learning machines from the earliest age.
“Watching a young person, a baby, learn to smile — it was one of the most amazing things,” he said.”It’s a learning machine. That’s what’s happening with machine learning.” But he warned that we don’t yet have a good understanding of how the brain works.
Above: The Semiconductor Industry Association 2018 award dinner.
As far as our understanding of artificial intelligence, Hennessy said, “We’re still in the early stage. We’re a long ways from general artificial intelligence. It may be 10 years away, or 200.” Hennessy said he hopes technologists work on problems that can improve human life, like self-driving cars that can reduce the number of deaths on the road or medical diagnostic tools that can minimize mistakes. He said even using AI to make sure medical professionals wash their hands before seeing patients could save a lot of lives.
“What’s amazing about people is their ability to generalize,” Hennessy said. “Human adaptability. How you build that in with safeguards. That requires a level of sophistication we are not close to yet. But it’s a noble problem to work on.” Hennessy has started a new scholarship program to create the next generation of leaders in the industry. He said he’s frustrated by the current quality of leadership (prompting laughs in the audience) and that he’s been a lifelong educator. So he and Phil Knight, founder of Nike, started a program to train 50 graduate students in leadership skills. They get to sit down with leaders like Susan Wojcicki, founder of YouTube, and Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State.
“We’re investing in what (these students) will do 20 years from now,” he said.
On a personal note, Hennessy said he gets up early in the morning, exercise, and writes and that loves what he does. He’s also a voracious reader.
“John is so deep in everything, in the sciences and everything, it’s irritating,” Huang said. “You have impacted the lives of so many people.” Hennessy replied, “I came to the right place at the right time.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Call of Duty: Global Operations strategy game gets a soft launch on mobile | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/call-of-duty-global-operations-strategy-game-gets-a-soft-launch-on-mobile"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Call of Duty: Global Operations strategy game gets a soft launch on mobile Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Activision and Elex are testing a new Call of Duty mobile game in certain countries on the Android operating system.
Call of Duty: Global Operations is described as “the next tactical [massively multiplayer online] player-versus-player game.” Elex is a mobile game developer in China, and it is best known for its Clash of Kings title, which competes with MZ’s Game of War: Fire Age.
The Elex game is a strategy title, in contrast to another Call of Duty mobile shooter game being developed for China by Tencent and Activision. Elex said the game is in beta testing. Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower, noticed the game in soft launch.
He said the game appeared to be in soft launch in Australia and the Philippines. It is the No. 494 app overall in Australia and the No. 21 game. In the Philippines it’s not in the top apps overall but is the No. 183 game. Fewer than 5,000 people have downloaded it so far in those two countries.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: Call of Duty: Global Operations is in soft launch.
The landing page for the game on Android describes it as follows: The discovery of a highly toxic and weaponizable element Nuclium NM (72) threatens to upset global order. As governments and private operators fight to control the limited Nuclium supply, the world begins to descend into anarchy. At the center of the conflict is GLOBUS, a malicious corporation hell-bent on using weaponized Nuclium to bring the world under its dominion.
The only thing standing in the way is YOU.
Build your military base and assemble a modern army led by classic Call of Duty characters. Then dive into epic multiplayer battles, using your own unique strategy to conquer players from all around the world.
Think you got what it takes to save the world from anarchy? Above: Captain Price is a hero from the Call of Duty games.
As you can see from the video, the graphics are a step up from past Call of Duty mobile games, and Elex has attempted to show some actual combat from a bird’s-eye view.
Sensor Tower said in August that Activision’s previous Call of Duty mobile games included Call of Duty: Heroes (active, with 44 million downloads and $20 million in revenue); Call of Duty: Zombies (inactive, with 1.3 million downloads and $7 million in revenue); and Call of Duty: Strike Team (inactive, with 800,000 downloads and $6 million in revenue).
A sci-fi strategy game Call of Duty: Siege soft-launched in October 2016 but was canceled before release. We’ve received no indication yet that Call of Duty: Global Operations will launch globally. But if Activision and Elex make a hit game, the potential for revenue could be huge.
The Call of Duty: Global Operations game lets you engage in real-time MMO battles with vehicles and weapons. You can build an army, recruit commanders, and join alliances.
Above: Actual combat in this game, from a bird’s-eye view.
You can also recruit and command Call of Duty characters. You play the role of a general, recruiting dozens of Heroes from across the Call of Duty universe, including Captain Price, Ghost, and Soap. You can upgrade a commander’s skills and assign troops to take advantage of the commander’s strengths.
You can also customize your base and lay out your buildings as you wish. You can pursue research and play in co-op or PvP modes, or you can play a single-player campaign.
Nelson noted we haven’t heard much about Call of Duty mobile games under way at Activision Blizzard’s King division.
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"Beyond Kim Kardashian: Making influencer marketing lucrative by being authentic (VB Live) | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/beyond-kim-kardashian-making-influencer-marketing-lucrative-by-being-authentic-vb-live"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages VB Live Beyond Kim Kardashian: Making influencer marketing lucrative by being authentic (VB Live) Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn In a world where consumers are smarter, TV ads are irrelevant, and ad blockers are de rigueur, influencer marketing helps make meaningful connections, building trust, and securing loyalty. Learn how influencers can improve your brand reputation, increase buy-in from customers, and more when you join this VB Live event! Register here for free.
Influencer marketing has evolved — or really exploded, recently, says Mae Karwowski, founder and CEO of Obviously.
“A year and a half or two years ago, we were having conversations with brands asking, What is an influencer?'” Karwowski says. “Now they’re asking extremely nuanced, sophisticated questions about how to identify the right people for them and how to track their performance over the long term.” Customers aren’t watching TV like they used to be, or they’re definitely not watching commercials — they’re on Sling and on YouTube, she says. They’re not looking at magazines at all anymore. Display doesn’t work at all for companies any more, and Facebook ads and Instagram ads are getting pricier every year as it gets more saturated. And even I BM Watson is helping brands find the best influencers.
“The ways in which brands are trying to market to potential customers are becoming more limited and more expensive, Karwowski says. “They’re looking for new ways to get in front of that customer, and do it in a cost-effective and cool, interesting way.” Influencer marketing has proven to be the key. And part of that comes from the fact that at its most basic level, social media is the great equalizer. Any person who sets up a social media account has the ability to organically amass a following of people, whether it’s 2,000 people who just love watching that user’s everyday activities, or 200,000 people who love looking at their photography and videos, who think that their content is captivating.
“Ten or 20 years ago, you only had celebrities, people who were chosen by agents and people in Hollywood and brands who wanted you to look at someone specific,” she says. “Now, literally, the woman who works in the cubicle next to you could have a following of 30,000 avid fans. She could be working with great brands and making real money.” In other words, the gatekeepers have fallen. These social media stars are real, and authentic — and there’s no other way for them to be, she says. They don’t have huge teams of media people. They don’t have big marketing and PR engines behind them. They’re not huge stars with movies coming out.
And maybe most importantly, the focus has really shifted to diversity.
“In some industries that historically have been limited in their view of who is worthy to be a spokesperson or model on TV or in print, now we’re seeing that it’s all about inclusivity,” she says. “We want different colors, different shapes, different genders. We want to mix this up and show the whole range of people who are our customers in a way that before was just so limited.” While influencer marketing has been around for awhile, it has only really gained traction recently, and so a lot of brands are still very new to influencer marketing, and still in the develop and test mode.
“Strategies can vary pretty widely depending on industry and brand voice, and also brand goals,” Karwowski says. “And then the second part of that is just that the strategies themselves are evolving. The ways that you work on different platforms are changing pretty quickly, based on the platform, the number of influencers there are, how competitive the space is getting, and how easy it is to reach people on those platforms.” The important thing to keep front and center is to go back over what your goals are. All brands want to be seen by potential customers who are going to purchase their product. They want to make more revenue. They want more customers. Influencer marketing, however, is about getting them in front of the right people — who are those people? Above: Mae Karwowski, founder and CEO of Obviously “We try to figure out, okay, do you really need to reach a luxury shopper that lives in Manhattan? Or do you need to reach your mom that lives in Kansas?” she says.
Companies need to look at the numbers behind every influencer, from the demographics of the influencer’s audience and how engaged that audience is, but also at how good a fit the influencer’s aesthetic is for the brand. And maybe most importantly, your influencer just needs to like your brand.
“Everyone’s seen bad influencer marketing — influencers who aren’t doing the detox teas, who aren’t doing the terrible teeth whitening, where clearly they’re paid, clearly they don’t like it, and it looks so forced,” she explains. “We need to make sure this is a person who actually thinks the brand is cool, who are excited to work in partnership with this brand. They’re not just talking about their love for it, but they do like it and endorse it.” Karkwowski also urges brands to look beyond the big cheeses of the social world as well.
“As more and more people are on these social channels and amassing sizable followings, followings with real buying power, it makes more sense to work with more influencers who have smaller followings and do fewer sponsored posts over all, rather than going with a Kim Kardashian,” she says. “They’re not being approached by a brand every single day, or a dozen brands every day. Their feed isn’t ad after ad after ad, sponsored post after sponsored post. They’re more selective. They get really excited when a brand they like does reach out to them. Then they’re proud to say they’re partnered with this brand.” To learn more about how to dive into the lucrative influencer marketing world, how to create authentic relationships with the social media stars you tap, and ways to keep tabs on your ROI, don’t miss this VB Live event! Don’t miss out! Register here for free.
Attend this webinar and learn: How influencers and customers drive brand reputation and how they differ.
The relationship between PR tactics and community voice Real-world tactics used by brands to overcome PR nightmares How to create an influencer marketing plan that retains authenticity and believability How real brands think about influencers + consumers as a strategy to strengthen their bottom line Speakers: Amanda Brown , Senior Manager Digital Marketing, TGI Fridays Taimoor Dar, Head of Community, Yummly Mae Karwowski , Founder and CEO, Obviously Stewart Rogers , Analyst-at-Large, VentureBeat Rachael Brownell , Moderator, VentureBeat Sponsored by Obviously The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Adobe's Smart Tags for video can classify objects, scenes, attributes, and actions | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/adobes-smart-tags-for-video-can-classify-objects-objects-scenes-attributes-and-actions-in-clips"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Exclusive Adobe’s Smart Tags for video can classify objects, scenes, attributes, and actions Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
User-generated content (UGC) could be a godsend for marketers. It promises to cut down on the roughly $10 billion spent on content in the U.S. alone, an estimated $1 billion of which is lost to waste due to inefficiencies. Moreover, there’s evidence to suggest it yields a better ROI than in-house media. According to Adweek, 64 percent of social media users seek UGC before making a purchasing decision, and UGC videos receive ten times more views than branded videos.
There’s a problem with UGC, though, and it’s a big one: Marketers often have to spend hours sifting through submissions to find relevant, repurposeable clips that fit a given theme. And it’s not getting any easier — last year, YouTube users uploaded 300 hours of videos every minute, and Cisco predicts that video will account for 82 percent of all web traffic by 2021.
That’s why Adobe is tapping artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite the process. It today introduced Smart Tags for video , a feature of Experience Manager (AEM) — the San Jose company’s content management solution for building websites, mobile apps, and forms — that automatically generates tags for the hundreds of thousands of UGC clips contributed each month.
Smart Tags for video is now available in beta for a select group of participants interested in enterprise use cases.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “Over the past two years, we’ve … invested a lot of the really high-end computer vision models [Adobe’s] research teams have come forward [with] and are basically using that to automate the curation process,” Santiago Pombo, product manager of AEM, told VentureBeat in a phone interview.
Smart Tags for video — which Adobe Research and Adobe’s Search team architected jointly using Adobe’s Sensei machine learning platform — produces two sets of tags for each clip. One describes roughly 150,000 classes of objects, scenes, and attributes, and the second corresponds to actions such as drinking, running, and jogging.
Smart Tags for video’s underlying tech builds on AEM’s image auto-tagger, trained on a collection of images from Adobe Stock. The system ingests individual frames in the target video to produce the first set of tags. And the second set is the product of a tagging algorithm trained on curated “action-rich” videos with accompanying labels, scraped from metadata from an internal Adobe video dataset. It’s applied to multiple frames in the video, and the results are aggregated to yield the final action tag set.
A score from zero to 100 accompanies each tag — an estimate of the accuracy of the system’s prediction. AEM customers can mark tags the system doesn’t get quite right, which removes them from the search index and produces a record of the disassociation. A log of incorrectly tagged assets are sent to anotators as feedback.
What’s truly novel about Smart Tag for video, Pombo said, is that it enables users to create search rules and filters based on an assets content, rather than manual tags and descriptions alone. Additionally, it allows them to specify a minimum confidence threshold for a specific tag or set of tags, ensuring a relevant selection of assets.
“These tools were put in place to [help] cut the signal from noise,” Pombo said. “The quality of the results … is much higher.” Engineering the AI system wasn’t a walk in the park. Collectively, AEM customers perform ten search queries per second on average, which posed a significant latency challenge. And the Adobe Research team had to design an annotation pipeline that could handle the sizeable volume of UGC coming in.
“On the application side, we made out timing out errors a little bit more liberal than they were before beforehand to give a bit more slack for the classification. [And we partnered] very closely with the R&D team to … do optimizations to do better and more efficient frame selection to have a better representation,” Pombo said. “We also have … [an] interesting … infrastructure or architecture design [that allows us to] basically perform a lot of the tasks in parallel.” The result of all that hard work? Smart Tag for video can process videos in four seconds or less.
Future work will focus on expanding the volume of videos the system can recognize, Pombo said. The current iteration classifies clips 60 seconds in length.
“When we were like measuring trade-offs, we figure[d] that we were going to optimize for [an] 80 percent use case … but I do think the next step is to … increase it to 10 minutes,” he said.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"5 startup trends that shaped the Midwest in 2018 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/5-midwest-startup-trends-2018"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest 5 startup trends that shaped the Midwest in 2018 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
2018 is quickly drawing to its close, but the Midwest’s venture capital activity is still buzzing. Just this week, celebrity shoutout marketplace startup Cameo announced that it closed a $12.5 million round of funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Cameo’s round is one of several marketplace startups to gain strength this year, which highlights a broader trend that the Midwest saw in 2018. The prompted me to review the 2018 investment activity and exits the region has seen across the Midwest — defined here as Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin — and five clear trends emerged that will carry us into 2019.
1. Marketplaces remain one of the strongest tech sectors Cameo may be the first social media marketplace in the Midwest, but it is certainly not the first marketplace startup to get traction. Chicago in particular has a storied history in successful marketplace plays like Cars.com, Apartments.com, and Groupon. Moreover, several repeat founders are building marketplace startups that saw significant traction and funding in 2018.
Among those startups is Grubhub cofounder Mike Evans’ new company Fixer , an on-demand handyman service marketplace that raised $4 million this year, led by Founder Collective. Sam Yagan, who founded OkCupid (which was acquired by Match.com), returned to lead ShopRunner , a marketplace that connects top retailers to online shoppers. Last month, ShopRunner announced its $30 million funding, which was led by August Capital. Another major marketplace funding this year went to enterprise software marketplace startup G2 Crowd , which raised a $55 million series C led by IVP. The founders of G2 Crowd previously founded Big Machines and Steelbrick, which were acquired by Oracle and Salesforce respectively.
The Midwest’s marketplace traction is not exclusive to Chicago, however. Michigan’s StockX , a marketplace for buying and selling items like sneakers and watches, received a $44 million round of funding, which is one of the 10 largest rounds the Midwest saw this year.
As one of the Midwest’s original technology strengths, marketplace success and future exits in this sector should be ongoing for the years to come.
2. Health care gets even hotter As in 2017, health care continues to be another popular area for investment in the Midwest. In fact, of the top 50 funding rounds in the Midwest this year, 29 were in health care companies creating new technology for managing health care, new drugs, and/or new treatment methodologies.
We see this activity across different stages of success. The first- and third-largest 2018 funding deals in health care went to Chicago-based Tempus , which in total raised nearly $200 million this year (with rounds led by Baillie Gifford and T. Rowe Price, respectively) to collect and analyze large volumes of molecular and clinical data. Indiana’s On Target Laboratories , which uses targeted fluorescent dyes to improve outcomes in cancer surgeries, closed a $44 million round of funding. On the earlier side of the fundraising spectrum is Michigan’s BlueWillow Biologics , which develops vaccines that are designed to prevent respiratory disease. BlueWillow raised a $10 million series A this year, led by North Coast Technology Investors.
While these investments are key in signaling the Midwest’s strength in health care, what solidifies it is the clip of big health care exits that we saw this year.
Pharmacann , a medical cannabis cultivation center in Chicago, was acquired by MedMen for $682 million. Minnesota’s NxThera , which developed a urological medical device, was also acquired for $406 million.
Among these exits were also a couple of health care IPOs in Chicago.
Aptinyx , which develops drugs for disorders of the brain and nervous system, saw an IPO valued at $509 million.
Xeris Pharmaceuticals , which innovates in injection therapies, had an IPO of $315 million.
Home to some of the best hospitals in the country , the Midwest is a prime location for continued health care investment. As more of these companies gain traction, I anticipate that the Midwest will see even more health care exits and emerging startups in the months and years to come.
3. Logistics keeps on truckin’ With a strong history of logistics expertise and success in companies like CH Robinson and Echo Global Logistics, it is not surprising that the middle of the country continues to drive innovation in how objects move throughout the world.
Three of the largest rounds of funding raised by Chicago startups were in logistics this year. Top VCs across the country are looking to the Midwest for innovation in this space, and they have found it.
Project44 closed a $45 million round led by OpenView, ShipBob * closed a $40 million led by Menlo Ventures, and FourKites * closed a $35 million round led by August Capital. Project44 and FourKites are innovating on end-to-end predictive supply chain visibility, while ShipBob enables small to medium business to offer Amazon Prime-like shipping speeds to their customers.
While the Midwest has not seen a major logistics exit since Coyote Logistics’ $1.8 billion acquisition in 2015 by UPS, we can surely anticipate new — and potentially big — movement in this space in the coming years.
4. Big bets on enterprise software continue The enterprise software market continues to innovate and expand, with new startups helping businesses to optimize their operations and create more successful work environments. With that innovation — and the Midwest’s close proximity to a huge swath of Fortune 500 companies — has come notable funding.
Indiana’s Scale Computing , which uses virtualization and data analysis to help IT administrators scale their operations, closed a $21 million round that was led by Lenovo. That was one of the largest rounds, but machine learning is a key driving force behind the next wave of enterprise software in the Midwest.
On the forefront of this machine learning wave are Chicago’s Catalytic * and Logicgate.
Both startups closed rounds in 2018. Catalytic’s was led by NEA, while Logicgate’s was led by Jump Capital and High Alpha Capital. These startups’ new funding will help them further enable businesses to leverage automation that improves and scales company performance.
The largest enterprise exit this year was Ceridian , a Minnesota-based human resources software platform that had an IPO valued at $2.8 billion. Notable among enterprise acquisitions this year is Michigan’s Duo Security , which creates enterprise cybersecurity software. Cisco acquired Duo for $2.35 billion, taking Michigan’s first unicorn startup and turning it into the Midwest’s largest acquisition of 2018 — and one of the largest startup acquisitions in the country this year. Chicago also saw an acquisition in this space.
CloudCraze was acquired (for an undisclosed amount) by Salesforce, which is looking to expand its Chicago presence and become one of the city’s largest offices.
5. Consumers drive new insurance models While just six funding rounds in the Midwest this year went to the insurance technology sector, three of them were among the top ten deals. This signals an emerging Midwest trend in insurance technology — in how consumers purchase insurance and in how much they pay for it.
Like Tempus in the health care sector, two of those large rounds went to a single unicorn: Ohio’s Root.
Root is an automotive insurance startup that uses mobile device analytics and data science to weed out high-risk drivers and provide coverage only for good drivers, who in turn get more affordable insurance rates.
The Midwest’s insurance innovation is not exclusive to the automotive industry, however. Minnesota’s Bind offers on-demand health insurance, which captured the interest of investors to the tune of a $70 million funding round this year.
While we have not yet seen insurance technology exits in the Midwest, the increasing rate of venture capital funding going to insurance startups in the Midwest is promising for future success.
American Family Insurance , based in Wisconsin, recently led a $11.5 million round in Chicago’s * Clearcover , Meanwhile, Chicago’s Kin Insurance , which allows people to purchase homeowners insurance with less friction, raised a $13 million round over the summer.
There is good reason to believe that this trend will root itself in the Midwest for some time.
* indicates my firm, Hyde Park Angels, is an investor Pete Wilkins leads the most active early-stage venture group in the Midwest, Hyde Park Angels (HPA).
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Hypergiant Sensory Sciences raises $5 million to track critical infrastructure with AI | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/hypergiant-sensory-sciences-raises-5-million-to-track-critical-infrastructure-with-ai"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Exclusive Hypergiant Sensory Sciences raises $5 million to track critical infrastructure with AI Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Hypergiant Sensory Sciences cofounders Dave Copps, Chris Rohde, and Ben Lamm Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Texas entrepreneur Dave Copps has launched Hypergiant Sensory Sciences , which uses AI to help companies understand their physical environments. Copps told VentureBeat his new startup is backed with “more than $5 million” in a first round of funding.
The Dallas-based company will use sensor networks and deep learning to help companies track what is going on in their environments, offering various applications, but starting with security for critical infrastructure. For example, an oil or gas company will be able to use the company’s software to automatically track sand trucks driving in and out of an oil well property, perceive how full they are, observe other patterns, and proactively alert operators of anything unusual.
Copps, who sold his previous company Brainspace last year to cybersecurity company Cyxtera as part of a $2.8 billion transaction , said his new company wouldn’t be limited to the natural language processing focus area of Brainspace. It would extend to visual analysis, in particular. “We’re building a company to augment human perception,” he said in an interview.
Most corporate observation systems rely on humans, Copps said, but humans are only capable of doing a certain number of things at one time. That limits their ability to take appropriate action in many cases. For example, companies seeking to visually track their environments might put up 50 cameras, and have operators track their views on a single screen. If something bad happens, operators might have to go look at the tape to see went wrong, after the fact. “We want to replace that with a single model,” Copps said. “If something’s about to happen, there’s an alert, and you can pop over and investigate.” To allow predictive alerts, the model will include intelligence from patterns learned over time. Moreover, if a company has 100 oil wells, an AI-driven system could conceivably track all of them, automatically, with learnings transferred between them.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Hypergiant Sensory Sciences’ first round was led by Align Capital of Austin, Texas and includes Capital Factory and GPG Ventures, among others. Besides Copps, cofounders include Chris Rohde and Ben Lamm.
Hypergiant Sensory Sciences is launching within a wider syndicate of companies called Hypergiant Industries, also cofounded by Ben Lamm. That syndicate, founded earlier this year, aims to serve companies with artificial intelligence solutions, as well as invest in other AI companies.
Hypergiant Space Age Solutions, which launched earlier this year as the syndicate’s commerce services division, is now doing “significantly more than $10 million” in revenue, and will be at 100 employees by the end of the year, Lamm told VentureBeat. Customers include GE Power, Shell, and Apollo Aviation.
Snagging Copps is a coup for Lamm, given Copp’s early track-record in AI. Brainspace pioneered a natural language processing approach called latent semantic analysis (LSA), which gave companies an easier way to sift through millions of documents and make meaning of them. In lawsuits, investigators sometimes need to sort through thousands of email threads, and tracking crimes can be difficult when code words and obfuscation are used. That’s what Brainspace helped with, by understanding language correlation and semantics.
While LSA had been under development for at least a couple of decades, it had some limitations. Brainspace reworked the LSA approach so that it could work at scale, and apply algorithms on terabytes of data.
Brainspace picked up its first customer, LexisNexis, around 2008, when the company had only four employees. Later, after the infamous BP oil spill in 2010 , 17 different law firms used the company’s software for e-discovery for lawsuits, to find out who at the company said what when. Today, the company’s software is used by most major consulting firms.
After leaving Brainspace earlier this year, Copps said his next move would have to be the right thing. “I have one more move, then that’s it for me.” For this new venture, Copps says he sees few competitors. Other companies are doing different aspects of what he plans to do, but none offer a unified, learning approach, he says. Some are doing object recognition, and others do AI modeling. “We’re doing the magic of pulling it all together, and innovating on the deep learning side. We’re applying AI to understand how objects are interacting with each other, and extracting meaning.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"DHL will invest $300 million to quadruple robots in warehouses in 2019 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/dhl-will-invest-300-million-to-quadruple-robots-in-warehouses-in-2019"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages DHL will invest $300 million to quadruple robots in warehouses in 2019 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn A Locus robot designed to work together with humans in DHL warehouses Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
DHL Supply Chain, a logistics division of DHL, today announced it will invest $300 million to modernize 60 percent of its warehouses in North America with more IoT sensors and robots.
Robotic process automation and software made to reduce workflow interruptions will also play a role.
Such technology is already in operation in 85 DHL facilities, or roughly 20 percent of warehouses across North America. Funding announced today will bring emerging technology to 350 of DHL Supply Chain’s 430 operating sites. The company has more than 35,000 employees in North America.
Robots from companies like Locus Robotics that were made to collaborate with humans to fulfill orders are currently being used in some of DHL’s more modern facilities, but no specific vendor or company has been selected to supply robots as part of the new initiative, DHL Supply Chain North America CEO Scott Sureddin told VentureBeat in a phone interview.
Conversations are ongoing with more than 25 robotics and process automation industry leaders, DHL Supply Chain president of retail Jim Gehr said. DHL Supply Chain warehouse robots will work primarily with unit-picking operations and will be able to complete a range of tasks, from collaborative piece picking to shuttling items across a factory to following human packers.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “With collaborative robots, we have seen increases in picking productivity by over 100 percent increase, and those are gains we had not seen in the prior decade,” Gehr said.
A DHL Supply Chain innovation center for research and exploration of ideas surrounding the future of the supply chain industry is scheduled to open outside Chicago in September 2019 and will complement existing innovation centers in Europe and Asia. The new center will work with its counterparts in other parts of the world, but robot trials will continue to take place inside facilities in operation today.
“When it’s time to do a pilot, we really have to do that on the operating floor out there in a warehouse, so we can kind of report back, share our different findings with them, and then they can pick and choose what they want to display in the innovation center for customers and things like that,” Gehr said.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"AI Weekly: 6 important machine learning developments from AWS re:Invent | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/ai-weekly-6-important-machine-learning-developments-from-aws-reinvent"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages AI Weekly: 6 important machine learning developments from AWS re:Invent Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn AWS CTO Werner Vogels onstage November 29, 2018 at re:Invent.
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This week in Las Vegas, Amazon rolled out dozens of new features, upgrades, and new products at AWS re:Invent. Here’s a quick roundup of news out of the annual conference that may matter to members of the AI community.
Inference, instances, and making GPUs more efficient A disproportionate amount of money is spent on inference versus training when it comes to AI models, AWS CEO Andy Jassy said, and GPUs can be terribly inefficient.
To address these issues, Amazon custom-designed a chip named Inferentia due out next year and created Elastic Inference, a service that identifies parts of a neural network that can benefit from acceleration.
To speed up training of AI models, Amazon introduced AWS-Optimized TensorFlow, which can train a model with the ResNet-50 benchmark in 14 minutes.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Also announced to rev up AI: P3dn GPU instances. With eight Nvidia V100 GPUs and 100 GBPS networking throughput, the instances are the most powerful cloud processing for ML available today, according to Amazon.
Data lakes Also this week: Amazon launched AWS Lake Formation to help businesses create data lakes in a matter of days instead of weeks.
Data lakes are a way to store data in a single storage repository; breaking down data silos can help data scientists and engineers discover insights across an organization.
Other data services introduced that may be of importance to people in the AI community include Ground Station, for transmitting data to and from satellites , as well as AWS Control Tower and AWS Security Hub for data management.
Make AI like AWS All these services and ways to make and enhance AI models don’t do a hell of a lot of good if you don’t know what you’re doing, so this week Amazon made available the training it provides for its own employees.
In total, there are 30 courses available, and videos are sorted for roles like business decision maker, developer, or data scientist.
Machine learning marketplace for developers to sell ML models A marketplace is now open for developers to buy and sell machine learning models. This follows such marketplaces being made by companies like Algorithmia and Nuance, as well as resources like the AI Hub from Google, which is coming soon.
“This is a huge changer not just for consumers of machine learning algorithms, but also for the sellers who want to get more money or usage out of what they’re doing,” CEO Andy Jassy said onstage during the conference.
The AWS Marketplace for ML and AI models was made available for the first time this week and launched with 150 models.
DeepRacer and reinforcement learning Amazon also debuted DeepRacer, a $399 miniature car driven with reinforcement learning models as well as the DeepRacer League, a competition that will take place online and at AWS events throughout 2019 with $399 miniature cars.
Models are trained in SageMaker RL, a virtual environment from AWS that also made its debut this week.
Other SageMaker debuts this week include SageMaker Ground Truth for the automation of data labeling and SageMaker Neo for deploying AI in the cloud or on the edge. Amazon says Neo makes it possible to run models twice as quickly with a reduced memory footprint.
RoboMaker To start out the week, Amazon introduced RoboMaker , a service that helps developers build and deploy robotics applications. Sample applications and simulations are also available from the new service. RoboMaker works on top of Robot Operating System ( ROS ). The premiere of RoboMaker follows Microsoft’s robotics integration with Windows 10 in September.
So that’s it for re:Invent. Be sure to follow VentureBeat next week as the AI community convenes at the NeurIPS conference in Montreal. If you’re heading that way, read Kyle Wiggers’ roundup of what’s ahead at the conference.
For AI coverage, send news tips to Khari Johnson and Kyle Wiggers — and be sure to bookmark our AI Channel.
Khari Johnson AI Staff Writer P.S. Please enjoy this short film about the perils of ambient computing and L1ZY, an AI-powered speaker that terrorizes a family.
From VB DHL will invest $300 million to quadruple robots in warehouses in 2019 Contract logistics provider DHL Supply Chain will spend $300 million in 2019 to quadruple the amount of tech in its warehouses like robots and IoT sensors.
Microsoft’s Surface roadmap reportedly includes ambient computing and a modular all-in-one PC Microsoft’s hardware roadmap: refreshed Surface Pro and Surface Book, cheap Xbox One S, ambient computing device, Andromeda foldable tablet, and modular PC.
Qualcomm Ventures launches $100 million AI fund Qualcomm Ventures plans to invest up to $100 million in companies creating novel AI solutions across a range of verticals.
Amazon unveils AWS Inferentia chip for AI deployment Inferentia is a chip designed by AWS due out next year. The chip will work with Elastic Inferences, another service made to speed the deployment of AI.
Volvo and Luminar demo advanced lidar tech that gives autonomous cars detailed view of pedestrian movements Volvo and Luminar gave a glimpse into the future of autonomous cars at the Automobility LA trade show today, as the duo demoed advanced lidar technology.
What Moxi the robot is learning from nurses in Texas Reduction of nurse burnout is the primary mission of Moxi, a nurse assistant robot with social intelligence that started trials at hospitals in Texas in September.
Amazon Echo or Google Home: Which smart speaker is right for you? Many of the places where Google Assistant and Alexa meet come to a draw. Consider these features when deciding between Google Home and Amazon Echo.
Beyond VB Why AI needs to reflect society While artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to solve an incredible spectrum of problems and challenges in our lives, our work and our world, there is a widening disconnect between the people who are introducing and deploying AI-based solutions and those who set policies for when and how these solutions are used.
(via Forbes) World-renowned AI experts duke it out on Twitter A pair of AI experts have been trading shots on Twitter in a friendly (yet entertainingly competitive) debate concerning the path to artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the past week or so.
(via The Next Web) New fastMRI open source AI research tools from Facebook and NYU School of Medicine Facebook AI Research (FAIR) and NYU School of Medicine’s Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI²R) are sharing new open source tools and data as part of fastMRI, a joint research project to spur development of AI systems to speed MRI scans by up to 10x.
(via Facebook) How cheap labor drives China’s AI ambitions Some of the most critical work in advancing China’s technology goals takes place in a former cement factory in the middle of the country’s heartland, far from the aspiring Silicon Valleys of Beijing and Shenzhen.
(via New York Times) VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Microsoft expands AccountGuard to U.K. to safeguard elections from cyberthreats | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/microsoft-expands-accountguard-to-u-k-to-safeguard-elections-from-cyberthreats"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Microsoft expands AccountGuard to U.K. to safeguard elections from cyberthreats Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Big Ben in the evening, London, United Kingdom Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Microsoft is expanding its AccountGuard security initiative to the U.K. in an effort to “defend democracy” by giving additional protections to politicians and related organizations.
The company first launched AccountGuard in the U.S.
in August, following its report that Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) had thwarted an attempt by a purported Russia-affiliated group trying to spoof internet domains associated with the U.S. Senate. This effort puts the computing giant among other high-profile tech companies and groups working to protect elections in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Representing part of Microsoft’s broader “defending democracy” program that launched in April , AccountGuard is designed to protect the “organizations that underpin democracy” from cyberattacks.
As you would perhaps expect, AccountGuard is available (free) to those using Microsoft Office 365 and includes automated notifications in the event that a threat or compromise is detected by a “known nation-state actor,” either to an Office 365 account or a registered personal Hotmail or Outlook account belonging to staff.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Additionally, AccountGuard offers access to cybersecurity workshops, best practice guides, and a direct line to Microsoft security personnel.
In terms of who can leverage AccountGuard, it can be anyone from politicians who are running for office to campaign organizations for elected politicians, technology companies that serve election campaigns, and other bodies that could be at high risk of cyberattacks based on their involvement in the electoral process.
Interference Meddling in political campaigns has emerged as a key story in many countries around the world, perhaps most notably in the U.K., where Russia reportedly played a big part in swinging the Brexit vote.
Microsoft isn’t the only company taking steps to protect users from such intererence. Google offers an advanced security program aimed at those most at risk of cyber attacks, including political campaigners. And it recently activated G Suite email security alerts by default for state-sponsored attacks.
Those interested in signing up for AccountGuard in the U.K.
can ask Microsoft for an invite to join the program from today.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Google beefs up account security with new step-by-step checkup, notifications, and JavaScript requirement | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/security/google-beefs-up-account-security-with-new-step-by-step-checkup-notifications-and-javascript-requirement"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Google beefs up account security with new step-by-step checkup, notifications, and JavaScript requirement Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Google's London HQ at 6 Pancras Square, October 11, 2018.
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Today, to mark the last day of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Google announced key security enhancements it’s making to prevent attackers from hijacking users’ Google Accounts.
“Online security can sometimes feel like walking through a haunted house — scary, and you aren’t quite sure what may pop up,” Google product manager Jonathan Skelker wrote in a blog post.
“We are constantly working to strengthen our automatic protections to stop attackers and keep you safe from the many tricks you may encounter.” Perhaps most notable is a new step-by-step flow within the Google Account page. It’ll trigger automatically the moment “potential [sic] unauthorized activity” is detected, Skelker explained, and walk users through a four-step process: Verifying security settings to ensure their account isn’t vulnerable to additional attacks and can’t be accessed via a recovery phone number, email address, or other means Securing other online accounts attached to a user’s Google Account Checking financial activity to ensure payment methods connected to the account (such as Google Pay or a credit card) weren’t abused Reviewing content and files to see if Gmail or Google Drive data was compromised Google’s also introducing additional notifications within Security Checkup, a web dashboard from which users can set up two-factor authentication, check which apps have access to users’ account information, and review unusual security events. In the coming weeks, it’ll send out personalized alerts whenever any data’s shared from a Google account with third-party sites or applications — whether it’s Gmail info, a Google Photos album, or Google Contacts.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Above: The new Google security checkup flow.
Finally, Google will now require that JavaScript is enabled on the Google sign-in page. As Skelker noted, an array of JavaScrip-based risk assessments run every time users enter their username and password, and block suspicious sign-ins automatically.
Today’s improvements come roughly a year after Google revamped Security Checkup with “personalized guidance” tailored to individual accounts and launched predictive phishing protection in Chrome. Earlier this month, the Mountain View company said it would begin activating security alerts for G Suite admins by default if it believes the company’s systems are being subjected to a government-backed attack. And just last week, Google brought personal data controls — including a new data history view-and-delete feature — directly into Google Search.
