Hi Inside.com Community, We are extending our Republic raise timeline, and we hope readers and investors love the reason. Inside.com Founder and CEO Jason Calacanis shared full details (and a video preview of our social news site) on our Republic campaign page. These are the key details: - Our social news site’s invitation-only beta will open up on Feb. 28, 2022, with early access for all investors, Inside PRO members, and longtime readers.
- The full site launch is slated for the end of March 2022.
- If you want to get in early, we’ll share more soon — so be on the lookout.
For everyone participating in our Republic campaign, we want this extended investment period to allow our members to experience the social site before investing in Inside.com’s future. In the meantime, enjoy the preview of the new site in our video update, and we hope you will be among the first to try it out. Thanks for being readers and investors. - The Inside.com Team | |  Gia | |
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 Apple CEO Tim Cook Apple unveiled its plan for AR/VR market expansion, and the company is focused on ensuring user privacy concerns are met. More: - Apple's VR headsets are rumored to release a year from now, and it's good news to hear that the company prioritizes user privacy.
- The company received a $2T market value on privacy-first-concerns, not on first-to-the-market tech, hence why we have not heard much about the company's metaverse strategy despite interest in the area.
- CEO Tim Cook said, "We believe privacy is a basic human right. [Innovation] starts with that."
- This year, Apple created a "privacy nutrition label" for the app store and is committed to tracking privacy.
- Privacy in VR/AR headsets is very complicated, and it will be interesting to see how the company overcomes some of the challenges in the coming year.
Yahoo 
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 Peter Thiel stepped down as a member of Facebook's board of directors to focus on supporting Trump-aligned political candidates. Thiel will not stand for re-election to the board at the company's 2022 annual stockholder's meeting. More: - Peter Theil co-founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook, putting in $500,000 in 2004 when CEO Mark Zuckerberg was just a college kid.
- In a statement, Thiel said: "It has been a privilege to work with one of the great entrepreneurs of our time. Mark Zuckerberg's intelligence, energy, and conscientiousness are tremendous. His talents will serve Meta well as he leads the company into a new era."
- Theil leaving the board means Meta will lose a conservative voice at a time when it has lost $230B off its market value.
- Thiel was an active Trump supporter during the 2016 presidential campaign:
- "I want to start by thanking Peter, because he saw something very early, maybe before we saw it," said Trump.
- While Thiel has been quiet in recent years about Trump, he has been supporting other Republican candidates.
- Meta will continue its efforts to build the metaverse as the company has announced a $10B investment into its Reality Labs, a division that focuses on AR/VR.
- Current board members include Zuckerberg; Robert M. Kimmitt, Meta's Lead Independent Director and Senior International Counsel at WilmerHale LLP; Peggy Alford, Executive Vice President, Global Sales, PayPal Holdings, Inc.; Marc L. Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz; Drew Houston, Co-Founder and CEO, Dropbox, Inc.; and more.
CNBC
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 Bandai Namco plans to launch a metaverse based on its intellectual property and will spend $130M on the project. There are three primary objectives for this project: connecting Bandai Namco to their fans, value creation, and connecting IPs into an interconnected universe called "All Bandai Namco Concept." More: - Bandai Namco will also spend $216M to "maximize IP value" and focus on innovation by creating new IP.
- The metaverse will help the company develop a community to enable fans to connect with it:
- A company spokesperson said: "Through these communities and content, we will build deep, broad, multifaceted connections that continue for long periods of time, and we will focus on the quality of those connections. In this way, we will work to maximize IP value over the medium to long term."
- Bandai Namco's library of games includes Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Pac-Man, Dragon Ball, and more.
- The company sees the metaverse as an opportunity for growth and aims to build new products and services aligned with the virtual worlds.
