“With the recent console announcements and the advent of stronger mobile technology, we’re watching the video game industry keenly. In our estimation, Oculus is one of the only companies in the space with something completely new and disruptive. They have the right team, capital and vision to take virtual reality beyond console gaming and into everyday computing.” – Santo Politi, General Partner at Spark Capital

The Oculus Rift, a head-mounted virtual reality display, has been showcased at a few trade shows, most recently at E3 fully immerses its wearers into a 3D world. The Oculus Rift currently works with a handful of games, with Half Life 2 currently functioning on the hardware.

Oculus started out last year with a Kickstarter campaign, which quickly raised a cool $2.5 Million. Initially, only backers of the project were given dev kits, but Oculus has since started selling its dev kit on its own.

Full PR text follows below.

Oculus VR Closes $16M Series A to Bring Consumer Virtual Reality Platform to Market

Spark Capital and Matrix Partners Lead Round to Fuel Oculus VR’s Next Phase of Growth

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA (June 19, 2013) – Oculus VR, Inc., developer of the highly anticipated Oculus Rift, today announced that it has closed $16 million in Series A funding. The round was co-led by Spark Capital and Matrix Partners. Santo Politi, founder and general partner at Spark, and Antonio Rodriguez, serial entrepreneur and general partner at Matrix, have joined the company’s board of directors. Founders Fund as well as Formation 8 also participated in the round. The funds will be used to accelerate the development of virtual reality hardware, software and services, ultimately creating a full virtual reality platform for consumers.

“Oculus began with a single mission: to put players inside the game,” said Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR and inventor of the Oculus Rift. “This investment allows us to deliver immersive and affordable virtual reality to players everywhere.”

The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that provides an immersive, stereoscopic 3D experience with a huge field of view-110 degrees diagonally-and that overcomes latency challenges. A prototype of the Oculus Rift first appeared at E3 2012, immediately earning praise from the industry. Just one year later, Oculus has manufactured and successfully shipped the Rift development kits purchased in its Kickstarter campaign, allowing game developers across the globe to create Oculus-ready applications and interactive content.

“With the recent console announcements and the advent of stronger mobile technology, we’re watching the video game industry keenly,” said Mr. Politi. “In our estimation, Oculus is one of the only companies in the space with something completely new and disruptive. They have the right team, capital and vision to take virtual reality beyond console gaming and into everyday computing.”

“In this business, there are only a few rare companies that can so perfectly embody the future you read about in science fiction novels,” said Mr. Rodriguez. “What Palmer, Brendan and the team are building at Oculus so closely matches the Metaverse, we had to be part of it. Working with them to get this platform to market at scale will be enormously exciting.”

Founded in 2005, Spark Capital’s track record of backing extraordinary, forward-thinking ventures, including Twitter and Tumblr, has served as a barometer for innovation in the tech industry. Matrix Partners’ achievements span decades and include early investments in some of the world’s most successful technology companies, such as Apple, SanDisk and many others.

“What better way to mark our first anniversary than to announce our next phase of growth,” said Brendan Iribe, CEO of Oculus VR. “There are still many challenging problems to solve, but with the support of these great investment partners, and our passionate community, we will continue to hire the brightest minds and stay laser focused on delivering the very best virtual reality platform possible.”

Oculus VR previously raised over $2.4 million through its Kickstarter campaign – almost 10 times its fundraising goal – and developers are actively supporting the headset. No release date has been set for commercial release. To stay updated on Oculus’ progress, please visit www.oculusvr.com.

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About Matrix Partners

Matrix Partners is a premier venture capital firm that has generated outstanding returns for more than three decades. By focusing on early-stage investments and emphasizing long-term relationships with entrepreneurs, the firm has delivered several of the industry’s top performing funds of all time. Matrix Partners has offices in Cambridge and Waltham, MA; Palo Alto, CA; Mumbai, India; and Beijing and Shanghai, China. Matrix Partners has invested in several game-changing, industry-leading businesses such as Apple Computer, Aruba, HubSpot, JBoss, Netezza, Phone.com, Polyvore, Starent Networks, Tivoli Systems, Veritas, Zendesk, and Zong. www.matrixpartners.com

About Spark Capital

Founded in 2005, Spark Capital is a tight-knit group of partners managing approximately $1.5 billion across four funds. Spark invests across a number of key market segments including: advertising & monetization, commerce & services, cloud & infrastructure, social, mobile and content. Spark’s portfolio includes companies such as Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare, AdMeld, OMGPOP, ThePlatform and 5Min. The Spark team has previously backed notable companies such as Akamai Technologies, Qtera, Aether Systems and Novatel Wireless. www.sparkcapital.com

About Oculus VR, Inc.