In June, Google Account got a makeover on Android. It’s now based on Google’s Material Design language and organizes controls into tabs along the top — Account, Data & Personalization, Security, People & Sharing, and Payments & Subscriptions — and a dedicated support page that links to handy Google forums. More recently, as part of Google’s Project Strobe initiative, the company said it would roll out a streamlined permissions management view for Google account access prompts; implement a stricter API access policy for the consumer Gmail API; and limit Android apps’ ability to receive call log and SMS permissions on Android devices.
The search giant’s renewed focus on privacy features follows several high-profile headlines this year, such as the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica data scandal. A recent Wall Street Journal report earlier this year revealed that Google+, Google’s eponymous social network, failed to disclose an exploit that might have exposed the data of more than 500,000 users. Following the news, Google announced that Google+ will formally shut down in August 2019, following a 10-month wind-down period; in the interim, it’ll see new features “purpose-built” for businesses.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"September 2018's top 10 Minecraft Marketplace creations | VentureBeat | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/september-2018s-top-10-minecraft-marketplace-creations"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages September 2018’s top 10 Minecraft Marketplace creations: 1.35 million downloads Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Re-create 90210 with Minecraft ... all of you are too young to know what that is.
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The Minecraft Marketplace had its biggest month since we began tracking it in September. Fans downloaded 1,351,438 marketplace creations throughout the month. Downloads were up from 373,361 in August and 669,795 in July.
That applies to the unified version of Minecraft that runs across mobile, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10.
That huge growth was likely due to a combination of factors. Third-party content creators had some big new releases on the Marketplace, and the MineCon Earth fan event gave away some free downloads. The Minecraft Team will want to carry that momentum forward, and it should have a good chance of doing so with the gift-giving holidays coming up soon.
Microsoft and Mojang have also done a lot of work to engage Minecraft fans. During the MineCon Earth fan gatherings, the companies partnered with Target for local event and to sell new merchandise. This likely also reminded players that they can buy currency cards with cash to make digital Marketplace purchases. It’s impossible to say if that will lead to future months of more than a million downloads. For now, however, the people who make content for the platform are likely just happy to see those kinds of numbers are possible.
Let’s get to the charts.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Top 10 most downloaded Here’s the list: Grid Runners by Noxcrew Abstraction: Minecon Earth by Jigarbov Productions City Life by PixelHeads Millionaire Mansions by Noxcrew Mineville Highschool by InPVP Zombie Apocalypse by PixelHeads Mine Zoo by Cyclone Designs City Mash-Up by Everbloom Studios Oakridge High by Aurrora and Syclone Studios Castle & Dragons by Noxcrew Top 10 highest grossing City Life by PixelHeads Millionaire Mansions by Noxcrew City Mash-Up by Everbloom Studios Zombie Apocalypse by PixelHeads Mine Zoo by Cyclone Designs Zoo by Shapescape Extreme Sky Block by Mineplex Castles & Dragons by Noxcrew Papercraft Adventure by Jigarbov Productions Mineville Highschool by InPVP That’s September. We’ll have the results from October soon.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"EA attempts to reassure investors with FIFA, Battlefield V, and cloud | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/ea-battlefield-fifa-cloud"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages EA attempts to reassure investors with FIFA, Battlefield V, and cloud Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn "I shot him 300 times, but he wouldn't die!" Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Electronic Arts is feeling the pressure to deliver a new hit. The publisher reported strong earnings for the second quarter of its fiscal 2019 yesterday. But its stock price has since stumbled due to concerns about its outlook for the next six months.
EA recognized those worries, and it tried to address many of them during a conference call with investors.
When fiscal 2019 began, EA said it was expecting to generate earnings per share of around $3.55. But in yesterday’s report, it has since revised that figure down to $3.11. And while EA is always conservative, investors can see why EA might expect to make less money.
Battlefield V is going to face tough competition from Call of Duty, Fortnite, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The military shooter launches November 20, but its battle royale mode isn’t coming until March. And the publisher is still recovering from enraging fans in 2017 with its implementation of microtransactions in Star Wars: Battlefront II. Finally, Battlefield V will only sell cosmetic items in the game, and a question still exists about whether that’s something Battlefield fans want.
Those questions put even more pressure on EA’s other big fiscal 2019 release to come through with big numbers.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Relying on Anthem On top of the immediate challenges of Battlefield, EA’s only other blockbuster-sized release for the rest of its fiscal year is Anthem.
This is the online cooperative shooter game with role-playing elements from Dragon Age studio BioWare. Anthem debuts February 22, and EA wants it to last for years as a live service. But as we’ve seen with Destiny 2, it can be difficult to build a game like that.
“While EA delivered a decent [September] quarter, we are less confident in our fiscal-year 2019 estimates,” Macquarie Research analyst Ben Schachter wrote in a note to investors. “FIFA and Madden Ultimate Team seem to be weaker than expected heading into the holiday, and Battlefield estimates have already come down. … The bottom line is that EA is going to have two disappointing holiday seasons in a row. The year is now much more dependent on a new IP, Anthem, performing well. Hitting fiscal ’19 numbers is far from certain.” EA’s plan Investors are worried, and they have reason to question whether EA will deliver the hit it needs. That uncertainty is apparent, as EA’s stock price has fallen from nearly $150 per share in July to around $91 today. But the publisher laid out its argument to shareholders that highlighted current strengths, near-term launches, and long-term strategies.
Those include the ongoing success of FIFA, its subscription service, and its plans for cloud gaming.
FIFA EA’s massive soccer franchise is almost always a bright spot for the publisher. That’s still true for FIFA 19, but the company did point out that it is experiencing a slight lag in Ultimate Team spending. FIFA Ultimate Team is the game’s major live-service mode where players can spend money on cards that represent players of varying rarity and in-game stats. It is one of EA’s money-printing factories. But the problem is that players are spending too much time in FIFA 19’s other modes — although EA does not call that a problem.
“As we have seen previously when we have delivered innovative and creative new ways to play such as The Journey, FIFA players will jump into the new content first, and over time move into Ultimate Team,” EA chief executive Andrew Wilson said. “So far since launch, we have more players engaging across a great breadth of modes, from Career mode to Kickoff and Tournaments.” This exposes a potential paradox for EA and other game developers. What incentive do you have to make other modes as engaging and fun if it’s keeping players from the mode where they can spend extra money? Wilson did note that the company designs all of its modes to eventually funnel players into Ultimate Team, and EA is confident that will work.
The publisher also said that it expects that more people should start jumping into Ultimate Team now that it has started its live events in the game. The company ran an event this past weekend, and it said it attracted a lot of excitement “Despite Red Dead Redemption taking up a lot of attention, we had one of the best FIFA weekends in a long time,” EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen said.
Battlefield V, live services, and Origin Access Premier When it came time to talk about Battlefield V, EA executives detailed a multi-front plan to ensure the shooter has every chance to succeed.
First, the company notes that Battlefield already has a huge fan base. And it intends to market directly to the people who continue to play previous entries in the series.
“We’ve still got over 10 million players in our existing Battlefield games as we go into launch,” said Wilson. “Battlefield has a rich and robust community who love those only-in-Battlefield moments. [And we have] the promise of a tremendous live service with content that is free for all players in the months and years to come.” Battlefield developer DICE has plans to kick off its Tides of War live service campaign two weeks after launch. This will deliver regular events and smaller updates on a daily and weekly schedule. It also includes bigger updates like new maps at a more infrequent cadence.
Secondly, EA wants to combine those live-service elements with the Origin Access Premier subscription. It is expecting people to join that membership plan for $15 per month to get access to Battlefield V on PC. And then they will keep coming back because of Tides of War until Anthem launches early next year.
“[Origin Access subscribers] play more games, spend more time, and monetize higher in live services as well,” said Wilson. “What we have started to do with Origin Access Premiere is to add front-line blockbuster content. And Battlefield V will be our best chance to really see that happen.” And if Battlefield leads into Anthem, EA could see a self-perpetuating cycle where people never want to end their Origin Access subscription.
Cloud gaming Finally, EA gave more details about Project Atlas. The company announced the cloud technology on Monday, October 29.
The goal is to break blockbuster games free of the confines of expensive hardware. And the company also spoke about its potential for creating games as well.
But during its investor call, EA focused on how Project Atlas could turn into a platform that it controls. And how it has the potential to do to gaming what Netflix did for films and television.
“As we think about the future of games, we see a world where games are no longer bound by device or CPU or GPU,” said Wilson. “We’ve continued to develop a streaming service. We’re working with some other third parties, and we believe our service can work in conjunction with their services. Ultimately, expanding the addressable market that our games can reach.” With hindsight, Netflix feels like it was an inevitability. EA (along with Google, Microsoft, Sony, and Ubisoft) think the same is likely true for gaming.
And if Origin Access Premier grows into a massive success, EA could unlock its long-term future growth by welcoming in people who would never buy a console or gaming PC.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"Leap Motion reportedly screwed up Apple acquisition talks, twice | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/leap-motion-reportedly-screwed-up-apple-acquisition-talks-twice"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Leap Motion reportedly screwed up Apple acquisition talks, twice Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn David Holz, founder of Leap Motion, shows off hand-tracking in VR.
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Augmented and virtual reality startup Leap Motion has created undeniably “ amazing ” hand-tracking hardware that could be used for both work and gaming, but a new report from Business Insider suggests that its business acumen isn’t quite as impressive. Over the past five years, Leap Motion “blew” two separate acquisition attempts by Apple for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, but appear to be due to its executives’ unrealistic expectations.
According to the report, Apple first met with Leap Motion cofounders Michael Buckwald and David Holz about an acquisition in 2013, discussing the prospect of acquiring the company to bolster Apple’s then-nascent mixed reality initiatives. With only the rarest of exceptions, Apple generally subsumes acquired companies, integrating their small teams and projects into its own structures.
That was apparently Apple’s plan for Leap Motion, as well. The Cupertino company planned to purchase Leap’s team of employees and IP, but wasn’t interested in the company’s key accessory — an $80 box capable of translating complex hand motions into gesture inputs for computers. Leap Motion’s device has clear applications for bringing hand and finger gestures into virtual enterprise and gaming spaces.
Holz reportedly appeared disinterested in the offer, telling the company that it “was no longer innovative” and “that its technology ‘sucked,’ ” before going on to praise Google’s rival mobile operating system Android. A former Leap Motion employee claims Holz effectively said, “I’m never going to go work for those guys, they’re the devil,” and the potential buyout was scuttled.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Despite the failure of the initial attempt, and growing signs of Leap Motion’s financial instability, Apple continued to express interest in the company — and in the absence of a deal, wound up hiring some of its employees to work on AR products. For its part, Leap Motion followed up its hand-tracking accessory by creating a bizarre-looking AR headset design called North Star , which it quickly open-sourced to spur innovation within the AR community.
In the late spring of this year, Apple apparently tried to buy the company again, offering between $30 to $50 million, and came close enough that formal offer letters and HR benefits packages were sent out. But the deal again “mysteriously fell through,” this time apparently due to the founders’ insistence that Leap Motion was worth more than that.
The startup has been valued at as much as $306 million, but hasn’t generated enough revenue to reach investors’ performance goals — the hand-tracking accessory has a limited market, and the company isn’t actually selling the AR headset it created. In recent months, Leap Motion has lost employees and left its expensive San Francisco offices, the report notes, and is now taking meetings with other companies to explore potential deals. Whether it remains independent or winds up acquired by someone appears to be largely a question of whether it’s willing to accept a lower offer than it might have achieved at the peak of its potential.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
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"iOS 12 hits 60% adoption in 42 days, Android Pie still under 0.1% | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/ios-12-hits-60-adoption-in-42-days-android-pie-still-under-0-1"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages iOS 12 hits 60% adoption in 42 days, Android Pie still under 0.1% Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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One and a half months after Apple released the final version of iOS 12, it’s running on at least 60 percent of all iOS devices. That’s the latest statistic posted on the App Store support page , showing a 10 percent jump in iOS 12 uptake during a period when Google’s latest version of Android somehow remained at under 0.1 percent.
Apple’s and Google’s surveys of device usage were taken fairly close to one another, with Apple polling the iOS App Store on October 29 and Google collecting data over seven days ending October 26. As was the case for Apple’s prior update, the 60 percent iOS 12 adoption figure is across all iOS devices, with an even higher 63 percent rate for iOS devices introduced in the past four years. The gains came entirely at iOS 11’s expense: In each case, iOS 11 lost users to iOS 12, while the numbers of users on earlier iOS versions remained stable.
Google’s numbers oddly continue to show adoption growth in Android’s prior release, Oreo, which grew from 19.2 percent to 21.5 percent over a month’s time. That means Oreo is just ahead of Marshmallow, which is now at 21.3 percent, but still behind Nougat, which has 28.2 percent of the Android userbase. Meanwhile, Android Pie was previously unlisted on Google’s chart, indicating that it has “less than 0.1 percent distribution,” and remained unlisted again this month.
Sales of new hardware should help goose both companies’ numbers: Apple’s latest iPhones ship with iOS 12 preinstalled, and its new iPad Pros will do so as well next week. Google has commenced sales of Pixel 3 phones with Android Pie on board, but its upcoming Pixel Slate will run Chrome OS rather than Android Pie. The search giant has been offering Pie as a free download to Android users since early August, more than one month before Apple began offering iOS 12 to iOS users in mid-September.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"If iPad Pros are computers, Apple should become transparent with specs | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/if-ipad-pros-are-computers-apple-should-become-transparent-with-specs"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Analysis If iPad Pros are computers, Apple should become transparent with specs Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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One of the big themes at Apple’s “More in the Making” event yesterday was the iPad’s emergence as a major computing platform — a rival to the notebook industry, and computers as a whole. Apple CEO Tim Cook began his introduction of the new iPad Pro by positioning the tablet lineup as more successful than any notebook.
We’ve now sold well over 400 million iPads, making it the most popular tablet by far — no one else is even close. But what you might not know is that we’ve sold more iPads in the last year than the entire notebook lineup of all of the biggest notebook manufacturers. This makes iPad not only the most popular tablet, but the most popular computer in the world.
Up until now, Apple has marketed iPads as a soft alternative to laptops — simpler, more affordable devices that can be used for specific types of content creation, increasing in capability with each generation. The soft pitch went hard yesterday; Apple is now treating the iPad as a serious alternative to laptops, with the chip performance, professional software support, and pricing to match. You can now buy an $1,899 iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch screen, 1TB of storage, and Gigabit LTE cellular capabilities — a product and price Apple wouldn’t have chosen without at least a small potential audience.
But there’s a problem: Apple’s lack of transparency when it comes to iPad specs. For years, journalists have tried to get the company to go on the record about even basic iPad specs — the base and turbo clock speeds of CPUs, RAM sizes and speeds, and GPU details, to name a few — yet when it comes to iPads, Apple reps repeatedly fall back on some variation of the statement, “We don’t really like to talk about specs.” They’ll generally only reaffirm whatever was announced in a keynote or press release, typically high-level marketing bullet points such as “64-bit” or “eight-core.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! I can understand Apple’s past position. iPads are supposed to be “magical,” and specs provide quantification, moving the focus away from day one enjoyment toward verification and nitpicking. It’s easier to avoid disappointing users if they don’t know exactly what they’re buying, or why it’s falling short of some abstract measurement of performance.
In the computer world, however, customers have traditionally had the right to know exactly what they’re paying for. Marketing a computer as “great for photo or video editing” doesn’t mean much if people can’t meaningfully compare its speed to other computers. Similarly, not knowing how much RAM is inside a computer prevents you from understanding its ability to handle multiple apps or web pages at once, to say nothing of its potential for dealing with large files. Having no insight into its GPU details leaves shoppers unclear whether it’s closer to a Chromebook or an Alienware laptop.
By pushing the iPad Pro firmly into performance and pricing competition with Intel-based laptops, Apple has crossed the “soft alternative” line — yet it’s still trying to use soft specs to sell iPads. How fast is the “monster” A12X Bionic chip? Apple didn’t provide any hard numbers: Hardware VP John Ternus said only that it was markedly faster in several regards than Apple’s prior-generation chip … which the company also didn’t provide hard specs for. We were told that the iPad Pro is “faster than 92 percent of all portable PCs … including the most popular Core i7 models from the top manufacturers.” But how is anyone supposed to quantify that? Above: NBA 2K for iPad.
If Apple’s argument is that its devices contain such special parts that they can’t be fairly compared with other products, sorry, I’m not buying it. Samsung makes its own Exynos chips, too, yet it’s not afraid to quantify its specs.
I recognize that Apple has tightly engineered its software and hardware to be more efficient than rival options, but if one iPhone has 3GB of RAM, another has 4GB of RAM, and a competitor has 10GB of RAM, users deserve to know that. If Apple wants to say that an iPad matches an Xbox One S game console in power, there should be GPU specs to confirm it. Apple can feel free to explain why its raw numbers aren’t comparable, but it can’t just keep omitting them from its disclosures.
I mention that last point not just because Apple’s website currently omits RAM disclosures for its iPads, but also because word spread after yesterday’s keynote that 1TB iPad Pro models will supposedly include more RAM (6GB rather than 4GB) than the less capacious Pros. To the best of my knowledge, no one offered either an explanation or attribution for this claim.
Above: Apple’s A12X “tech specs” for the iPad Pro.
Similar details have popped up at prior events, always without attribution or official guarantees of accuracy. In my experience, this sort of detail comes almost exclusively from Apple employees who are speaking “off the record” to certain writers. The 4GB/6GB RAM claim doesn’t appear anywhere on Apple’s website, isn’t widely accessible to customers, and for all people know, may not even be true.
Selectively disclosing key specs to individual writers wasn’t a good practice before, and it’s an especially bad practice now that the iPad Pro is directly taking on PC laptops. If iPads want to be taken seriously as rivals to laptop-class machines, Apple needs to stop playing games with its tablet specs and make the same detailed disclosures it’s already making for Macs on its website. Regardless of whether that transparency is overdue, it’s certainly needed now.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
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"Fresh from a $155 million funding round, Rover acquires European dog-sitting rival DogBuddy | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/fresh-from-a-155-million-funding-round-rover-acquires-european-dog-sitting-rival-dogbuddy"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Fresh from a $155 million funding round, Rover acquires European dog-sitting rival DogBuddy Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Dog Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Heavily financed dog-sitting platform Rover.com is snapping up its European rival DogBuddy.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded out of Seattle in 2011, Rover is a marketplace that connects dog owners with services such as long-term boarding, dog walking, house-sitting, and drop-in visits. The company has raised a whopping $310 million in funding since its inception, including a $155 million tranche just a few months ago.
The company revealed at the time of its last raise that the money was to be used in part to grow its platform in Europe, where dog ownership is also prevalent.
In the U.S., around 36 percent of households own a canine, roughly the same number as in the U.K. where DogBuddy is headquartered.
Above: DogBuddy’s mobile app Additionally, two-thirds of global pet food spend takes place in the U.S. and Europe, with most of the $70 billion+ industry spent on dogs.
Expansion So far, Rover has only been available in the U.S. and Canada, but the company announced back in May that it was expanding to the U.K. DogBuddy is an obvious acquisition, given that it is available in eight European markets — with this deal, Rover is essentially buying itself a direct artery into Europe’s dog-owning households.
“We have a great deal of admiration for [DogBuddy’s] leadership team, and what they’ve accomplished in becoming the leading player in Europe,” said Rover CEO Aaron Easterly. “While this transaction is a mutual fit for our strategic business priorities, we also share similar company cultures and values, and a passion for pets and the people who love them. Today’s announcement accelerates our international expansion plans and underscores Rover’s global leadership in the pet care space. With roughly 70 million dog-owning households and 31 percent of global pet spend concentrated in Europe, the market represents one of the largest populations of dog owners outside of the U.S.” DogBuddy had raised around $10 million since its inception in 2013, including a $5 million series A round last year. Following this acquisition, DogBuddy CEO and founder Richard Setterwall will head up the new Rover European arm, which will still be known as DogBuddy, from his base in London.
“I started DogBuddy to help dog owners with a very real challenge of removing obstacles to pet ownership,” Setterwall added. “We, like Rover, believe it should be easy for anyone to experience the joy of having a dog in their lives.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Apple requires devs to support iPad Pro 3 or iPhone XS Max by March 2019 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/apple-requires-devs-to-support-ipad-pro-3-or-iphone-xs-max-by-march-2019"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Apple requires devs to support iPad Pro 3 or iPhone XS Max by March 2019 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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After releasing new iPhones and iPads, Apple typically requires app developers to support the devices within a certain period of time. Now that the new iPad Pros are official, Apple has set March 2019 as the mandatory date for developers to support at least one of two new devices: the third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro or the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max.
The company’s iOS Developer page details the new requirement, which says that all new apps must be built with the iOS 12.1 or later SDK by that date, including screen support for either Apple’s largest tablet or its biggest phone. Apple also recommends supporting other iOS 12-specific features, such as Siri Shortcuts, ARKit 2, and Core ML 2, but none are as mandatory as display support for the large-screened devices.
While the 12.9-inch tablet’s screen size and resolution haven’t changed since the first model was introduced, the elimination of its Home button means that gestures will require space at the bottom of the screen. Consequently, Apple expects that developers will re-test and update apps as necessary to respect newly defined safe areas, support adaptive layouts, and address other UI issues.
A new iPad Pro development video notes that Apple has created a special compatibility mode for the new iPads called “common insets,” creating a unified top-of-screen status bar and bottom-of-screen gesture area for multitasking apps, with left and right window panes inside. Previously, iOS awkwardly left two conflicting status bars next to each other, so this should be a clear improvement for users. The video also discusses how developers can use the second-generation Apple Pencil’s tap gestures, external displays, USB-C support, and Face ID.
Surprisingly, Apple doesn’t appear to have a screen support mandate for the 11-inch iPad Pro, which actually features an all-new screen resolution of 2,388 by 1,668, the widest aspect ratio yet seen on an iPad. Apple says enabling an app to run at full native screen resolution on the new iPad Pro will require the base SDK to be set to iOS 12.1 or later and to have a Launch Storyboard or iPad Pro launch image. It’s unclear how apps made for the 9.7-inch and 10.5-inch iPad Pros will look on the 11-inch display.
Given that the iPhone had its first edge-to-edge screen release in last year’s iPhone X, developers will have no problem targeting the iPhone XS. Depending on how art-heavy their apps are, they may only need to make minor adjustments for the larger-screened iPhone XR and XS Max. The company has a phone-specific design video to help developers, as well.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Adblock Plus update reduces memory usage by 50% | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/media/adblock-plus-update-reduces-memory-usage-by-50"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Adblock Plus update reduces memory usage by 50% Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Adblock Plus released version 3.4 today. That version number might not seem significant, but the improvements are: Adblock Plus 3.4 reduces memory usage by 50 percent. You can download the latest version here.
Adblock Plus is the world’s most popular ad-blocking tool, having passed 100 million active users back in May 2016. The tool is available for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Edge (still in beta), Opera, Maxthon, and Yandex Browser. It’s also available on mobile for Samsung Internet, Safari, Firefox, and as its own Adblock Browser.
Version 3.4, however, is only available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. It’s not clear if the 50 percent figure is for all three platforms or just an overall estimate. Adblock Plus does say that the initial memory footprint has been reduced by about 16 percent, base memory usage has been cut by another 28 percent, and the memory used per frame has been slashed by about 660KB.
In addition to performance improvements, Adblock Plus 3.4 includes a design update and an improved issue reporter. The new user interface “brings a clean and modern aesthetic” — the first-run page, the icon popup, and the issue reporter all have new looks. The performance improvements are the real highlight, though; most users don’t really fiddle with the UI — they just set it and forget it.
That said, if you are a hardcore user, you will be happy to know that the issue reporter now includes a screenshot with each report. This should have been included from the start — when an ad somehow sneaks through, it makes sense to show it with a screenshot.
Eyeo, the Germany-based company behind the Adblock Plus software, has tried to leverage its userbase to change how content is monetized online. The company has an Acceptable Ads initiative, which selectively blocks advertising (on by default in Adblock Plus). Non-intrusive ads are allowed through in hopes of finding a compromise between users and advertisers.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Bitcoin turns 10 years old, hasn't grown up yet | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/commerce/bitcoin-turns-10-years-old-hasnt-grown-up-yet"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Bitcoin turns 10 years old, hasn’t grown up yet Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Bitcoin Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
It’s a complicated 10th anniversary for Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency, whose white paper was published 10 years ago on October 31, 2008, is still leading a year-long crypto market crash. Meanwhile, its seeing growth and spread on other fronts: Its primary use case continues to evolve as the technology scales and develops. And as international turmoil moves and spreads across the globe, so does Bitcoin’s market and adoption.
In her 2008 white paper, Satoshi Nakamoto described Bitcoin as electronic cash. Ideal for paying for your latte and groceries, cash is still the predominant payment type for small value transactions. However, due to scalability issues, Bitcoin can only process an estimated maximum of seven transactions per second, making it unfit for small payments on a larger scale.
Aside from the energy consumption involved, this throughput limitation is the biggest source of criticism against Bitcoin. The more people use the network simultaneously, the longer each transaction takes to confirm, and the higher the fees get. During peak times, when the network clogs up, Bitcoin fees are just as volatile as its prices. This problem culminated in December 2017 as the last bull run was starting, with the average fee topping out at $55 per transaction, and the average confirmation time passing 11,000 minutes. Needless to say, when having to wait days for their money, traders and investors avoided sending Bitcoin whenever possible, choosing the usually quicker Ether or Litecoin for inter-exchange transfers and withdrawals.
Current use cases As a consequence of its scaling trouble, Bitcoin’s main role up until now has been as a strong first base layer for settlement, not throughput. In the 2008 white paper, Satoshi did however mention that Bitcoin could scale larger than Visa , and there is no shortage of attempts to make this a reality. Bitcoin protocol upgrades like SegWit , a soft fork introduced last year, and second layer solutions like Lightning Network , a payment protocol that can be added on top of Bitcoin, will likely keep fees down and increase transaction speeds enough to achieve micro transactions on a macro scale.
For now, Visa and Bitcoin serve very different purposes, and looking at average transaction values — currently $3,000 for Bitcoin and $81 for Visa — is comparing apples and oranges. It would make more sense to compare Bitcoin transactions with wire transfers. But once the Lightning Network is fully implemented, that comparison of Visa and Bitcoin transactions could make sense.
If Bitcoin is able to take on that role as electronic cash, it will have attained two of the primary functions of money in mainstream economics: being a medium of exchange and a unit of account.
Up until now though, Bitcoin has been receiving more credit for two of its other properties: being censorship resistant and — the third of the fundamental characteristics of money — being a store of value.
Bitcoin’s journey as a store of value has been, and still is, a volatile one. That doesn’t seem to scare off its believers , though. A recent Twitter poll by entrepreneur Vinny Lingham made clear that the crypto community still believes in Bitcoin’s digital gold proposition despite its declining price. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they won’t stop believing in its store of value function no matter how low the price goes or how long it takes to recover.
National currencies in hyperinflation, like Venezuela’s Bolivar, are catalysts for these unique attributes of Bitcoin. Over the past weeks, Bitcoin trading volumes have seen record highs in Venezuela.
Stories are told about people escaping the country, carrying their life savings in cash or gold, and government officials confiscating it all at the airport. Transporting physical valuables through an airport is risky. Memorizing your Bitcoin private keys means no one can take your money from you. Bitcoin is censorship resistant because it can’t be manipulated or controlled by anyone, making it an effective method of moving money out of struggling currencies.
The next financial crash, which experts predict could hit markets soon and harder than the 2008 recession, could become the next accelerator for Bitcoin’s viability as a store of value, with millennials’ already high awareness of cryptocurrencies further triggering this nascent market’s growth.
Cross border transactions are another area where Bitcoin shows strength over fiat currencies. In stable markets and economies, using Bitcoin is simply an effective way to send money abroad. It’s cheaper and saves you days and sometimes weeks in processing time. And in conflict-torn countries and states like Iran, Turkey, and Palestine, using Bitcoin is the only option for a lot of people wanting to invest abroad or shop online.
Getting your hands on Bitcoin in the first place can be challenging in itself in these unstable regions. The trading volumes mainly come from over-the-counter (OTC) transactions conducted over peer-to-peer exchanges, such as LocalBitcoins , which is the biggest global player in this market.
When you can’t work with national banks, using a Bitcoin wallet becomes a frictionless alternative for securing your funds or buying goods and services. These unstable markets bear witness to Bitcoin’s utility in international transactions and its potential as a global reserve currency.
Future uses The Internet gave us the delivery platform that allowed us to bypass brick and mortar. Blockchain technology lets us skip the wholesaler as well and go directly to the consumer. Cryptoassets will provide the payment layer that the Internet has always lacked, making native payments easy to implement in any web application. With its first-mover advantage and decentralized nature, Bitcoin is the likeliest candidate to become the native currency for the web 3.0 era.
Tokenization is a trending word within the blockchain and crypto space. It basically means converting paper shares into digital security tokens that run on a blockchain and are compliant with federated securities regulations.
Security tokens are not currencies but tradable agreements like bonds or stocks, and will therefore not be competing with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, already the preferred denomination for traders, could very well also become the main currency to price security tokens in. And if we’re in fact moving towards a mass-tokenization of existing securities as prominent members of the space predict, creating a new trillion dollar market, that would mean a significant boost to Bitcoin’s already established use case as a currency for trading.
Bitcoin could also have untapped potential as a fundraising tool. Sidechain projects like RSK and Zen Protocol are bringing programmable smart contracts to Bitcoin and are working on simplifying tokenization on top of the original blockchain. This could enable Bitcoin to challenge Ethereum as the leading platform for projects that are issuing their own tokens and running an initial coin offering (ICO) as part of the process.
The first RSK ICO will be launched on Bitcoin later this year. There’s no guarantee these smart contract platforms will be successful — others have tried without gaining very much traction, like Counterparty and Omni Layer (previously Mastercoin). There are competing protocols being built as well, and once we have true interoperability between different chains, competition will only get tougher. And it’s possible Bitcoin wasn’t meant to be used as a platform for raising money — it wasn’t built using a Turing complete language and is limited, probably intentionally so, in that regard.
A couple of years ago, a lot of us were expecting blockchain protocols and dapps to have volatile user bases. With anyone able to fork your open-source code at any time, copycats could easily attract your users to their own, slightly modified, or just cheaper, service. It seemed obvious that we would see users jump ship and move their funds with them to the next big thing. Just like Kodak, MySpace, Blockbuster, and other giants who failed to innovate in the past, we expected Bitcoin, with its supposedly outdated tech, to lose its top spot.
That prediction turned out to be wrong. Not only did it underestimate the complexity of the crypto ecosystem, but it also showed that we probably don’t yet understand the power of open-source blockchain projects. The “build it and they will come” mantra doesn’t work here — the best tech doesn’t always win. Your code can be copied, but your network, partnerships, miner and developer community, and ecosystem of services and tech cannot. That is why the original Bitcoin is extremely antifragile and has a leg up on every hard fork and other blockchain projects out there.
Bitcoin is more than a regular currency. It is economic infrastructure. It’s the first time we have an application that’s a currency, a network, and a protocol. Bitcoin is an economic, technological, and social experiment, and the best money out there currently. And while it keeps trying to figure out what it wants to be when it grows up, Bitcoin remains the king of crypto and the killer app of blockchain technology.
There will only ever be 21 million coins mined, and one day even the smallest denomination of one could prove to be more valuable than any central bank-controlled, inflationary fiat note. Today, on its 10th birthday, Bitcoin is still far from mature. We can expect its price volatility to return many more times still — and stronger than ever. The coming year will likely be a roller coaster ride.
But eventually its volatility will subside and its best use cases will become clear. And then the world will finally understand the real value of the original cryptocurrency.
Trond Vidar Bjorøy is CTO of GOeureka , a blockchain startup aiming to disrupt the online travel agency space. He also works as a consultant and advisor to travel and blockchain companies and follows both industries closely.
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"Zynga ramps from 'fix it' mode to 'grow it' mode as Q3 revenue hits $233 million | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/zynga-ramps-from-fix-it-mode-to-grow-it-mode-as-q3-revenue-hits-233-million"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Zynga ramps from ‘fix it’ mode to ‘grow it’ mode as Q3 revenue hits $233 million Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Words With Friends 2 will let you play with Pink Ribbon tiles to raise breast cancer awareness.
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Zynga is shifting gears from its “fix it” mode to “grow it” mode as the company reported strong earnings results for the third quarter ended September 30, said Frank Gibeau, CEO of Zynga, in an interview with GamesBeat.
The San Francisco social mobile game company reported that revenue at $233.2 million was up 4 percent and bookings at $248.9 million were up 17 percent from a year earlier. Mobile revenues were up 9 percent, and mobile bookings were up 23 percent. The mobile numbers are a better reflection of where Zynga’s emphasis is, as its legacy Facebook desktop games business has been in decline for years now.
It’s not clear exactly how Wall Street will react to the report, as Zynga slightly missed its bookings target. But the company continues to invest heavily in new games even as it holds its own in terms of financial performance.
Analysts expected Zynga to report bookings of $250.1 million, up 17 percent from a year ago. Zynga’s bookings were slightly below the expected number. Earnings per share is expected to be 4 cents, up 100 percent from the same quarter a year ago. Gibeau said the company exceeded its own financial targets by a wide margin, particularly on achieving 21.6 percent EBITDA margin (earnings before income tax, depreciation, and amortization).
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: Frank Gibeau is the CEO of Zynga.
Gibeau said Zynga’s strategy for a turnaround has focused on sharpening its operating model, enhancing live services, and investing in areas for future growth.
“We want to change the conversation on how we are fixing Zynga and talk about growing Zynga,” said Gibeau.
Zynga is investing heavily in multigame, multi-year deals with Hollywood license holders. It announced a Harry Potter “mashup” match-3 game is in the works under a deal with Warner Bros., and it is working on a Game of Thrones slots game and another title with HBO.
Gram Games, acquired earlier this year for $250 million , is also working on a number of projects. Zynga is developing new CityVille and FarmVille titles as well, and its NaturalMotion division is working on a Star Wars game.
Of the existing games, Words With Friends did the best, and CSR2 was strong, while Zynga Poker was just OK and slots dropped.
“Words With Friends just crushed it,” Gibeau said.
Words With Friends saw mobile revenue up 42 percent year-over-year and mobile bookings up 53 percent year-over-year. This performance was driven by increases in average moves per daily active users, advertising network optimizations, and continued adoption of user pay monetization as players engage with in-game Boosts and Solo Challenge features.
Above: CSR2 features realistic models of cars like this Ferarri.
The word game recently launched the purchasing colored titles which customize the look of the game, and Gibeau said that is going well.
Mobile advertising is still around 20 percent, and it is getting bigger. Mobile ad revenue was up 45 percent from a year ago. That was driven by increased player engagement in Words With Friends and advertising network optimizations including some one-time projects in the quarter.
The new Harry Potter match-3 game, CityVille, and two Game of Thrones games will be made by teams in the U.S. The FarmVille game will be made at a studio in Helsinki. Zynga has 1,730 employees now. That’s down from a peak of around 3,500 years ago, but it’s above where it has been in recent quarters.
The Facebook desktop business has not hit bottom yet in terms of declining users, but Gibeau said the company continues to serve that audience, where the company started, because it is such a dedicated group of users. But overall, mobile is now 91 percent of total revenue, compared with 87 percent a year ago.
Mobile online game revenue (where users pay for items in games) was down 1 percent from a year ago, while mobile user pay bookings were up 16 percent.
Mobile average daily active users (DAUs) increased by 10 percent year-over-year and mobile average monthly active users (MAUs) increased by 7 percent.
CSR2 had another solid quarter driven by a series of updates, including the exclusive Bugatti Divo and a series of Porsches. While mobile revenue was flat year-over-year, mobile bookings were up 7 percent year-over-year. CSR2 will have a new expansion dubbed Legends in Q4.
