AR/VR

A mixed reality

Emerging Tech Brew polled America (again) a few weeks ago. Together with The Harris Poll, we surveyed a nationally representative group of 2,010 US adults about virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR).

Top-line takeaways 

23% of Americans have tried a VR or AR headset, which is higher than what we were expecting. Of this group:

• 31% own a headset, 24% have used a family member’s gear, and 13% have tried hardware provided by an experiential venue/retailer.
• Millennials are the most prolific users, with 42% having tried the tech. Gen Z was the next-highest demo at 29%. 
• 90% of those who have tried a headset say they’re likely to use one again, with two-thirds saying they will definitely do so. 

We didn’t break out the divide between trying an AR and a VR headset. Given the early development stage of AR hardware, it’s safe to assume that most respondents who have tried a headset did so with VR…

...But we did ask about mobile AR. 44% of consumers say they’ve used an AR feature on a smartphone. The demographic splits here are telling: 71% and 72% of Gen Z and Millennials, respectively, say they’ve used mobile AR. By comparison, 42% of Gen X and only 15% of Boomers have done so. 

Looking forward

• How excited are you? Compared with those who have tried a VR/AR device, the general public isn’t as enthusiastic about embracing the technology. 28% of all respondents say they’re excited about VR/AR, 28% say they’re neutral, and 34% are not excited. 
• How much would you pay? 41% would be willing to buy a headset; and one quarter of this group would be willing to pay $500 or more. For reference, the Oculus Quest 2 retails for $299. 
• To bundle or not to bundle? Of those interested in owning a headset eventually, 46% would prefer paying upfront with a lump-sum. 36% would prefer a monthly subscription fee; 18% would prefer to pay per session. 
• What’s your go-to brand? 35% named Apple as their first-choice company to buy a device from, while only 5% named Facebook. 

Bottom line: Big Tech and many other metaverse aspirants are spending heavily to develop technologies that are far from must-haves for most consumers. But to paraphrase Steve Jobs, sometimes customers don’t know what they want until you show it to them.—RD 

AI

For You → For Everyone

TikTok’s famous/infamous “For You” algorithm is the app’s bread and butter. The AI-powered personalization is what keeps people scrolling for hours on end through viral dances, lip syncs, and ballads about Jeff Bezos. 

Now, TikTok parent ByteDance has announced it will reveal some of its secrets—for the right price, of course. 

Wait, what? ByteDance’s new division, BytePlus, will cater to companies looking to use aspects of TikTok’s algorithm for their own purposes, offering “customized recommendation algorithm services” to customers. 

• Other software products include: real time video effects fueled by computer vision, advanced ML translation for voice and text (including text found in images), and data analytics tools. 

Who’s buying: Early customers include GOAT, a sneakers and streetwear app based in California; Chilibeli, an Indonesian food and social commerce startup; and Wego, a Singapore-based travel booking engine. 

Looking ahead: Some of BytePlus’s new employees previously worked at Microsoft, IBM, and other tech companies, the FT reports. The new division’s suite of AI and data analytics tools will compete directly with enterprise software bigwigs like IBM, Microsoft, AWS, and Google.—HF 

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AR

'Pokémon GO' to the bank

It’s been five years since millions of gamers worldwide stormed churches, jumped into lakes, and literally fought each other in order to catch some rare Pikachus. Pokémon GO might not make headlines like it used to, but the augmented reality smash hit hasn’t faded away. 

Gym Rattatas: Sensor Tower reported that the game, owned and operated by Niantic, surpassed $5 billion in total player spending since its July 2016 release. Pokémon GO made over $1.3 billion in 2020—its highest yearly total ever—due in part to gameplay adaptations for the pandemic. 

• It’s on a similar pace this year, earning $642 million in H1 2021.

By far, users in the US and Japan have spent the most in the game, with Americans spending over $1.9 billion, or 36.6% of the game’s lifetime revenue spending. Japan came in second at 32%, putting German players in a distant third at 5.4%.

Gotta catch ’em all: Niantic has continued to update the game with new rewards and challenges for its players. Outside of Pokémon GO, it released another AR game centered around Harry Potter, with plans to release games based on Pikmin, Settlers of Catan, and Transformers in the near future.—JM

BITS & BYTES

Stat: The Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago estimates that 13,500 miles is the climate breakeven point for an EV. In other words, at that mark, the EV becomes less harmful to the environment than an internal combustion engine vehicle. 

Quote: "Mother Nature has done a great job putting all these amazing rocks in one place."—Gerard Barron, CEO of The Metals Company of Vancouver, which mines battery metals from the seafloor

Read: The $150 million chipmaking lynchpin. 

Freebies: The #1 software deal site for entrepreneurs, AppSumo, believes it’s better to give than to get. Their first-ever Sumo Day starts July 13 with extra-special products, discounts, and giveaways for just 72 hours. Don’t miss it.*

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What can you gain from the chip shortage? The semiconductor chip shortage is raising alarm bells across the business and tech worlds. Barron’s has found a couple of investment opportunities you need to know. Who’s set to make big gains despite the shortage? Read this Barron’s article to find out.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• The Pentagon scrapped JEDI, the beleaguered $10 billion cloud contract it awarded to Microsoft, in favor of a multi-vendor approach. 
• Beijing is kneecapping Didi, the Uber of China. 
• The Justice Department has opened a probe into Lordstown Motors, an EV startup that SPAC’d, the WSJ reports. 
• Elon says that “generalized self-driving is a hard problem,” but that the next software update for Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” beta is shipping soon.
• Apple and Intel will be the first to adopt TSMC’s 3-nanometer manufacturing process, Nikkei reports.

TRIVIA

Richard Branson moved his space flight up to this Sunday in order to beat Jeff Bezos to the stars. How well do you know the billionaire-funded private space ventures? 

Click here to take the quiz.

TECHS AND BALANCES

The Biden Admin has waded into the right-to-repair rumble. Biden will soon issue an executive order encouraging the FTC to make it easier for people to fix their own stuff. The White House focused on farming equipment in its announcement, but the order will reportedly cover smartphones and military equipment, among others. 

Gut check: Half of all US states are mulling right-to-repair laws this year, and the policy is extremely popular among the public.

ICYMI

Catch up on the top Emerging Tech Brew stories from the past few editions: 

• How the rule that will enable US drone delivery came together
• Zipline's CEO on its plans for $250 million funding
• So far, 2021 is a unicorn frenzy