Oculus VR, Inc. is revolutionizing the way people experience video games. The company’s first product, the highly anticipated Oculus Rift, is a virtual reality headset that allows players to step inside the game. It provides an immersive, stereoscopic 3D experience with an ultra-wide field of view and super low latency head tracking. For more information, visit: www.oculusvr.com

[Via: Engadget] [Image: Techno Buffalo]

We assume the Fetch has some sensors inside (GPS among others) as well as a Bluetooth radio to communicate with smartphones and tablets. That’s just a speculation at this point and we’ll rather have to wait and see what Taiwanese company is working on.

A similar tagging devices appeared in the past but none managed to reach the tipping point. Perhaps HTC’s brand could help bring these tags to the mainstream users; perhaps not. Only time will tell…

[Via: Engadget]

TT Design Labs’ initial product, TidyTilt, was entirely crowd-funded and secured more than 2000% of their funding goal.

As part of the deal, TT’s co-founders will join Logitech, with Derek Tarnow working full time for the company and Zahra Tashakorina on an ongoing consulting basis, both “focusing on design for products that complement the smartphone.” Moreover, two of the acquired products, JustMount and TidyTilt+, will be improved and re-launched under the Logitech brand. Heck, both products are already up for pre-order and will ship to consumers in the coming weeks.

Financial terms of the transaction were not revealed, but we’re sure that Derek and Zahra are happy with the deal…

Apple makes it easy for accessory makers by launching a single new product every year. No multiple case variants – just one device. Heck, the Cupertino-based company even holds to a single design for two years; at least it did that with the iPhone 3G / 3GS, and iPhone 4 / 4S. We’ll see whether the iPhone 5 will follow the same pattern.

In addition to the iPhone and iPad, accessory makers are also launching products for major Android smartphones, the Galaxy S III and new S4 being prime examples. What about all other smartphones? If a handset maker hasn’t released its own case, the chances are you’ll have to stick with some generic phone case. This lack of accessories makes some products less appealing than others.

So what should handset makers do about it? Simply put – the should make their own accessories, or team-up with major companies to launch accessories for their products. And I’m not just talking about basic cases but also some other products like:

• Phone/tablet stands
• External batteries (and battery cases)
• (Foldable) Bluetooth keyboards
• Projectors (and projector cases)
• Sliding keyboard cases

This goes for companies like Huawei, ZTE, LG, HTC and many others. Accessories like these make your core products (smartphones and tablets) much more appealing. Instead of trying to out-Samsung Samsung, it’s better to focus on the little things that will make the big thing (core product) that much better.

Just a thought I wanted to share? What do you think of this idea? Could it help other vendors (not Apple and Samsung) move more of their devices?

[Image from Tracy and Matt]

Similarly to other smart watches we’ve seen in the past, Boddie can display all kinds of notifications, messages, and upcoming calendar entries; allow you to control music playback; view and accept (or reject) incoming calls; and act as a fitness sidekick by helping you track your workout progress. There are some novelties included as well that obviously require a dedicated app for smartphone and/or computer. For instance, you will be able to use Boddie to remotely release camera shutter, navigate slide presentations on a computer with simple gestures, locate your smartphone if misplaced and even remotely lock it if it’s lost or stolen. Pretty cool.

Specs wise, Boddie comes with a 1.44-inch screen which is bigger than those found in the MetaWatch (1.3 inches) and Pebble (1.26 inches). There are also 2 MSP430 microcontrollers inside, Bluetooth 4.0/BLE support for connection, an array of sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, 2 thermometers and digital compass), and a battery that should provide enough juice to keep the watch running for 7 days of usage on a single charge.

Design of the Boddie is somewhat controversial — instead of looking like a regular watch, it reminds us on some medical device. Kinda strange but I guess that was needed to allow the screen rotation.

If you’re into smart watches, you may want to support Boddie and grab a unit for yourself along the way. The early bird price is set at $99 and the project will be funded if it manages to raise $100,000. We’re sad to say that these two smart watches doing the same at Indiegogo failed to reach the tipping point. Hopefully, that won’t be the case with Boddie…

The news is that the Chip and PIN reader is now available in European Apple stores though we’re not sure you can get it across the Old Continent. We do know that in the UK, it is selling for 99 GBP (about $150) and you get a 20 GBP credit for processing fees as part of the deal. Speaking f processing fees, they take 2.7% cut from every transactions. There are no subscription fees included, in case you wonder.

Chip and PIN reader aside, iOS and Android users can also rely on other similar credit card processing solutions, including those provided by Square, iZettle, Groupon and PayPal.

payleven (FREE) [iTunes link]

[Via: TUAW]

BUMPR

The BUMPR pack is an awesome deal because it offers two different bumpers for the price of one. Buyers get a traditional bumper that covers the chassis of the iPhone 5 along with a blue and black case that blankets the edges and back of the phone. This kind of bumper reminds me of a Otterbox case but less bulky, as it’s constructed with an excess of rubber and plastic. The rubber looks to be sturdy enough to withstand a waist-high drop with minimal damage. My one criticism is it’s incredibly hard to get your iPhone out of the bumper case.