Zynga Poker had some challenges. While mobile revenue was down 3 percent year-over-year, Zynga Poker matched its best mobile bookings quarter in history and was flat year-over-year. In Q3, the game continued to recover from platform changes Facebook made last quarter in addition to adjustments to its in-game economy. Toward the end of the quarter, Zynga introduced the World Poker Tour (WPT) update, which combines faster-paced competitive tournament gameplay with a wide range of stakes and higher in-game rewards.
The Social Slots portfolio saw mobile revenue decline 9 percent year-over-year and mobile bookings were down 4 percent year-over-year. Zynga is introducing a new Wonka’s World of Candy match-3 game tomorrow, Gibeau said.
Revenue for Q3 was $233.2 million, up 4 percent compared with $224.6 million for the third quarter of 2017. Net income was $10.2 million, down 44 percent from $18.1 million a year earlier. (Zynga had guided Wall Street to a $21 million loss for the quarter, so it beat that forecast handily).
Bookings were $248.9 million, up 17 percent from $213.5 million a year earlier. Gibeau said Zynga was able to achieve this performance while investing in a number of new games, and he noted mobile bookings and revenues were a record.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"Zynga announces new Harry Potter, Game of Thrones mobile games | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/zynga-announces-new-harry-potter-game-of-thrones-mobile-games"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Zynga announces new Harry Potter, Game of Thrones mobile games Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn I want a match-3 game.
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Zynga is investing in a number of new games, including casual titles based on the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones licenses.
The Harry Potter game will be a match-3 “mashup” mobile title coming in the second half of 2019 under a licensing deal with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, said Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau in an interview with GamesBeat.
And he said Zynga struck another licensing deal with HBO to make two new mobile Game of Thrones games via its social slot machine game division. The first will be a social casino slots game, and Zynga said it will focus on a rich story, cool graphics, and a wide range of characters and territories. That game will launch in the second half of 2019.
A former Electronic Arts executive , Gibeau is tapping a lot of his relationships with intellectual property holders in Hollywood in an effort to help Zynga’s games stand out from the competition. Back in August, Zynga announced its NaturalMotion studio in Brighton, England, would make a new “midcore” (made for core gamers with short play sessions) Star Wars mobile game in a multi-product deal with Disney. The Star Wars title is not expected to launch until 2020, and Zynga has an option to make a second game in the future.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! “This starts to fill out our product lineup from big licenses that we wanted to go after,” Gibeau said. “Building an audience in mobile can be tough and a license gives you a leg up.” He said he has worked with two of the three new license holders in the past.
On top of the licensed games, Zynga also said its Gram Games division, which Zynga bought in May for $250 million, is working on a number of new games, including an expansion of the Merge! casual game franchise. The games are in soft launch mode and are expected to come out in 2019. Gibeau said Gram’s existing game Merge! Dragons is doing well and starting to scale up.
Zynga’s Invest and Express group is also working on mobile games based on its home-grown FarmVille and CityVille franchises. The CityVille game from a San Francisco team will go into soft launch in early 2019.
“Both teams are building from the ground up,” he said. “We are excited about the level of innovation, technology, and new features.” The new Harry Potter match-3 game, CityVille, and two Game of Thrones games will be made by teams in the U.S. The FarmVille game will be made at a studio in Helsinki. Zynga has 1,730 employees now. That’s down from a peak of around 3,500 years ago, but it’s above where the headcount has been in recent quarters.
“If 2018 was the year of live operations, 2019 will be the year of new games,” Gibeau said. “And once we get those games out, they will carry us into 2020 and beyond. That’s a really nice place to be.” GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"SiFive launches RISC-V processor cores for real-time applications | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/sifive-launches-risc-v-processor-cores-for-real-time-applications"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages SiFive launches RISC-V processor cores for real-time applications Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn SiFive SiFive wants to exploit the commercial opportunities of RISC-V , an open chip architecture that challenges more-closed rivals, such as Arm and Intel. Today it is announcing the availability of its SiFive Core IP 7 Series.
These high-performance RISC-V cores are designed for embedded devices and real-time applications. The 7 Series includes the E7, S7 and the U7 series. The SiFive Core IP E7 Series provides a heterogeneous, customizable architecture with hard real-time capabilities, and the SiFive Core IP S7 series brings high performance 64-bit architectures to the embedded markets, while the SiFive Core IP U7 Series is a Linux-capable applications processor with a highly configurable memory architecture for domain-specific customization.
Together, the SiFive E7, S7 and U7 Core IP Series will enable the next generation of RISC-V cores that will power 5G, networking, storage, augmented reality, virtual reality, simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM), and sensor fusion functionality.
The cores offer efficient performance and optimized power consumption, appropriate for supporting smart offloads of datacenter workloads, as well as those of extremely power-efficient edge devices.
“We selected SiFive Core IP due to its best-in-class performance, as it was a third the power and a third the area of competing solutions,” said Fadu CEO Jihyo Lee in a statement. “As we target our next generation of advanced memory products, we look forward to seeing SiFive’s 7 Series Core IP bringing truly heterogeneous architectures, customizable 64-bit capability, and intelligence to the embedded space.” The SiFive 7 Series provides scalable throughput with by 8+1 cores per cluster, 64-bit memory addressability for real-time processors, and in-cluster coherent combination of real-time processors and application processors. These features are currently not available from any other CPU vendors and are unique to SiFive’s Core IP series of processors.
SiFive has 300 employees. The company has raised $63.8 million from investors that include Sutter Hill Ventures, Spark Capital, Osage University Partners, and Chengwei Capital, along with strategic partners Huami, SK Telecom, Western Digital, and Intel Capital.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Red Dead Redemption 2 could hit 20 million in sales -- and turn a profit -- by December | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/red-dead-redemption-2-could-hit-20-million-in-sales-and-turn-a-profit-by-december"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Red Dead Redemption 2 could hit 20 million in sales — and turn a profit — by December Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Arthur Morgan strikes out on his own in a lot of missions in Red Dead Redemption 2.
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Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games announced that Red Dead Redemption 2 sold through more than $725 million worth in its first three days of sales. That indicates roughly 10 million copies sold at the outset (and if you consider average game prices, 12 million units at $60 each), according to analyst Ben Schachter at Macquarie Research. And it means that game sales could hit 15 million or 20 million copies sold by the end of the holidays, he said. Based on my own take, that means the game could be profitable by the end of the year.
These numbers help me come up with a revised amateur analysis of Red Dead Redemption 2’s costs and revenues, which I started in my DeanBeat column on Friday. Take-Two said Red Dead Redemption had the highest-ever preorder level on the PlayStation Network. Those preorders likely included more collector’s edition units, raising the average price, so the likely number sold so far is around 11 million copies or so, said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold about 70 percent as well as Grand Theft Auto V in its first three days. Schachter’s own estimate for sales in the initial quarter are at 15 million copies, a conservative number, and he said that investor expectations are at 20 million copies. If Red Dead stays at the 70 percent level, 20 million is doable by early December, Schachter said in a report. With an average rating of 97 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic , the prospects look good. I’ve finished the game’s extensive campaign, and I believe it’s stellar.
Above: With scenes so pretty, no one wants to see a user interface in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Pachter believes a higher number is possible at 25 million in the first quarter. He noted there is still too little data available, based on three days of sales. But Call of Duty games generally do about 40 percent of sales in the first three days. Based on that thinking, 30 million is possible, and 25 million is likely for Red Dead, Pachter said in an email. You can start to add to that initial revenues from Red Dead Online, the upcoming online version of the game where players can spend additional money on virtual items.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! “There are a lot of puts and takes to this, but the initial sales make us more optimistic about the holiday and beyond,” Schachter said. “There are likely higher preorders now, more digital, so that pulls forward sales. However, with Red Dead Online still to come, we think Thanksgiving to Christmas could be solid for Red Dead.” Now we can come to some of my own analysis. With a $60 price, about $43 (based on an estimate from Baird Research’s Colin Sebastian) comes back to the publisher Take-Two Interactive and its studio Rockstar Games. That’s because digital stores take a chunk of revenue, and retail distributors also take their share. At 20 million copies sold, overall revenue for Rockstar Games would be $860 million.
How about the costs? A lot of that depends on how many people worked on it, how much they were paid on average, and for how long. Rockstar listed more than 2,800 contributors to the game in its thank-you note, but obviously it was only handful at the beginning of the project more than eight years ago.
Take-Two’s capitalized software costs — the measure of how much it has invested in software that hasn’t launched yet — give us a clue. Take-Two’s balance for those costs is $733 million. That’s the amount invested in all software at the company, which has about 4,200 employees across 17 studios, according to Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two.
If Red Dead Redemption 2 only had a 17th share of the costs, that would be $43 million. But we know that’s impossible for a game this big, with 2,800 contributors and an eight-year development span. Pachter believes a good rule of thumb to use is about 200 people working for 8.5 years, at maybe $100,000 in cost per person. That equals about $170 million in development costs, or about 23 percent of the overall costs of games in development at Take-Two.
Above: John Marston was the hero of Red Dead Redemption, and he is back in Red Dead Redemption 2.
We know, however, that Rockstar’s costs were probably higher. Rockstar shared some details as it tried to defend itself from allegations that it forced employees to work overtime in order to finish the game. Jennifer Kolbe, head of publishing at Rockstar, said in a statement to GamesBeat last week that the company logged 67,000 employee weeks this year, and only 20 percent of the people had to work more than 60 hours in a week, and only 0.4 percent of the time was for people who worked more than 80 hour weeks.
So 67,000 divided by 52 weeks leaves us with 1,288 employee years worked on Red Dead Redemption 2 during 2018. That sounds reasonably accurate, as Rockstar has said it doubled the size of its previous team and the number was over 1,000 people, or double the size of the 2010 original game, Red Dead Redemption. That gibes well with the notion there were 2,800 contributors. But, obviously based on the fairly low capitalized software costs, that Rock star doesn’t spend a ton on its people and it also didn’t have them working for a full eight years. So I’ll take Pachter’s estimate and beef it up some, so that maybe 300 people worked for eight years at $100,000, on average. That gets us to $240 million in development costs for the game. (Here’s something that muddies the picture: Companies can decide what software development costs to capitalize, or take out of expenses, and which costs to simply expense).
I’ve also heard different estimates as well on the marketing costs for the game, which could run $200 million to $300 million. Let’s take $300 million, giving us a total cost of $540 million, which is lower than my previous estimate in the DeanBeat column by a large margin.
So we take revenue estimated at $860 million, and then costs of $540 million, and this game will have a profit of $320 million by December 31. Add to that revenues from Red Dead Online, which are likely to be good. The breakeven point would be about 12.5 million games sold, and that looks like we would hit that number just about any day now.
Pachter estimates that Take-Two gets $100 million in revenue per quarter from GTA Online, which has been out for five years. That’s been a huge success, with the peak quarter at maybe $125 million. It will take Red Dead Online some time to ramp up its revenues. But it’s a conservative bet to say it could generate $50 million per quarter for Take-Two, or an additional $200 million a year. It will have costs as well, but not nearly as much as it took to create the game.
“We think that Rockstar has learned a lot of lessons from GTA Online that it will deploy to increase the engagement for Red Dead Online,” Schachter said.
Keep in mind that Rockstar and Take-Two continue to make money from the five-year-old Grand Theft Auto V, as well as GTA Online. The only question is how to split the resources between GTA Online, Read Dead Online, and whatever the next billion-dollar game from Rockstar will be.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"Nintendo chief says beefing up Switch sales is the main task in his strategy | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/nintendo-chief-says-beefing-up-switch-sales-is-the-main-task-in-his-strategy"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Nintendo chief says beefing up Switch sales is the main task in his strategy Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Nintendo Switch.
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Nintendo is doing what it can to keep sales going for the Switch, which sold a disappointing 5 million units in the last six months that ended September 30. Nintendo’s new boss said in an analyst briefing that the Nintendo Switch remains on a stable growth trajectory.
Shuntaro Furukawa, who became president of Nintendo on June 28, said that the company’s strategy has been to widen the software library to broaden the appeal of the Nintendo Switch.
The company is continually updating add-on content for games, like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2, which both received updates since April. Nintendo has also held limited-time events like the Splatoon 2 World Champion and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate exhibition matches. These events are places where crowds can “feel the energy of our game communities,” Furukawa said. More events are coming, like the Nintendo Live 2018 event coming in November.
Nintendo’s evergreen titles — Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Splatoon 2 — are sustaining their sales momentum, Furukawa said.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! He also said that the Nintendo Switch Online paid service had a good launch in September. He noted that consumers who have purchased a subscription have opted for a 12-month family or individual membership are more than half of total subscribers. Downloadable versions of packaged software are now 60 percent of all digital sales.
“Software publishers have been releasing everything from evergreen titles that appeal to broad audiences to titles that satisfy ardent game fans, and the sell-through of these products has been solidk,” Furukawa said.
Fortnite Battle Royale has been downloaded to almost half of all Switch units sold to date. And he said that Square Enix has seen more than 1 million copies downloaded for Octopath Traveler on the Switch.
As of October, there were more than 500 software publishers selling more than 1,300 titles on the Switch.
Super Mario Party debuted on October 5 and it has sold more than 1.5 million units. Furukawa said he expects it to become another evergreen title. Next, the big games include Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee!, both debuting in November. And of course Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the big title coming on December 4.
Amiibo sales of toys based on Nintendo characters have reached 50 million in sales. Furukawa said he believes sales of Nintendo Labo, a do-it-yourself kit will pick up as a new evergreen title.
Meanwhile, Super Mario Run has been installed more than 300 million times on mobile devices, and downloads outside of Japan are nearly 90 percent of the total.
“I’d like to say that the most important thing for this holiday season is further uptake of Nintendo Switch,” Furukawa said. “In the current fiscal year, new major titles’ release for Nintendo Switch are concentrated in the third quarter. We have established a firm footing ahead of what will be the second holiday season for Nintendo Switch, and we plan to offer new software so more people come to know and enjoy the charm of Nintendo Switch.” GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
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"Microsoft releases new Windows 10 preview with SwiftKey, Snip & Sketch, and Sticky Notes improvements | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/microsoft-releases-new-windows-10-preview-with-swiftkey-snip-sketch-and-sticky-notes-improvements"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Microsoft releases new Windows 10 preview with SwiftKey, Snip & Sketch, and Sticky Notes improvements Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Windows 10 Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Microsoft today released a new Windows 10 preview with improvements to the sign-in options, SwiftKey, input, accessibility, Snip & Sketch, and Sticky Notes. This build is from the 19H1 branch, which will arrive in the first half of next year.
Windows 10 is being developed as a service , meaning it receives new features on a regular basis. Microsoft has released six major updates so far: November Update , Anniversary Update , Creators Update , Fall Creators Update , April 2018 Update , and October 2018 Update.
The sign-in options have been simplified to help users choose the safest and fastest sign-in option for their needs. The team believes that by “condensing each sign-in option into a list that explains individual properties and next step for setup,” users will feel more informed. But really, Microsoft just wants you to use Windows Hello and help it kill the password.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! In the October 2018 Update, Microsoft brought SwiftKey’s AI technology to Windows 10. This build expands support to more languages: English (Canada), English (India), French (Canada), French (Belgium), French (Switzerland), Portuguese (Portugal), German (Switzerland), and Spanish (United States). These work with the touch keyboard, but hardware keyboard text suggestions are also now supported with the above languages (Settings => Devices => Typing => “Show text suggestions as I type”).
Other input improvements include the addition of Indic Phonetic keyboards for Hindi, Bangla, Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. As you type using the English QWERTY keyboard, Windows 10 uses transliteration to suggest possible Indic text candidates. You’ll have to add the Indic language in Settings, as well as downloading the Indic Phonetic keyboards.
As for accessibility improvements, the Narrator will now alert you when you are accidentally typing with Caps Lock turned on. The setting is on by default, but you can turn it off (Ctrl + Win + N, and hit the “Change when you receive Caps Lock warnings while typing” box).
Microsoft also released updates for Snip & Sketch (version 10.1809.2964.0) and Sticky Notes (version 3.1.32).
Snip & Sketch now lets you add a border to your screenshots, lets you print directly from the app (including printing to PDF), and refines the save options (confirmation to close an unsaved file, filenames now include timestamps, jpg and GIF file types are now supported). The old About flyout has been replaced with a full settings page, where you’ll find the aforementioned option to add a border, an option for updates made to your snip to copy automatically to your clipboard, and so on.
Sticky Notes now supports Windows 10’s Dark Mode. Alternatively, you can set your color mode to suit your mood independent of your system settings. Syncing is also faster now, though Microsoft didn’t say by how much.
Bug fixes and known issues This 19H1 build includes the following general bug fixes and improvements: A feature where if you right click on a group name or tile folder in Start, you will now have an option to unpin it. Currently 50 percent of Insiders will have this option.
Fixed an issue where Task Manager settings wouldn’t persist after closing and reopening Task Manager in recent flights.
Fixed an issue where only users in Vietnam could use the new Vietnamese Telex and Number key-based keyboards.
Fixed an issue where doing an upwards search with wrap enabled in Notepad wouldn’t find the last word in the text.
Fixed an issue that could result in Settings crashing when navigating to Data Usage.
Fixed an issue where starting the PIN removal process in Settings then clicking Cancel when prompted for your password would crash Settings.
Fixed an issue where twinui.dll would crash on some devices in the last few builds after selecting a wireless display to project to from the Connect flyout.
Fixed an issue where enhancements selected under Speaker Properties > Enhancements wouldn’t persist on upgrade.
Fixed an issue resulting in FLAC metadata being cut short in File Explorer and other locations.
The “Forget” option for Wi-Fi profiles is now available for non-admin users.
Ctrl + Mouse Wheel Scroll to zoom in text is now supported in Command Prompt, PowerShell, and WSL.
When using dark theme (Settings > Personalization > Colors) your scrollbars in Command Prompt, PowerShell and WSL will now become dark too.
Fixed an issue with the console that could cause graphical glitches in the embedded terminal of VS Code.
The options to change your default app mode and enable/disable transparency have moved to the top of Colors Settings so it’s easier for people to find.
Today’s update bumps the Windows 10 build number for the 19H1 branch from 18267 (made available to testers on October 24) to build 18272.
This build has nine known issues: Task View fails to show the + button under New Desktop after creating 2 Virtual Desktops.
Some users will notice the update status cycling between Getting Things Ready, Downloading, and Installing. This is often accompanied with error 0x8024200d caused by a failed express package download.
If you have a have a large number of OTF fonts, or OTF fonts that support the extended East Asian character set, you may experience some unexpectedly missing text across the system. If you encounter this issue, navigating to the Fonts folder (c:\windows\fonts) may resolve it.
PDFs opened in Microsoft Edge may not display correctly (small, instead of using the entire space).
A race condition resulting in blue screens could occur if your PC is set up to dual boot. If you’re impacted the workaround is to disable dual boot.
The hyperlink colors need to be refined in Dark Mode in Sticky Notes if the Insights are enabled.
Settings page will crash after changing the account password, we recommend using the CTRL + ALT + DEL method to change the password.
WSL will not work on this build. If you require WSL to work, you can rollback to Build 18267.
If you install any of the recent builds from the Fast ring and switch to the Slow ring – optional content such as enabling developer mode will fail. You will have to remain in the Fast ring to add/install/enable optional content. This is because optional content will only install on builds approved for specific rings.
As always, don’t install this on your production machine.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Mark Zuckerberg summoned for joint hearing by U.K. and Canadian parliaments | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/mark-zuckerberg-summoned-for-joint-hearing-by-u-k-and-canadian-parliaments"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Mark Zuckerberg summoned for joint hearing by U.K. and Canadian parliaments Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Mark Zuckerberg testifies in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 11, 2018.
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If at first you don’t succeed in getting Mark Zuckerberg to meet with your lawmakers — team up with another country.
That’s the approach Canadian and U.K. lawmakers appear to be trying.
U.K. MP Damian Collins this morning tweeted out a letter on behalf of himself and Canadian MP Bob Zimmer, asking Zuckerberg to testify in front of a joint hearing held by the U.K. and Canadian House of Commons — a type of hearing that would be unprecedented. The hearing, which will deal with misinformation and fake news, will be held at Westminster on November 27. Collins and Zimmer are asking for a response from Zuckerberg and Facebook by November 7.
Together with @bobzimmermp , I have today written to Mark Zuckerberg inviting him to give evidence to an international committee to be held in London on 27th November pic.twitter.com/jHhQ5S3SNt — Damian Collins (@DamianCollins) October 31, 2018 VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “Over the past year, our committees have both sought evidence from a Facebook executive with sufficient authority to give an accurate account of recent failures of process, including the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal and subsequent data breaches,” the letter reads. “You have chosen instead to send less senior representatives, and have not yourself appeared, despite having taken up invitations from the U.S. Congress and Senate, and the European Parliament.” “We understand that it is not possible to make yourself available to all parliaments,” the letter continues. “However, we believe that your users in other countries need a line of accountability to your organisation — directly, via yourself.” The letter says that while the hearing will be led by Canada and the U.K., other countries’ parliaments could join in.
Both Collins and Zimmer head up the committees in their respective parliaments that are in charge of overseeing social media and digital policies. The U.K. Parliament already tried in March to get Zuckerberg to testify. This happened shortly after news broke that Facebook had failed to stop Cambridge Analytica from improperly obtaining user data and using it for ad targeting.
After Facebook repeatedly turned down requests for Zuckerberg to appear, the U.K. Parliament said he would face a formal summons to testify the next time he was in the country. Zuckerberg did meet with and field questions from the European Parliament in May.
If the joint approach is successful in getting Zuckerberg to show up, it could be critical in setting a precedent for how countries other than the U.S. attempt to deal with Facebook going forward. Facebook has historically been reluctant to send Zuckerberg to meet with other countries’ lawmakers. But with the company now setting up fact-checking operations in various countries to stop the spread of disinformation, as well as political ad archives in the U.K., U.S., and Brazil, its operations stand to have more of an effect than ever before on foreign elections.
VentureBeat has reached out to Facebook for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Liftoff: Mobile users are embracing subscription app economy | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/liftoff-mobile-users-are-embracing-subscription-app-economy"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Liftoff: Mobile users are embracing subscription app economy Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Liftoff and Leanplum are measuring mobile app engagement.
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Mobile users are embracing the subscription model, with considerable momentum gained from last year, according to the Mobile App Engagement Index produced by performance mobile user acquisition firm Liftoff and mobile engagement platform Leanplum.
For years, users have been reluctant to do that, but times are changing.
The rise of direct-to-consumer brands like Dollar Shave Club and Stitch Fix and the continued dominance of Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Spotify have helped people acclimate to the idea of regular payments for a service. And seeing the value gained through this payment model in other areas of their lives has helped people increasingly engage with it in apps.
Year-over-year, acquisition costs for subscription-based apps have plummeted by nearly half, down to a comparatively low $86.99 from last year’s $162.22. While the cost to convert subscribing users is on the higher end, predictable cash flow is attractive. Plus, at 3.3 percent, engagement for subscription apps is rising, up 32 percent in the last year. That illustrates how these apps offer value that users are willing to pay for repeatedly.
“Acquiring users for this app category isn’t inexpensive by any means, but the year-over-year data showcases major momentum for subscriptions. Now pair that with Apple’s recent report that revenue from subscription-monetized apps is up 95 percent since 2017,” said Mark Ellis, CEO of Palo Alto, California-based Liftoff, in a statement. “And there’s no question that the long-term benefits of the subscription model, in the form of loyal users and stable cash flow, are worth the investment in service quality and marketing spend.” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Women rise in app engagement Above: Liftoff/Leanplum found women are more engaged with apps.
The index also highlights a shift in engagement with apps. In a significant departure from last year’s Mobile App Engagement Index , this year’s data reveals women to be the new premium user segment in the app economy at large, twice as likely to convert than men and more engaged overall.
Adding the ability to book a reservation in-app, for instance, lets marketers capitalize on female engagement. While acquisition costs for female users who reserve in-app show a 10 percent premium, they deliver on engagement: With an install-to-reservation conversion rate of 62 percent, women reserve in-app at a rate 40 percent higher than men. In-app purchases follow the same pattern, where women are still pricey at $94.16 but offer highly compelling engagement, with more than double the conversion rate of their male counterparts (3.8 to 1.8 percent).
As the data shifts in favor of female app users, marketers should take heed and execute campaigns with women in mind, with an emphasis on those dividend-paying, deep-funnel events of in-app purchases and reservation. But plan smart, as competition for the female demographic — across all app categories — is bound to get tough in the year ahead, the index said.
Games face challenge as in-app purchases meet resistance Above: In-app purchases are running into resistance.
And the report found that in-app actions are meeting resistance this year, signaling a change for monetization.
Across mobile app categories, acquisition costs dropped and engagement grew, with the data showing a sharp decline in costs and significant increases in conversion rates deep into the funnel compared to the 2017 Index Report.
Still, there is one notable, unsettling exception: the cost to acquire a user that opens their wallet to make an in-app purchase, a key funnel event in mobile gaming. This cost rose to $101.58, up 56 percent in the last year, while in-app purchase rates dropped by nearly half to 2.9 percent.
With the massive influx of gaming apps this year, it’s likely that fevered competition for users attracted by the free-to-play (F2P) model is driving up acquisition costs at this engagement stage. But there’s hope, as some months do show promise for driving in-app purchases. A prime example is September, marked by the highest engagement rate (4.3 percent) at the lowest cost ($61.16), albeit less attractive than 2017’s best months.
The index is based on an internal analysis of over 257 billion ad impressions across 58.4 million app installs and 47.4 million post-install events spanning six major app categories (Dating, Finance, Gaming, Shopping, Travel and Utility) from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018.
“These days, to be successful on mobile, you need to understand that mobile user acquisition and retention go hand-in-hand,” said Joyce Solano, senior vice president of global marketing at Leanplum, in a statement. “The best way to protect your acquisition investment and retain customers throughout their life cycle is by forming a relationship — and that starts with contextual mobile messaging. In fact, our data shows this approach can increase retention by 62 percent.” The takeaway? The app economy shows great promise as people are more comfortable spending on mobile. But massive growth also presents massive challenges for mobile app marketers — especially in verticals where competition is rife, such as gaming. Marketers looking to rise above the noise can sharpen segmentation, optimize targeting and focus on prime calendar months to appeal to an audience bordering on ad fatigue.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Konami probably isn't deleting P.T. for Halloween | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/konami-probably-isnt-deleting-your-p-t-save-for-halloween"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Konami probably isn’t deleting P.T. for Halloween Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn P.T. is almost as scary as Konami itself.
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It’s Halloween, and that means it’s time for a spooky story. This one involves the scariest monster of all time: video game publisher Konami.
On a dark and stormy night in the unholy year of 2015, the Metal Gear Solid company pulled its free horror game P.T. (Playable Teaser) from the PlayStation Network. And since then, the publisher has lurked in the shadows waiting for a chance to kill the game for good.
And today, rumors began to spread that sinister force had finally struck. But this doesn’t seem like it’s the case.
Konami later confirmed that it has not made any changes. A spokesperson for the company provided the following statement (and now I’m probably going to die in seven days): “After our investigation we can confirm that there have been no Konami or PlayStation Network update that would have affected or prevent access to the game.” P.T. is a teaser for Silent Hills, a horror sequel to the Silent Hill franchise. Konami canceled Silent Hills as part of a retreat from console video games. But its legacy has lived on in the systems of anyone who downloaded P.T. before the publisher expunged it from the store. While Konami pitched P.T. as a glorified game announcement, many people consider it a thrilling horror experience.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! But when one person on Reddit tried to boot the game up for Halloween , it would not work. In the information section, they found that it was “ineligible” to start. And ominously, the system said that an update went out for the game on October 22, 2018. People jumped to the conclusion that Konami must’ve pushed out a patch to end the game for good.
Since this initial scare, however, other people have successfully started P.T. It seems like it still works for just about everyone. And if people are encountering errors, it’s possible that it is the result of them changing their names on PlayStation Network. Sony introduced that feature recently, and it warned players that it could break certain games.
Updated on November 2 at 9:45 a.m. with statement from Konami.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Industry Ventures Strengthens Management Team with Multiple Promotions and Hires | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/industry-ventures-strengthens-management-team-with-multiple-promotions-and-hires"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release Industry Ventures Strengthens Management Team with Multiple Promotions and Hires Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Including promotions of Lindsay Sharma to Managing Director and Amir Malayery to Principal SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–October 31, 2018– Industry Ventures, L.L.C., a leading investment firm for venture capital, today announced multiple promotions and hires that will further support and elevate the growing firm.
Promotions Lindsay Sharma has been promoted to Managing Director to manage the firm’s latest investment fund strategy. Prior to joining Industry Ventures as a Vice President in the secondary funds in 2014, Lindsay was a Principal in corporate strategy and development at Intuit, leading mergers and acquisition activities. Before Intuit, Lindsay held private equity and investment banking industry roles at Great Hill Partners and Bear Stearns. She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from Indiana University.
“Lindsay has been working with our team to explore new opportunities that take advantage of our venture capital fund relationships and investments in older technology companies to provide successful exit scenarios. This work helped determined that there is a significant opportunity that is unfolding for our firm to work with venture funds and help some of their companies exit their portfolios,” said Hans Swildens, CEO and founder of Industry Ventures.
Amir Malayery has also been promoted from Vice President, a role he has had since joining the firm in 2016, to Principal in the firm’s secondary funds. Before joining Industry Ventures, Amir was the founder and CEO of Dapper Shopping, a mobile commerce startup focused on men’s retail as well as an investor at Summit Partners, a growth equity firm at which he focused on internet, media, and technology investments. Amir received his MBA from Harvard Business School and both a BA and MA from Stanford University.
Swildens continued, “Part of our team for only two short years, Amir has already proven himself as an invaluable team member. We cannot wait to see how he will continue to support and lead our team as a Principal.” New Hires Industry Ventures has brought both Joe Coleman and Jason Mendel on as Associates on its secondary team.
Prior to joining Industry Ventures, Joe worked at GrowthPoint Technology Partners and Cambridge Associates; he earned a BsC in Finance from Santa Clara University. Jason most recently worked in Deutsche Bank’s Technology Investment Banking group and graduated with a BS from Santa Clara University.
David Chiang has also been hired as an Analyst for Industry Ventures’ hybrid fund of funds team. He was previously at Delphix, a software company, where he was part of their Business Operations team, and he earned a BA from Dartmouth College.
About Industry Ventures, L.L.C.
Industry Ventures is a leading investment firm that focuses on venture capital. The firm has three investment strategies: secondary investments, hybrid fund of funds investments, and direct investments. Founded in 2000, the firm manages over $3.4 billion of institutional capital and is headquartered in San Francisco, with an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.industryventures.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181031005090/en/ Industry Ventures Lena McNulty Mom, 415-273-4229 [email protected] VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"iMerit Selected as a 2018 Red Herring Top 100 Global Company | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/imerit-selected-as-a-2018-red-herring-top-100-global-company"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Press Release iMerit Selected as a 2018 Red Herring Top 100 Global Company Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn SARATOGA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–October 31, 2018– iMerit, a digital data services company which trains algorithms in machine learning, computer vision and analytics, has been named to the 2018 Red Herring Top 100 Global list.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181031005322/en/ Red Herring’s Top 100 Global list is a mark of distinction for identifying promising global companies. Red Herring was among the first to recognize the potential of companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Skype, Salesforce, YouTube, and eBay. The list is based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, management quality and strategy.
Radha Ramaswami Basu, CEO, iMerit, said , “We are honored to be recognized by Red Herring for our work. We are creating the workforce of the future which can train AI algorithms and data analytics for a variety of applications in computer vision, e-commerce and finance. We focus on building strong solutions for our global customers who are going through rapid changes in their digital transformation.” iMerit’s “humans in the loop” services are recognized globally. It works on the data that powers transformative technologies such as driverless cars, aerial image analysis, and cancer cell detection. iMerit has a unique for-profit social impact model which hires and trains people from under-resourced backgrounds to participate in the digital economy. 80 percent of iMerit’s team comes from impact backgrounds with over half being women.
“Choosing the companies with the strongest potential was by no means a small feat,” said Alex Vieux, CEO of Red Herring.
“After rigorous contemplation and discussion, we narrowed our list down from hundreds of candidates from across the globe to the Top 100 Winners. We believe iMerit embodies the vision, drive and innovation that define a successful entrepreneurial venture. iMerit should be proud of its accomplishment.” About iMerit iMerit works with customers to enrich and label their data to achieve the best results from their algorithms. iMerit’s work powers advanced algorithms in machine learning, computer vision, natural language understanding, e-commerce, augmented reality and data analytics. Our team of over 1,600 full time staff includes over 50% women. We work on data for transformative technologies such as advancing cancer cell research, optimizing crop yields and training driverless cars to understand their environment. The company drives social and economic change by tapping into an under-resourced talent pool and creating digital inclusion. For more information, visit: www.imerit.net.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181031005322/en/ iMerit Gourav Choudhary [email protected] VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Imagination Technologies launches visually lossless image compression for GPUs | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/imagination-technologies-launches-visually-lossless-image-compression-for-gpus"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Imagination Technologies launches visually lossless image compression for GPUs Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Imagination Technologies Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Imagination Technologies has unveiled the PowerVR PVRIC4, the new generation of its powerful image compression technology that will enable better image quality on tablets and smartphones.
London-based Imagination Technologies said its customers who adopt the tech are targeting devices such as digital TVs, smartphones, and tablets to reduce costs without a discernible loss of image quality.
The PVRIC4 enables random-access visually lossless image compression, ensuring bandwidth and memory footprint savings of at least 50 percent and enabling systems to overcome performance bandwidth constraints.
Imagination provides PVRIC4 as a standalone intellectual property block for system-on-chip (SoC) manufacturers to integrate into their multimedia pipelines. The block is already used by Imagination partners, including Chips & Media, which has access to PVRIC4 as part of a recent collaboration to deliver an optimum solution for a system leveraging a PowerVR GPU and WAVE5 video codec.
The company unveiled the tech at the Linley Processor Conference in Santa Clara, California.
“Imagination’s PVRIC4 is a significant advancement for GPU compression technology,” said Linley Gwennap, principal analyst of the Linley Group, in a statement. “The increasing demands on memory bandwidth and footprint are a real concern for SoC manufacturers, so the ability to combine lossless and visually lossless compression delivers both cost and bandwidth savings.” Above: Imagination Technologies PVRIC4 features a dual-pipeline frame buffer compression engine. A new lossy pipeline, used only if the lossless pipeline does not achieve 50 percent compression, ensures that even difficult-to-compress “noisy” images are compressed with the highest fidelity. A decision logic block determines which output should be used to guarantee the compression ratio, and due to highly tuned algorithms, the image quality change is imperceptible.
Thanks to this hybrid solution, PVRIC4 offers SoC manufacturers the best of both approaches, with the highest fidelity ensuring bandwidth and frame buffer allocation savings on graphics and video content. This is all performed in hardware and achieved without any performance overhead.
PVRIC4’s bandwidth savings translate into better battery life for consumers and cost savings for system manufacturers, enabling more RAM and bandwidth to be freed for other uses, such as enabling simultaneous fast 5G downloads while the GPU is in use or a reduction in the number of memory chips used in the system.
“With the increasing demands introduced by higher resolution 4K and 8K displays, as well as the desire to reduce system costs, the need to minimize memory bandwidth is an ongoing priority for our customers,” said Nigel Leeder, executive vice president of PowerVR at Imagination, in a statement. “They require a solution that keeps costs and power down. By introducing visually lossless compression into our GPUs, we can now guarantee a reduction in memory bandwidth and usage.” PVRIC4 will be available as a feature in next-generation PowerVR GPUs and is available for licensing now as a standalone IP block.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Heartland Tech Weekly: How can Silicon Valley best assist other startup communities? | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/heartland-tech-weekly-how-can-silicon-valley-best-assist-other-startup-communities"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Heartland Tech Weekly: How can Silicon Valley best assist other startup communities? Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
In a recent video interview with CNBC (embedded below) LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman says that one thing he would like to see more of in Silicon Valley is people assisting startup communities in other parts of the country.
