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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Facebook moves into virtual reality with $2 billion Oculus VR deal

Facebook has agreed to acquire virtual reality company Oculus VR in a deal worth approximately $2 billion (£1.2 billion).

Oculus VR has become well-known for its ‘immersive’ virtual reality technology, having received more than 75,000 development kit orders for its Oculus Rift 3D virtual reality headset.

The deal includes $400 million in cash and 23.1 million shares of Facebook common stock, with the option of an extra $300 million in cash and stock based on future targets. It’s expected to be finalised in the summer.

Although Oculus has been focussed on gaming, Facebook says it plans to move the company into communications, media, entertainment, education and other areas - with virtual reality technology described as “a strong candidate to emerge as the next social and communications platform”.

Brendan Iribe, co-founder and CEO of Oculus VR, said “We are excited to work with Mark and the Facebook team to deliver the very best virtual reality platform in the world. We believe virtual reality will be heavily defined by social experiences that connect people in magical, new ways. It is a transformative and disruptive technology, that enables the world to experience the impossible, and it’s only just the beginning.”

Oculus will maintain a separate headquarters building in California and will continue its development of the Oculus Rift.

[Oculus blog]

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Opinion Articles

A new Nokia typeface: rearranging the deckchairs... or finding a horseshoe nail?

Mark Bridge writes:

Last week Nokia announced a new typeface called Nokia Pure.

The new branding will soon start appearing in Nokia's advertising and on Nokia devices as well.

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This week at The Fonecast: 26th March 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

There was big news from the United States this week as Deutsche Telekom decided to sell T-Mobile USA to AT&T. Was it a shotgun wedding or is this a carefully calculated deal designed to benefit consumers?  Time will tell – assuming, of course, the merger gets approved by the US regulator.

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BT increases fixed-line charges as Mobile Termination Rates fall

Mark Bridge writes:

The Terminate The Rate campaign has pretty much run its course. Its aim was to get Mobile Termination Rates reduced. These are the wholesale charges paid when a mobile or fixed-line network connects a call from one of its customers to a rival. Lower MTRs would mean better deals on call charges, the campaign argued.

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London Olympics mobile phone ban is nothing to be exercised about

Mark Bridge writes:

"It's political correctness gone mad, innit?"  The terms and conditions for booking tickets to the London 2012 Olympic Games include a warning that certain items are banned. Food, flasks of drink, umbrellas, musical instruments and mobile phones are all on the prohibited list.

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This week at The Fonecast: 20th March 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

The last seven days have seen the UK mobile industry coming to terms with Ofcom's plans to cut mobile termination rates from next month. Some think the reductions should have been larger and faster-acting, others say they'll mean higher call charges for prepay customers. The reality will become more obvious from 1st April.

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