SQRD

Not going to lie, but I didn’t go out in public with this one. I’m not exactly the eccentric type when it comes to rocking a purple all rubber iPhone 5 case. But I did put it on my phone to see how it looked. It’s a rubber case that goes in a different direction as far as design is concerned; the SQRD name suits well as it offers up a squared edges look versus the usual rounded edges presentation. This is the perfect case to buy for your mom or significant other.

ZIGZAG

The ZigZag has a great feel and design to it. However, people who decide to buy this would have to be really into lines and glossy rubber. Still, it’s a pretty unique case.

BAND

The Band has an interesting two-tone color approach, with the inside color presented on the back of the case as a band with the logo. The one I reviewed had a yellow-ish highlighter color (they call it green, though).

Y-CHARGE

TYLT’s dual USB car charger isn’t something new, but it’s unique. The company made an interesting case for a product that’s been out for years and years. The dual USB car charger is small and has an attractive fork appearance to it. This thing can fit in the small pocket of your pants without any issue, as I brought it with me after traveling with a friend. Everyone should have a car charger today, and this one from TYLT isn’t a bad one to have.

POWERPLANT

Lastly, I reviewed the TYLT Powerplant, which is a portable battery pack you can easily take anywhere. I admit I’m not the biggest fan when it comes to extended batteries or power cases because they both add a significant amount of bulk to your handset. However, the one thing I do share with the hundreds of millions of smartphone owners is we all deal with the same power drain issues. With the TYLT Powerplant, you don’t have to compromise anything as far as look and feel is concerned.

First of all, the Powerplant’s appearance is impressive — it isn’t ugly, or humongous. It’s a small rectangular box that packs a fully charged 5200mAh Lithium-Ion battery, it can offer a smartphone with two full charges or two smartphones with up to one full charge each. I tested it and it holds true! As you can see in the picture, the Powerplant I reviewed had a built-in FLEX charging arm with Apple Lightning connector.

I found the best use case for this was at a park or a cookout; both places that need you to use an outlet. Don’t know about you, but nothing is worse than plugging your phone in a strangers house at some cookout.

TYLT has more awesome accessories for the iPhone or any other Android device. Check it out here.

Foxconn, a component manufacturing company that supplies companies such as Apple and Samsung with components for its devices has seen a decrease in its revenue, with a 19 percent drop reported in the first quarter of 2013. Foxconn is believed to receive almost 50 percent of its revenue from Apple, and the decrease in profits is being blamed on Apple’s lack of new devices being released this year. To make up for the dip in profits, Foxconn is interested in selling products such as cables, headphones and keyboards compatible with Apple products, bearing the company’s branding. This move could prove fatal to other accessory manufacturers, as Foxconn could provide its products at a significantly lower price than its competitors.

The move shows an ambitious attempt by Foxconn to increase products, as new Apple products are not expected to be released until later this year. Apple is expected to unveil new MacBook models at this year’s WWDC conference on June 10th. The new MacBooks could create a small upswing in Foxconn’s profits, but nothing as huge as the iPad and iPhone, which garner the most profits.

[Via: Apple Insider]

This simple “device” is made to fit on your keychain and it helps you in hands free reading, video chatting, watching videos and/or taking self-timed phones.

Made out of durable polycarbonate and overmolded in a rubberized TPE (to get that grippy exterior), Keyprop is primarily designed to work with the iPhone but it will sing along pretty much any smartphone out there as long as it [phone] has a 3.5mm headset jack. It will also work with your existing case if it’s not too bulky. And for the iPhone 5, the bottom prong can also fit right into the Lightning dock.

Alongside the key-like accessory, iPhone users who pledge at least $15 also get a self-timer camera app called KeyCam. It has a timer countdown and a Clap-to-Snap feature that starts the self-timer from far away.

We like the Keyprop… a lot. And want to try it out the second it’s out. As far as I can tell, all my Android gear is compatible with Keyprop…

Well, a single ChargeCard unit appeared at my doorsteps few days ago and I’m happy to yet again recommend this product to our readers. It works as advertized and I will personally be carrying it around at all times.

Unfortunately, ChargeCard folks sent me the iPhone 4/4S version and since I have an Android smartphone, this unit is going to a good friend of mine. A micro USB version is also available (and it’s heading my way as we speak), while the one made for iPhone 5 is currently up for pre-order. Each of the three versions could be yours for $25.

So, if you’re frequently need to charge your devices (and who doesn’t), hop over to ChargeCard’s website to secure your unit.

The best thing is that all this doesn’t make for a bulky package thanks to Blast’s industry-leading energy density.

Aside from the mentioned 18,000mAh version, Limeade is also offering models with 13,000 and 15,600 mAh batteries.

The company has already surpasses its goal of raising $30,000 but you can still secure your unit for as little as $49, which is the early-bird price for the 13,000mAh model. The most expensive 18,000mAh version could be yours for $99. Check out the short demo video below to determine whether Limeade’s products fit your needs…