“We want more areas in the U.S. and the world to be entrepreneurial hot houses where they’re growing lots of interesting, entrepreneurial companies,” Hoffman told CNBC. “There are people in Silicon Valley doing that, I just want more of them.” The idea of bridging the gap between Silicon Valley and the rest of the country is something we talk about a lot here in the Heartland Tech section. And I’ve seen some progress on that front in the past year — from the “Comeback Cities” tour to a notable array of Silicon Valley LPs investing in last year’s “ Rise of the Rest ” seed fund.
But I think it’s time to move the conversation from “How do we get more people in Silicon Valley to work with startup communities in other parts of the country?” to “What kind of assistance do we need from Silicon Valley?” I worry that Silicon Valley investors will think they’ve done enough for the Heartland if they simply fly in to judge a few pitch competitions, or write a few angel checks.
How do you think Silicon Valley folks can best assist startup communities in the Heartland, besides opening up their checkbook? If you have any thoughts, please send them to me via email.
As always, thanks for reading, Anna Hensel Heartland Tech Reporter Featured Video Check out this video from CNBC, “ How Reid Hoffman would change Silicon Valley if he had a magic wand ” From the Heartland Tech channel IBM acquires Red Hat for $34 billion IBM has acquired Red Hat for $34 billion to diversify its technology hardware and consulting business into higher-margin products and services.
Beyond VB Illinois launches program to test driverless cars Illinois launched a new autonomous vehicle initiative this week as it looks to begin researching and testing the emerging technology that many other states have already embraced.
(via American Inno) The tech companies spending to oppose and support San Francisco’s Homelessness Tax Almost $7 million is bankrolling a fight over whether businesses should pay for the city’s homeless crisis.
(via CityLab) Wisconsin’s $4.1 billion Foxconn Boondoggle Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Foxconn chairman Terry Gou announced their plan to create a heavily subsidized manufacturing plant in southeastern Wisconsin while promising billions to get a Foxconn factory, but now he’s running away from it.
(via TheVerge) Walmart’s test store for new technology, Sam’s Club Now, opens next week in Dallas Walmart’s warehouse club, Sam’s Club is preparing to open the doors at a new Dallas area store that will serve as a testbed for the latest in retail technology.
(via TechCrunch) VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Blizzard president J. Allen Brack interview -- Designing a company to last for generations | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/blizzard-president-j-allen-brack-interview-designing-a-company-to-last-for-generations"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Blizzard president J. Allen Brack interview — Designing a company to last for generations Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn J. Allen Brack is the president of Blizzard Entertainment.
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J. Allen Brack has been president of Blizzard Entertainment for just a few weeks. But I wouldn’t call him a whippersnapper, as he has worked in games for 24 years and he’s a black belt in a Korean martial art, Tukong Moosul. Brack took over from Mike Morhaime , who cofounded Blizzard in the 1990s and propelled the Irvine, California-based company to the top of the video game industry on the strength of hits such as World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, and Overwatch.
In the crazy world of angry gamers, Morhaime stood out as a voice for reason and kindness.
At a games industry gala, he thanked me for 25 years of game industry coverage.
He engaged with fans through the company’s annual BlizzCon event and occasional speeches. During the height of the Gamergate controversy in 2014 and afterward , Morhaime advocated kindness to gamers and those who make games.
Brack admired those qualities in Morhaime while working for more than 12 years at Blizzard, and he hopes to maintain the high standard for quality. Late this week, he’ll face the fans at Blizzard’s annual Blizzcon fest in Anaheim, California, where he’ll have to show his gamer cred.
Brack joined Blizzard in 2006, and he was the executive producer for World of Warcraft, which is still the No. 1 subscription-based online role-playing game in the world.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Under Brack’s direction, World of Warcraft still entertained millions of players worldwide and received a steady stream of substantial content updates, including multiple expansions that rank among the fastest-selling PC games of all time. Brack has also led all philanthropic initiatives associated with World of Warcraft, resulting in Blizzard’s donation of millions of dollars for important causes such as disaster relief and children’s healthcare.
Brack also held multiple roles at Origin Systems, working on the Wing Commander franchise, and then at Sony Online Entertainment, working on Star Wars: Galaxies (an MMORPG like World of Warcraft). I talked with him about his new role and how he hopes to continue Blizzard’s legacy and make awesome games at the same time.
Here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Above: D.Va’s ultimate isn’eeeeeeeeeeeet the most annoying nuke in Overwatch.
GamesBeat: How did you become a black belt in Korean martial arts? J. Allen Brack: Great question. My previous life was a game studio in Austin, Texas. I just sort of randomly wandered into a studio that was very close to the office. I’d seen it for a couple of years. I watched one of the classes. It was a very traditional Korean martial art. The founder of that style had grown up in a temple. He was the very–almost like a movie type of thing, where you have the recluse who grows up in the temple and then comes to America and starts a martial arts studio. That’s exactly what happened. I did that pretty intensely for more than five years.
GamesBeat: Has that come in useful at Blizzard at all? Brack: [ Laughs ] It tends to be much of a talking kind of culture, as opposed to a martial artist type of culture. It’s mostly been good for me just through the discipline and the stillness, the ability to focus. That’s the biggest thing I took away from my martial arts training.
GamesBeat: How many years have you been at Blizzard now? Brack: It’ll be 13 in January.
GamesBeat: That’s the majority of your working life in games, then? Brack: It’s about half. A little more than half, actually. This past October I crossed my 24th year in the games industry.
GamesBeat: It’s interesting that you’ve wound up in this position. Did you have any challenge going from working inside the company, usually on one game, and then elevating above that to look at the whole company, at what’s good for the company across a bunch of games? Brack: One of the things I think is part of the special magic, or one of the parts in the secret sauce at Blizzard, is the way we think about Blizzard as of a higher import. By that I mean, a lot of times — there’s always resource contentions. There’s always, “Hey, this person is good. What team should they go to?” Our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs. The things we want to do are always bigger than the things we can do.
One thing we’ll cauterize around is, what’s the right thing for Blizzard? In my previous life, if I’m in a conversation with some other team and we’re having resource contention, or deciding what the right thing is for people, or what the right priority is — what’s the right thing for Blizzard? When you elevate that, the right decision becomes a lot easier to understand. There’s this thought that everyone serves Blizzard. Everyone is working for the betterment of Blizzard.
I worked on World of Warcraft. I worked on another game as well. But really the, most important thing was, what is the right thing for Blizzard? That’s built into a lot of the cultural decisions we make.
Above: World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth.
GamesBeat: Sounds like an real-time strategy game.
Brack: [ Laughs ] Well, that’s where our roots are, for sure.
GamesBeat: If you had to explain what kind of culture Blizzard has, how would you go about that? Brack: Blizzard is a very values-driven place. One of the things that I really like is, the values we created — which I’m sure you’re familiar with — they try to be non-aspirational. They try to identify who we are on our best days. They’re more articulated around what we’re already trying to be. The reason that’s important is because if you’re already living the values, and you’re already making decisions through that lens and through that framework, it becomes a lot easier than if you have some really disparate values that have nothing to do with your culture.
I think about that. I think about Blizzard being extremely collaborative. I think about Blizzard being very aspirational and wanting to always make excellent, really awesome things. A lot of that translates into the mission statement of wanting to create epic entertainment experiences. These are a lot of things that are parallel with the culture and are reinforced by the values. That helps Blizzard be what it is.
Above: The employees of Riot Games .
GamesBeat: I had a strong reaction to the story Kotaku ran about sexism at Riot Games.
I doubt you want to comment on Riot and their issues, but I think we’ll eventually get around to a question you can answer here, if you’ll hear me out a bit. They were on a list of companies that won awards for having the best workplace, a great culture, a very strong culture. They seem to have had this blind spot that came up in that story. They were edgy. They were trying to be different, trying to be unique. I think I remember a line in one of the stories that popped up later, that they didn’t want to be boring like EA or Blizzard.
That’s interesting to me. You guys have your culture. I think you know what your culture is. You probably know who fits and who doesn’t. Do you have to be careful about things like these blind spots, making sure that the culture is really what you think it is? Brack: I think the answer is always. That’s not only true of culture issues. I think that’s true of really anything. One of the things that, going back to our values — one of them is to learn and grow. In the same way that we’re always trying to iterate our games, always trying to make our games the best we can be, we also actively try to think about how to improve the culture and how to actively work on improving the culture in the same way we improve our games.
I think about some of the issues in the industry that have come up. There’s a lot of talk around different issues, and there should be. The tech industry does not have a stellar reputation in certain areas where you’re representing the underrepresented. We’re trying to take steps forward with the underrepresented. Personally that’s a very important mission for my team, and an important mission for me going forward as well.
I don’t think anyone really wants to be a jerk to other employees. No one gets out of bed wanting to be a jerk. They want to try to do their best thing. But a lot of it is education. A lot of it is having specific things that we do in terms of trying to manage that. We did a — I don’t remember what we called it last year, but we’re calling it the Diversity Nexus next year, this safe space at BlizzCon for different LGBTQ groups, for different women’s groups. Anyone who feels like they need that space.
We have a LGBTQ council at Blizzard. We have a women’s council at Blizzard that advises different teams on how they can be better. I think if you look at Overwatch, Overwatch is trying to be an extremely inclusive game. Without commenting on the Riot article specifically — there was a Google story this past weekend, so this is not a thing people are not talking about — our view is that we want to continue improve on the culture in every way that we can, just like our games.
1 2 3 4 View All Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
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"AR could mean the death of the selfie | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/ar-could-mean-the-death-of-the-selfie"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest AR could mean the death of the selfie Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Is the selfie an endangered s Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
We may be in the middle of a great shift from a “me” to a “we” culture. Many cultural commentators have noticed that much of humanity has hunched over technological devices, isolated and oblivious to both the outside world and the activities going on around them. While this has helped people develop laser-sharp focus on the tasks at hand, it’s also a form of sensory blockage bordering on apathy.
The emergence of augmented reality changes this. AR technology changes the terms of our relationship to mobile devices.
We will no longer be tethered to texting on the tiny screens that help us on our daily lives. Instead, the screen’s camera becomes our main platform and portal, making us face outward because AR puts our screens into our actual surroundings.
The death of the selfie We live in a selfie world. Instagram, an app based around performative selfies and presenting a carefully curated version of one’s own life, is one of the most popular apps on the internet. Selfies are the fuel behind Snapchat and much of the app economy. A first wave of AR-powered apps already lets users give themselves animal or cartoon character faces or see how they would look wearing different makeup or different clothes. But this is only the beginning.
The next wave of AR will replace selfies with manipulating the environment around us. Snapchat- or Instagram-style filters will be passe when users have dinosaurs on their beds or aliens in their living room. Video conferencing will go to the next level when someone 2000 miles away will look like they’re sitting in the office with you. People won’t even be able to tell what’s real or fake in the videos or photos you take because the AR Van Gogh looks like the very original painting in the Louvre in Paris, except now it’s on your living room wall.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! By definition, selfies are acts of egotism and all about the self. AR, however, is about communal experience and joint manipulation of the spaces around us. As AR technology matures and cameras, processors, and sensors become more powerful, we will transition from the individualistic world of the selfie to the communal world of AR.
Understanding our environments In addition, AR is a great way to visualize and see the world in 3D right before your eyes. For instance, AR show doctors or pre-med students how the heart works. Or even how the blood flows within the vessels. There have also been efforts to use AR overlays for things like disaster relief. Because AR is about “we” instead of “me,” there are many more communal use cases.
Aftershocks and damaged buildings put rescuers in danger when saving earthquake victims. Using AR, someone already in a disaster area can share their surrounding environment with someone in a safe zone. These partners can help rescuers assess what needs immediate attention and the best way to access that area. This allows for more efficiency for disaster relief in the aftermath of an earthquake or flood.
Changing Physical Space AR, whether in our phones now or on glasses-like headsets in the future, will help humanity focus attention once again on the larger world around us. We will no longer have to look down or tap a small icon on a small screen for utility purposes. Instead, we will use the world around us to make purchases, write emails, connect with friends, and all the other daily habits we currently do on a screen.
In addition, we could see a new era of performing computer-related tasks in our physical space. Computing can be projected onto physical tables or the side of a building. This results in more physical movement, more openness to our environments and the freedom to be more creative in our daily lives. If nothing else, we could come away with better posture and a sense of exploration.
AR focuses our attention on whole landscapes and spaces, rather than the self (or selfie). These new landscapes are not about ourselves and our faces, but about our friends, neighbors and communities. In time, I hope AR will help us digitally create an outside world that better expresses who we are, who we want to be and the type of environments we want to spend most of our time in.
Dana Loberg is CEO and co-founder of Leo AR , the first augmented reality communications platform that gives anyone the power to enrich the world around them with realistic 3D and 4D animated objects and photogrammetry. Follower her @luckyloberg.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
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"Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K review: The best streaming dongle for the money | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-review-the-best-streaming-dongle-for-the-money"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Review Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K review: The best streaming dongle for the money Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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The holidays are nearly upon us, and iterative hardware updates abound.
The new $50 Fire TV Stick 4K , which Amazon announced somewhat unceremoniously earlier this month, isn’t so much a revelation as a natural progression. It’s the first in the Fire TV Stick lineup to support 4K high dynamic range (HDR) content, and the first to pack in a new remote control — the somewhat clunkily dubbed Alexa Voice Remote with Device Control — that lets you control devices with a flick of the wrist.
It’s quite a comeback for a dongle the Seattle company let languish for the better part of two years and a shot across the bow at Roku, which in September took the wraps off the 4K-compatible, IR remote-touting Premiere+. The good news? It was well worth the wait.
4K everywhere Amazon launched the Fire TV (2017) — a diminutive flat cube of a thing — at a September hardware event last year. It supports 4K (up to 60 frames per second) in HDR10, which covers 100 percent of DCI-P3 and Rec. 2020 color spaces for a total of 1.07 billion colors (1,024 shades of each primary color), plus Dolby Atmos, a premium audio format for multichannel surround sound setups.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! At the time, the company pitched it as a replacement for the discontinued Fire TV set-top box, and the Fire TV Stick 4K appears to be positioned to replace it.
The Fire TV Stick 4K similarly supports 4K and HDR at 60 frames per second — specifically HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid-Log Gamma (HLG), and Dolby Atmos.
Judging by the spec sheets, you’d think they were the same — right down to their quad-core processors. But first impressions can be deceiving.
Take the design, for instance. The Fire TV (2017) plugs into the back of a television or receiver and dangles off the end of a flexible cord, while the Fire TV Stick 4K is a self-contained affair. An HDMI plug juts out from the 3.9 x 1.8 x 0.5-inch housing, which measures slightly wider and longer than the second-generation Fire TV Stick (3.4 x 1.2 x 0.5 inches). It’s ever-so-slightly heavier, too, at 1.8 ounces (versus 1.1 ounces).
Just like Fire TV Sticks before it, the Fire TV Stick 4K draws power via MicroUSB — both a cable and wall adapter are included in the box. The port is positioned at a right angle to the HDMI plug, off to the side, which works just fine on my living room setup. But it’s not particularly amenable to multiple devices — if you’ve already got a jigsaw puzzle of set-top boxes to contend with, you might have a tough time making room.
Alexa Voice Remote with Device Control Once the Fire TV Stick 4K is plugged in and powered on, it’s on to the remote. You could argue it’s the star of the show, in fact.
It provides a means of navigating Fire OS, the Fire TV Stick 4K’s operating system, of course, but it also doubles as a universal remote control for the tens of thousands of sound bars, TVs, cable and satellite boxes, and AV equipment that accepts IR signals. Just like Amazon’s Fire TV Cube, it uses a potent combo of HDMI CEC — a feature of HDMI designed to allow users to command and control devices connected through HDMI — and a cloud database of device profiles to control the volume, change the channel, and power toggle target devices.
They’re carryover features from the Fire TV Cube , which Amazon launched in June.
The Fire TV Stick 4K had no trouble detecting the Samsung TV in my relatively spartan setup — during the onboarding process, the dongle instructed me to try increasing and decreasing the volume, which worked without a hitch. However, your mileage may vary. I can’t speak to more complicated home theaters, and Amazon notes that some categories of devices — namely projectors, HDMI switches/hubs, and universal remotes (like Logitech Harmony) — aren’t compatible yet.
The new Alexa Voice Remote’s button layout is slightly different from the model it replaces, mostly to make way for the volume controls. The mute button sits nearest the bottom below the volume rocker, and six playback and navigation controls — back, home, settings, rewind, pause/play, and fast forward — occupy the middle. Above the buttons is a circular, clickable directional pad (the center serves as a selection button), and almost adjacent to it near the top is a microphone button. Pressing and holding it triggers Amazon’s Alexa assistant on-screen.
The build quality is measurably improved from the Voice Remote that ships with the Fire TV. The buttons feel tighter and more responsive. That’s true of the directional pad, too — it’s stiffer (in a good way) and much less likely to register false positives if, like me, you lose your grip on the matte plastic rear cover.
Just make sure you have two AAAs handy, as it’s battery-powered.
Performance Amazon claims the Fire TV Stick 4K is 80 percent faster than the Fire TV Stick, and it certainly feels that way.
The little dongle handles menus and animations like a pro, launching apps and shows nearly instantaneously — excepting the occasional bout of stuttering on menus with image-rich carousels. And when it needs to reboot — say, after an update — it’s up and running in 30 seconds or less.
It delivers the sort of glass-smooth, ultra-slick experience I’ve come to expect from pricier set-top boxes, like the Apple TV and Nvidia Shield TV, and it’s far and away the best Fire TV Stick I’ve tested.
That’s strictly subjective, of course. In an attempt to quantify the improvements, I launched GFXBench — a popular cross-platform benchmarking tool — and fired off a round of tests on the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Fire TV (2017).
Amazon lists the Fire TV Stick as sporting a nondescript quad-core ARM processor clocked at 1.5GHz with a Mali450 MP4 GPU; Geekbench reports an Amlogic Cortex A53 ARMv8 system-on-chip and roughly 1.5GB of usable RAM. And Fire TV Stick 4K has a MediaTek MT8695 Cortex A53 ARMv8 chip paired with about the same amount of RAM — 1.5GB.
In GFXBench’s T-Rex offscreen test at 1080p, the Fire TV (2017) averages around 10 frames per second. The Fire TV Stick 4K fares slightly better, hitting around 14 frames per second.
Its advantages aren’t confined to raw processing speed. It has a dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi chip for “faster streaming” and “fewer dropped connections,” according to Amazon, and Bluetooth 5.0 (compared to the Fire TV Stick’s Bluetooth 4.2).
4K HDR The Fire TV Stick 4K’s spotlight feature is 4K HDR, and it doesn’t disappoint on that front.
4K is easy enough to wrap your head around — it’s 3840 x 2160 pixels, or twice the resolution of 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) and 4 times the resolution of 720p (1280 x 720 pixels). And the Fire TV Stick 4K supports it at up to 60 frames per second. But the benefits of HDR are a bit harder to convey in writing.
Suffice it to say that HDR takes advantage of the greatly expanded color depth and brightness supported by newer, premium TVs to produce more natural, vibrant pictures. Whereas the average flatscreen produces about 300 to 700 nits (one nit is equivalent to a candela, or the intensity of a candle), HDR-capable displays can drive up to 4,000. And they max out at 12-bit color instead of the traditional 8-bit — the difference between 68.7 billion colors and 16 million.
HDR comes in several different flavors, all supported by the Fire TV Stick 4K: the aforementioned HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG. Let’s break down each in turn.
HDR10: an open format certified by the Consumer Technology Association that any display manufacturers can adopt free of charge. It’s defined by 10-bit color depth (over a billion possible colors), 4:2:0 color subsampling (a type of compression that reduces the color information in a signal in favor of luminance data), and support for up to 4,000 nits peak brightness with a 1,000 nit peak brightness target.
HDR10+: an enhanced version of the original standard developed jointly by Samsung and Amazon Video. It’s largely identical to HDR10, but adds dynamic metadata that can be used to more accurately adjust brightness levels on a scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame basis.
Dolby Vision: a proprietary format developed by Dolby Laboratories for which it charges a royalty — meaning, manufacturers have to pay a royalty to implement it. It’s by far the most capable of the HDR formats, with a 12-bit color depth (over 68 billion possible colors), up to 10,000 nits maximum brightness, and dynamic metadata.
Hybrid Log-Gamma: an HDR standard engineered by the BBC and Japanese broadcaster NHK that boasts 10-bit color depth and is backward-compatible with standard dynamic range displays.
So what does all that mean in plain English? The Fire TV Stick 4K offers the widest support for HDR of any HDMI dongle on the market, even rivaling set-top boxes like the Apple TV. And as production houses draw lines in the sand, that’s becoming increasingly important.
HLG is already in use in BBC iPlayer, the BBC’s on-demand streaming portal, and can be used for HDR videos on YouTube. Studios like 20th Century Fox and Universal have thrown their weight behind HDR10, while Paramount, Warner Bros., Sony, and Lionsgate continue to full-throatedly endorse Dolby Vision.
The nice thing about having a device that supports them all is there’s no FOMO — even the Firefox and Amazon Silk web browsers on the Fire TV Stick 4K can play back HDR content. As long as you’ve got a compliant TV, projector, or monitor, you’ll always be good to go.
Unfortunately, I don’t — my roommate’s aging Samsung Smart TV makes do with HDR10. But be that as it may, I can still appreciate the wealth of 4K HDR content on tap. There’s a much larger selection than there was just a few years ago, as evidenced by the new 4K TV Prime Original Series in 4K Ultra HDR Row on the home screen. Amazon Video’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and every recent Amazon Original — including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Bosch, Sneaky Pete, and The Man in the High Castle — is available in 4K and HDR. And on Netflix, titles like Ozark, Lost in Space, Godless, Stranger Things, Marvel’s Daredevil, and Chasing Coral are available in HDR.
A good chunk of HDR content supports Dolby Atmos, a standard that expands on 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound setups to create more “immersive” experiences and which is present and accounted for on the Fire TV Stick 4K. Atmos can technically take advantage of up to 34 speakers (the recommended maximum is 12), but specially designed Dolby Atmos systems like Onkyo’s SKH-410 and Sony’s SSCSE (and aftermarket modules) mimic its multidirectional effects by directing sound upward, which rebounds it off the ceiling.
Fire OS The Fire TV Stick 4K runs Amazon’s in-house Fire OS, a custom software layer atop Android 7.1.2. In addition to one-tap access to the retailer’s Alexa voice assistant (and more than 50,000 third-party Alexa skills), tens of thousands of channels, apps, and games are available through the Amazon Appstore. They’re too numerous to list here, but the catalog includes Prime Video, Hulu, Starz, Showtime, ESPN, CBS, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.
Collectively, they serve up more than 500,000 movies and TV shows.
If none of those strike your fancy, there’s the On Now row, an auto-populated row of live television content from a mix of internet and over-the-air sources. This draws from channels like Hulu, PlayStation View, and Amazon’s a la carte Prime Video Channels, in addition to programming from a Fire TV Recast and HDTV antenna. (The Fire TV Recast, which was announced in September, can record two to four shows at a time from channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, and The CW, and starts at $229 for two tuners and 500GB of storage space; the four-tuner, 1TB version costs $279.) TV show and movie searches will always favor free services, and in some cases, surface trials or limited-time offers for premium channels like Shudder. It never feels like an upsell, though — whenever possible, the Fire TV Stick plays the role of an impartial mediator, making a good faith effort to avoid biasing its recommendations toward Amazon’s services.
That’s not true of the home screen, however, which serves no fewer than three carousel’s worth of Amazon movies, original series, and featured TV shows.
Worse, Fire OS lacks a proper YouTube client, a result of an ongoing feud between Google and Amazon. And Walmart’s Vudu isn’t here, either, which is a bit of a disappointment — it supports HDR for a number of Hollywood releases you won’t find on Amazon Prime or Netflix.
New capabilities landing alongside the Fire TV Stick 4K include enhanced voice controls. In apps from A&E, AMC, Sony Crackle, Hallmark, HBO Now, History, IFC, Lifetime, and VH1, you can use Alexa to play, fast-forward, and navigate through content. And if you have an Amazon Echo speaker, you’ll benefit from hands-free control with far-field voice recognition; nearby Echo devices pair automatically as soon as you ask Alexa a question that includes the Fire TV (“Alexa, show me comedies on Fire TV”).
Rounding out the new features are Alexa voice controls — you can launch apps (“Alexa, launch Starz”); search for movies by actor, director, and genre (“Alexa, find drama”); control playback (“Alexa, pause the movie”); or even ask about the weather (“Alexa, what’s this week’s forecast”) with voice command — which includes support for routines. “Alexa, good morning,” for example, can be programmed to trigger multiple devices in a sequence, like the TV, speaker system, and other Alexa-compatible smart appliances.
Voice controls extend to live TV and input controls. You can switch channels by saying commands like, “Alexa, switch to channel 15,” and “Alexa, switch to ESPN”; adjust the volume of a TV or soundbar when you’re viewing content on a different HDMI port; or switch to another device by saying “Switch to PlayStation” or “Switch to HDMI.” Conclusion The Fire TV Stick 4K doesn’t look like much from the outside, but I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the best HDMI streaming dongles for the money right now.
Its unrivaled support for 4K Ultra HDR formats is almost worth the price of admission alone — it’s the only player that has 4K, HDR10, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG on tap, and it significantly undercuts set-top boxes such as the Apple TV 4K ($180) and the Roku Ultra ($100), neither of which can play back HDR10+ content. In this respect, it even bests Roku’s competitively priced Premiere and Premiere+.
I’m equally impressed with the Alexa Voice Remote with Device Control. While it doesn’t go toe-to-toe with universal remote systems like Logitech’s Harmony, the convenience of an IR remote with voice controls can’t be overstated.
This is all to say that the Fire TV Stick 4K is the cream of the crop when it comes to set-top devices — lack of YouTube client and Vudu aside, of course. It’s fast, smooth, and chock-full of features that’ll delight not just cinephiles, but folks looking to fire up Netflix at the end of a long workday.
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"Starship Technologies launches commercial package delivery service using autonomous robots | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/starship-technologies-launches-commercial-package-delivery-service-using-autonomous-robots"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Starship Technologies launches commercial package delivery service using autonomous robots Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Starship Technologies' autonomous delivery robot.
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Starship Technologies , a robotics startup created by two of Skype’s founders , is launching what it’s claiming to be a world’s first today: a commercial, autonomous, ground-based robotic package delivery service.
If that just made you blurt out “huh?,” let us recap.
Founded out of Estonia in 2014 by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, Starship Technologies has launched myriad autonomous delivery trials , covering food and other small packages, in dozens of cities around the world. Rather than using airborne drones as many companies, such as Amazon , are doing, Starship Technologies has built a bunch of ground-traversing robots that maneuver along sidewalks entirely of their own volition. However, they can also be monitored and controlled remotely by humans if the situation requires it.
There are a few other players in the field, perhaps most notably San Francisco-based Marble, which recently closed a $10 million round of funding.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Earlier this year, Starship Technologies launched a large-scale commercial meal delivery service aimed at corporate and academic campuses in Europe and the U.S. At launch, the program was run partly in conjunction with food service giant Compass Group, kicking off at Intuit’s Mountain View campus, where workers could order food through Starship’s mobile app and have the robot bring the food to them.
Now, Starship Technologies is launching a package delivery service that promises to deliver all manner of goods directly to people’s doors.
How it works Through the Starship Deliveries mobile app, which is available on Android and iOS , consumers sign up to receive a unique personal address which they put in place of their own address when ordering goods online.
A typical address format will look something like the following, with the 5-character identifier after “Starship” at the top negating the need for the buyer to put their own name on the address: Starship 2V33A 2 Pimlico Court Monkston MK10 9HR Milton Keynes The sender (e.g. Amazon or an eBay seller) then puts that unique address on the package, which is delivered through the usual mailing system to a local facility that is managed by Starship Technologies.
Above: Starship Technologies: Deliveries For this privilege, consumers pay £7.99 ($10) per month for an unlimited number of package deliveries, though the first month is free.
Consumers are notified via the app when their package has arrived at the facility, and they can then choose a specific time for one of Starship’s robots to deliver it to their desired location. They can also track the robot’s journey in real time via the app.
Above: Starship Technologies: Package delivery For now, Starship’s robots can deliver to homes within a 2-mile radius of the depot, though it is working to expand this to cover a wider area.
Issues An obvious question many people will ask relates to the security of the robots, given that they’re entirely autonomous. Well, the lids are locked and the robots are equipped with cameras, sensors, and an alarm, while they can also be tracked to the nearest inch, according to the company. It also said that an alert is automatically sent to Starship if a robot deviates from its original journey, or if it stops unexpectedly for a period of time. That all sounds great, but it’s still not too difficult to imagine how some creative minds could easily intercept these machines and negotiate their way inside the robots before anyone has time to respond to an alarm.
Additionally, the robots are not particularly large, meaning you won’t be able to get massive products delivered to your house through Starship. And herein lies a potential problem: How can you know for sure whether a product that you buy online will fit inside the little robot? Clearly, fridges and sofas are off the agenda, but there are other, more borderline items that may be difficult to determine if they will fit inside.
A spokesperson told VentureBeat that customers will initially be able to “order anything” without worrying — Starship will get the package to the consumer one way or another. But over time, it will put some protections in place to help the consumer determine the feasibility of using Starship for a particular product.
For some, however, there will be little benefit to be gained from signing up to use Starship — many people would probably prefer to just put down their work address when ordering a package and save themselves another monthly subscription. But for those unable to give an alternative address, or who are never sure when they’re going to be at home, it could prove to be a popular service.
“Today more than ever, people lead busy and diverse lives,” noted Starship Technologies CEO Lex Bayer. “The hassle of needing to re-arrange your life for a delivery will become a thing of the past. No more having to switch your working from home day, rescheduling meetings, visit a locker, drive to a sorting office or contact a courier all because of a missed delivery. Starship gets packages to consumers when and where they want them. This is the only service of its kind available in the world today, and it works around your lifestyle.” Bayer joined Starship as CEO back in June, just as the company raised another $25 million , replacing cofounder Heinla at the helm.
For now, Starship’s new service is limited to a number of neighborhoods in Milton Keynes, a large town north of London in the U.K., but this precedes a much larger rollout that will include a package delivery service for some U.S. locales before the year is out. Plans are also afoot to bring this service to an as-yet-unnamed Mountain View campus next month, though based on Starship’s existing partnership with Intuit, that would be a good bet for this expansion.
“Consumers are in control — they choose when an order comes to their door and there’s no need to use a locker service to collect deliveries,” Bayer added. “We provide the locker and the delivery, saving time and making consumers’ lives easier.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,875 | 2,018 |
"SoundHound brings music recognition to Houndify platform | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/soundhound-brings-music-recognition-to-houndify-platform"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages SoundHound brings music recognition to Houndify platform Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn SoundHound believes in a "collective AI" vision, which is what its Houndify platform aims to be.
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SoundHound is marrying its music recognition tech with its ever-expanding conversational platform. The Santa Clara firm today announced that SoundHound Music Recognition — its Shazam-like song ID service — is now available to original equipment manufacturers, brands, and partners tapping its Houndify AI solution.
Starting this week, developers using Houndify can request access to SoundHound Music Recognition. If their application is approved, they’ll be able to license music search for use within apps or via voice commands.
SoundHound’s Houndify, which launched in December 2015, is a natural language assistant akin to Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and the Google Assistant. At launch, key features were its ability to simultaneously perform and interpret speech — a process most voice assistants at the time split into two steps — and contextual awareness. You could ask it follow-up questions without having to repeat the original invocation (for example: “Show me hotels in San Francisco for tomorrow staying for two nights that cost between $200 and $300 per night and are pet-friendly and have a gym and a pool.”) Houndify built on SoundHound’s years of research in song detection and recognition. Keyvan Mohajer, a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford studying speech recognition, founded the company in 2005 and rebranded the SoundHound app’s progenitor, Midomi, in 2009.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The SoundHound app for Android and iOS, for the uninitiated, enables you to discover music, create and add playlists, find artist information, and more. You can play a song just by speaking its title or by humming it, and streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music are natively integrated.
It’s been downloaded more than 310 million times, according to SoundHound.
“SoundHound has been at the forefront of building music recognition technologies for over a decade,” James Hom, cofounder and vice president of products at SoundHound, said. “Now, by enabling access to it through our Houndify platform, we offer our partners a killer feature for their own products and user experience.” According to SoundHound, more than 60,000 partners — including Motorola, Onkyo, Peugeot, Opel, HTC, Korea Telecom, Transcorp, Sharp, and others — have tapped the Houndify platform to incorporate voice into more than 1,000 devices. The underlying tech powers the conversational interfaces in Hyundai cars, Nvidia’s Drive autonomous vehicle platform, and Bunn coffee makers, to name a few.
In September, SoundHound collaborated with Mercedes-Benz on MBUX , a custom in-car voice platform that lets you perform tasks like switch on the heads-up display, get restaurant recommendations, and pull up sports scores with simple commands. Answers to some questions — about business hours, for example, or directions to a nearby service station — are sourced from “the cloud” and take into account the car’s location; other requests, namely those involving vehicle systems, are processed locally.
And earlier this month, the company announced that it had teamed up with Honda Xcelerator, an incubation program within Honda’s eponymous Honda Innovations lab, to accelerate development of bespoke voice-enabled AI assistants.
In May, SoundHound raised $100 million from Tencent, Hyundai, Orange S.A., and Daimler AG.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,876 | 2,018 |
"Amazon makes Music Skill API publicly available | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/music-skill-api-alexa"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Amazon makes Music Skill API publicly available Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Amazon Echo Sub Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Spicing up voice apps on Amazon’s Alexa assistant with jammin’ tunes just got a whole lot easier. The Seattle firm today announced general availability of the Music Skill API, which allows developers to stream songs from online services to Alexa devices and Amazon Echo speakers in the U.S.
Amazon unveiled the Music Skill API in September, but this week marks its public debut.
“The Music Skill API gives you self-service access to the Alexa capabilities you need to enable customers to search your catalog via voice,” BJ Haberkorn, director of Amazon Alexa developer marketing, wrote in a blog post.
“Once you’ve connected, your customers in the U.S. can enjoy music from your catalog on tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices.” Playing music with a skill that’s integrated into the API is as straightforward as saying, “Alexa, play songs by <artist> from <music service>.” Skills can stream to any compatible device, or multiple Echo devices using Alexa Multi-Room Music.
Additionally, users can tap song catalogs for alarms.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Developers don’t need to build their own voice user interface — instead, they simply provide music metadata to Amazon on a “regular basis,” and Amazon takes care of updating the voice models in the background. The Music Skill API affords a degree of control over the experience, with skip limits and stream protection. And telematics tools enable performance tracking using metrics such as skill enablement and disablement, account linking, and music playback.
Tidal and several other music providers are already using the Music Skill API, according to Amazon.
The Music Skill API debut comes a day after Amazon launched Alexa Presentation Language (APL) — a suite of tools designed to make it easier for developers to create “visually rich” skills for Alexa devices with screens, such as Amazon’s Echo Show, Fire TV, Fire Tablet, and Echo Spot — in public beta.
This week also saw the launch of new white-box Alexa original design manufacturer (ODM) hardware: Calix’s GigaSpire Max and Gemtek’s Vita.
The two smart home hubs and gateways will tap Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service for speech recognition and access to skills.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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4,877 | 2,018 |
"iRobot partners with Google to improve smart home devices with indoor maps | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/irobot-partners-with-google-to-improve-smart-home-devices-with-indoor-maps"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages iRobot partners with Google to improve smart home devices with indoor maps Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Robot vacuums’ floor maps might one day be used for more than navigating furniture and forgotten piles of laundry, if Google and iRobot have their way. Today, the two firms announced a strategic partnership to improve smart home devices using spatial data collected by iRobot’s robot vacuum cleaners.
