| |
| Hey there, Insiders! Today we share some big news, including Microsoft's $68.7B acquisition of Activision Blizzard vs. the FTC, the "MetaSuit," a new VR bodysuit developed by ETH Zurich, and more. But that's not all! Scroll down to check out the "Knowledge Hub" and our "Upcoming Events" sections. We value your input, so let us know what topics you'd like us to cover in future editions. Vildana
p/vildana-b | |
| 1 | | Microsoft faces a five-day court case with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tomorrow, June 22, which will determine the fate of its $68.7B acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The FTC is seeking a preliminary injunction to halt Microsoft from closing the deal before a separate legal challenge scheduled for Aug. 2. More: - Microsoft has until July 18 to finalize the proposed acquisition, or it will be required to pay Activision Blizzard $3B in breakup fees or renegotiate new terms.
- In addition to the FTC, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the deal in April.
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Xbox chief Phil Spencer, and other executives will testify in the San Francisco courtroom.
- PlayStation Chief Jim Ryan and Activision CEO Bobby Kotick will also take the stand.
- Microsoft's exhibit list for the FTC case includes emails, one of which discusses "pettiness from Sony and GameSpots fanboy reviewers."
Zoom Out: - Last December, the FTC requested an internal administrative judge to halt the deal based on antitrust concerns, contending that it would grant Microsoft's Xbox exclusive rights to Activision games, excluding Nintendo consoles and Sony's PlayStation from accessing them.
- You can read the FTC's redacted complaint here.
|     | |
| 2 | | 
What the numbers say: Gaming company Activision Blizzard generated $7.53B in annual revenue in 2022. Known for publishing popular titles like Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft, Activision Blizzard has sold millions of copies of the long-running Call of Duty franchise. In Q1 2023, Activision Blizzard announced quarterly revenues of over US$2.38B, compared to $1.77B in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Relevance: Microsoft is scheduled to appear in court on June 22 to confront the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a five-day case to decide the fate of its planned $68.7B acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The FTC seeks a preliminary injunctionto stop Microsoft from finalizing the deal before a separate legal challenge begins on Aug. 2. | | | |
| A message from our sponsor, Salesforce. |  | | Get fresh insights from 7,700+ sales professionals In today’s economy, productivity is the name of the game. In this report, you’ll hear from 7,700+ sales pros about how they keep their reps focused on selling and closing deals in a whole new way with AI. According to our latest research: - 97% of sales pros say AI has improved use of rep time
- 94% of sales orgs plan to consolidate their tech stack in the next 12 months
- 90% of sales reps from top orgs say their company enables them to act as a trusted advisor
Read the report | |
|
| 3 | | The future of the metaverse depends on network capabilities, as current networks may struggle to handle the increased demand for throughput and low latency. Concerns about the processing power of XR devices due to battery and heat constraints may require remote processing and drive the need for low latency, split rendering, and edge computing. More: - A future user will likely expect at least a 2K resolution, with 8K required for a highly immersive experience.
- While 5G is believed to have the capacity and coverage for XR, some argue that its requirements may not be fully met until the advent of 6G.
- The 3GPP is working on technologies to mitigate congestion at different network layers and improve latency through closer integration of network technologies and applications.
- 6G is seen as an opportunity to address issues from the beginning, with the need for a spectrum in the 7 to 15GHz range, improved capacity, and optimized antenna design.
- "Seamlessness" is a challenge, especially in network transitions, and satellite deployment could offer ubiquitous coverage but is still in the early stages.
| | | |
| 4 | | A new VR suit with soft-robotic muscles could enhance VR experiences, assist in motion capture, and aid patients with Parkinson's disease. The "Meta Suit," developed by ETH Zurich (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), features artificial muscles that allow users to interact more naturally in VR without relying on visual cues or camera systems. More: - The Meta Suit incorporates hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators, which function similarly to zip-lock bags that expand or contract with electric currents.
- The objective was to create a lightweight, flexible suit that provides a more immersive and realistic VR experience, allowing users to feel sensations.
