Month: November 2016

Xbox Co-Founder: VR is pushing gaming in to another ‘Golden Age’

Dan Uff November 25, 2016 0

(CNBC.com): Otto Berkes is a pioneer of the gaming industry.

In 1998, along with Kevin Bachus, Seamus Blackley and Ted Hase, Berkes founded Microsoft's Xbox just as video gaming was entering its next phase.

It was four years after Sony had released its first PlayStation console and was developing its next generation PlayStation 2. The first Xbox came to market in 2001, just a year after the PS2, amid a huge boost in graphics and processing power.

The Xbox and PS2 were two of the most popular consoles ever and now gaming is entering "another golden age", according to Berkes, driven by virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI).

"One of the aspects of VR that has incredible potential is interaction and communication – interacting with characters that are both artificial and virtual, being able to blur distance and geography, you can be anywhere and literally in any time," Berkes told CNBC in an interview on Wednesday.

"We're entering another golden age of interactive content development."

Hardware revenues from VR headsets, peripherals devices and 360-degree cameras will reach over $50 billion by 2021, up tenfold from an estimated $5 billion in sales this year, according to analysis firm Juniper Research. And it's the gaming giants which are driving the initial uptake of this technology.

Sony launched its PlayStation VR headset last month while Microsoft's Xbox unit is slated to be bringing out its rival offering out in 2017.

But the technology is still in its early days with limitations still apparent, according to Berkes. The Xbox founder – who left Microsoft in 2011 and now is the chief technology officer at tech consultancy CA Technologies – said that in the future, a person's entire body could be mapped into a game without the need to wear or hold anything but the headset.

"I think the interaction needs to be natural, there is a little bit of a disconnect right now when you put on the headset. The implementation is well done, you are transporting them to the space, but you put your hands out in front of you and they are not there. I think we've crossed the first big threshold which is the visual and auditory aspects of VR, but the interaction piece still requires a bunch of work," Berkes said.

Looking for an unique gift? Take a look at Robo Buddy from QVC

Dan Uff November 25, 2016 0

While surfing the web, I came across an unique item for those who are looking for a gift for someone that has everything.

RoboBuddy is a remote controlled car with a mini camera on the front that could be used for a variety of things, such as:

Includes Robo Buddy, AC adapter, rechargeable NiMH battery, and docking station
Built-in Wi-Fi
Up to 65' wireless range without obstacles/up to 35' wireless range with obstacles
Built-in, adjustable 720p HD video camera
Live-streams high-definition photos and videos
Connects from anywhere via free app, not included
Move Motion: moves forward, backward, right, and left
Infrared night vision
Two-way audio communication
Works on tile, cement, wood, and carpet
8-oz payload capacity
Ages 14 and up
With antenna extended, measures 10-1/2" x 7-3/4" x 8-3/4"; weighs 2 lbs, 3 oz
UL listed adapter; 60-day Limited Manufacturer's Warranty
Imported

RoboBuddy usually sells for $149.99 but has a special Black Friday price at $119.95.

For more information, click here.

Macy’s CEO: Customers use technology to enhance in-store shopping experience

Dan Uff November 25, 2016 0

(CNBC.COM): Black Friday shoppers are increasingly using technology not just to shop online, but to improve their brick-and-mortar experience in the store as well, Terry Lundgren, chairman and CEO of Macy's, told CNBC on Friday.

Rather than purchasing items online, Lundgren said consumers will instead check a given store's inventory on their smartphones and find what they want to buy before heading to the store.

"That combination of using technology and the experience of being inside the store is the way the consumers are shopping today and [it] will continue to be so in the future," Lundgren told "Squawk Box."

So what are consumers buying? Lundgren said the retailer's dress business is very strong, especially dresses for social occasions as opposed to daytime styles. In particular, American designer Tommy Hilfiger's men's, women's, and kids collections are "on fire," according to the CEO.

And shoppers are purchasing a variety of products, from $15 gift sets of perfume samples to high-end technology like the Apple Watch.

"It's really, for us, not just lower price. It's really the range. And that's what I think a store like Macy's has to offer the best, and that is the wide range, wide selection of various products and various price points," Lundgren said.

Macy's opened for Black Friday at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, welcoming around 16,000 shoppers to its flagship store in New York City's Herald Square.