Lenovo Is Using Its Head: Partnering With VR Headset Pioneer Oculus Is Just One of Its Smart Moves

Article | March 29, 2020

We’ve already seen a boom in smart speakers. This and the unleashing of sound experiences from any sort of tether are fuelling the audio revolution. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music mean sound is no longer dependent on a carrier medium or dedicated device. Instead, listening has become mobile and on-demand. Like an invisible companion, sound accompanies us wherever we go, without interruption. In the future, I believe that the distance between listener and sound will shrink even more. How so?

VIRTUALIZATION

Article | March 29, 2020

MGM, which holds the largest film and TV library in Hollywood, is finally in play – and likely to be acquired by tech major and video streaming behemoth Amazon. With a rumoured price tag of $9 billion, the deal, while substantial, is merely equivalent to 8.3% of Amazon’s Q1 2021 earnings of $108.5 billion. Indeed, the 44% year-on-year (YoY) increase for its Q1 results alone would pay for the deal more than four times over. When it comes to investment capital to deploy, the tech majors led by Amazon and Apple are in a financial class of their own. This is the kind of deal that helps to explain why AT&T was so keen cut its losses and incur a $66 billion loss on its Warner Media assets by merging the former Time Warner media major with Discovery for $43 billion in cash and receiving 71% in equity in the new combined entity in return. It also follows on from Amazon’s 15.4x increase in what it is willing to pay to secure exclusive NFL Thursday Night Football coverage for its US Amazon Prime customers.

Article | March 29, 2020

High-end virtual reality headsets have been available for years now. But even as the technology has improved immensely, it’s never managed to lure people away from the real world. Devices are bulky and pricey, and the VR experience often isn’t as great as its made out to be. Now with the coronavirus pandemic spreading rapidly across the globe, there’s cause to rethink VR tech. But is being cooped up at home enough to get people to turn to VR when screens often suffice for gaming and chatting?

Article | March 29, 2020

The UK has officially left the EU, well, kind of. Now we are in the next phase of negotiations, a transition period that is supposed to run until January 2021. This means, for the time being, not much will be changing for the UK’s entertainment industry. Filmmakers, musicians, game developers and other creative types will not discover the exact effects of Brexit on the sector until next year, but that doesn’t mean future challenges cannot already be seen in the distance. Whereas some see hurdles to navigate, other professionals in the entertainment see an opportunity, especially with the development in smart 5G technologies, virtual/augmented reality, and a booming new niche of entertainment, in eGaming.