Facebook in 2020: What will the future hold?

Gigaom

If the past month’s activity is any indication, Facebook (s fb) and CEO Mark Zuckerberg are planning an ambitious roadmap. Tuesday’s acquisition of Oculus VR for $2 billion  shows that the company wants to ensure its longevity after social media has hit its saturation point. The  dive into virtual reality might seem rash in 2014, but it makes more sense a few years down the line.

So what might Facebook look like in 2020, with VR on its side? Here’s a couple of threads it could explore:

Double down on games

A more concerted effort in gaming is the most natural extension of the work that Oculus VR has already done Within a few years, the company could establish a cross-platform VR experience, offering a games platform similar to Valve’s Steam: cross-platform VR and social games available for purchase directly through the website.

Oculus reaffirmed its commitment to gaming in a blog post about the acquisition:

“Over…

View original post 437 more words

Waiter, do you accept Kindle? Amazon reportedly weighing in-store payments service

Gigaom

It seems everyone wants to get into payments processing game. First there were reports of Apple launching a mobile payments network built on the back of iTunes, and now the Wall Street Journal is saying Amazon(s amzn) has the same idea, using its Kindle line and relationship with millions of online shoppers to build a point-of-sale payments platform that could compete with the likes of both Verifone(s pay) and Square.

Though Amazon’s plans aren’t firmly set, it’s supposedly weighing a two-sided payments model that would allow it to sell Kindle tablets and accompanying credit card processing technology to brick-and-mortar retailers as well as sell consumers a kind of digital wallet, the Journal reported.

That wallet in the most basic sense might simply link a customer’s Amazon account to the point-of-sale network, allowing customers to take advantage of coupons or promotions distributed by Amazon. The Journal’s unnamed sources, however, said Amazon…

View original post 129 more words

Spotted: A Giant Stride in Hines, Oregon

Preservation in Pink

The Giant Stride remains a popular topic on Preservation in Pink, and it brings a smile to my face when a reader sends along a “newly discovered” giant stride or shares a story. Today’s giant stride sits in City Park on Highway 20 in Hines, Oregon. Zoom in and you’ll see that the chains/ladders are still in operation.

View original post

BTC China begins accepting deposits and launches liquidity rewards, but challenges remain

Official: 8 Tunisian Soldiers Killed in Ambush

New Moto X details emerge, point to special ‘Magic Glass’ version of Gorilla Glass

Gigaom

The official Moto X announcement is just days away, but the rumor mill is churning stronger than ever. The latest news comes from Taylor Wimberly, formerly of Android and Me, who claims the phone will feature a gapless design through the use of Moto Magic Glass.

According to Wimberly, Magic Glass is a specially designed form of Gorilla Glass that actually wraps around the sides of the phone, so there’s no gap between the screen and the back of the device. Not only should this look pretty snazzy, but it’ll also help Motorola pack a ton of screen into the phone’s design with nary a drop of wasted space.

Gorilla Glass has become the go-to glass for mobile devices for its incredibly high scratch and impact resistance. Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass, is trying to get its super-tough glass into laptops now as well. But durability isn’t the…

View original post 139 more words

Keen On… Brian Solis: WTF Is The Future Of Business?

Charitable Water Filter Maker Soma Raises $3.7M Seed Round

Obese Boy Scouts Aren’t Welcome at Camp

Fifteen-Minute Fat Blast: Your Summer Time Saver Revealed! [CC’s ShapeU]