“iRobot is delivering products that help people keep a cleaner and smarter home,” said iRobot chair and CEO Colin Angle. “Robots with mapping and spatial awareness capabilities will play an important role in allowing other smart devices in the home to more seamlessly work together. We’re looking forward to working with Google to explore new ways to enable a more thoughtful home.” iRobot’s newer Roomba vacuums — including the i7+, which launched this fall — can create indoor maps of rooms within domiciles and effectively “remember” where they’ve been. Thanks to a combination of the company’s iAdapt 3.0 Navigation tech, a top-mounted camera, and visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM), they’re able to navigate to destinations using their surroundings to orient themselves, all while autonomously segmenting out rooms before sweeping.
Executives from Google and iRobot told the Verge that the indoor maps could be used to locate products in a room, or to assign names and locations to devices and appliances automatically. iRobot previously hinted that in the future it plans to allow users to share floor plans with other connected devices.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Michele Turner, director at Google’s smart home ecosystem division, couched the partnership as an evolution of Google’s past collaborations with iRobot. The aforementioned i7 has Google Assistant integration — owners can instruct it to clean specific rooms with a voice command.
“Over the past year, we’ve been working hard to make it easier to control all the devices and appliances in your home with the Google Assistant with just your voice,” Turner said in a statement. “We’re excited to be exploring with iRobot how its unique spatial awareness technology can work with the Assistant to offer customers a more intuitive and personalized experience in their homes.” The idea of robot vacuums sending maps of your home to Google might sound a bit creepy on its face, but Turner explained to the Verge that info sharing will be strictly voluntary, and that none of the collected data will be used for marketing or ad targeting.
“This data doesn’t help current Google products,” Turner said. “This data is not getting fed into some larger morass of Google information.” This week’s announcement comes roughly a year after iRobot announced it would investigate providing spatial mapping data to smart home companies. In an interview with Reuters , Angle said he expected to find partners within “the next couple of years.” “There’s an entire ecosystem of things and services that the smart home can deliver once you have a rich map of the home that the user has allowed to be shared,” Angle said.
It’s a wise pivot. While the cleaning robot market is forecast to be worth $4.43 billion by 2023, according to analysts at MarketsandMarkets, the broader smart home sector is projected to grow to $40.9 billion in the next year.
iRobot isn’t the only firm tapping machine intelligence to map apartments and houses, of course. Neato earlier this year announced the Botvac D4 Connected and Botvac D6 Connect, both of which use lidar sensors to detect nearby obstacles. And in September, Dyson announced the 360 Heurist, an autonomous vacuum cleaner with a night vision- and laser-equipped navigation system.
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"Flex Logix unveils neural inferencing engine for AI in datacenters and on the edge | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/flex-logix-unveils-neural-inferencing-engine-for-ai-in-datacenters-and-on-the-edge"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Flex Logix unveils neural inferencing engine for AI in datacenters and on the edge Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn YOLOv3 object detection Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Chip maker Flex Logix today introduced its new Nmax general purpose neural inferencing engine designed for AI deployment in a number of environments with popular machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow or Caffe. Multiple neural accelerators can be grouped together to achieve higher levels of throughput.
Flex Logix says configurations of its Nmax 512 tiles can outperform other datacenter inferencing products like the Nvidia Tesla T4 when processing batches from image classification benchmark ResNet50.
The accelerator was also made to carry out real-time detection of multiple objects with offerings like YOLOv3 to meet growing demand for visual processing on the edge.
“With our architecture, since we load weights very quickly, we get high performance even if batch size equals one, so we’re good in the datacenter but we’re excellent at the edge,” Flex Logix CEO and cofounder Geoff Tate told VentureBeat in a phone interview.
The Nmax series made its debut today at the Linley Processor Conference in Santa Clara, California. It’s in production now, and Tate says Nmax engines will be available in late 2019.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The Nmax engine is a departure from previous work by Flex Logix that has focused primarily on specialized embedded field programmable gate array (FPGA) chips for specific tasks for customers like Harvard University, DARPA, and Boeing.
Nmax uses interconnect technology like the kind used in FPGA chips but is a general purpose neural inferencing engine programmed with TensorFlow and designed to run any kind of neural network.
Flex Logix raised a $5 million funding round in May 2017 to explore ways to build more flexible chips.
In addition to being able to quickly process visual information, Tate says, the Nmax maintains lower DRAM bandwidth rates and higher MAC efficiency than many of its competitors, leading to lower levels of energy consumption.
Raw compute power may get a lot of attention, but energy efficiency is another vital part of what it takes to train AI systems, Tate said.
“Whatever people are doing now, in five years, these models are just going to keep getting bigger and more complicated, which means we’re going to have to be more tera operations per second (TOPS), but the power constraint won’t change. So there’s going to be continuing pressure to lower the TOPS per watt in order for the market to expand. If people can’t do it, the market won’t expand. Of course there’s also a cost component, but you need lower costs and lower power, both, to penetrate many of these applications,” Tate told VentureBeat in a phone interview.
Flex Logix was founded in 2014 by Tate and cofounder Cheng Wang and is based in Mountain View, California.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Facebook's VideoStory dataset trains AI to 'automatically tell stories' | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/facebooks-videostory-dataset-is-designed-to-train-ai-that-can-automatically-tell-stories"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Facebook’s VideoStory dataset trains AI to ‘automatically tell stories’ Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn A giant logo is seen at Facebook's headquarters in London.
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It could be argued that videos are the lifeblood of social media — other than selfies, of course.
Facebook clips alone get over 8 billion average views a day and more than 100 million hours of watch time daily, and moreover, than 45 percent of people say they watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week.
The trouble with video, though, is that it’s exclusionary — folks with disabilities or poor internet connectivity can’t easily participate. It’s with that in mind researchers at Facebook created VideoStory, a new dataset for video descriptions intended to help train systems that can “automatically tell stories.” They describe it in a new paper (“ A Dataset for Telling the Stories of Social Media Videos “) published ahead of the Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing (EMNLP) in Brussels, Belgium.
“Video content on social media platforms constitutes a major part of the communication between people, as it allows everyone to share their stories,” the researchers wrote. “However, if someone is unable to consume video … this severely limits their … communication. Automatically telling the stories using multi-sentence descriptions of videos would allow bridging this gap.” VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Above: Timestamped sentences from the VideoStory dataset.
To compile the dataset of 20,000 videos and 123,000 descriptive sentences, the team set out to find videos with “high engagement” on social media — i.e., popular uploads with a large number of comments and shares that prompted interactions between people.
The challenge was integrating information from each video into detailed captions describing the sequence of events. As the paper’s authors noted, existing datasets such as Stanford’s ActivityNet Captions focus on sets of preselected human activities, whereas social media videos cover a wide range of topics and categories.
For each of the videos, which ranged in length from 20 to 180 seconds, the team supplied annotated paragraphs describing objects, situations, and important details, and lined up the sentences with corresponding timestamps. In the end, clips had about five sentences on average, each aligned to roughly 18 seconds of footage on average.
The importance of context The next step was training an AI system that would use VideoStory to caption videos automatically. A total of 17,098 videos were reserved for training, and 999 and 1,011 were set aside for validation and testing, respectively.
First, the team used a recurrent neural network — a type of neural network commonly employed in natural language processing tasks — to describe each segment of a given video. And to ensure the overall system took into account correlations between past and future events, they incorporated context from each previous segment description with a second machine learning model.
Above: Several variations on the AI model, along with generated captions.
The captions it generated weren’t consistently right — a video of a baby playing outside with two dogs yielded captions like, “A dog is standing in the middle of a house,” and “The dog runs around the room and the dog jumps up and down” — but the results demonstrated that the model, trained on the VideoStory dataset, benefited from the addition of contextual information.
“High-quality video descriptions are more than bags of single-sentence captions; they should tell a coherent story,” they wrote. “[Our] evaluations show that our dataset is complimentary from prior work due to more diverse topics and the selection of engaging videos which tell a story. Our VideoStory dataset can serve as a good benchmark to build models for story understanding and multi-sentence video description.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Baidu and Ford team up to develop driverless cars in China | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/baidu-and-ford-team-up-to-develop-driverless-cars-in-china"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Baidu and Ford team up to develop driverless cars in China Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn A photo shows an autonomous car built using Baidu's Apollo software.
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(Reuters) — Ford and Baidu launched a two-year project on Wednesday to test self-driving vehicles on Chinese roads, amid a global race by carmakers and internet firms to develop autonomous vehicle technology.
The project will start testing on designated roads in Beijing by the end of this year, and possibly other Chinese cities, the two companies said in a statement.
The vehicles will be capable of operating autonomously in certain conditions by the time the project finishes the development and testing process, they said.
By the end of the test period, the project will reach so-called level 4 technology for autonomous vehicles, or autonomous driving but not in all conditions. It is the second-highest tier after level 5, which describes vehicles that should be capable of navigating roads without any driver input.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Ford and Baidu, China’s top search engine operator that is also taking a lead role in self-driving tech in the country, said in June they would develop connected services, artificial intelligence and digital marketing in China.
The U.S. carmaker, which is grappling with slowing China sales, is a founding member of the Apollo Committee, an advisory group for Baidu’s Apollo autonomous driving open platform.
China’s capital city gave German automaker Daimler the green light to test self-driving cars on roads in July, making it the first international car maker to be granted such a license in Beijing.
(Reporting by Yilei Sun in Beijing and Adam Jourdan in Shanghai; Editing by Neil Fullick) VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Amazon drops Alexa skills recommendation error rate 12% | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/amazon-drops-alexa-skills-recommendation-error-rate-12-percent"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Amazon drops Alexa skills recommendation error rate 12% Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Amazon’s Alexa assistant has lots of skills — more than 50,000, at last count. That makes it tough to discover new ones if you’re not sure where to start, but fortunately, scientists at the Seattle company are tackling the problem with artificial intelligence (AI).
In a blog post this morning, Young-Bum Kim, a data scientist at Amazon’s Alexa AI division, detailed the machine learning system that automatically selects the best skill to handle a particular request. Recent modifications made to it — the results of which will be presented at the 2018 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing this week in Brussels — noticeably decreased errors.
As Kim explained, the model comprises two neural networks, or layers of mathematical functions that mimic the behavior of neurons in the brain.
The first — dubbed the “shortlister” — produces a list of candidate skills that might be appropriate for a given request, taking into account skills already linked to the requester’s Alexa account. (Kim notes that linking is a strong corollary for preference.) Meanwhile, an “attention mechanism” dynamically assigns a weight to each of the linked skills, modifying the probability any one of them will make it onto the shortlist.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The second uses more detailed information — including whether the skills’ developers indicated which actions their skills are able to perform in metadata — to choose among those skills.
Previously, Alexa researchers trained the shortlister network end-to-end; every component of the network was evaluated based on how it contributed to the accuracy of the output. But the newly improved AI model also considers intended skills — i.e., linked skills invoked when a user requests something — in determining probability. As a result, the network now more reliably selects linked skills when a user intends them, Kim wrote.
To test the improved AI system’s robustness, the Alexa AI team tested three different versions that used two distinct functions to generate the weights applied to linked skills — softmax, which generates weights with values between 0 and 1 that must sum to 1, and sigmoid, which also produces weights ranging from 0 to 1 but that has no restrictions on their sum. (The previous version of the shortlist neural network used softmax exclusively.) The best-performing model of the three reduced the error rate by 12 percent when tasked with producing shortlists of three candidate skills, Kim wrote.
Amazon’s use of AI extends beyond skills selection. Its context carryover model allows Alexa to understand “multi-turn utterances” — in essence, follow-up requests with explicit pronoun references (for example, “Alexa, what was Adele’s first album?” “Alexa, play it.”) A separate AI system allows Amazon’s Echo speakers to recognize up to ten distinct user voices. Moreover, back in November, Amazon’s Alexa team said it’s beginning to analyze the sound of users’ voices to recognize mood or emotional state.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. In August, the Alexa Machine Learning team at Amazon made headway in bringing key voice recognition models offline.
And at a September hardware event where it launched 11 new and refreshed Alexa-powered products, the Seattle company showed off Hunches , which proactively recommends actions based on data from connected devices and sensors, and whisper mode, which responds to whispered speech with a quieter tone. ( Whisper mode launched this month in the U.S.) VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Alexa can now talk about the midterm elections | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/alexa-can-now-talk-about-the-midterm-elections"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Alexa can now talk about the midterm elections Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Amazon Echo Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Amazon today announced a series of updates to Alexa’s knowledge base so the intelligent assistant can deliver helpful information ahead of, during, and after the U.S. midterm elections scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
Alexa was asked millions of election-related questions in the lead-up to the 2016 election, Amazon VP of Alexa information Bill Barton said in a blog post today announcing plans to tap knowledge bases from the Associated Press and Ballotpedia.
Say “Alexa, what’s my election update,” and Alexa, basing answers on your location, will tell you about gubernatorial, congressional, or Senate candidates. Alexa is also now able to answer questions like “Alexa, when are the polls open?” On Election Day, as the votes come in, Amazon is working with the Associated Press for Alexa to deliver election updates and tell Echo speaker users how a candidate is doing based on their name and deliver up-to-date results in closely watched congressional or U.S. Senate races.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! Amazon Echo Show devices will also display visual information when answering questions like who won the gubernatorial race in any particular state or how many seats Democrats won or lost in the House.
Alexa’s conversational AI hasn’t figured out how to answer all your questions yet related to voting. Ask “Alexa, where’s my nearest polling place” and you still get Yelp local business results.
Alexa is an assistant that Amazon wants to seem more humanlike, VP Miriam Daniel recently told VentureBeat.
The personality team charged to make the intelligent assistant have decided Alexa is a she and a feminist, but perhaps unsurprisingly, Alexa has no political party.
Ask Alexa if she is a Democrat or a Republican and the assistant will say “There are no voting booths in the cloud. Believe me, I’ve looked. It’s all just 1s and 0s up here.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"AISense's Otter for Education brings voice transcription to colleges | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/aisenses-otter-for-education-brings-voice-transcription-to-colleges"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages AISense’s Otter for Education brings voice transcription to colleges Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
San Francisco startup AISense in February launched Otter , a voice recording app that leverages artificial intelligence to transcribe speech, with the goal of developing tech that can accurately capture conversations in meetings, interviews, and conferences. Since then, it has added features such as call recording, inline image embedding, and advanced exporting options. Today, it announced a new service designed for institutes of higher learning: Otter for Education.
CEO Sam Liang describes Otter for Education as designed to “meet the needs” of universities and other higher level education institutions and as an affordable and real-time accessibility aid for students with note-taking accommodations. Tulane University, Western Kentucky University, and UCLA have signed on in early access earlier this year ahead of the launch of an enterprise release in December 2018.
“We are excited that Otter will bring AI into classrooms and will dramatically improve education effectiveness,” Liang said. “Students now have searchable class notes with synchronized audio, and real-time transcription makes classes accessible for students who have difficulty following what a teacher is saying.” Otter for Education affords instructors control over access to recorded transcripts and was designed to complement disability services and accessibility technologies already being used by universities, Liang said. Pricing has yet to be announced, but AISense is today opening pilot program signups to interested parties.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “Otter is a promising new assistive technology for students that require note-taking assistance,” said Kathryn Fernandez, executive director for campus accessibility at Tulane University. “It not only provides recording and synchronized speech recognition, it can recognize who is speaking and integrate search and keyword extraction.” Otter’s core technology, which was developed over the course of two years by a team that hails from Google, Yahoo, Facebook, MIT, Stanford, Duke, and Cambridge, is optimized for conversations. Otter can automatically separate individual speakers using a technique called diarization, and generate a unique print for each person’s voice.
Transcriptions are processed in the cloud and made available from the web or in Otter’s mobile app, where they can be searched, copied and pasted, scrolled through, and shared. A word cloud at the top of each recording tracks the most-used terms.
Otter competes with Microsoft’s eponymous Microsoft 365 , which can host live events with AI-powered features such as facial recognition of attendees and autonomous speech-to-text conversion, as well as comparable meeting transcription tools from Cisco and startup Voicera.
But AISense seeks to differentiate its service with competitive pricing. Premium subscription plans start at $10 per month ($5 a month for students) and include up to 100 hours of recording and advanced exporting options.
It’s also licensing its tech to third parties, like video conferencing company Zoom.
AISense has raised $13 million to date from Horizons Ventures, Bridgewater Associates, i-Hatch Ventures, MetaLab, Jay Markley, and others, plus seed investors Draper Associations, Slow Ventures, Danhua Capital, and 500 Startups.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"3 measurable benchmarks for enterprise AI that define the future | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/ai/3-measurable-benchmarks-for-enterprise-ai-that-define-the-future"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Sponsored 3 measurable benchmarks for enterprise AI that define the future Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Presented by Ople Three qualities really define when a technology has matured, when it has truly come into its own and begun to reach its potential. I’m drawing on past technological advances that have transformed into basic utilities, the things we need in our everyday lives to function. Electricity and mobile phones are two fairly recent examples that come to mind.
No matter what the technology, it will not change the way we live our lives or run our businesses until it matures and becomes easy, cheap, and ubiquitous.
These qualities are benchmarks that can help us define AI’s progress from computer science curiosity to requisite tech tool. Though they sound subjective and fuzzy, if we break each benchmark into its constituent elements, they are measurable. Doing so helps us figure out what AI can do for us, where it needs to go, and how it fits into the models and processes of a wide range of businesses. It helps us boil down a vast number of options and nuances into a few handy rules of thumb to guide our decision making.
Benchmark 1: Easy “Easy” in this context means fewer skills and less time are required. This may seem paradoxical with a bleeding-edge technology like machine learning and AI, but it is an achievable goal.
To reduce the skills required, you need an easy-to-use interface and flawless user experience. Everything you need should be at your fingertips. You should never be required to alter the back-end or open another tool to complete a task. That’s not easy. Instead, you need a product that is intuitive and covers most use cases.
Removing complexity is a critical, but insufficient component of “easy.” Efficiency and the reduction of time spent are an equally important measure. If it takes fifteen hours to wash your car, then it’s not easy, even if it doesn’t require complex or specialized skills.
The efficiency of your AI platform can be determined by looking at how much of the data science pipeline is streamlined and automated. Each step left as an exercise for the user: Data cleansing, feature engineering, model selection, optimization, dev-ops, and deployment to production, adds complexity and time.
Rule of thumb: If you can’t train a reasonably intelligent colleague to use an AI product that covers the entire pipeline in a week, it’s not easy. It’s too hard.
Benchmark 2: Cheap “Cheap” is relative. Some projects demand sizable resources, but what matters is the return on investment. If the benefits gained are significantly larger than the investment, it’s cheap.
Complexity and inconsistency are the enemies of cheap. They will quickly eat up your technology budget. If every time you ask your AI software platform to build a model it delivers a different technology, such as random forests or neural networks, you will need to deploy different skills, hardware, and software. It’s not cheap to hire, train, and maintain multiple skill sets or build redundant infrastructure based on the whims of your AI platform.
When you only need to support a single infrastructure, you reduce cost and complexity.
When you reduce the skills required to use and maintain your systems , it’s easier to hire and train your workforce, which thus becomes much cheaper. And when you can dramatically increase the output of your existing team, your return on investment will skyrocket. In this case, AI becomes immensely cheaper.
Rule of thumb: Whatever you’re spending now, you should be able to knock off a zero. That’s absolutely possible, if AI is done right.
Benchmark 3: Ubiquitous “Ubiquitous,” by definition, means you are using it everywhere. If your AI efforts are limited by the data supported (images or text) or by the types of problems you can solve (supervised or unsupervised learning), then it’s not ubiquitous. If you can only refine pre-built models to try and force-fit them to your business, then it’s not ubiquitous. And if the cost and complexity of building models is so high that you are reserving your resources for only a handful of highest impact projects, then it’s not ubiquitous.
The biggest blocks to broad adoption of AI in businesses are data and understanding. A number of companies struggle with finding and preparing the data they need to build effective models. Those that do, run into roadblocks to development because executives, regulators, or other stakeholders cannot understand how the model works, or why it makes certain decisions. Your AI tools need to help, not hinder these common problems in order to be ubiquitous.
Data quality has a significant impact on the accuracy, and even the possibility, of AI models. Many of the tools available to data scientists today expect pristine levels of cleanliness and massive amounts of observations to work properly. On top of that, many of the platforms are limited to the size of datasets they can work with. This alone causes a number of companies to hit a brick wall before even starting.
The software you choose should be able to build robust models with the data you have on hand. If you need to spend months to prepare data for training, that same effort will be required for predictions. More data is always better. Any platform you choose should be able to support you as your data grows. But it should also be able to at least tell you if gathering more data is worth the effort. Nothing prevents adoption more than spending six months gathering, cleaning, and preparing data only to find your hypothesis was wrong.
Finally, the value of AI to your business depends on being able to use it! If, after all that work, you can’t put a model into production because you can’t explain why it works, then you have wasted time and resources. The solutions you choose should help explain how the predictions are being made and which features (data) impact the outcome. When you can apply AI to all areas of your business and quickly put those models into production, then AI becomes ubiquitous.
Rule of thumb: If the AI platform you are considering forces you to limit the number of challenges you can tackle, then you should look elsewhere. The right platform can change the way you think about AI from being a “moonshot” to being as ubiquitous as a spreadsheet.
When AI is accessible to a broad range of skill sets, from Ph.D.’s to subject matter experts, it becomes easy. When more people can deliver AI faster, it becomes cheap. When you can apply AI across your company, it becomes ubiquitous. Only then will AI become the next utility.
Pedro Alves is CEO and Founder at Ople.ai At Ople , we use AI to build AI. We have developed an artificial intelligence platform that acts, thinks, and learns like a data scientist, providing our customers elite-quality deep-learning models deployed instantly and ready to make predi ctions in minutes, not months. If you would like to learn more about what you can achieve with Ople, please visit our website to learn more and set-up a private meeting.
Sponsored posts are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. Content produced by our editorial team is never influenced by advertisers or sponsors in any way. For more information, contact [email protected].
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"Elon Musk to resign as Tesla chairman, remain CEO in $40 million SEC settlement | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/transportation/elon-musk-to-resign-as-tesla-chairman-remain-ceo-in-40-million-sec-settlement"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Elon Musk to resign as Tesla chairman, remain CEO in $40 million SEC settlement Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Tesla chief executive Elon Musk enters the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, U.S., January 6, 2017.
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( Reuters ) — Tesla and Elon Musk have agreed to pay $20 million each to financial regulators and the billionaire will step down as the company’s chairman but remain as chief executive, under a settlement that caps a tumultuous two months for the car-maker.
The securities fraud agreement, announced by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Saturday, will come as a relief to investors, who had worried that a lengthy legal fight would only further hurt the loss-making electric car company.
The SEC said Musk, 47, misled investors with tweets on Aug. 7 in which he said he was considering taking Tesla private and had secured funding.
The regulator had alleged in a lawsuit on Thursday that the tweets had no basis in fact , and said the market chaos that ensued hurt investors.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The SEC charges against Musk on Friday shaved about $7 billion off high-flying Tesla, knocking its market value to $45.2 billion on Friday, below General Motors’s $47.5 billion.
In the settlement, the agency pulled back from its demand that Musk, who is synonymous with the Tesla brand , be barred from running Tesla, a sanction that many investors said would be disastrous.
“I think this is the best possible outcome for everyone involved” said Ivan Feinseth of Tigress Financial Partners, who rates Tesla ‘neutral’, who added the SEC’s penalty was only a slap on the wrist for Musk.
“The fact that he can remain CEO is very important for the company.” Neither Musk nor Tesla admitted or denied the SEC’s findings as part of the settlement. Tesla and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Investors and corporate governance experts said on Saturday that the agreement could strengthen Tesla, which has been bruised by Musk’s recent volatile behavior. He was filmed smoking marijuana and wielding a sword on a webcast this month just hours before Tesla said its recently-appointed accounting chief would leave.
The entrepreneur had been directly involved in almost every detail of Tesla’s product design and technology strategy, and drove the company’s employees to extraordinary achievements – much as another Silicon Valley chief executive, Steve Jobs, did at Apple Inc.
Musk is now required to step down as chairman of Tesla within 45 days, and he is not permitted to be re-elected to the post for three years. Tesla is required to appoint two new independent directors to its board, a move Feinseth should strengthen the company.
The SEC charged Tesla with failing to have required disclosure controls and procedures for Musk’s tweets. The SEC said the company had no way to determine if his tweets contained information that must be disclosed in corporate filings, or if they contained complete and accurate information.
Musk walked away at the last minute from an earlier settlement with the SEC that would have required him to give up key leadership roles at the company for two years and pay a nominal fine, according to media reports on Friday.
Investors said on Friday that it has been a big mistake for Musk to turn down that settlement, especially at a time when the company has been pushing hard to meet production targets.
The settlement tasks the Tesla board, which many critics have accused of failing to rein in Musk, with the tricky challenge of finding an independent chairman who is able to work closely with the often emotional and unpredictable chief executive.
Musk, who has often turned to Twitter to promote Tesla and confront critics, said on Thursday that the SEC’s actions were unjustified. Tesla shares jumped after his Aug. 7 tweets, a blow to short-sellers betting on the stock’s decline.
As CEO, Musk had gained legions of fans for his bold approach to business and technology. He used his Twitter account to promote the achievements of Tesla, his rocket launch company SpaceX, and other projects such as his tunnel venture, the Boring Co, to his nearly 23 million followers.
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"ProBeat: Oculus Connect 5 taught me Facebook Live still sucks | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/social/probeat-oculus-connect-5-taught-me-facebook-live-still-sucks"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Opinion ProBeat: Oculus Connect 5 taught me Facebook Live still sucks Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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As part of our Oculus Connect 5 coverage this week, we sent Dean Takahashi to the event in San Jose, California while the broader VentureBeat team supported him remotely by watching the livestream. Unfortunately, just like last year, Oculus chose Facebook Live.
And just like last year, it was a poor experience. The day one livestream only peaked at some 10,000 viewers while the day two livestream saw about 1,000. That was enough to bring the service to its knees.
The first day was tough — more of us had issues with the livestream than during any other event we’ve covered in my four years at VentureBeat. Sometimes the video would cut in and out every few seconds. Sometimes it would just die completely. And the outages were hitting people at the same time — this wasn’t a question of poor internet connections.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! I was toying with writing about this after the first day, especially after getting multiple “This live video has ended” messages that required me to manually refresh the page over and over. The Carmack stream, the one with fewer people watching, cemented my frustration. I lost count of the number of times the livestream stuttered. And then, not only did the dreaded “This live video has ended” message hit, but refreshing didn’t work either.
If you wanted to keep watching, you had to somehow realize that this link was dead and this link was now live.
My colleague Jeremy Horwitz figured this out by going back to the Oculus Facebook Page and sharing the new link with the team.
This new stream was better — it certainly cut out a lot less, although that’s not saying much. But the overall experience made me wonder how Facebook still hasn’t mastered livestreaming. Three years ago, Facebook went down three times in a single month.
That type of thing simply doesn’t happen anymore, so I was honestly surprised livestreaming reliably is still an issue.
It’s really the perfect first world problem: Being unable to watch technical talk of frames per second because not enough frames are coming in per second.
If Facebook didn’t own Oculus, I’m pretty sure the team would have just gone with YouTube, or even Twitch. No major tech company uses Facebook Live to livestream their events.
Facebook is betting big on AR/VR. And I’m certain that the company can solve livestreaming reliability issues before it succeeds in building mass-adopted virtual reality products. It’s just unfortunate that in 2018, the lack of progress for the former took away from the presentation of the potential progress of the latter.
ProBeat is a column in which Emil rants about whatever crosses him that week.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Facebook reveals data breach affecting nearly 50 million accounts | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/social/facebook-reveals-data-breach-affecting-nearly-50-million-accounts"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Facebook reveals data breach affecting nearly 50 million accounts Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
(Reuters) — Facebook said on Friday that hackers had discovered a security flaw that allowed them to take over up to 50 million user accounts, a major breach that adds to a bruising year for the company’s reputation.
Facebook, which has more than 2 billion monthly active users, said it has been unable to determine yet whether the attackers misused any of the affected accounts or stole private information.
Facebook made headlines earlier this year after the data of 87 million users was improperly accessed by Cambridge Analytica , a political consultancy. The disclosure has prompted government inquiries into the company’s privacy practices across the world, and fueled a “#deleteFacebook” movement among consumers.
Shares in Facebook fell more than 3 percent in afternoon trading, weighing on major Wall Street stock indexes.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! The latest vulnerability had existed since July 2017, but Facebook did not discover it until this month when it spotted an unusual increase in use of its “view as” feature.
“View as” allows users to see what their own profile looks like to someone else. The flaw inadvertently issued users of the tool a digital code, similar to browser cookie, that could be used to post from and browse Facebook as if they were someone else.
The company said it fixed the issue on Thursday. It also notified the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and Irish data protection authority about the breach.
Facebook reset the digital keys of the 50 million affected accounts, and as a precaution reset those keys for another 40 million that have been looked up through the “view as” option over the last year.
About 90 million people will have to log back into Facebook or any of their apps that use a Facebook login, the company said.
Facebook is also temporarily disabling “view as,” it said.
In 2013, Facebook disclosed a software flaw that exposed 6 million users’ phone numbers and email addresses to unauthorized viewers for a year, while a technical glitch in 2008 revealed confidential birth-dates on 80 million Facebook users’ profiles.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"GamesBeat Decides 97: Ugly, but in a good way | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/gamesbeat-decides-97-ugly-but-in-a-good-way"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages GamesBeat Decides 97: Ugly, but in a good way Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn GamesBeat Decides likes ugly things.
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It’s time to podcast, y’all. The GamesBeat Decides crew is back for another week of news and games.
On this episode, we have only the latest in entertainment. That includes … Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Legend of Zelda? Well, co-host Jeffrey Grubb has at least spent some time with Forza Horizon 4 and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. He dives into both of those, while fellow co-host Mike Minotti wastes his life with NES Nintendo Switch Online games.
Before getting into the news, Mike and Jeff talk about the 5 bad PlayStation games they want on the PlayStation Classic.
In the headlines, the pair talk about the tragic end of Telltale Games and unionization. Then it’s a lot of PlayStation news. Sony is permitting crossplay now. The Vita is dead. And you can download PlayStation Now games.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! I invite you to join us by downloading here or clicking play below: Here’s everything we talked about NES Nintendo Switch Online app Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Forza Horizon 4 PlayStation Classic The 5 bad PlayStation games we want on PS Classic PlayStation Crossplay Vita is dead PlayStation Now downloads Oculus Quest Let’s do this again next week! GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Why is Verizon chasing 4G speed records with 5G only days away? | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/why-is-verizon-chasing-4g-speed-records-with-5g-only-days-away"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Analysis Why is Verizon chasing 4G speed records with 5G only days away? Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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After nearly a year of hype, actual 5G service is now only days away.
Verizon is launching commercial offerings in four cities next week — but the same carrier is touting an eleventh-hour breakthrough in 4G.
Working with Qualcomm and Nokia in a live New York commercial environment, Verizon achieved a peak data speed of 1.45Gbps using LTE Advanced technology.
To put that in some perspective, Verizon’s 5G service is promising customers peak data speeds of 1Gbps — 10 to 100 times faster than typical cellular speeds today — with more typical performance in the 300Mbps range. So when Verizon says that (certain) 4G phones might outperform its 5G network, by a factor of nearly 50 percent, that’s a sure-fire recipe for customer confusion.
Understanding this development requires a little knowledge about the current state of 4G and 5G modem development. Chipmaker Qualcomm is working on Snapdragon X50 series modems for 5G devices, but it’s also been developing the X24 modem as a “4.9G” alternative — a very late-stage way to squeeze a few more drops of performance out of 4G networks ahead of the 5G transition.
While 5G rolls out across the world, some devices will use X50 modems, and some will use X24s.
Motorola’s 5G Moto Mod will actually include both.
The reason: Chipmakers and carriers expect that 5G devices will simultaneously maintain connections to 4G and 5G networks, falling back to 4G whenever 5G towers are unavailable.
It would theoretically be easiest for consumers if the transition had crisp end and beginning points for 4G and 5G — say, “4G ranged from 5Mbps to 1Gbps, and 5G ranged from 1Gbps to 100Gbps,” but as Verizon’s announcement makes clear, that’s not going to happen. The 3G to 4G transition similarly had some overlap between the upper speeds 3G users could expect and the lower speeds 4G users might see. (Regrettably, some 4G users have continued to be stuck at or near those low speeds for the past decade, but that’s another discussion.) Late 4G improvements like this are actually going to be good news for consumers, too. They’ll bring better fallback speeds to 5G users and faster performance for 4G holdouts. Verizon noted that the technology that enabled the record speed was six-channel carrier aggregation, combining two Verizon-licensed radio frequencies with four channels of so-called “shared spectrum” to create enough bandwidth for 1.45Gbps worth of 4G/LTE data. The same carrier aggregation technology will be used in 5G, too, to enable even faster speeds.
It also used 4×4 MIMO — four antennas in the device, four in the cell tower — and a bandwidth-maximizing technology known as 256 QAM to pack the spectrum with data. Verizon notes that it currently has these technologies installed in over 1,110 markets across the United States.
Qualcomm has said that the Snapdragon X24 is capable of delivering up to 2Gbps speeds over LTE, which means that there’s still a little room left to hit future 4G records. Meanwhile, Verizon and other carriers will now need to more heavily market some of 5G’s other distinctive advantages over 4G, including ultra-low latency and added security, if it wants to convince customers to form the first wave of 5G early adopters.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"Spotify demands family plan users' GPS data with threat to end service | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/spotify-demands-family-plan-users-gps-data-with-threat-to-end-service"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Spotify demands family plan users’ GPS data with threat to end service Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Spotify preparing to go public on the NYSE Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Music streaming leader Spotify has threatened to cut off service to some customers and is demanding that they confirm their home addresses with GPS data or risk losing access — a move that has upset users and raised personal privacy concerns, according to a Quartz report.
The controversy concerns the unauthorized use of Spotify’s $15 monthly “Premium for Family” plan by friends or even family members who don’t live at the service purchaser’s home. Family plan purchasers agree that up to five people may share the Spotify account, provided that they live at the same address — a requirement likely imposed to curtail unauthorized music sharing.
But service provider audits of shared family accounts are uncommon, and from customers’ perspectives, generally unwelcome. Streaming companies such as Amazon, Apple, Hulu, and Netflix generally permit or specifically sell services offering multiple simultaneous streams and typically don’t shut down accounts based on use from different locations. Occasionally, however, companies have cut off customers who are clearly abusing shared service.
In Spotify’s case, the company is presenting Family users in the United States and Germany with dialog boxes that say continued use of the group discount service requires that the user confirm a home address using GPS data. “By confirming your location, you get to enjoy Spotify Premium for Family, and help to pay artists fairly for their music.” The company claims that it will solely use the GPS data to verify the user’s location, “and nothing else.” Spotify confirmed the messages to Quartz, calling them tests of “improvements to the user experience” for Family users in select markets. But they actually appear to be geared solely toward improving Spotify’s average revenue per user, which has recently declined due to heavy use of family plans — particularly an issue for a recently publicly traded company seeking constant growth.
It remains to be seen whether this plays out as Spotify expects, with compliant users cutting off friends and far-flung family members, or whether it causes the service to lose clusters of customers to thirsty rivals such as Amazon and Apple. While Spotify’s desire to make more money from its sole service is understandable, initial reactions are generally in the “hostile user experience” camp, suggesting that at least some people will soon be getting their music from other sources.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Samsung reveals Galaxy Watch Golf Edition with integrated Smart Caddie | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/samsung-reveals-galaxy-watch-golf-edition-with-integrated-smart-caddie"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Samsung reveals Galaxy Watch Golf Edition with integrated Smart Caddie Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Catering to a very specific demographic, Samsung has announced the Galaxy Watch Golf Edition — a customized version of its latest smart watch that most notably features a golf app called Smart Caddie. As discovered by SamMobile , the new edition has thus far been announced for release in South Korea, where it will be marketed at a $45 premium over standard Galaxy Watch models.
Samsung’s vision with the Golf Edition is apparently to present the Galaxy Watch as a gift-worthy wearable with a niche but compelling activity tracking feature ready to go. Co-developed with Korean golf simulator company Golfzon, Smart Caddie leverages the Galaxy Watch’s sensors for shot tracking, and with the latest model’s battery life works for 54 holes or three full rounds of golf.