- The suit's muscles can be controlled by signals, recording the wearer's movements or receiving signals to move in a specific way.
- Applications for the technology include motion tracking in movies and animations and aiding patients with frozen gait due to Parkinson's disease, among other possibilities.
| | | |
| A message from our sponsor, RYSE. |  | | The Hottest (And Coolest) Innovation In Smart Home Tech
Ring 一 Acquired by Amazon for $1.2B
Nest 一 Acquired by Google for $3.2B If you missed out on these spectacular early investments in the Smart Home space, here’s your chance to grab hold of the next one. RYSE is the tech startup that’s in pole position to dominate the Smart Shades market, and their exclusive public offering of shares priced at just $1 is closing soon. The Smart Home space is scorching and best-in-class specs (and 6 issued patents) have RYSE positioned as the next industry heavyweight: - Unmatched Convenience: Their tech makes manual shades smart in under 5 minutes.
- Affordable Luxury: Priced at $169 vs. competitors’ pricing of up to $1,000 per window.
- Retail Distribution: Scheduled to launch in 100+ Best Buy stores by this summer.
Get a piece of RYSE before their brand becomes synonymous with Smart Shades. Learn More | |
|
| 5 | | Shanghai unveiled an action plan to boost metaverse tourism and leverage its advantages for growth. The plan outlines strategic focus areas to enhance Shanghai's competitiveness in the digital era and harness its large-scale cultural and tourism market, advanced digital infrastructure, and thriving innovation culture. More: - The plan includes initiatives such as "Digital Tourism Infrastructure," "Technological Breakthroughs," "New Metaverse Tourism Scenarios," "Digital Art Platforms," and "Immersive Interactive Content."
- Shanghai aims to accelerate the construction of key network infrastructure, promote edge computing capabilities, and develop international cultural resource access standards.
- The plan emphasizes digital cultural rights protection research, immersive interactions, and virtual production techniques.
- Shanghai plans to create digital cultural scenes, digitize cultural relics, and encourage immersive tourism experiences in cultural and commercial districts.
- The city will leverage its urban blockchain infrastructure to establish digital creative alliances and promote cross-chain applications of digital artworks.
Zoom Out: - Last year, Beijing released a two-year metaverse strategy to rejuvenate its tourism sector.
- Douyin, one of China's most popular social media platforms, has partnered with China's nine important museums to launch an "online tour" event, allowing netizens to view the exhibition at home.
| | | |
| 6 | | 1.4 billion users globally are expected to join the metaverse by 2030, with the U.S. accounting for approximately 120.7 million users. The metaverse is rapidly gaining traction, with over 400 million active users in 2022. More: - The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated metaverse adoption, with businesses embracing it for remote collaboration and cost reduction in travel expenses.
- The metaverse and gaming market is expected to reach $13.84B in 2023, with an estimated growth of $710.21B by 2027.
- The U.S. is expected to be the largest market, with nearly 41 million users.
- Integrating AR and VR technologies has revolutionized the gaming industry, driving the demand for metaverse gaming.
- Advancements in AR and VR technologies enhance the immersive user experience in the metaverse, attracting users from diverse backgrounds.
| | | |
| 7 | | QUICK HITS - Notion combines traditional project management with your docs, knowledge base, and AI. Try it for free.*
- Holography is now becoming a reality in the field of space exploration.
- Digital Twin Consortium (DTC) announced it has elected a new chair of its steering committee.
- The metaverse could have a significant impact on the smartphone industry.
* This is a sponsored post. | | | |
| Upcoming Events | | JUN
22 | | Inside.com Book Club - Automate Your Busywork (June 2023) | | | | | | | | | * This is a sponsored event | | | |
Term of the Day SAFE notes: The acronym SAFE (when used with notes) refers to a simple agreement for future equity. Question of the Week How do you feel about the phrase "The customer is always right"? Join the conversation |
INSIDE METAVERSE LEADERBOARD (ALL-TIME) |
| |
| |
 | Discover the latest insights driving productivity and efficiency from Salesforce. | |
|
| |
|
| |
Comments
Post a Comment