You may have heard of the Oculus Rift recently.  Most likely because it was acquired by Facebook for $2B.  But what exactly is Oculus Rift and why does facebook want it?

Oculus Rift is a wearable set of virtual reality goggles.  Not only do they display a 3d image for the user (two unique images, or for each eye, in a way to feel 3d), but they also track movement, so when you turn your head left, the view moves to the left.  So, unlike 3d glasses that let you watch a movie in 3d, these also let you directly interact with this 3d world.

If you want to see a 90 year old using them and being amazed, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAC5SeNH8jw

Ultimately Oculus Rift was built for gaming, and it’s focus has been gaming.  The reality is, such immersion and quality virtual reality extends way beyond video games.

While I cannot comment on why Facebook bought Oculus Rift (because I am not facebook and cannot speak for their intentions) I can tell you some of the things that I see virtual reality enabling.

1) Freedom from the screen – All our devices are limited in size.  Sure, we can have big-screen monitors, but they have edges and limitations.  With VR, it will be possible to allow the screen to engulf the entire world around you.

2) Deeper social connections – ever since science fiction brought us the holodec (a holographic projector) we have been waiting for scientists to create one.  Virtual Reality could actually provide something that is one-step ahead.  A camera could digitize a likeness of yourself and allow you to interact in a 3d world with the digital likeness of other people.  No longer is a conference call limited to the blurry image from someone’s webcam.  Many people can now sit in a virtual room, share a virtual whiteboard, and interact.

3) Immersion – The connections we make with the software we’re using has become very superficial.  Software has gotten easier to use, and the number of distractions and cat videos has increased.  Virtual Reality offers the ability to create a higher level of engagement that happens with your whole body, and not just your fingers and your eyes.  A more engaged user is a more valuable user.

Have a great weekend.

With the latest merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable, as well as some moves taken by cell phone providers, there has been a great deal of discussion around Net Neutrality.  While I have my opinions, I’ll try to be as factual and concise as possible and explain a bit of what Net Neutrality is and what businesses are attempting to do.

For the sake of explanation, lets think of the physical wiring of the internet as roads – it is ultimately infrastructure.  Large internet providers own cables that send data from our computers and devices to and from servers.  So, like a family vacation, if we want to get from our home to some destination, we have to take roads.  The internet is the same.

A few years back, the largest internet companies – Google, Verizon, etc, got together and agreed that they were not going to restrict traffic flow.  In short, they agreed that if you have a car, you can drive on the roads.  If there is heavy traffic, things will slow, and if you have an open road, you can drive fast.  It is a bit more complicated than that, but I on a general scale, that covers it.

Just recently the US Government warranted that these large companies did not have the power to create/enforce such an agreement – mainly because the action was considered collusion.  Despite the agreement being beneficial for consumers, the logic is sound.  The US Government resolved that only the FCC could make such rules/restrictions about internet traffic/use.  Since that ruling, no laws have been put in place to enforce any sort of neutrality.

Since then, a few telecom companies have taken steps that have had the Net Neutrality community upset.  The proposal was that the cell phone company would allow a business to pay for an individual’s wireless usage.  Going back to the real-world car example, that is like saying if you drive a Honda, you can gas up for free, but not Fords.  The telecom companies are the ones who control who gets free gas, so you can see that this would make Honda a more favorable car.  Many argue that it gives an unfair advantage to large companies, who can afford to do such large-scale deals.

And – since I mentioned it above, the merger between TWC and Comcast is of concern to people because it merges two very large providers into one.  Incentive for that newer company to increase speeds, reduce price, and provide better service is reduced.  Reality is, there is no immediate threat to Net Neutrality by this merger, just many people concerned of poor service.