The app can also keep golf records, as well as sharing information about individual golf courses. It includes data on 60,000 courses from across the world, even diving into details such as the height of a given green. Apart from its name and app-specific functionality, the Golf Edition is otherwise apparently the same as a regular Galaxy Watch.
There’s precedent for the Galaxy Watch Golf Edition, as Samsung released a Gear S3 Golf Edition in October 2017 with similar functionality. In early October, Apple will begin to sell a Nike+ version of its competing Apple Watch Series 4 smartwatch with additional watch faces and a pre-installed Nike+ running app, targeted at runners.
The 42mm Galaxy Watch Golf Edition sells for 389,900 won (approximately $351) versus the 339,000 won ($306) price of the standard 42mm model. A larger 46mm Golf model sells for 409,700 won ($367), up from 359,700 ($324). U.S. release plans have not yet been announced.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"As White House holds 5G summit, FCC debuts industry-guiding 5G FAST Plan | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/mobile/as-white-house-holds-5g-summit-fcc-debuts-industry-guiding-5g-fast-plan"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages As White House holds 5G summit, FCC debuts industry-guiding 5G FAST Plan Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn FCC Chair Ajit Pai speaks at the White House's 5G Summit on September 28, 2018.
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On relatively short notice, the White House today convened a 5G Summit consisting of morning and afternoon sessions for regulators, legislators, and telecom representatives. While its specific purpose wasn’t clear ahead of time, the Summit turned out to be an opportunity for administration officials who openly said that they “don’t know anything” to learn about and plan for the future of 5G in the United States.
During its morning session, the Summit featured speakers such as FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow, and chief White House communications advisor David Redl, all discussing the need to speed up 5G deployment to improve U.S. economic growth. Collectively, their message was that the current administration favors continued deregulation of the telecom industry, in the name of bringing even as-yet-unimaginable innovations quickly into the market.
Pai also used the Summit as an opportunity to release the FCC’s 5G FAST Plan, described as a comprehensive strategy to “Facilitate American Superiority in 5G Technology.” The plan has three key components: Adding additional radio spectrum for 5G and Wi-Fi, including unlicensed 6GHz and above 95GHz frequencies for Wi-Fi, low-band changes to 600Mhz, 800Mhz, and 900MHz, mid-band improvements for 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, and 3.7-4.2GHz, and high-band auctions for 24GHz, 28GHz, 37GHz, 39GHz, and 47GHz — plus plans to add 26GHz and 42GHz.
FCC-level infrastructure policy improvements, which have already been implemented with recent FCC orders on speeding up 5G small cell deployments at both the federal and state/local levels.
Updating federal regulations, collectively easing companies’ investments in 5G technologies, and blocking taxpayer dollars from being spent with companies that may constitute national security threats.
Most if not all of the plan’s components have notably already been announced, if not completed, though to the FCC’s credit, the agency has been moving quickly — if not ahead of the telecom industry, nearly in lock step with it. Beyond spectrum auctions and reallocations, neither of which are trivial, it’s unclear what the FCC plans to focus on over the next year as 5G continues to roll out.
Each of the speakers, including Redl, made references to the expected future applications of 5G: crystal-clear high-definition video, leaps forward for VR and AR, pocket devices with crazy speeds, and multiple connected vehicles and factories reliant on low-latency connections. Like Pai, Redl noted that allocating more radio spectrum would be critical for the future of 5G, and it’s clear from the new 5G FAST plan that it’s a priority for the FCC. He also spoke to the need to increase broadband availability to a larger number of Americans.
The Summit is continuing this afternoon with breakout sessions for the attendees. We’ll update this story with any additional news from the event if it breaks.
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"Why one of Sony's biggest PSVR advocates went indie | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/why-one-of-sonys-biggest-psvr-advocates-went-indie"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Why one of Sony’s biggest PSVR advocates went indie Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn This bald man is very upset with me.
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Dave Ranyard used to head up one of Sony’s longest-running PlayStation developers, working on its most experimental tech, located in the heart of London. Over the course of the past decade, he’s worked on games that spearheaded PlayStation peripherals from the popular SingStar karaoke series to early augmented reality efforts with Wonderbook. Most recently he was working on PlayStation VR, serving as one of the kit’s key ambassadors in its early days, presenting the demos that would add up to the popular PlayStation VR Worlds launch compilation. Showing sharks to his mother, watching people fall through virtual desks or simply watching cynics be converted right before his eyes — you might consider him one of the headset’s biggest advocates.
But these days? He’s traded all of that in for a meditation yurt and he couldn’t be happier about it.
Ranyard is grinning from ear-to-ear as he shows me around Huckletree, west London’s co-working space that houses his latest venture, independent development studio Dream Reality Interactive. He’s feeding off the bubbly vibe of positivity that exudes from the venue, from the hipster-approved hut to the indoor gazebo that sits next to it. DRI itself, now over two years old and soon set to release its second commercial product, is nestled off to the side of the main floor, a team of around 10 all busily working away with a hearty startup spirit. The enthusiasm on display is infectious, but I can’t help wonder if it’s worth the trade-off of that Sony safety net.
“Isn’t that–” Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! “Madness?” Ranyard interjects with a laugh before I’ve even finished my first question. Well, isn’t it? “I was 48 [when I left Sony],” he explains, “and I thought, if I don’t do it now, I’m not going to do it. It was a bit of personal pressure. I’d always thought “Wouldn’t it be great to have your own studio?”” He’s had his own businesses before, too. In another life, Ranyard was a musician signed to Warner Bros. and he’d even run a vintage clothes store before that. Still, the decision wasn’t made lightly. “When you’re in a big corp it’s quite difficult to [leave] because you’re kind of in this certain lifestyle that’s very busy and it’s reasonably well recompensed. And I’ve got four kids.” But, having spent years working on PSVR in its R&D stage and developing the game that now comes packaged in with the headset as your first VR experience, Ranyard already had the spirit of adventure in him. “It was a high risk inside Sony to say “Right, let’s do VR!” when it was still like a cycling helmet with bits strapped on it,” he recalls.
“I really enjoyed being at Sony but I got to the point where I was preferring to be more autonomous,” Ranyard explains. “When I was first at Sony it was pretty agile but, as with any business these things grow and more layers come in and more departments and before you know it you’re not super quick on things and you’re going to other people to get their buy-in.” And so, despite having worked on PSVR pretty much since its inception at the turn of the decade, Ranyard packed his bags before the headset even launched on October 13th 2016. “It was great to be part of that and, actually, if I was purely going with my heart, I would have stayed at Sony for the launch of PSVR,” he says. “But, putting a bit of a commercial head on, it felt smarter to leave before it was launched because there was more opportunity to raise investment.” Not only is Ranyard now in the “dark woods of indieness”, but he’s also exploring the murkier terrain of VR and AR, a market that hasn’t taken off as quickly as analyst’s astronomical projections said it would. He’s well aware of the risks (“I joke, but there are moments where you’re on the edge of the chasm of despair with an Indiana Jones rope bridge about to snap and people running behind you and you’re like: “Help.””) but, fortunately, there’s method to this developer’s madness.
For starters, DRI has found its feet by taking on some contract work. For example, it helped out with the brilliant Hold The World , a VR experience which puts you face-to-face with a photoscanned Sir David Attenborough as he takes you on a supernatural tour of London’s Natural History Museum.
“We decided early on to do some paid work as well as some of our own stuff,” Ranyard says. “I had a conversation with an old friend who had been through a similar thing. He said to me: ‘My advice to you is to make some money. It’s not a dirty word, it just gives you more choices.’” DRI also made a solid partner in Apple for its first AR release, Orbu, a sort of virtual minigolf game that highlights the capabilities of the iOS ARKit. Now, for its anticipated first VR game, Arca’s Path, DRI is cozily paired up with a publisher, Battlezone developer Rebellion, and aiming to hit as many headsets as possible on December 4th. As I said in a preview last week , Arca’s Path strikes a delicate balance between accessible gameplay that anyone can pick up (it doesn’t even require a controller to play) and the kinds of extra challenges and rewards that will have core players coming back for more.
A big part of what’s kept Ranyard and the team sane, though, is outside help. As we talk, Ranyard almost lists off a who’s-who of the UK VR industry, describing people that have offered helpful advice and guidance. “You’re not in competition with any other VR studios. It’s a network, we’re all helping each other.” He’s also not phased about VR’s slow start, referring back to a talk he used to give comparing the platform to the introduction of audio in movies in the early 1900’s “There was a change then that was quite significant. But, also, it took ten years to change. So in our minds we think the talkies came along and wiped out Hollywood but actually they dual-authored a lot of movies, and it took ten years for all cinemas to get sound systems put in. It took a long time for that change. And if you look at immersive tech through that lens, it looks more realistic that it will change.” I’m especially interested to see what DRI does next, given Ranyard’s work on PSVR’s London Heist experience, which remains one of the most compelling showcases for interaction with NPCs in VR. He even holds a PhD in AI, which gives him some exciting visions of the future. “Making [characters] more and more interactive, for me, is a huge thing,” Ranyard says. “That will bleed into AR because, why can’t I have David Attenborough sitting at my breakfast table? Why can’t I have Siri at my table and I ask them a question and they pull up a Wikipedia page or a map of the world?” That might be later down the line but, for now, growth is on the cards. “I think we’d like to do a bigger project next, and we’ve got a few healthy discussions about what that will be,” he says, dreaming of expanding the team up to a point where they could make a more expansive game over a longer two-year development cycle. There are other B2B projects in the pipeline as well and the team’s also looking into VR’s educational potential. Even if it came crashing down tomorrow, though, Ranyard says he’s proud of what’s been achieved in the past two years.
“I have to be honest, I haven’t looked back,” he says. “I didn’t have a massive plan, but I think it was the right thing to do.” There’s 10 developers upstairs that would likely agree with him. Come December, we hopefully all will too.
This story originally appeared on Uploadvr.com.
Copyright 2018 GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
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"Oculus talks the controller tracking limitation of Quest | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/oculus-talks-the-controller-tracking-limitation-of-quest"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Oculus talks the controller tracking limitation of Quest Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The Oculus Quest sits behind the Touch controllers.
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Oculus Quest, the latest VR headset from Facebook, enables full six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking for both head and hands using the company’s new inside-out system called Insight. This brings the standalone headset closer to Rift-quality tracking than ever before, but it’s still not perfect.
Gabor Szauer, Developer Relations Engineer at the company, spoke a little about the tracking limitations of Quest (and, more specifically, its controllers) at a talk called ‘Porting Your App To Oculus Quest’ at Oculus Connect 5 yesterday. Quest is fitted with four wide-angle sensors at the corners of its front faceplate that deliver a wide field of view (FOV) for your controllers, but they don’t cover the area behind the user and may get lost if you stretch your arms far off to the side. Szauer called for developers to keep this in mind when porting games.
“This doesn’t sound like a big deal but you have to keep in mind that your field of view is not infinite, it’s actually attached to your face,” Szauer explained, showing the above slide that displays the headset’s tracking limitations. “There is some more obvious design considerations like if you’re reaching behind your head to grab something, you’re going to lose your controllers. Those are actually not too bad, if you’re only going to lose your controller tracking for a second or two you can usually fake it pretty easily.” ‘Faking it’ might mean some simple prediction algorithms that will allow you to carry out quick tasks behind you. It’s more of a cheat than anything else, but it’s worked for other inside-out systems like that seen on Windows VR headsets. “But some of the situations you get into aren’t so obvious,” Szauer continued, stretching out his arms to either side to imitate holding guns. “Like, let’s say I have two guns and there is a really, really loud sound coming from my right so I look over. All of a sudden, my left hand just left the field of view.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! “For the most part it’s not going to be an issue but it is something to keep in mind.” Szauer also warned that some interactions that would have users holding one controller over the other could occlude one’s tracking, which is another thing to be aware of.
We won’t really know how much of an issue this could be until we’re using Quest ourselves on a day-to-day basis. The headset’s coming in spring 2019 for $399.
This story originally appeared on Uploadvr.com.
Copyright 2018 GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
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"Mario Kart VR is coming to the U.S. thanks to HTC and Bandai Namco | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/mario-kart-vr-us-dc"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Mario Kart VR is coming to the U.S. thanks to HTC and Bandai Namco Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn If you receive this stare in VR, you die in real life.
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Mario Kart VR is coming to the United States. The virtual reality attraction is already running in Japan and the U.K., and now HTC and Bandai Namco are preparing its American debut.
This immersive VR Mario Kart experience is launching alongside the new VR Zone Portal Washington, D.C. location in Union Station. VR Zone Portal will feature a number of virtual reality games and experiences. But Mario Kart VR is the headline attraction. Mario Kart is one of the best-selling franchises of all time. And this is the first chance U.S. fans will have to go into VR with official Nintendo characters.
“Bandai Namco is thrilled to be a part of the innovative, cutting-edge project that is VR Zone Portal,” Bandai Namco U.S. sales boss Steve Ignarski said. “The launches in Japan and the U.K. brought great success, and we hope to follow suit in Washington, D.C. Mario Kart VR is a long-awaited title, and we have no doubt it will be well-received in the states, due to its incredible, immersive game-play and outstanding equipment from HTC Vive.” Bandai Namco Amusement runs the VR Zone Portal as part of its arcade division. But it does so in partnership with HTC. That means the experiences should all run on Vive hardware, which is one of the more popular consumer headsets. Bandai Namco also built Mario Kart VR.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! VR as an public attraction VR Zone Portal is part of the growing trend toward virtual reality installations. While you can get an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive for home use, most of the biggest positive buzz surround VR at the moment has to do with its potential in theme parks.
The Void, a VR attractions company, has built its own hardware and software experiences that you can find in malls and parks around the country. It has created multiplayer, interactive adventures for Star Wars and Ghostbusters.
Bandai Namco and HTC are getting in on that action. And since Bandai Namco has the arcade license for Mario Kart, it can bring some big-name properties into its park-like locations as well.
Mario Kart VR will run in Union Station in Washington, D.C. for six months. At which point, the VR Zone Portal will wrap up and move on.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"Dead and Buried shows the arena potential for Oculus Quest | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/games/dead-and-buried-shows-the-arena-potential-for-oculus-quest"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Dead and Buried shows the arena potential for Oculus Quest Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Dead and Buried.
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One of the most impressive VR technology demos we’ve ever seen is on display at Oculus Connect 5 in San Jose.
In a corner of the convention center The VOID brought Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, demonstrating publicly for the first time that the startup is using Oculus Rift inside its VR helmet to provide the visuals you see when visiting one of The VOID’s $30+ per ticket attractions. Right next to the demo there’s a 4,000 square foot arena setup for the Oculus Quest version of old west shooting game Dead and Buried.
While Oculus Rift powers some of the best VR attractions of 2017 and 2018, through this demonstration Facebook is showing that Oculus Quest may be able power the next generation of these experiences in 2019 and 2020 without any backpack or specialized external tracking hardware.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Quest could represent a big step forward in terms of convenience, cost and setup — though it also remains unclear whether the standalone hardware will be able to operate at the robust scale required by regular use at a VR installation. The cost came down last year to $1,500 per camera for OptiTrack-based setups, but the largest setups still require dozens of them to work.
If you could equip four people with headsets and controllers for practically the same cost as a single OptiTrack camera, though, the convenience and cost savings are going to be just too much to ignore. It could give rise to new kinds of arrangements for VR attractions built around the capabilities of this particular headset. After all, some installations are combining Gear VR with OptiTrack because the system uses a lower cost combination of computer and head-mounted display.
Which brings me to the demonstration at Oculus Connect 5 showing two teams of three wearing Oculus Quest and facing off against each other. The two teams hid behind boxes on either side of an old west train station while myself and a camera person stood in between the teams and watched the action unfold all around us through the screen of an iPad held up to view the action.
It isn’t the first time we’ve seen handheld phones or tablets able to peer into the virtual world of someone wearing a headset — but it is the first time we’ve seen it done at this scale with standalone headsets.
It is also worth noting Google just announced a new controller tracking technology which nobody has tested publicly, but if Oculus Quest’s controllers aren’t robust enough for this kind of use case at a commercial sale, there’s a chance Google’s upcoming standalone controller tracking technology might be up to the task instead.
This story originally appeared on Uploadvr.com.
Copyright 2018 GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
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"Startups are getting 'People' wrong, and it will cost them | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/startups-are-getting-people-wrong-and-it-will-cost-them"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Startups are getting ‘People’ wrong, and it will cost them Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
In June, my firm launched a survey with the goal of understanding the structure and makeup of the People function in startups.
For the purposes of our research, we defined the People function as the umbrella term for all the activities relating to employing people in your company. These include, among other things, recruitment, onboarding, training, compensation, performance management, and employee engagement.
The research is ongoing, but some interesting insights have emerged from the 60 startups we have studied so far.
We found 120+ job titles for roles in the People function There is a fair amount of confusion about titles and scope of responsibilities of the People function. We see this reflected in our data, with over 120 distinct job titles for roles in the People team.
This function could no doubt benefit from some standardization in titles. This would not only lessen the confusion around the scope of various roles but would also make it easier to benchmark compensation. For instance, we looked at “Head of People” salaries at 17 European startups, and the range was between $60,000 to $230,000.
In Europe, Series A companies are more pre-hire focused For this analysis, we divided the People function responsibilities into two parts: pre-hire and post-hire. Pre-hire is everything that goes into finding and converting candidates into employees — employer branding, planning, recruiting, interviewing, etc. Post-hire is everything that comes after that — onboarding, talent development, employee engagement, performance management, and so on.
Looking at the time and budget allocations, early indications are that European startups are more focused on pre-hire compared to their U.S. counterparts. In our view, these two parts are equally important. As the company scales past 50 people, neglecting post-hire needs will have a direct impact on the bottom line in the form of lost productivity and attrition.
In a 2016 survey , Gallup found that business units with higher employee engagement scores had 10 percent higher customer loyalty, were 21 percent more profitable, and produced 20 percent more than those with less engagement employees.
Cultivating productive, engaged teams requires a balanced investment of time and resources into the full employee lifecycle.
Size of the People team is disproportionate Our data showed that People teams tended to stay small in proportion to the organization as a whole. Combine this with the fact that most of the People teams we interviewed were severely understaffed and overworked, and we begin to see a problem. From what we know of the People team’s responsibilities, it is easy to see that a team of three will be overwhelmed taking care of 150+ employees in hypergrowth.
We looked at People teams overall as well as the number of recruiters specifically.
The assumption here is that recruiters are mostly focused on pre-hire, although some may have post-hire responsibilities.
In our quest to understand why the People team is not thriving, we have uncovered three underlying challenges: 1. Underinvestment.
The People function is often viewed as transactional and administrative as opposed to transformational and additive. Viewing the function as such has led companies to strive to minimize its cost instead of maximizing its impact.
This underinvestment in the People function translates into under-resourced teams, leading to slower hiring and lower productivity. These poor outcomes make it difficult to justify bigger budgets, and the vicious cycle continues.
2. Misaligned expectations.
People teams are often victims of misaligned expectations and lofty goals. In a recent article, Chief People Officer of Couchbase, Jessica Yuen, wrote , “The expectation for a CPO needs to be reframed to focus on what’s realistic for one person to achieve within the context of the team and budget. If not, the People leader ends up busy with tactical issues, and strategy is deprioritized. The consequence? The CEO isn’t getting the value from their senior leader, and the senior leader is dissatisfied because they anticipated a strategic role.” This misalignment at the top trickles down to the team. Combined with budget constraints, it makes for a tough environment to succeed in.
3. Uninviting career path.
The factors I’ve discussed so far have led to a more systemic problem: talent scarcity.
In Europe and even in some U.S. hubs, startups have a hard time hiring great people into their People teams. There simply aren’t enough exceptional recruiters, HR specialists, and People leaders with startup DNA and scale-up experience.
This is not an easy problem to solve. The scarcity is partly due to the negative perception of HR and the low salaries , which are deterrents for high caliber talent. Moreover, the low barrier to entry into the field, inflated titles, and ambiguous roles have created a gap between perceived skills and actual ability.
In other words, when we bestow a “Head of People” title on a recent grad with two years of experience as an office manager, we devalue the expertise required to earn a “Head of” role and widen the compensation band. This is bad for everyone, especially the people pursuing a career in this field.
These challenges will not go away overnight. But as a starting point, it is worth considering the vital role your People function plays in building an exceptional team of highly motivated, engaged employees. With that new perspective, we can begin to raise the bar and compensation levels to make the roles more attractive to a wider talent pool.
Why does this all matter? Of the million things that founders have to worry about, why should they care about the People function? Because getting the best people to do their best work for you is vital to success.
Note that there are two parts to this: Hiring the best people, and enabling them to do their best work. Doing this requires deliberate attention and expertise. As the company grows, the founders are less likely to have the expertise or the attention required.
Organizations need to be just as carefully engineered as products. You cannot build a great product with a poorly resourced engineering team. So why expect to scale a world-class organization without a well-resourced People team? Kiana Sharifi is head of talent at Balderton Capital.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"China is dominating tech IPOs on U.S. markets in 2018 | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/china-is-dominating-tech-ipos-on-u-s-markets-in-2018"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages China is dominating tech IPOs on U.S. markets in 2018 Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Chinese electric vehicle start-up Nio Inc. vehicle is parked in front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to celebrate the company’s initial public offering (IPO) in New York, U.S., September 12, 2018.
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China’s growing prowess across a wide range of tech sectors has triggered a love affair between Wall Street and the country’s startups. Through the first three quarters of 2018, Chinese companies have far outpaced their U.S. counterparts when it comes to IPOs on U.S. stock exchanges.
That trend continued in the third quarter, when 10 Chinese tech companies had initial public offerings of stock compared to 4 based in the U.S., according to Renaissance Capital’s IPO report.
Overall, that fueled a solid quarter for tech IPOs. Those 14 tech IPOs raised a total of $4 billion, about 5 times more than tech IPOs for the same period one year ago.
In the U.S., the IPO march was led by Eventbrite and SurveyMonkey, which both posted strong debuts. But they were overshadowed as a group by companies from China.
According to Renaissance, the 10 Chinese IPOs represent the largest number seen in U.S. markets since the second quarter of 2014.
The Chinese cohort was led by ecommerce app Pinduoduo, which raised $1.6 billion, and included electric and autonomous car startup Nio.
Altogether, there have been a total of 23 Chinese IPOs in the first nine months of this year, a number that tops all full-year totals going back to 2010.
With several more Chinese IPOs in the pipeline for Q4, Renaissance said it expects that country to come out far ahead for the year, even as U.S. companies are expected to pick up the pace this quarter.
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"Tempo lets you exchange cryptocurrency via app, debit card, and over 105,000 locations | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/commerce/tempo-lets-you-exchange-cryptocurrency-via-app-debit-card-and-over-105000-locations"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Tempo lets you exchange cryptocurrency via app, debit card, and over 105,000 locations Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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A significant challenge in the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology world is converting digital assets to fiat currency. There are only a few fast, reasonable options available.
A crypto payment network that is attempting to simplify the exchange process from crypto to fiat, Tempo Money Transfer is creating what it claims is the largest payment network of any licensed global crypto exchange.
Operating on the Stellar DEX as the principal European anchor for Stellar — and through Lightyear.io, a for-profit spinoff dedicated to helping big investors integrate software — Tempo aims to bring ease-of-use to crypto trading by facilitating the process on its online platform and mobile application. What’s Stellar, you ask? Supported by a nonprofit organization, Stellar is one of the more substantial blockchain projects of recent years, delivering interoperability between diverse financial systems and currencies.
So how does Tempo work? Users can purchase cryptocurrency via Tempo’s mobile app or at one of its 300 agent locations. Because Tempo avoids having to convert tokens to Bitcoin or Ethereum to complete the transaction, fiat owners can avoid Bitcoin ATMs and their substantial cash-out fees.
“Our initial business was money transfer,” Jeffrey Phaneuf, founder, president, and member of the board of directors at Tempo Money Transfer, told me. “Consumers can use our online money transfer platform or mobile application to send money internationally. They can also visit any of our 300 physical agent locations all over Europe and send money over the counter. We’ve recently launched our digital asset currency services, which allow clients to buy various digital assets, such as Stellar (XLM), Bitcoin (BTC), Mobius (MOBI), and our euro-backed stable coin, EURT. They can also cash out their digital assets in any of our agent locations.” Not only does Tempo allow fiat backers to exchange their crypto for cash immediately, it also offers a debit card that lets users apply their cryptocurrency balances to the purchase of goods and services. Tempo provides blockchain payments both offline and online, and crypto remittances to almost 100 destination countries.
“We will offer a Stellar-backed Visa or MasterCard with an associated bank account,” Phaneuf said. “This will further facilitate a customer’s ability to move from purchasing crypto through Tempo to redeeming or using their crypto funds in their bank or credit card for purchases. This service will initially be offered to EU residents only to solidify Tempo’s relationship with EU-based clients further. Depending on the demand, we may consider launching the debit card in other regions.” Tempo’s stablecoin is an essential part of the process and helps protect against cryptocurrency volatility.
“The EURT is a stablecoin tied to the euro and may be purchased through the online platform, mobile app, or in person in any Tempo service location,” Phaneuf said. “Like a regular euro transfer, EURT funds may be sent to a beneficiary throughout Tempo’s worldwide network, where it can be held as a hedge against the volatility prevalent in cryptocurrencies, traded for another cryptocurrency, or cashed out one-to-one with euros.” And the use of blockchain technology offers users additional benefits.
“We have incorporated the blockchain technology to make our transfers faster and more affordable,” Phaneuf said. “Tempo has partnered with payment institutions on the Stellar blockchain today, such as Coins.ph, Flutterwave, SatoshiPay, Bitbond, and more. Our expanding crypto network promises to bring more efficiencies into the remittance payment space by improving payment speed, decreasing working capital, and lowering the need to pre-fund bank accounts. These steps combined promise significant cost savings.” Some elements of Tempo’s platform are yet to be defined, including the cost of using the network. But Phaneuf promises it won’t burden users with the same high transactions costs other exchanges and platforms do.
“We haven’t defined the costs yet, but they will be minimal for sure,” Phaneuf said. “We have integrated the Stellar blockchain technology to make our remittance services more affordable. Through this integration, we can power 600,000 transactions for .01 USD in fees.” With a French license, Paris-based Temp is the European-wide anchor for Stellar blockchain payments and has additional offices in Frankfurt, Germany. It currently has over 105,000 cash pickup locations in its network and partners with more than 3,700 banks.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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"The DeanBeat: Will the Oculus Quest get Zuckerberg to his 1 billion VR users? | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/the-deanbeat-will-the-oculus-quest-get-zuckerberg-to-his-1-billion-vr-users"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages The DeanBeat: Will the Oculus Quest get Zuckerberg to his 1 billion VR users? Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Mark Zuckerberg unveils the Oculus Quest.
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It was a big moment for virtual reality this week when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Oculus Quest, a standalone, wireless VR headset that will debut for $400 in the spring of 2019. The Quest raises the question for game developers about whether it will be the form of VR that takes off in the mass market.
Zuckerberg joked that the company is 1 percent of the way to last year’s goal of getting a billion people into VR.
The question is whether the Quest will be Facebook’s biggest chance to hit that goal. Clearly, the $200 Oculus Go has sold well, but it falls short as a gaming device. The Go is a standalone, wireless VR headset, but it only has a single weak remote control, with three degrees of freedom (3DoF). It probably won’t be the device that gets Zuckerberg to his goal.
I believe the Quest, previously code-named Santa Cruz, has a lot more potential. I played four games on the Quest this week, and I think it has a shot. It fills a position between the low-end Oculus Go and the high-end PC-based Oculus Rift VR headsets.
So far, Oculus showed off Quest game experiences like Dead & Buried Arena , Project Tennis Scramble , Face Your Fears 2 , and Superhot VR. They weren’t high-end Triple-A experiences, but I enjoyed all of them.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: Superhot VR is coming to Oculus Quest.
The Quest has its own computing built into it, and so it gets rid of the market-limiting notion that you have to buy a $1,000 gaming laptop or desktop to play high-quality games in VR. The Quest has two high-quality (six degrees of freedom, or 6DoF) hand controls. On top of that, the Quest is wireless, and it doesn’t have bad delays or latency. It has inside-out tracking for a much larger play space. And it will have curated titles, including some of the best from the Oculus Rift on the PC.
Oculus chief technology officer John Carmack said the Quest isn’t a high-end gaming device, precisely because it lacks the PC’s processor and graphics power. But it may be a real competitor to the Nintendo Switch, which doesn’t do VR. Like the Switch, the Quest is a highly portable device. The Switch has sold 20 million units in its first 15 months of sales, making it one of Nintendo’s biggest console successes. But the Switch costs only $300, it has huge game icons like Mario and Zelda , and now a swarm of indie game developers are targeting it as a viable game platform.
The Quest is overpriced, compared to the game consoles, but not so much in comparison to other VR products. I think of the Quest as “the Switch of VR.” And that’s an idea that may have legs.
Developer reactions are good Ru Weerasuriya, CEO of Ready At Dawn Studios, said in an interview that he agrees with that notion, and that’s why his company continues to make VR games. Ready At Dawn’s Lone Echo II is coming on an Oculus Rift platform in 2019, and the company has already been lauded for its previous Rift titles Lone Echo, Echo Arena, and the upcoming Echo Combat.
“Oculus is only three years in the market, and already it has three platforms,” Weerasuriya said.
Above: Dead & Buried with the Oculus Quest in a very big arena.
Of course, this has a downside. Facebook’s VR devices haven’t sold that well. Sony launches a console once every five years or so because the machines sell in the tens of millions of units, and the stable platform gives developers a good target.
VR has been slow to take off, at least compared to expectations, since modern headsets starting arriving in 2015 and 2016. During a slow time, launching new headsets more often is less risky. Virtual reality and augmented reality headsets will grow this year, IDC projects, with 2018 sales expected to hit 12.4 million units, versus 8 million in 2017. By 2022 IDC expects sales of 68.9 million VR and AR headsets.
As always, VR has its optimists.
“I believe that [the Quest] is definitely along the lines of the Switch in terms of viability,” said Anshel Sag, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, in an email. “I have always considered Santa Cruz/Quest to be Facebook’s target device and form factor. It gives them the performance and control of the user experience that the Rift cannot because of Windows and PC makers. That’s why I think they are able to squeeze so much performance out of the 835, they have been optimizing for that chip for years. They want this to be what developers target first and foremost.” It’s not a given that Ready At Dawn’s PC-based VR games can be adapted to run on the Quest. The Quest has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, a 2017-era chip which is weaker in performance that other Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 845 processors. A PC-based machine is always going to have big performance advantages over something like the Quest.
“Oculus has a good, better, best strategy for its platforms,” said Clifton Dawson, CEO of Greenlight Insights , in an interview. “It does pose complications for curating games for the medium. There’s a small universe of content creators in VR now. But the benefit of that is that the investment of time and resources are being funneled to a smaller universe of developers. Guiding them through the choices becomes critical. Developers may have to choose Rift or Quest. The partners will have to work together at an earlier stage. The challenges for indie developers will remain in the near term.” Above: Robin Hunicke is CEO of Funomena, maker of Luna.
Some developers love taking such risks. Robin Hunicke, CEO of Funomena, said in an interview, “Look at the Nintendo Wii. Did people care that it didn’t have the processing power of the Xbox or PlayStation? No. Nintendo never has this problem. They make great games. They are family friendly. They have fantastic franchises and they build stuff that works. It’s not that hard to put together, and it’s fun to play with.” Funomena’s artful game Luna debuted in VR on the Rift and HTC Vive in 2017, and it has been ported across a number of platforms, including the PSVR this fall. Hunicke likes to work with platform owners on emerging platforms like the Rift.
“We have seen VR pigeon-holed as a hardcore market because of the hardware factor, where you need a big PC to run it,” she said. “That’s no longer the case. It will be really interesting to see if the marketing folks — who are pressing the next set of advertisements and commercials over the next couple of years with this next set of headsets — will continue to lean on that crutch.” The Quest, then, might well succeed as an accessible mass market device, particularly if it is targeted at the larger gaming audience, Hunicke said.
“I would love it if there were the equivalent of Animal Crossing and Mario Kart on this new headset,” she said.
Alexis Macklin, analyst at Greenlight Insights, agreed. She said she believes that players will care more about experiences, rather than processing power or pretty graphics. Pulling at heart strings or delivering a Star Wars experience may matter more than watching grass sway in VR, she said.
Betting on Star Wars fans Above: Vader Immortal: Episode I Already, the Quest will have a big title coming from Disney and Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB , which will create a new original Star Wars VR story dubbed Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series.
The first of three episodes — which are part of the same effort that created The Void’s Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire VR experience — will debut in the spring with the Quest’s launch. This is one of a total of 50 titles will be available at launch, Zuckerberg said.
Mohen Leo, ILMxLAB director of immersive content, said in an interview, “The second we got our hands on Quest and tried it out — you immediately understand that it changes the way you experience VR. One of the things about this experience, you do get to wield a lightsaber. Just knowing that you don’t have to worry about, as you turn around, wrapping yourself up in a cable and tripping over, that changes things. It allows you to dive deeper into the experience.” David Goyer, executive producer of Vader Immortal, and Colum Slevin, director of Oculus experiences, also said the prime attraction of the Quest is that it will enable players to spin around in 360 degrees while wielding a lightsaber. And so, who cares if it won’t be the highest graphics quality? Of course, the Quest has some potential dangers to face. Its higher price is one problem. The Quest also runs at 72 frames per second, slower than the 90 frames per second of the Rift. That’s going to be an odd target for developers. The art assets will also have to be different. The Void’s Star Wars title, which requires you to carry a backpack around with a computer in it on your back, won’t run on the Quest.
Above: Left to right: David Goyer, Colum Slevin, and Mohen Leo.
Developer friendly? Such differences made the Nintendo Wii difficult to develop for at a time when rival systems, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, were very different animals when it came to game development. At one point, after the Wii started its decline, it lost developers because it was so unique.
Sean Liu, head of hardware management at Oculus VR, said in an interview with GamesBeat that developers will have to choose carefully what kind of experience they want to deliver. If they want high-end graphics with super-realistic imagery, then the Rift on the PC (or perhaps its successor) will be the right choice. But if 6DoF and mobility matter more, then the Quest may be the right choice.
Developers can make their games in Unity or Unreal, the most popular game engines for VR, and port them from the Rift to Quest, or vice versa, without too much difficulty, Liu said. Liu also noted that Quest will be able to access all the processing power of the available processor, as it is not a phone or a PC, and so it does not have other tasks to do.
Above: John Carmack, CTO of Oculus, speaks at the Oculus Connect 5 event.
Carmack said in our brief conversation that there are “no Triple-A games in VR now,” and no one is spending $100 million to develop such games. There are, however, Double-A or Single-A games. And if the Quest sells twice as many units as the Rift does, then it will become the platform of choice for developers, Carmack said. That, in turn, will attract bigger budget games and more marquee developers.
He said the Quest is being targeted at “very serious gaming, but it’s unclear if we have the content line-up to back that up.” He said that Triple-A games take years to develop, and developers have not been making games for the Quest for that long yet.
“The saving grace is that we will be able to bring over a lot of good Rift stuff,” Carmack said.
Carmack, as is his habit as one of the game industry’s legends, is more frank than he ought to be. But I think that he and others are correctly seeing the opportunity. Making the Switch of VR is a viable strategy.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
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"Superhot VR on Oculus Quest hands-on -- More room to maneuver in slo-mo shooter | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/superhot-vr-on-oculus-quest-hands-on-more-room-to-maneuver-in-slo-mo-shooter"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Superhot VR on Oculus Quest hands-on — More room to maneuver in slo-mo shooter Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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Facebook’s Oculus Quest wireless virtual reality headset will have 50 titles when it debuts in the spring of 2019. And one of those is Superhot VR , the slow-motion shooter game developed by Superhot Team for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR devices.
