Quick Bytes – Nov 3rd: Google Launches Free VR/AR Tool

A look at the most interesting startup and business-related news stories of the week.

What are San Jose’s Amazon HQ2 chances?

Quick Byte

The bid for HQ2 has begun. News outlets are weighing in everywhere on who stands the best chance, with San Jose on the top of a lot of people’s lists, largely due to Amazon’s need for talent. But it really comes down to talent vs money. The financial incentives to San Jose are less attractive in a lot of ways – it has large numbers of highly skilled tech talent and a large economy, but that also means that Amazon will need to come to the party with salaries to give their employees decent purchase power. San Jose mayor, Sam Liccardo, also refuses to join the subsidy bidding war, citing that it’s a bad deal for tax payers. So, in a way, we’re really waiting to find out just how bottom line motivated one of our nation’s most bottom line motivated companies really is. Source: Biz Journals

The Full Story

San Jose earlier this month submitted one of 238 bids to land Amazon.com’s coveted second headquarters, or “HQ2.” In their proposal, city officials pitched San Jose’s booming downtown, its access to tech talent and its capacity for future growth. Read the Full Article Here

Govt issues celebrity-endorsed ICO warning

Quick Byte

The US & Securities Exchange Commission have felt it necessary to issue a warning around the validity of investment companies that celebrities endorse, particularly those involving Initial Coin Offerings. In a space where regulation is particularly hazy, the government has chimed in with a PR message that quite literally states, “It is never a good idea to make an investment decision just because someone famous says a product or service is a good investment.” If you’re wanting some more sound advice, they do actually have some quite useful links on their site to research companies further. Source: Investor.Gov

The Full Story

Celebrities, from movie stars to professional athletes, can be found on TV, radio, and social media endorsing a wide variety of products and services – sometimes even including investment opportunities.  But a celebrity endorsement does not mean that an investment is legitimate or that it is appropriate for all investors. Read the Full Article Here

‘Twisted’ light is the new wireless

Quick Byte

Physicists have made serious advances in wireless communication with new developments that allow the photons that carry digital communications (currently carried in zeroes and ones) to ‘twist’ and carry additional ‘letters’ alongside the ‘numbers’ – and therefore more data – across open spaces. What does it mean for the tech industry? Much higher-bandwidth communications technology. The challenges of urban environments, in particular disturbance that causes scattered light beams, still need to be overcome. But the developments can be used to make advances across the board in free space optic technology, which will eventually replace fibre. Source: Phys.Org

The Full Story

Scientists have taken an important step towards using ‘twisted’ light as a form of wireless, high-capacity data transmission which could make fibre-optics obsolete. Read the Full Article Here

Google creates open VR/AR library

Quick Byte

VR & AR modelers can rejoice, Google has built a cross-platform library where developers can pull and use 3D images in their own creations. And it’s free. Poly is designed to make it easier for developers to create VR/AR apps and Google also wants to create somewhat of an open user platform where designs are uploaded, used and credited back. The goal is simplicity, where beginner and seasoned developers alike can experiment and create. Source: The Verge

The Full Story

Google is opening a new platform called Poly where people can find and distribute virtual and augmented reality objects. The tool is integrated with Tilt Brush and Blocks, respectively Google’s VR painting and sculpting apps, and is meant to provide an art library for people building with Google’s ARCore, Apple’s ARKit, or various VR development platforms. Read the Full Article

Steve Jobs’ BMW for sale

Quick Byte

And, in breaking news, you can now purchase Steve Jobs’ 2000 BMW Roadster. If you have roughly $400,000 lying around. Jobs had a penchant for German automobiles, but apparently not for the built-in Motorola flip phone that came with the car. Source: Biz Journals

The Full Story

You can zip around in the same BMW Z8 roadster once owned by former Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs — if you have a few hundred thousand dollars to spare. Read the Full Article