IGN
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 The Foo Fighters will perform a VR concert at a Super Bowl LVI afterparty this Sunday. The virtual concert will take place in Meta's VR Horizon Venues, allowing Quest users to access the concert using their VR headsets. Fans that do not have Quest VR headsets can still tune in on the Meta Quest Facebook and Instagram pages. More: - This high-energy, immersive experience will have 180-degree cameras views, a custom stage design, sophisticated lighting programs, and more.
- A Meta spokesperson said, "a performance that shows the surreal convergence of the physical and virtual — and it promises to be unlike any show previously hosted on the Meta Quest Platform."
- The show will go live at 8 p.m. PST or following the conclusion of the Super Bowl event.
Auganix
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Aftermath Islands Metaverse Ltd is joining the "Next Top Metaverse Build Competition" as a sponsor and judge. The competition will host architects, designers, and 3D developers to create the metaverse's infrastructure, including buildings, NFTs, galleries, and more. More: - The selected contestants have a chance to win up to $50,000 worth of Renovi Tokens (RNVI), a plot of digital land in Decentraland, and key software programs.
- Together, Ronovi and GDA capital are hosting the event. All entries will be uploaded, and the proceeds will go to the participants.
- Aftermath Metaverse allows users to buy, develop and trade virtual land, NFTs, and more. The company will also donate $10,000 in plots of virtual land to the winner of the competition.
- Applications are open from Jan. 31 to March 31.
Yahoo
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 Vuzix announced that it will support Microsoft Endpoint Manager for its augmented reality smart glasses. More: - Vuzix is a global leader in augmented reality glasses and glass manufacturers that will add Microsoft's enterprise-grade application solution for onboarding and training.
- Vuzix CEO Paul Travers said, "This type of solution offers enterprise-level companies the security they need to feel safe, onboarding potentially tens of thousands of glasses and allowing them to do so in a streamlined fashion."
- The new service will enable customers to access a secure management platform for enterprise-grade AR hardware and deploy AR devices across multiple workplace and enterprise projects.
XR Today
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Quick Hits - 3D is the future of online shopping. With unlimited3D.com from Threedium, you can publish and share 3D & AR to the web with ease.*
- Roundhill cut costs and entered a Metaverse ETF price battle.
- Learn how Meta is preventing sexual harassment and keeping users safe in the virtual world.
- Scott Galloway, a well-known marketing professor, calls Meta's metaverse a "Flaming bad of s---."
- A CEO explains why he bought $1.2M worth of virtual land that does not exist.
- If you think time in the market outweighs timing the market, this finance app is for you.*
*This is a sponsored post.
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Upcoming Events: - February 09 - Interview with David King Lassman (GigXR) (Register Here)
- February 09 - A Twitter Spaces event with Bored Elon Musk (Register Here)
- February 10 - The Business of Wellness (Register Here)
- February 15 - Venturing in VC - Episode #6 with Marlon Nichols (MaC Venture Capital) (Register Here)
- February 17 - Efficient Marketing Strategies in a Post iOS 14 World (Register Here)
- February 23 - Need to Know NoCoder: Derya Sousa (Kianda Technologies) (Register Here)
- February 24 - Alternative Investments (Register Here)
- February 28 - Inside Investment DAOs with Global Coin Research (Register Here)
- March 10 - NoCode's Impact on the Gig Economy (Register Here)
- March 23 - Need to Know NoCoder: Nichole Bestman (Bubble) (Register Here)
- March 31 - How To Build In Web 3.0 (Register Here)
- April 07 - Blockchain and the Law (Register Here)
- April 14 - Shopping In The Metaverse (Register Here)
DID YOU KNOW WE'RE HIRING? - We have multiple positions open for 100% remote, full-time analysts. Apply or refer someone.
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 |  | Gia Mattu is based in Calgary, Alberta. She is an entrepreneur with experience in climate technology, drones, AI, machine learning, and blockchain technology. When she's not working, she loves to hike the Canadian Rockies, try new cuisine, and travel. | | | | Editor | Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 Ford. | |
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Interested in crowdfunding for your next fundraise? Start here. | |
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