The original game was designed to be played while standing in place. The game is frozen in time until you move. And when you do, the red enemies start moving toward you in slow motion. You have to do something to get out of the way of their attacks and maneuver yourself into a position where you can attack them.
Above: Superhot VR It took a while to reset the Quest so that I could play it. But once I was in, the experience was immersive. I wore the VR headset in a large open space at the Oculus Connect 5 event in San Jose, California. My hands held the redesigned Oculus Touch hand controls. Once I saw the first red enemy, I sidestepped physically out of the way, triggering the enemy’s own movement. Then I took a swing — by swinging my arm in a physical motion — at his head and shattered him. I reached out to touch a triangle and I advanced to the next level.
In the next level, I had to pick up a gun and shoot at two different enemies coming from different directions. It was a puzzle that became more complex with each level. The Oculus Quest has no wires, so I was able to manuever freely in any direction. Once, I got too close to the wall and my minder had to protect me. But the Guardian sensor system also shows you a blue grid when you are too close to a wall.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! I enjoyed the freedom of playing Superhot VR on the Quest, as if it were meant to be played that way.
The $400 Oculus Quest will debut in the spring with titles like Vader Immortal: A VR Story Series.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
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"Sorry, not sorry: The problem with Facebook’s sorry campaign | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/sorry-not-sorry-the-problem-with-facebooks-sorry-campaign"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Sorry, not sorry: The problem with Facebook’s sorry campaign Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
“ I’m sorry, so sorry.
” In the 1960s, it was a hit song by the 15-year old American singer Brenda Lee, crooning about unrequited love. In the 21st century, “sorry, so sorry” has become the tragic modus operandi for banks, businesses and social media behemoths. Time and time again, mega companies exploit customer data for nefarious reasons, walk away with a slap on the wrist — and occasionally a hefty fine or two — and spit out a “we’ll do better” PR campaign.
“Today, we’re renewing our commitment to you — and working to earn back your trust,” Wells Fargo wrote in an ad caption after being busted for opening millions of customer bank accounts without permission.
“From now on, [we’ll] do more to keep you safe and protect your privacy,” Facebook declared after a spree of bad press, tanking stocks , and public backlash over its handling of fake news and selling user information.
The reasons companies lie are obvious. The first is financial pressure: Stock prices and investors don’t always respond well to transparency. Second, ego. With no incentive to admit errors, businesses are sticking consumers in an unjust loop, doomed to repeat itself until real change happens.
Why do we, as consumers, accept dishonesty and hollow apologies as the status quo? And how can change come about? Deception 411 If Mark Zuckerberg had laid out what Facebook does — collects user data and sells it for profit — there would be no actual need to ask these questions. We would have made informed decisions about what platforms and businesses we wanted to give our time, attention, information, and, in many cases, money.
Instead, we’re facing another “sorry” campaign that shifts blame elsewhere.
Earlier this year, we learned that Russia meddled in the U.S. presidential election via the Facebook platform. Next came the Cambridge Analytica news — a massive data privacy scandal that affected 87 million Facebook users.
This was followed by persistent Russian troll farms spreading fake news on the platform, and topped off with Facebook’s own boy genius producing unsettling Congressional testimony on the topics of how the company handles data.
More recently Facebook has once again found itself defending deceptive and shady practices. Gizmodo reported this week that Facebook allows its advertising partners to target a Facebook user by their phone number — where users gave Facebook that phone number for the implicit purpose of enabling 2FA account security. In addition, Facebook will harvest phone numbers from other users’ imported contact lists — associating those contacts to user profiles in what is referred to as “shadow contact information” — even when those users have not provided their phone numbers to Facebook directly.
Facebook was not being transparent or honest about what it does with your collected data, and sadly it can currently do this legally because no privacy laws exist in the U.S. for this sort of thing.
Companies like Facebook are proving they can’t just be trusted to do the right thing.
Yes, the social media giant is making moves to clean up its tainted reputation. It is not, however, making genuine moves to fix the problem.
Equation to solve “Sorry, not sorry” campaigns do nothing to move toward a more principled stance.
Cut to a national ad campaign in which Facebook attempts to own its snafus around “spam, clickbait, fake news, and data misuse.” It’s a classic deception where, if you watch and listen closely, Facebook seems to paint itself as the unsuspecting victim.
The ad does little to explain Facebook’s laissez-faire role once its users’ data was sold. Uber ran a similar blame-shifting ad, “ Moving Forward ” that brushed off its well-publicized missteps and attributed them to its previous leadership team as if we’re supposed to assume things will be different going forward.
The new privacy wave through regulation What will usher in an era of honesty? Is policy framework or regulation the answer? Privacy regulations like GDPR , the European Union’s wide-reaching laws on data use and privacy, mark a new beginning that will force more transparent practices. Following suit, countries like India , China, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia are also issuing new data privacy laws, meaning that approximately 70 percent of potential internet users worldwide are being divided under complex legislation surrounding personal information and intellectual property use.
Stateside, there’s growing media attention around the fact that private companies, including Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other tech giants, are dominating the advertising, speech, and news space. One interesting proposition put forward is to regulate these companies like public utilities.
It’s too soon to tell which combination of policy and regulation will break the “sorry, not sorry” cycle. One thing is essential: Consumers must demand that platforms hold themselves accountable. It hasn’t happened yet because, in general, there’s been a lack of insight into how or why our data is used. Now that our very democracy is at stake, consumers are beginning to realize that social media always came at a cost. Only when we act democratic and pressure companies to stop harvesting the derivatives of our identities and selling them for profit will the “sorry, not sorry” phenomenon stop.
Can we break the cycle? Once upon a time, Google’s motto was “Don’t be evil.” Today that motto is said with snark and sarcasm.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg often talks about doing the right thing while actively doing the opposite.
Equifax is still conducting business as usual even after allowing hackers to make off with the financial data of 143 million Americans.
Wells Fargo apologized for fraudulently opening millions of accounts for its customers while simultaneously incentivizing its bankers to sell customers bogus auto insurance.
Clearly, these companies and others like them cannot be trusted to “do the right thing” on their own.
Therefore it is up to us, as consumers to penalize bad behavior and reward good behavior. The two mechanisms available to us are voting with our feet and wallets and voting for representation in our government so that we can enact legislation to safeguard consumer privacy.
Founders and business leaders need to remember that integrity, transparency, and fairness can be inclusive of profit and growth. The old quote “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” needs to be updated to “Not being an ass in the first place means not having to say ‘we’re sorry’ with multimillion-dollar ad campaigns.” Joshua Strebel is CEO of Pagely.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"Robin Hunicke interview -- Why developers should collaborate with VR platform makers | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/robin-hunicke-interview-why-developers-should-collaborate-with-vr-platform-makers"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Robin Hunicke interview — Why developers should collaborate with VR platform makers Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Robin Hunicke is cofounder of Funomena.
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Virtual reality is still a fledgling industry, and it’s hard to make money on the relatively small owner base of VR headsets. But that doesn’t bother Robin Hunicke , the CEO and cofounder of San Francisco-based indie game studio Funomena.
Hunicke, who is also director of the Art, Games, & Playable Media BA program at the University of California at Santa Cruz , gets excited about making games for emerging platforms. Her team has made experimental games such as Luna (a VR title for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality), Woorld (an augmented reality title for Google’s Tango technology, and Wattam, a zany game designed by Funomena’s Keita Takahashi for the game consoles.
It’s risky to go out so far on the leading edge, but Hunicke believes that it’s essential to creativity.
And she believes that platform owners such as Oculus believe enough in creativity and diverse content, making it so that Funomena doesn’t take risks all on its own.
Hunicke gave a talk at the last week’s Oculus Connect 5 event about hiring a diverse staff and fostering creativity in game development, and I interviewed her afterward. She is, after all, one of the veterans of both VR and games. Hunicke and programmer Martin Middleton founded Funomena in 2012. Before that, she was at Thatgamecompany and worked on the award-winning Journey. And she was at EA’s Maxis studio, working on MySims and Boom Blox.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Above: Luna GamesBeat: Was there a main point you wanted to make in your talk? Robin Hunicke: We talked about developing for emerging platforms, and also the philosophy behind Funomena. Why we founded it and how we built the team we built. A lot of it was about the importance of inclusion and thinking about design as an inclusive process – not just on the team, but also engaging with a lot of different types of people on your team so you can engage with a lot of different types of players.
Luna is obviously really accessible, and one of the reasons it’s been winning so many awards is because it’s such a good introductory experience for VR. First-time VR users are put at ease by it. We think the reason that’s the case is because we have this broad and interested and curious team that comes from all different walks of life.
GamesBeat: You have a very deliberate process of building the team and getting good things out of it.
Hunicke: Yeah, it’s been deliberate. I started the company with Martin trying to think about what we could do to show that diversity isn’t just a word. It isn’t just an idea or a concept. It’s a process.
GamesBeat: Was it very different from thatgamecompany as far as the startup process? Hunicke: At thatgamecompany Kellee and I were the only women. It’s nice to be in an environment now where there are a lot more women. My first job was The Sims, and that was 50-50. There were a lot of women on the Sims teams in all different capacities. But in design, for most of my career there, I was the only woman designer. Even in a very diverse environment, there were still places where there weren’t enough women.
I’m excited about how we’re able to build a culture that values a lot of different types of experiences. Not all our employees come from game development. Some of them come from other kinds of software. Some come from other walks of life, like science. We’ve hired people mostly because we feel that culturally they’ll be a fit, and they’re interested in communicating and being creative with other people. Problem-solving in a way that’s kind.
GamesBeat: You’re also making interesting choices around which platforms to support. Has VR been part of where you wanted to go for quite a while? Hunicke: I’ve always wanted to develop for VR, but I also didn’t expect it to be a huge success. I didn’t think that we’d make a VR title and never have to make games again. I’ve always been building toward a future where more and more people will adopt devices that allow you to experience augmented reality or mixed reality or virtual reality. Those numbers will grow, but they’ll grow as the use cases for those devices also grow.
I’ve always been designing for these experiences with an eye toward the future, when we need the skills that we’re building now to develop for a really broad audience. Right now is the time to learn on the platforms. Not as many people are looking. It’s a good time to make experiments and try things and see what works with a smaller group of people, so when it all goes wide, we have best practices.
Above: Luna from Funomena, one of the diverse creators that Oculus helped fund.
GamesBeat: What’s it like being so closely in touch with the university side of things? Hunicke: It’s amazing. I learn more from my students than they learn from me, often. They’ve taught me so much about what it’s like to be a young person today, the kinds of concerns young people have, the needs they have.
When I was coming up, the world was a very different place. In some cases there were similar—politically, I think, it was a similarly trying time, when I was in high school and college. But financially, economically, my students have very different futures to look forward to, in particular with the environment. It’s essential for me to be connected to this younger group of people. They’re going to be the stewards of the earth moving forward. I think about that every day.
GamesBeat: Within VR you have some interesting choices. With Oculus, you have a good-better-best sort of scenario, with Oculus Go and Gear VR, the Quest, and then whatever comes on the PC side after Rift. When you look at that, it seems like it’s hard to choose which to get behind. What do you want to achieve, but also, what’s accessible? Hunicke: When we’re designing, specifically when designing for an emerging platform, which is typically what we’re doing—we’re usually partnered with the hardware while it’s in flight, while it’s being designed. For example, when we worked on the Tango project with Google, the phone we were working on was in flight. We were working on a phone that was changing as we were building the app.
When we’re working that way, what you’re really trying to do is get to know the configuration, understand what the device is going to be good at doing, and really amplify that with your experience. It becomes, for us—if you think of Funomena in this capacity as like a design firm, or an ideo consultancy, we’re trying to make that thing look great. That means working around the edges of where it’s not great.
But what that teaches you as a developer, and what’s happened in our larger projects we do – say, when we make a game and release it for PlayStation – is we’re very sensitive to the boundaries of that hardware and think a lot about, okay, how can we showcase that hardware? It’s a lesson that you learn working on in-flight stuff that later, when you’re trying to target a specific device—you can say, “All right, this experience will sing on this device, and not because of the 6DOF, but because it has no wires. Let’s make people move around a lot.” Whether you can port up or down to other things is a question you address when you need to. Luna we’ve ported to the Windows MR headset. The minimum spec for Windows MR, with one of their integrated laptops, is not a very close match to a Rift on a really built-out PC. But we were able to make the experience work there because we were able to tune the graphics and the way the game works to that platform. That comes from building the skill set we have as a developer.
GamesBeat: Do you feel it’s still a risky business? Hunicke: Games is a risky business, yeah. Games, you can just put a picture of Tom Cruise right in there. [laughs] But it’s a passionate community of creative, fun, and interesting people. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
Above: Luna’s levels look like miniature dioramas.
GamesBeat: It seems like, when you’re working with these partners, they’re at least taking some of that risk off of you. They have you develop for something that they want stuff developed for.
Hunicke: Right. It’s important—like I was saying in my talk, the collaborative aspect of working with someone on in-flight hardware is actually something I love. I love being able to work with a partner and we’re both talking about, “Okay, what does the SDK? How should it work?” I’m going to be speaking next week at the LeapCon in Los Angeles. We’ve been partnered with Magic Leap for a while now. I really enjoy those kinds of partnerships, where you’re working together and the hardware is coming together. It’s like you’re part of the team in a way.
GamesBeat: It’s more like dealing with a platform owner, as opposed to a publisher? Hunicke: Yeah. The thing with a publisher is—it can feel that way too, depending on whether you’re working on hardware that’s already been released or not. If I were going to be working on a next-generation console title right now, I’d be collaborating with a partner really closely. It’s the same thing.
I love to be at that edge, because I love the way that relationship feels. It cuts away some of the more officious business-ey qualities that development can have. It becomes less about the contract and more about the relationship with the individual engineers and designers and marketing folks, the people in the pipeline at the organization trying to get this thing off the ground. It’s nice to feel like you’re part of a larger family in that way.
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"Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer: Esports profits are light at the end of the tunnel | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/overwatch-league-commissioner-nate-nanzer-esports-profits-are-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer: Esports profits are light at the end of the tunnel Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The Overwatch League Grand Finals.
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Nate Nanzer is the commissioner of the Overwatch League , and he hopes his particular esport will become the mainstream competitive league of choice for a global audience of esports fans.
The Overwatch League kicked off in January with a dozen teams that were organized into franchises from local cities. In the first week, the league generated more than 10 million viewers.
By the time the finals came around in July, the league drew a global audience of 861,000 viewers per minute across TV and streaming platforms.
For its second season, the Overwatch League has added a total of eight new teams, and some sources say that the winning team owners in the most recent round bid anywhere from $30 million to $60 million to snag the franchises for their cities. (Nanzer declined to comment on that number).
Esports is expected to generate $1.7 billion in revenues by 2021, and the fan base is expected to grow from 395 million in 2018 to 580 million.
And Nanzer’s job is to make sure that the Overwatch League is the top sport in the esports pantheon.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! But first, all the esports teams have to start making money. Nanzer spoke at the Esports BAR Miami event, and I interviewed him there. He said that the period of investment is nearing its close, and the time of profitability for teams, particularly as big brands come in, is the “light at the end of the tunnel.” Here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Above: Nate Nanzer, commissioner of the Overwatch League.
GamesBeat: Where is esports at now from your perspective? How much progress has been made for esports in general, and where does it still have to go? Nate Nanzer: Even though esports has 20, 25, maybe even 30 years of grassroots events at this point, it’s really only very recently that there’s started to be this broad professionalization, I guess you could call it, of esports. The shift is to publishers looking at it as a stand-alone commercial opportunity. That’s what’s driving a lot of it. Is there an opportunity to create a professional structure on games that opens up your ability to sell sponsorships and media rights and merchandise and all those things.
That’s obviously very recent. What we’ve done with Overwatch League and what Riot’s done with LCS are the two highest-profile examples. It’s not to say that there wasn’t commercially-focused operations in esports before, but they didn’t own IP. Now you have the IP owners coming in and building the structure.
It’s still very early days. It’s impossible to predict where that goes, but if you think about the evolution of esports, we’re right at this interesting point now. You go to conferences like this and you meet a lot of people from traditional sports and traditional media. You realize there are things built up around traditional sport that have been built up over the course of 50, 60, 100 years. We’re still in very early days here in esports.
GamesBeat: It’s interesting to look at from the outside, looking at the Overwatch League and its foundation, and comparing it to other strategies side by side, like Riot’s league. They’re less local and you guys are more local. That can change things.
They just announced Mastercard as a global sponsor.
It’s a sign of some of the things you talked about, how the sponsors are leveling up and the reach of esports is attracting the attention of non-endemic brands. It looks like there’s an opportunity to run with sponsors in different directions. They can go for something that makes a lot of sense globally, but you can tap into local opportunities that might not be within their reach.
Nanzer: The local thing, we think, is an important piece that’s been missing in esports, and it can help the entire industry grow and move forward. It came from looking at–when we were first designing the Overwatch League, looking at traditional sports, we were not just trying to understand how leagues make money, but also trying to understand how teams make money. Teams in traditional sports make money with revenue-sharing from the league, but most of their economics are driven by the fact that they have a stadium, an arena, where they’re selling tickets and VIP packages and concessions and parking and merchandise.
Above: The California Cup will make the Overwatch League’s off-season events into a regional competition.
The commercial side is one piece of it, but what that also does is it creates this anchor for all the fandom around the team. If you think about how international sports has become–I guarantee you, if you go to Old Trafford and watch Manchester United, you’ll see people from all over the world who’ve come to that event, because that’s the ultimate destination for their fandom, to go experience a game live. Why they want to do that is because–what’s more awesome than going and having a shared experience with 50,000 people that have the same passion you do? Esports fans want that too. Some people think esports should go a different path. It’s digital. It’s online. That’s true, but every esports event I go to in person, like the grand finals at the Barclay’s Center–I was in Paris this past weekend at the Overwatch World Cup event. Those fans want to go to live events. They want to go meet other people who have the same passion they do. There’s something special about that.
The local thing, yes, is going to be good for teams in that it opens up additional sponsorship opportunities and revenue opportunities, but it’s really good for fans. Right now, if you don’t live in Los Angeles, Seoul, or Shanghai, what events can you go to on any regular basis? It’s important to give fans that touch point around the world.
Above: Nate Nanzer speaks with Saira Mueller of Dot Esports at Esports BAR Miami.
GamesBeat: Peter Warman had an interesting line, with the hardcore games on the right and the accessible games on the left. NBA2K was to the left, League of Legends was to the right, and you guys were in the middle. Do you see that as an important position to hold? Nanzer: Accessibility is super important. We’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about we can make the broadcast more accessible. At the grand finals, we had these map explainer videos we played before each map. It broke down exactly what you’re about to see. That type of content is going to be important for esports to break out, from an audience perspective, from just people who already play the game.
I don’t think esports gets a lot of the benefit of the doubt on this. People say, “Oh, esports is hard to watch.” Well, if I take you to your first hockey game, I’m gonna have to explain the rules to you. I have to explain what icing is and line changes and all that stuff. You’ll get it, and over the course of a game you’ll start to understand. But you won’t understand strategy and tactics and nuance until you get really deep into it.
Esports is the same way. I can explain the rules of StarCraft or Hearthstone or Overwatch, but it will take time for you to understand the nuances. With the content we create and the way we produce the broadcasts, we can do that in a way where it can be more accessible. That doesn’t mean making a product that’s not good for core fans. We think we can do both.
GamesBeat: We talk about how new all of this is. There are a lot of interesting questions about what the rules might be. I saw recently that Blizzard made a ruling on third-party services that could be used during tournaments by esports players, things that would show you your stats in real time and tell you to do something that could help your game result. “Use this power now.” That could be perceived as an unfair advantage.
Nanzer: Our policy is that we don’t allow any third-party software to be running alongside the game in a match. That’s why we took that action. The point you raise is the right one, though. This is all new. People are going to go out and create products and we’ll have to have discussions around what’s acceptable from a competitive integrity perspective.
Above: Overwatch League skins.
GamesBeat: I was thinking about parallels. Maybe it’s like a football player with AR glasses that show him where the first down marker is.
Nanzer: [ Laughs ] Yeah, I’m guessing the NFL would not be okay with that.
GamesBeat: You have to know these things are coming. Technology is always advancing. People can figure out different ways to get an advantage beyond pure skill.
Nanzer: To me one of the reasons it’s so exciting to be in the industry now is how rapidly it’s changing. It’s amazing just to see the last three years I’ve been focused on esports. It’s completely different now. It’s exciting to work in industries that are evolving and changing that fast. There isn’t a playbook for this. We can learn things from traditional sports, but it’s not a one-to-one copy-paste scenario. It’s an exciting time.
GamesBeat: I was doing a call with Brendan Donohue at 2K.
He talked about how their No. 1 priority right now is marketing to women players, to try to get them into NBA2K esports. We all know Riot’s had some problems on the culture front recently. Where do you think there are some opportunities around get a wider audience to be interested in esports? Nanzer: It’s something we think about a lot. When we do events in Asia — we just did a World Cup event in Inchon, Korea — the team told me more than 70 percent of the tickets were purchased by women. We obviously have a big female fanbase. Overwatch is a game that overindexes on women players compared to some other games in the genre. But it’s still much smaller as a percentage.
We’ve been thinking a lot about things we can do at Blizzard to make sure the online environments our players play in are safe and welcoming and inclusive for everybody. We’ve instituted an endorsement system in Overwatch. We have an LFG feature now. That’s targeted to make sure people are having positive experiences in the game. I don’t think anyone’s ever going to eradicate toxicity from the internet 100 percent, but it’s something we’re focused on.
At the Overwatch League level we want to make sure everything we do is also creating a safe, welcoming, inclusive environment. We obviously had one woman player in the league last year. We just announced the first woman head coach in the league. We’re starting to see more and more women step into those roles. We’re in the middle of a transition period now. If we have this conversation in three to five years, I think it will be very common to see women playing in the top-tier leagues across all of esports, and in top-tier positions, whether it’s GM, coach, and so on.
One of the great things about esports is we don’t need create different competitions for men and women because of physical differences. We can have a mixed competition. I think that sends an awesome message.
Above: The LA Valiant and the San Francisco Shock face off in the Overwatch League.
GamesBeat: Related to the Olympics, I know they brought up violence as one of their concerns about video games. Somebody pointed out that they have actual boxing going on.
Nanzer: We were talking about that earlier! They have sports in the Olympics that cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy. That seems pretty violent to me. But that’s been an ongoing debate for probably 30 years now.
GamesBeat: It makes sense to have some of these conversations, though. That’s where you could eventually go, or the stage you’re getting ready for.
Nanzer: Sure. Especially when you think about the brands that are now involved in esports, partners of ours. It’s important to have a point of view and perspective on these more complex community and social issues.
GamesBeat: Getting back to things that are relevant today, the notion that teams that should be making money, that everybody should be making money throughout the whole ecosystem here–do you feel like we’re getting to that point? Are we still in an investment period? Nanzer: The answer to that question varies by the ecosystem you’re talking about. I can only speak for ours. Our goal was always to have a very narrow investment period and work to get teams to profitability as quickly as possible. We’re making great progress on that front. In our ecosystem, and I suspect in some of the other top-tier ones, we’re at the tail end of that investment period. We’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Teams have a pretty clear path to profitability in the franchise leagues where there are contracts and revenue sharing and those sorts of things. I can’t speak for the non-publisher-led, more open ecosystems, but in the closed ones I think there’s a pretty clear path there. We’re very close.
GamesBeat: I don’t know if you look at Warman’s stuff on Newzoo very much, but they had some interesting charts. How much money comes into the ecosystem in the traditional sports side of things from different streams, compared to esports. Where do you think we are as far as growing those? What do you think is different for esports compared to traditional sports? Nanzer: Sponsorship is growing a lot. There’s a lot of sponsorship dollars that were going into traditional sports and are now starting to get allocated against esports. Media rights, there are a lot of questions even about the sports media rights landscape going forward, as OTT becomes a bigger thing. We’re happy working with Twitch.
A lot of big non-endemic brands–there’s always hesitation around being first at something. But now they’ve seen a lot of other brands do it and have positive experiences. It’s one thing that’s incumbent on the esports industry. Make sure that, when big non-endemic brands come in, they have a great experience.
One area where esports has lagged behind in a major way, but I think will be an increasingly big part of the pie–I know for us, and I hope others get their act together on this, it’s merchandise. It’s amazing to me how hard it’s been to buy a jersey of an esports team. Our program this year, I think it was a good start. It could be a lot better. We have plans to make it a lot better. But at least you had–all of our teams, you could very easily go buy their jersey.
One of the things that’s exciting to me about esports, you have an entire generation of kids growing up playing and watching other people play video games. I know that there are a bunch of kids all over the world whose first sports jersey ever in their life was an Overwatch League jersey this year. That’s really cool. It shouldn’t just be that way for Overwatch. All across esports, we have a real opportunity there to give fans a chance to show their fandom outside the game.
Above: Overwatch League’s Seoul Dynasty, the South Korean representative in the new major esports venture GamesBeat: The ESA has that chart showing the average age of a gamer, around 35 or 40 now. Everyone’s becoming a gamer. It’ll be interesting to see where the age of esports fans ends up.
Nanzer: It’s very young right now. Very broadly, what’s happening is, everyone under the age 50 has had video games in their lives forever. There’s never been a moment where you didn’t have some kind of game in your life. Take that out 20 years. Pretty much everyone on earth who’s alive is going to have had exposure to video games at some point.
When I’m talking to people about investing in esports, the longevity of it, to me it’s not even a question. There’s the train, and you can get on it, because that’s where it’s headed. A 10-year-old right now who plays Fortnite 20 hours a week and then spends 60 hours a week watching Fortnite on YouTube and Twitch, that’s not going to magically change when he turns 35.
I hate doing the “focus group of one” thing, but I look at my son and all his friends. They like sports, I guess? They play a lot more video games, though, and they’re spending a lot more time on YouTube watching people play video games. They have zero interest in watching any content on television that isn’t someone playing a video game.
Disclosure: The organizers of Esports BAR paid my way to Miami. Our coverage remains objective.
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"Oculus Quest could be the new VR class leader, but may not be a mass market catalyst | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/oculus-quest-will-be-the-new-vr-class-leader-but-not-a-mass-market-catalyst"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Guest Oculus Quest could be the new VR class leader, but may not be a mass market catalyst Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The Oculus Quest sits behind the Touch controllers.
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Oculus Quest is the new class leader for premium/standalone VR, and looks like the ultimate expression of the early-stage VR 1.0 market. Combining Oculus Go quality graphics with inside-out tracking and Touch controllers, it gives Facebook the most compelling version of the current state of the art.
But this is Oculus Quest’s challenge — it is the current state of the art. While it could sell well to an enthusiast market, it might not be the hoped-for mass market catalyst for VR when it launches next year. This could take another two years to arrive, with future generations of premium standalone VR headsets from Facebook, HTC, Microsoft and others around 2020/2021.
The future of VR Digi-Capital’s VR market forecast anticipated Facebook’s recent announcements, with the impact and timing of premium standalone VR including Oculus Quest (when it was called Santa Cruz) factored into the numbers for some time. Based on hard data for device sales, attachment rates and attrition rates (i.e., how many units are no longer being used), VR’s total installed base (i.e., active units, not sales) across all platforms (console, PC, mobile, standalone) could take until the end of 2022 to top 50 million units worldwide.
Above: VR sales (units) Premium VR in its current form was always going to have a deep but narrow installed base of core gamers, due to high cost and relatively poor user friendliness both in setup and use. Premium standalone VR addresses some setup and use issues (particularly freedom of movement), but is not a silver bullet for the market’s challenges.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: VR installed base (units) The $399 Oculus Quest is the third, and arguably best, entry into the premium standalone VR headset market after the $399 Lenovo Mirage Solo and $600 HTC Vive Focus.
Like these headsets, it has both advantages and disadvantages relative to tethered VR cousins Oculus Rift, HTC Vive/Pro, Windows VR and Sony Playstation VR.
Oculus Quest’s pros and cons Oculus Quest does not require an expensive PC/GPU or external sensors to use. As a self-contained unit, it has no wires to restrict user movement. Inside-out tracking gives Oculus Quest a large play area, and it offers best-in-class image quality (apart from some higher-end competitors) and state-of-the-art controllers.
But this also means that Oculus Quest does not have an expensive PC/GPU running it, with processing power limited compared to tethered premium VR. Use time is constrained by battery life, although relatively short duration VR session times might make this a non-issue. The base model has 64GB of memory, which limits the amount of content the device can hold at one time.
These differences aside, Oculus Quest shares the same challenges as the rest of the VR industry.
VR’s key challenges VR’s user dynamics have been limited, partly because of a lack of plurality, but mainly due to user attrition. One of the challenges for VR is a primary entertainment focus (games, video), which despite its superior immersion can be done more easily and cheaply on existing devices. Also, the social side of VR hasn’t scaled — AltspaceVR was the biggest VR social app with just 35,000 monthly active users when Microsoft acquired it after Altspace said it would be closing. So while there are active core VR users, many casual users haven’t stuck with the platform for long.
Many VR headsets get used less than once a day, with a significant proportion every few days, weekly or even monthly. Our User Strategy team’s product/market fit reviews for startups have consistently shown this dynamic even when users love their VR apps. The words “evenings”, “weekends” and “holidays” come up frequently, particular for under-34 Snapchat demographic users. Not great for frequency.
VR is cool, technically hard to do, and can take you to other worlds. But VR’s entertainment focus effectively makes it a subset of the video game market (as well as other use cases), and critical use cases haven’t emerged three years into the market. For comparison, Uber launched three years after the iPhone. It’s hard to describe a VR app you couldn’t live without, even if you love Beat Saber.
And finally there’s the VC market for VR startups, which has slowed significantly. While Facebook and other platform companies will continue to invest in content, a relatively low installed based for VR has seen some early VR developers diversify to mobile AR or exit VR altogether. While there are emerging enterprise use cases, consumer VR faces the chicken-or-the-egg problem of all new platforms. VR platforms need a healthy commercial developer ecosystem to succeed, and VR developers need a large installed base to risk investing in development.
Premium standalone VR headsets could become a catalyst for premium VR sales in the medium term, but first-generation premium standalone VR like Oculus Quest might not stimulate consumer demand to a mass consumer level. Subsequent generations of premium standalone VR headsets with future generations of hardware, lower price points and critical apps could accelerate sales growth by 2020/2021. But even with that catalyst, premium standalone VR installed base (again, active units, not sales) might only reach the 10 to 15 million unit range by 2022. A good deep market, but possibly not a mass market.
Oculus Quest could be the ultimate expression of VR 1.0, but it might take VR 2.0 for the market to reach its inflection point.
Tim Merel is managing director of AR/VR and games adviser Digi-Capital.
You can find detailed data/analytics in Digi-Capital’s AR/VR/XR Analytics Platform and Reports here.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
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"Newzoo's Peter Warman: Why big brands are diving into esports sponsorships | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/newzoos-peter-warman-why-big-brands-are-diving-into-esports-sponsorships"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Newzoo’s Peter Warman: Why big brands are diving into esports sponsorships Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Peter Warman speaks at the Esports BAR Miami event.
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Peter Warman, a game industry analyst and CEO of Dutch market researcher Newzoo , started following esports closely in 2013. He started looking into the numbers and comparisons to real world traditional sports, and began making projections about where it was going.
Now esports has begun to explode, and Newzoo estimates it will generate $1.7 billion in revenues by 2021. And big “non-endemic brands,” or those that are not directly related to games or esports, are coming in as sponsors.
Riot Games recently announced that Mastercard has signed on as a global sponsor for the League of Legends World Championships. Overall, esports could represent an $80 billion opportunity, based on comparisons to traditional sports.
Warman spoke at the Esports BAR Miami event, and I interviewed him there. He said that the arrival of the big brands is at hand after prolonged periods of investigation of the esports audience, which is expected to grow from 395 million in 2018 to 580 million by 2021. Already, about 11 percent of the total viewing hours on Twitch and YouTube Gaming are based on esports. That’s a big audience, but most esports teams aren’t necessarily profitable yet. So Warman warns that setbacks can still happen.
But over time, Warman is excited about the notion that many more people could someday get paid to play games. (something that we call the Leisure Economy ).
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Above: Peter Warman is CEO of Newzoo.
GamesBeat: You dove into esports quite early, right? Peter Warman: Yeah, 2013. It was right at the launch of PS4 and Xbox One. That’s when I published the first report.
GamesBeat: What made you want to get into it back then? Warman: At that moment, on the PC side, there was so much happening. League of Legends was on the rise. The first stadium event had happened. Personally, I’m always thinking about what’s next. I was triggered by meeting Ralf Reichert of ESL for the first time, that discussion. Gamescom, for the first time, had an esports part. If you put everything together — the events, the streaming — that’s big. And there was so much innovation happening on the PC front.
Of course, I was taking all these press calls at the time, and all anyone wanted to talk about was Xbox One and PS4. I found that so boring compared to what was happening on the PC. So we boldly called this report “PC Gaming: Power to the People,” and we launched it in the same month as the two consoles. It had quotes from Valve, from Twitch.
We thought this was really consumer-driven, because streaming was at the heart of it. It wasn’t a tech-driven innovation. This was something that the fans were doing themselves. That’s how you recognize a trend that’s going to stick around. Compare it to VR around the same time, which was a little bit too tech-driven. We’ve never published anything on VR, not yet.
We spent nine months trying to model the space. You might wonder what there was to model, but at that point there was a lot to model. What to do with streaming? What do you call these people? Are they all fans? Viewers? Esports enthusiasts? How does the money flow? We started to sketch it out. You can’t forecast a market if you don’t build a structure where you can get data to fill it in and form an opinion. It was quite a process.
GamesBeat: There’s a lot of esports believers who track back to a moment in time, where they “got it,” where they felt compelled to learn more about esports. They went to a tournament and saw how exciting it was, something like that. It’s associated with things you need to believe in first, I guess.
Warman: In the very early days, we had a lot of hardware companies, like Plantronics, as clients. They were talking about this esports thing. I did a session for Plantronics with Ralf Reichert, who I didn’t know at the time, in 2013. We’re both smokers, so we got to know each other a bit over the day, and we had a drink together. Ralf has this enormous legacy in esports. I spent about 48 hours with him, and then I really got it. I could understand what streaming was, why stadium events are important, why mass press is important, why the PC was the driving platform. Everything pulled together. It was spending time with Ralf, for me.
Above: Big brands are coming to esports.
GamesBeat: The time we’re in now–you had that comment about how brands are ready to jump in. Mastercard just signed on with Riot. And yet everyone believes there’s a lot more to come. We’re hitting a tipping point between preparing to get involved, and then the brands deciding what they’ll sponsor.
Warman: Exactly. Within Newzoo we group those brands in three tiers. The top-tier brands are the key sponsors of the NBA, the Champions League, things like that — Nike, Adidas, Mastercard, Visa, Heineken. Then the second tier is what we call the challenger brands, just below that. And then the third tier is innovative brands. They all take a different approach to esports.
The third tier, some of them we’ve seen really embrace esports as a means of growing their brand. From the endemic side, HyperX has completely built on esports, going from Kingston to HyperX. The second-tier brands, they have more to gain toward the top-tier brands. They’re early and experimenting and investing in esports. But the top-tier brands, they have more to lose than to gain. They’re afraid that their brand will be negatively influenced by a move that’s not respected. They’re very careful, and not always rightfully so. They’re also a bit arrogant, of course.
The third-tier brands might take half a year to decide what they’re going to do. The second tier, maybe nine months. And then the top tier, at least a year. We know, from the moment they start inquiring with us, when they buy their first report–we can guess, approximately, when the big announcement is coming. That’s a theory we’re testing internally, anyway. But the different tiers each have a different dynamic and time span.
GamesBeat: Once we go through that process, is that the point where you think that esports organizations in general become profitable? Or is there still a lot more to go to make that assumption? Warman: That’s an interesting point. We continue to publish figures and forecasts, and then half of the audience says we’re overinflating the potential in the market, and the other half says we’re underestimating what’s going on. We’re very aware of the effect that those numbers can have. The end potential is billions of dollars. I think everyone agrees on that. It’s just a question of the pace of getting there, and whether we’ll stumble on the way.
There’s still a chance that the first investments, the financial investments and brand investments–the ecosystem may not be professional enough to handle that and give back a good return in the way they want to see. It could be that there will be a devaluation. “Maybe esports isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Let’s give it a couple of years to mature.” There might be a slowdown. That’s a risk.
That will cause real trouble for the people who’ve built the ecosystem, because the teams aren’t profitable yet. The money going around is all investments and media rights deals. Not that much is trickling down to the teams, while the teams increasingly have to pay more salary. They’re having a hard time being profitable. The coming year or two will be critical for the health of the teams. That’s the most important thing.
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"Misfits Gaming owner Ben Spoont: Everyone will have an 'aha!' moment in esports | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/misfits-gaming-owner-ben-spoont-everyone-will-have-an-aha-moment-in-esports"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Misfits Gaming owner Ben Spoont: Everyone will have an ‘aha!’ moment in esports Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn The Misfits was founded by Ben Spoont and SyFy Channel founders Laurie Silvers and Mitch Rubenstein.
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To Ben Spoont, the cofounder and owner of the Misfits Gaming esports organization, everybody eventually has an “aha!” moment when they understand the passion around esports. For him, it came when he went to an Overwatch match in person and felt the roar of the crowd in an arena.
And more and more people are getting on board, including big brands. Market researcher Newzoo estimates esports will generate $1.7 billion in revenues by 2021, and that the number of esports enthusiast spectators will grow from 395 million in 2018 to 580 million by 2021. That sways the brands, but Spoont says the clincher is always when the brands see matches in person and understand how much people care about the games, the team heroes, and the esport events.
Spoont’s Miami-based esports organization owns multiple teams, including the Florida Mayhem in the Overwatch League, as well as Misfits Gaming teams that compete in League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, NBA 2K, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and Super Smash Bros.
Spoont cofounded the Misfits in 2016 with Syfy Channel founders Laurie Silvers and Mitch Rubenstein. In 2017, the NBA franchise Miami Heat acquired a stake in the Misfits, and now they’re deeply involved in joint marketing activities. This year, with Florida Mayhem’s launch, the Misfit Gaming group became one of the founding 12 members of the Overwatch League.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! I talked with Spoont onstage at the Esports BAR Miami event last week, and he spoke about what it’s like to run an esports club, from mediating fights between players to making sure the culture of the teams is professional.
Spoont himself is a fan of vertically integrated game leagues, where the game publisher also owns the league, like Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League and Riot Games’ League of Legends Championship Series. But he says there are still big challenges for the various leagues to overcome.
Here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Above: Ben Spoont of the Misfits and Dean Takahashi of GamesBeat at Esports BAR Miami.
GamesBeat: You have a partnership with the Miami Heat.
Ben Spoont: Yes, the Miami Heat are investors and partners in our business. They help us with a couple of different key areas, like sponsorship, marketing, merchandising, branding. General executive sports knowledge.
GamesBeat: A lot of people here have been telling stories about when they believed in esports for the first time. Was there a moment for you when it came together and you decided this was going to be worth it? Spoont: When we first started, which was almost two and a half years ago, we acquired what was then a League of Legends Challenger Series team, back in the day. Riot was talking about ending that engagement, but we were one of the beneficiaries of that early system. We acquired what was then a secondary-level team, and it got promoted in its first chance, which was amazing.
One of the first “a-ha” moments, though, came for me in Overwatch, when we were under the Misfits brand. Before it was the Florida Mayhem, we were the Misfits. We participated in, at the time, the first version of the Worlds in Overwatch, something called the Overwatch Open. It was on TV, which, two years ago, was something new. It was on TBS with Turner and E-League. We were in the grand finals.
It was a David vs. Goliath matchup. We were up against a team called EnVyUs, who are now also in the Overwatch League as the Dallas Fuel franchise. We were heavy underdogs. I went to Atlanta, the first time I’d been to Atlanta, and I saw the people in the event. Up to that point almost everything I had been involved with was virtual, with a small team. There were probably 500 people in the studio audience. The palpable energy in the room, watching an esports event–this was my first live event. You could truly understand how and why esports, the vision of what the Overwatch League could be, the passion of the fans for the game–it was incredible seeing that in person.
GamesBeat: When you’re trying to tell a sponsor or a potential brand participant– Spoont: Yeah, it’s that experience. We can give presentations and talk about it and show videos and this and that, but the number one thing is experiencing it. Thanks to the publishers like Riot, and Take-Two with the NBA2K league–they have a great studio up in New York where you can visit and watch a game. You’d think there would be less passion for a basketball simulation game, but you go to that arena and it’s just incredible. You hear screaming, cheering, jumping up and down. It’s unlike anything else.
GamesBeat: What about the way to address things that can be scary to a brand? Things like violence in games freaks people out sometimes. Is there a way to address that? Spoont: It’s a big topic in the industry overall. For us, the way we approach it–we’ve been in “red blood” games, you might say, like Counter-Strike, where it’s something with more realistic violence. I don’t believe the issue is gaming. I’ll avoid the politics of it. But I think it’s tricky for any brand, any team. Personally I don’t have a problem with it. If you look at the success of Counter-Strike as a game, commercially, and for the brands attached to it, I don’t think brands generally have a problem with it either. But it is a delicate personal decision.
GamesBeat: What are some of the day-to-day aspects of running a team that you think people here might appreciate? Spoont: Well, I don’t know if it’s appreciated or not. [laughs] But running a team is probably as crazy as you would think it could be. Thankfully now we’re in a place where the leagues are set up in this franchise model. Chris from League of Legends was talking about the average salary for a North American player, over $300,000 , which is amazing for players. Part of the reason that has come to be is because now there’s more stability.
There used to be a time, and there still is in some games, where in the off-season you would see 90 percent of a roster turn over year on year. Which is really hard for a team. As a team we’re trying to build a brand, invest in players, invest in content around players. It’s difficult to do that if everyone’s on a one-year contract. What you’re seeing now in games like League of Legends and Overwatch, where you have opportunities to sign multi-year contracts — three years in League of Legends, and in Overwatch it’s the same — it’s amazing for teams and amazing for players. It also gives them stability.
Player drama is one of the hot topics. You are dealing with young adults. There are always some interesting stories and interesting personalities that come with that. But I’d say the number one thing that people probably don’t realize–if you look at teams, historically you’ll see times where a team may be predominantly from one region. You’ll often see a Counter-Strike team where you have a French team or a Swedish team. They’re all one nationality. But one of the beautiful things about esports is that you can have teams that mix cultures. In our European League of Legends team, for example, last year we had two players from Korea.
One of the things that we’ve come to appreciate as a team is that the cultural differences between players–that’s one issue that’s underappreciated. But you also have potential cultural issues amongst even EU countries. We’ve had to cut and release players because they were unable to properly assimilate into the team. Which ultimately was probably more our fault than their fault. They were just being themselves. But it’s a massive undertaking to create a team that is able to be cohesive not just on the playing field, but as a team.
These guys are family. They live and work with each other, sometimes 12-18 hours a day. They’re working amongst themselves practicing on their craft. They spend more time with their teammates than they do anybody else. Understanding the cultural implications of roster creation is really important.
Above: The Misfits are in the Clash Royale League.
GamesBeat: You have some interesting thoughts about the future of esports — where the teams are going to go a year from now, five years from now, and where you want the ecosystem to be. Can you address the future for us? Spoont: I don’t purport to be a fortune-teller. But we’re at an interesting crossroads. You have the emergence of this vertically integrated league setup. You have Activision Blizzard completely integrated into the Overwatch League. You have Riot Games with League of Legends. With NBA2K, even though Take-Two isn’t vertically integrated into the league, given the relationships there it might as well be.
In my opinion, that’s the best path forward to sustainability. The most important thing that people don’t realize is the relationship between the game developer and the league. Chris mentioned before about how they’re balancing the game between the casual gamer and the pro player. If you disassociate that, you lose the aspirational effect that’s so important in esports.
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"August 2018's top 10 Minecraft Marketplace creations | VentureBeat | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/minecraft-marketplace-august-2018"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages August 2018’s top 10 Minecraft Marketplace creations: Graduation day Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn When you graduate from Mineville Highschool.
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The Minecraft Marketplace kept some of its momentum from launching on Switch and its first Summer Sale. The unified version of Minecraft served up 373,361 downloads across Windows 10, mobile, Xbox, and Switch. While that’s nowhere near the 669,795 downloads from July , it’s still a big number for a month without a massive sale.
August was a relatively quiet month for Minecraft. The block-building phenomenon’s Summer Sale happened in July. Also, the Switch version launched in June. That introduced the Marketplace to an entirely new audience. As a result of the dearth of major events like those, you would expect a big decline. But downloads were only just below June’s 396,511.
But Minecraft has a lot going on right now.
Target partnered with Microsoft and The Minecraft Team to bring a huge slate of new products to the retailer earlier this month. And this weekend, the global fan festival Minecon Earth is taking place. This is where the game’s biggest fanatics get together at Microsoft Stores around the world to celebrate the game. It’s also where Microsoft will have big new announcements.
That should keep interest high, and that could translate into Minecraft Marketplace sales.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Let’s get to the charts.
Top 10 most downloaded Here’s the list: City Life Millionaire Mansions Mineville Highschool Zombie Apocalypse Prison Escape Mineville University Roleplay Dinosaur Park Castles & Dragons Construction City Fright Night 13 Top 10 highest grossing Here’s the list: City Life Millionaire Mansions Zombie Apocalypse Prison Escape Dinosaur Park Castles & Dragons Mineville Highschool Construction City City Builder Mash-up Mutant Battle Arena That’s the Marketplace report for the month. Check back in October for more! GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
Discover our Briefings.
Join the GamesBeat community! Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.
VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"LinkNYC's 5 million users make 500,000 phone calls each month | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/linknycs-gigabit-kiosks-hit-1-billion-sessions-and-5-million-users"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages LinkNYC’s 5 million users make 500,000 phone calls each month Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
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In 2014, in a bid to replace the more than 11,000 aging payphones scattered across New York City’s pedestrian walkways with more functional fixtures, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a competition — the Reinvent Payphones initiative — calling on private enterprises, residents, and nonprofits to submit designs for replacements.
In the end, LinkNYC — a plan proposed by consortium CityBridge — secured a contract from the city, beating out competing proposals with electricity-generating piezoelectric pressure plates and EV charging stations. The plan was to spend $200 million installing as many as 10,000 kiosks, or Links, that would supply free, encrypted gigabit Wi-Fi to passers-by within 150 feet. They would have buttons that link directly to 911 and New York’s 311 service and free USB charging stations for smartphones, plus wired handsets that would allow free calls to all 50 states and Washington, D.C. And perhaps best of all, they wouldn’t cost the city a dime; advertising would subsidize expansion and ongoing maintenance.
The Links wouldn’t just get urbanites online and let them juice their phones, though. The idea was to engage users, too, principally with twin 55-inch high-definition displays and tethered Android tablets with map functions. Mike Gamaroff, head of innovation at Kinetic, characterized the Links in 2016 as “first and foremost a utility for the people of the city, that also doubles up as an advertising network.” Two years after the deployment of prototypical kiosks in Manhattan, Intersection — a part of the aforementioned CityBridge, which with Qualcomm and CIVIQ Smartscapes manages the kiosks — is ready to declare them a success. The roughly 1,600 Links recently hit three milestones: 1 billion sessions, 5 million users, and 500,000 phone calls a month.
VB Event The AI Impact Tour Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you! “We have an opportunity to communicate with people as they navigate their day,” Intersection senior consumer marketing manager Amanda Giddon told VentureBeat in a phone interview. “My mandate is to help make Link a part of the community through content and content strategy — really, anything that [makes] New Yorkers feel like tourists in their own city [or] even help tourists feel like New Yorkers through useful, actionable information.” Creative content At any given time, the Link kiosks’ screens host news headlines from the Associated Press, comics, weather info, real-time alerts from the Office of Emergency Management, and creative from a mix of roughly 50 other campaigns. Also on tap are hundreds of hyperlocal factoids — dubbed “NYC Fun Facts” and “This Day in New York” — about people (“Martin Hildebrandt opened the United States’ first tattoo business in New York City in 1870”), places (“There’s a superhero supply store in Brooklyn”), and things (“New York City gets 15 times more snow than the South Pole each year”). There are close to 400 trivia tidbits in all, with new ones joining the collection each week.
Gibbon researches the facts herself, typically spending a few hours a week poring through a range of sources, including Broadway.org, Grow NYC, Time Magazine, FiveThirtyEight, and the National History Museum. She dutifully fact-checks them and copies them to a master spreadsheet before deciding which ones will make the cut.
“It’s been really great to see people writing in about the content they see. We’ve created some moments of awe for people, and if I can create a moment of awe for someone on a daily basis, then I’m doing my job right,” Giddon said.
When the kiosks aren’t alerting pedestrians to, say, the percentage of New Yorkers riding elevators at any time, they display real-time bus arrivals and local maps. But the bulk of their programming consists of rotating regular, seasonal, and limited-time content collaborations with organizations, publications, and government agencies.
“We survey our users quite frequently [for ideas] … and we go to great lengths to make sure our [content] is contextually relevant,” said Giddon. “[We’re] pioneering this publishing approach and public space and are really eager to get feedback and adjust as we continue to expand.” One recent example is a partnership with the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) that showcased the work of local artists. Another is “Popular Places Near You,” a Foursquare-powered feature that shows top restaurants and entertainment hubs within walking distance.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Intersection worked with the Museum of the City of New York’s Beyond Suffrage exhibit to feature NYC women in politics, with the NYC Department of Records to curate historical photography (localized at a neighborhood level), and with Silicon Harlem and Global Kids to showcase legendary African Americans during Black History Month.
Social services Intersection’s also leveraging the kiosks to promote civic engagement.
In April, it teamed up with the New York City Council to roll out Participatory Budgeting New York City, which let residents as young as 11 vote via the kiosk tablets on how the city will allocate its $40 million public budget. And it launched an awareness campaign to get New Yorkers registered to vote in advance of the November 2018 general elections. (The latter integrated with the city’s voter registration data to show a real-time count of the number of people signed up.) It also posts Community Board meeting notices and local road closures and through its LinkLocal program lets small businesses advertise for free on select kiosks around the city.
Intersection has experimented with social services, too. In January, users were able to browse and enroll in health plans through New York State of Health insurance marketplace.
For some New Yorkers, the Link hubs aren’t just a convenience — they’re a lifeline. A 2014 study by the Office of the New York City Comptroller found that 27 percent of NYC residents surveyed — 40 percent of whom had less than a high school education — lacked broadband internet at home.
Without a reliable internet connection, students can’t access online classroom resources, out-of-work adults can’t submit job applications, and families struggling to make ends meet can’t take advantage of social services. As the New York Times wrote in August 2016: “In urban areas, rural areas, and everywhere in between, students who lack internet service at home have difficulty doing their nightly schoolwork. Many of them cobble together whatever connectivity they can, picking up free Wi-Fi signals in front of libraries, in school parking lots, and at fast-food restaurants.” Four years ago, De Blasio touted the Links as a sign of progress in the fight for unimpeded internet access. “[They’re] the fastest and largest municipal Wi-Fi network in the world,” he said, “[and] a critical step toward a more equal, open, and connected city for every New Yorker, in every borough.” Controversy But the accolades tend to ignore the fact that LinkNYC isn’t strictly a philanthropic effort. Advertisements that run alongside Intersection’s programming were expected to generate between $500 million and a billion dollars over the next 12 years. (CityBridge and the city split the ad revenue equally.) And the kiosks themselves aren’t without controversy.
The connected tablets initially had an internet browser, but Intersection disabled it in response to complaints about users browsing pornographic material. It also added vision-assistance tools after the National Federation of the Blind sued the City of New York and LinkNYC, arguing that the tablets lacked basic accessibility features.
Revenue, meanwhile, has missed expectations. Over the first two years, the city collected $43.4 million in payments, narrowly beating the $42.5 million minimum CityBridge guaranteed. Under an amended deal, CityBridge will delay paying the city its share of revenues (above the minimum payments) until the last year of the contract, when they’ll be due with 10 percent interest.
And as The Intercept recently pointed out, consumer advocacy groups and activists, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Stop LinkNYC, and ReThink LinkNYC, have brought attention to the hubs’ potential for mass surveillance.
Each hub is equipped with three cameras and sensors capable of, among other things, “monitor[ing] pedestrian, bike, and car traffic; track[ing] passing wireless devices; listen[ing] to street noise; and … identify[ing] abandoned packages.” None of this has scared away investors, who extended $150 million in financing to Intersection last year.
Intersection makes clear in its privacy policy that it doesn’t collect information about users’ precise locations. And in response to recent allegations that it intends to track Wi-Fi users’ real-time positions, it said it doesn’t collect their clickstream data or browsing history.
As Intersection and CityBridge eye expansion to new markets, Giddon said, they’ll take into account feedback they’ve received so far.
“I think it’ll definitely be a combination of lessons learned and ensuring we add a little local flavor [to our programing],” Giddon said. “We have research teams in New York and Philadelphia who’ve conducted some preliminary focus group testing to understand how to best serve the community. We’re really open to feedback, and we’ve done a lot of work here and look forward to seeing how it’s received.
Intersection hopes to install 7,500 Link kiosks by 2026, when its contract with the city expires. In June, it launched InLinkUK, a partnership with telecom provider BT and outdoor advertising agency Primesight to replace over 1,000 pay phones in major U.K. cities with kiosks. In September, 100 kiosks hit the sidewalks of Philadelphia as part of its LinkPHL program. And by the end of this year, 45 will come to Newark.
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"Intel has chip supplies to hit revenue targets, but supplies for unexpected demand will be tight | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/intel-has-chip-supplies-to-hit-revenue-targets-but-supplies-for-unexpected-demand-will-be-tight"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Intel has chip supplies to hit revenue targets, but supplies for unexpected demand will be tight Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Intel's chip architects design the chips that are made in giant multibillion-dollar factories.
Intel has been struggling with its transition from 14-nanometer manufacturing to 10-nanometer manufacturing, and it has been talking about that for the past year. But interim CEO Bob Swan reassured customers and partners today that the world’s biggest maker of PC chips has the capacity and supply in place to meet its revenue targets for the year.
After the announcement, Intel’s stock price rose 3 percent, and it is currently trading at $47.29 a share, with a market value of $218 billion.
In July, Intel’s Swan, who is also chief financial officer and took over on an interim basis after CEO Brian Krzanich resigned in June, said that Intel forecasted full-year non-GAAP revenue of $69.5 billion. In a letter to customers and partners on Friday, Swan said the “data-centric” businesses grew 25 percent through June, and cloud revenues grew 43 percent, while the strength of the PC business has been “even more surprising.” “Together as an industry, our products are convincing buyers it’s time to upgrade to a new PC. For example, second-quarter PC shipments grew globally for the first time in six years, according to Gartner,” Swan said. “We now expect modest growth in the PC total addressable market (TAM) this year for the first time since 2011, driven by strong demand for gaming as well as commercial systems — a segment where you and your customers trust and count on Intel.” But the problem is that the factory network is now challenged.
Above: Intel’s latest chips.
“We’re prioritizing the production of Intel Xeon and Intel Core processors so that collectively we can serve the high-performance segments of the market. That said, supply is undoubtedly tight, particularly at the entry level of the PC market,” Swan said. “We continue to believe we will have at least the supply to meet the full-year revenue outlook we announced in July, which was $4.5 billion higher than our January expectations.” Intel is investing a record $15 billion in capital expenditures in 2018, up approximately $1 billion from the beginning of the year.
“We’re putting that $1 billion into our 14-nanometer manufacturing sites in Oregon, Arizona, Ireland, and Israel. This capital along with other efficiencies is increasing our supply to respond to your increased demand,” Swan said. “We’re making progress with 10nm. Yields are improving and we continue to expect volume production in 2019.
We are taking a customer-first approach. We’re working with your teams to align demand with available supply. You can expect us to stay close, listen, partner, and keep you informed.” “I’m not surprised as I have heard rumblings in the supply chain,” said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “While I am sure Intel would want to have 10nm online now, most of the current challenges stem from upside demand for 14-nanometer parts. Every market is up, even PCs, which is putting a strain on 14-nanometer. Moving notebooks parts from two to four cores I am sure contributed to the upside challenges, but not the primary reason.” Moorhead thinks that it’s good news that Intel has the capacity to meet its financial obligations, but with all the industry growth, it likely will have a challenge of meeting “upside demand.” “So it’s good news, bad news,” he said in a message to VentureBeat. “PC pricing will likely go up, but I think a lot of that will depend on if AMD ramps up to meet that demand. I can see Intel incent the industry to consume parts that maximize profit dollar per wafer.” VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact.
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The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How .tech domains are helping tech startups differentiate their brands | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/how-tech-domains-are-helping-tech-startups-differentiate-their-brands"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages Sponsored How .tech domains are helping tech startups differentiate their brands Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Presented by Radix A few years ago, the coveted Consumer Electronics Show (CES) moved their website from www.cesweb.org to www.ces.tech. Why? It helped make their online presence more relevant and brandable. Speaking about this move, then CES Senior Vice President, Communications and Strategic Relationships, Jeff Joseph explained, “We stand for innovation and the promise of a better world made possible by technology. CES is well known as the foremost innovation event in the world and we are happy to have selected a domain name on .tech that conveys what we stand for in a succinct way.” CES, which is known to host the coolest tech launches and over 800 tech startups from all over the world each year, is one of the many tech businesses that have chosen to innovate with their brand in favor of new domain extensions such as . tech. Media giant Viacom, whose leading brands include MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures, and Nickelodeon, also chose www.viacom.tech for its tech-community focused website. Intel is another such example. For its IoT and embedded innovation resource centre, Intel chose www.insight.tech as its website name.
It’s not just the global tech businesses that are innovating with their branding; even tech startups are following suit in a big way. In fact, some of the most revolutionary startups of today have picked their domain names on .tech because it allows them to reflect their innovative mindset.
Startups that have chosen .tech domains to brand their websites innovatively Some of the acclaimed startups that have chosen .tech domains for their primary websites are: Asher Kagan, Founder, www.shadow.tech, says about their .tech domain, “Shadow is fundamentally a high-tech company. Shadow’s inventors have strong technical background and the founding team has worked in some of the most advanced technology companies and industries before. We are proud of our tech roots and .tech reflects this origin.” Branding benefits of .tech domains for tech startups One of the most valuable benefits of choosing .tech domains is the all-encompassing nature of the domain extension, which makes it perfect for startups across industries such as retail, finance, media, etc. and across technologies such as machine learning, blockchain, space tech, etc. As a consequence, tech startups no more have to settle for coarse domain names such as www.innowate-technologiez.com. By choosing .tech, a business-relevant domain extension , they can now overcome the branding limitations of generic domain extensions such as .com, .co, .us, .co.uk, etc.
Here are some of the most important reasons why you should choose a .tech domain for your startup: 1. .tech domains are strategic for your tech brand positioning www.themightytech.com is not available to buy. Image source: GoDaddy.com www.themighty.tech is available to buy. Image source: GoDaddy.com For example, consider www.brilliant.tech. Brilliant creates technology that makes it fun and easy to interact directly with your home. With a .tech domain, they have been able to choose a strategic online identity which cuts through the noise and attracts attention immediately.
2. .tech domains make your domain name keyword rich New domain extensions are as good as any other extension as far as search engine ranking is concerned. In fact, Google went on the record saying, “New domain name endings are not treated any differently than traditional domain name endings like .com or .org. Domain names with new endings are shown in search just like any other domain name.” This opens up a great opportunity for you to choose a new domain extension that is industry-relevant and business-relevant for your startup. For example, consider the keyword-rich domain name www.nextenergy.tech. Just by looking at the domain name, one can guess that the business is into energy technology. This goes a long way in establishing a strong brand positioning for a business.
3. .tech domains add a layer of meaning and relevance to your website address ‘Tech’ is one of the most intuitive words in the context of business and innovation. This makes .tech domains a logical choice for tech startups looking to build a brand that is relevant not just to the tech industry but to all stakeholders, including investors, customers and media.
As an example, for brand name ‘Peach’, consider the domain names www.peach.com and www.peach.tech. While the former is a generic domain name which does not communicate anything about the business, the latter explains that it is a tech brand called ‘Peach’.
Akin to this, Paul Cheek, Founder, www.vempathy.tech, says, “We chose www.vempathy.tech domain name because it is most relevant to the business that we are building. Our vision is to help companies build empathy with their customers using video analysis technology so a .tech domain name was relevant for us.” Above: www.vempathy.tech, powered by IBM Watson.
4) .tech domains give your startup access to the Startup League community An additional and quite valuable advantage of choosing .tech domains is that it gives your startup access to the Startup League.
It’s a startup-support community that offers sponsorship to early-stage startups to exhibit at some of the biggest tech events, along with digital marketing boost, media shout outs, and branding support. With the support that the Startup League offers, you can gain massive brand visibility among investors, media, customers, and industry influencers. The Startup League is a unique initiative by Radix, which owns and operates .tech domains.
So, give your tech startup a solid brand positioning and a massive marketing push by choosing an innovative domain name. If you are building the future, build it on a .tech domain.
Sponsored posts are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. Content produced by our editorial team is never influenced by advertisers or sponsors in any way. For more information, contact [email protected].
The AI Impact Tour Join us for an evening full of networking and insights at VentureBeat's AI Impact Tour, coming to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles! VentureBeat Homepage Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on RSS Press Releases Contact Us Advertise Share a News Tip Contribute to DataDecisionMakers Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2023 VentureBeat.
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"How ILMxLAB and Oculus will bring Vader Immortal to life in virtual reality | VentureBeat"
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"https://venturebeat.com/business/how-ilmxlab-and-oculus-will-bring-vader-immortal-to-life-in-virtual-reality"
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"Artificial Intelligence View All AI, ML and Deep Learning Auto ML Data Labelling Synthetic Data Conversational AI NLP Text-to-Speech Security View All Data Security and Privacy Network Security and Privacy Software Security Computer Hardware Security Cloud and Data Storage Security Data Infrastructure View All Data Science Data Management Data Storage and Cloud Big Data and Analytics Data Networks Automation View All Industrial Automation Business Process Automation Development Automation Robotic Process Automation Test Automation Enterprise Analytics View All Business Intelligence Disaster Recovery Business Continuity Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis More Data Decision Makers Virtual Communication Team Collaboration UCaaS Virtual Reality Collaboration Virtual Employee Experience Programming & Development Product Development Application Development Test Management Development Languages How ILMxLAB and Oculus will bring Vader Immortal to life in virtual reality Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship.
Learn more.
Disney’s ILMxLAB and Facebook’s Oculus VR announced this week that the Oculus Quest wireless virtual reality headset will debut in the spring of 2019 with a new original Star Wars VR story dubbed Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series.
The original VR series will have three parts and is part of the same effort that led to The Void’s Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire location-based VR experience. David S. Goyer, a Hollywood screenwriter on everything from The Dark Knight trilogy to Call of Duty: Black Ops, is the executive producer and writer of the Vader experience. He is working with Mohen Leo, ILMxLAB director of immersive content, and Colum Slevin, head of experiences at Oculus, to bring Darth Vader to life.
While earlier efforts to create VR Jedi experiences were cool demos, Goyer said this experience will be the “gold standard,” where you’ll be able to wield a lightsaber in a 360-degree, wireless VR experience. I interviewed them this week at the Oculus Connect 5 event in San Jose, California. Lucasfilm established ILMxLAB in 2015 to create immersive storytelling powered by real-time computer graphics. The Oculus Quest VR headset is a standalone device and it will go on sale for $399.
Here’s an edited transcript of our interview.
Event GamesBeat at the Game Awards We invite you to join us in LA for GamesBeat at the Game Awards event this December 7. Reserve your spot now as space is limited! Above: Left to right: David Goyer, Colum Slevin, and Mohen Leo.
GamesBeat: I didn’t realize that Secrets of the Empire had so much work behind it until now. How long ago would you say you got started on that? David Goyer: I think Lucasfilm first contacted me almost three years ago. At the time they knew they wanted to do some form of VR narrative involving Vader. That was about the extent of it. It started a very long learning process. At a certain point, once we landed on what it was going to be, the opportunity to do Secrets of the Empire came up.
Even though Secrets came up first, the more contained experience, we actually started work on the Vader project earlier. There was an opportunity to tease some of the elements of this in Secrets of the Empire. The locations are obvious. Some will become apparent once this comes out. Maybe midway through that, that’s when we became aware of Oculus Quest. Conversations started happening with Oculus.
GamesBeat: Even before you got in touch with Oculus, was it always VR? Goyer: Yeah, it was always VR. It wasn’t AR or MR. But we hadn’t decided what platform we were going to use. Once we started seeing demos, we decided to create that partnership. That even started affecting some of the storytelling.
Leo: When this project started, I was actually still working on the visual effects side. I was in London working on Rogue One. While we were working on the movie, we started getting phone calls. “Can you scan these sets? We might want to do something in VR with it.” We were already scanning them, so no problem. But it’s been in the works for a long time.
Above: Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. Dean Takahashi (right) went through it with two strangers.
GamesBeat: What are the challenges of writing for VR? You’re not always certain of things like where the viewer is looking when someone’s supposed to be speaking to them.
Goyer: Yeah, there are lots of different challenges. When Lucasfilm first approached me, I’d been involved in film and TV, but I’d also worked on some of the Call of Duty games, which I guess you’d consider a cousin of VR, something like that. I had to re-learn, un-learn a lot of things, a lot of assumptions. We started off with a full script and then realized, as soon as we did the very first test, that we had to throw a lot of assumptions out the window.
It took us a long time, but ultimately we evolved this sort of iterative process where I would write an outline. Mohen and his team gray-boxed things in R&D, different interactive experiences. Then I would go back and rewrite and suggest some things. We’d just go back and forth. I wish I’d known then what we know now. [laughs] We would have saved some time.
Leo: One thing we learned throughout the process is how much we have to make the experience about you as the user, the person in the experience. What we found early on is that if you have two other characters talking to each other, pretty quickly – much faster than in the movies – people start zoning out. “They’re just ignoring me.” Goyer: Because you can literally just go walk somewhere else.
Leo: But as soon as a character turns to you and speaks to you? You suddenly have the attention. You feel like you’re part of the story. The characters acknowledge you. That became a big part of the design, to try to make sure that every scene puts you in the center.
Goyer: When we first approached it, two and a half years ago, three years ago, there was a thought that in some ways it might be a VR version of immersive theater, where you’re watching a play and you have freedom to move around and observe it from different points of view. As Mohen said, we quickly realized we weren’t capitalizing on this enormous opportunity.
But then the flip side of that is, when someone like Vader is paying attention to you, almost everything else fades away. You don’t hear anyone else talking because you’re so intimidated. We did a lot of tests with that. We did an initial test where Vader comes out and talks to you. That informed a lot of what we did.
GamesBeat: I assume he’s even more intimidating in VR.
Goyer: Way more. I remember the first test I did. It’s so different from watching him on film.
Above: Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire is a location-based VR experience.
GamesBeat: It seems like this is a moving target. I did Secrets of the Empire in January, down in Anaheim. Certain things about the experience are still clunky – the wooden gun, the heavy backpack. Although it was interesting that they made putting on the backpack part of the experience.
Goyer: We’re still in the early, early days of this medium. I liken it, in CG films, to when Pixar first released that short film, Luxo Junior. It’s so early. There’s a big difference between Secrets, which is location-based, and something you can experience in your home. This is also a cooperative experience. But I imagine all of that, the backpacks and whatnot, that will massively shrink very soon.
Leo: The second we got our hands on Quest and tried it out—you immediately understand that it changes the way you experience VR. One of the things about this experience, you do get to wield a lightsaber. Just knowing that you don’t have to worry about, as you turn around, wrapping yourself up in a cable and tripping over, that changes things. It allows you to dive deeper into the experience. When you have a cable coming out of the back of your head, part of your brain is always thinking about that. Having the freedom to not think about that is fantastic.
GamesBeat: Do you feel you learned some things from Secrets that went into the Vader project? Goyer: Absolutely. Even tiny things, like what duration of time you can take to impart information to a person in VR. It’s different. We discovered that, for instance, if you really need the user to pay attention for a little while, you might have to spotlight the environment a bit more. You take away some of the distractions, because the feeling of presence is so real. People talk about VR and presence, but being able to inhabit a Star Wars story—we’ve all dreamed about this since we were little kids. Now you can actually do it. It’s a whole new ballgame.
The other thing we learned—Secrets is a very fast-paced experience. It’s also a fairly short experience. This is a more expansive experience. We shouldn’t and wouldn’t want to maintain that pace for the entire experience. There are moments where you can be reflective in this experience. There are even moments of strange beauty. We were able to modulate all these different emotions.
Leo: Pacing is something that we’ve thought a lot about over time. You can’t drag people at a particular speed through the experience. “Now this, now this, and now this.” You need to let them, in a way—you give them a bite of story, let them digest that, and then they can decide when they’re ready to move on. That also came out of Secrets of the Empire.
Especially when people do VR for the first time, or they haven’t done it a lot–the first thing that pretty much everyone does in Secrets of the Empire is look down at their hands. If you’re trying to tell them the story at that moment, it’s just not going to register. If you have to do setup or exposition, which is certainly something we’re doing in this project, you have to do it carefully. You have to keep it short and focused. You may have to repeat things.
Above: Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire is a VR experience for the galaxy far, far away.
GamesBeat: I just came out of Quest as well, and it seems like the size of the space available to you might change. Does that change the game experience in some way, with a smaller or larger area to play in? Leo: We’re definitely trying to capitalize on the freedom of movement. What we have to be mindful of, though, is the experience has to work in spaces that everyone has — in your living room. We don’t want to make something that requires a massive space.
GamesBeat: How did you proceed once you started working with Oculus? You started with Secrets, and now you’re moving to this three-part thing, which sounds a lot more ambitious.
Goyer: It was actually a boon when Colum’s team came on. This is a new medium. Even this specific kind of VR narrative is new. It hasn’t really been attempted before. His whole department has been working on that from all these different angles. They were able to add all the experience they’ve had in some of the other projects they’ve been developing. It’s very helpful.
Colum Slevin: We’ve been talking to David and to the team at xLAB since the inception of the project, but Oculus Quest wasn’t formally on the road map yet. We didn’t have that all planned out. It took some time for the stars to align around what we wanted to do. I was really excited about helping to bring a Star Wars story to the platform, but until Oculus Quest came into view—that was the last piece for us, to realize that untethered VR and 360 degrees of motion with a lightsaber would be amazing.
Most of what we do with xLAB is similar to what we do with a lot of developers. We just try to remove obstacles, be supportive, and to the extent that we have the benefit of some wisdom from working with a range of developers, we try to bring that to the table as well. But these guys are the best in the world at what they do.
Above: Vader Immortal will be a three-part VR story series.
GamesBeat: Fans have already seen the Jedi experience in things like Disney’s AR products, or Trials of Tatooine. Is there something more you want to give to fans than what they’ve already tried? Goyer: When I first did Trials of Tatooine I thought it was amazing. But that was a demo, in a way. This, we think, is hopefully the gold standard. This is an original story. It was constructed specifically for VR. It’s not a piece of marketing that’s done as an adjunct to one of the movies or a TV show. It’s a stand-alone story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It’s an expansive story. Without giving too much away, it’s something fans will not have experienced yet.
Slevin: It’s richer. I love the glimpses and the tastes I’ve gotten of Star Wars in VR, but this is a full meal. This is a full story. It has its own creative integrity. It has depth. It’s connected, but it stands alone.
Goyer: It’s connected to the Star Wars universe. We’ve already had some touch points with Secrets of the Empire, and there may be more touch points with other Star Wars stories in other media. But it’s its own story. Hopefully we’re also adding to the Star Wars mythology in this.
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Subsets and Splits
Wired Articles Filtered
Retrieves up to 100 entries from the train dataset where the URL contains 'wired' but the text does not contain 'Menu', providing basic filtering of the data.