Thứ Tư, 17 tháng 8, 2016
Build or buy? It's the age-old business question, but when the buy added up to billions of dollars, it was, perhaps, the question for Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. The social network founder and CEO revealed this week that Facebook would probably have preferred to build its own virtual reality solution than spend $2 billion in 2014 on virtual reality startup Oculus VR. In an interview this week with Y Combinator President Sam Altman, Zuckerberg talked about how Facebook makes some of its very big or "crazy" moves. Zuckerberg immediately pointed to the Oculus acquisition and cast it in a light we haven't seen before. "We bought the Oculus team for a lot of money," Zuckerberg said. "I actually view that as, you know, um, if we'd done a better job of building up some of the expertise to do some of that stuff internally, then maybe we wouldn't have had to do that." Zuckerberg goes on to say that that, as a company, it wasn't prepared to tackle virtual reality. "You know, the Oculus team is by far the most talented team working on that problem, so it just made sense to go make this big move," he added. The blame for this lack of expertise, though, rests with Zuckerberg. "As a CEO, it's your job to not get into a position where you need to be doing these crazy things...Of course, it's inevitable, you can't be ahead of everything," he said. Facebook's $2 billion bet on Oculus VR, though, looks as if it's paying off. The company helped Oculus fast-track the development and consumer launch of its Oculus Rift virtual reality set. Samsung, with its Gear VR headset, is now a major Oculus partner. And Facebook is baking the concept of VR into the future of its vast social network. Zuckerberg's long-term strategy, however, is likely to make fewer of these multi-billion dollar bets and instead build the expertise on the inside. The company recently opened a new R+D Lab and continues work on Aquila, its giant, solar-powered, internet-delivering drone. There are other tidbits in the brief interview, like the time Facebook's entire management team lost confidence in the company and walked out. Bet they feel silly now. via CNN Money
Thứ Sáu, 24 tháng 6, 2016
President Barack Obama joined Mark Zuckerberg and other entrepreneurs from around the world for a panel presentation on Friday at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Silicon Valley to discuss how technology can empower small businesses Obama and Zuckerberg both called for more action and support for startups, including increased web connectivity and availability to new tools and opportunities, from finding partners around to globe to getting funding for a new venture. "Turns out that starting your own business is not easy," Obama told attendees during the panel. "You have to have access to capital, you have to meet the right people, you have to have mentors who can guide you as you get your idea off the ground." Obama and Zuckerberg discussing entrepreneurship with entrepreneurs from around the world. Image: the White house Zuckerberg used the stage time to bring attention to FbStart, the company's platform designed to help mobile startups build and grow their apps. Startups who apply and are accepted gain access to its mentorship program, as well as $80,000 in free tools and services. FbStart is a part of the company's Internet.org initiative, which aims to bring web access to developing countries. After the panel, Zuckerberg hosted a video Q&A with the president on his personal Facebook page via a Facebook Live broadcast. The pair further discussed the importance of having digital tools to propel startup growth. "There are always new tools, but it's the people who make the change" "There are always new tools, but it's the people who make the change," Zuckerberg said during the Facebook Live. "Tools and connectivity I think are big net positives for the world but we need to make sure that entrepreneurs are taking advantage of these opportunities and creating more value for everyone in the world." Obama mentioned that the government can also help support these kinds of projects. "We're going to be funding more young entrepreneurs around that [climate change] issue," Obama said. By supporting communities around the world with technology, Obama added it will help people development new systems to improve the general well-being of those areas, not just with energy and climate issues but also with health care. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Thứ Ba, 21 tháng 6, 2016
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has been increasingly willing to share moments from his family and work life. But a photo he posted on Tuesday, intended to promote Instagram's user milestone numbers, may have ended up revealing a little more about Zuckerberg than he intended: Dude hasn't lost any of his hacker caution when it comes to protecting his privacy. A couple of eagle-eyed observers pointed out that the laptop on Zuckerberg's desk not only has tape covering the webcam, but there's also tape covering the Apple laptop's dual microphones. That's right, even one of the most elite (and richest) coders on the planet still takes rudimentary measures to ensure that nobody is spying on him. This inadvertent reveal comes just weeks after Zuckerberg's social media accounts were hacked, one of which reportedly had the not-so-complicated password "dadada." And if Zuckerberg's hacker background and role as a major tech leader aren't enough to convince you that he isn't just being paranoid, consider the fact that earlier this year FBI Director James Comey admitted that he puts tape over his webcam. This kind of thinking used to be the domain of conspiracy theorists and a certain breed of hacker, but Zuckerberg just took it mainstream. In fact, in the run-up to the second season of Mr. Robot, the show about a hacker conspiracy, USA Networks even went so far as to send out branded webcam covers (which this journalist happily uses). Best TV show swag ever. #MrRobot pic.twitter.com/LqhgAqSsQ2 — Adario Strange (@adariostrange) May 3, 2016 No, government spies probably don't care what you're saying or doing in front of your computer. But if it's good enough for the creator of the largest social network on the planet, maybe it's worth sticking some tape on your own webcam. You won't look paranoid anymore; instead, you can call yourself a billionaire tech mogul in training. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Thứ Tư, 15 tháng 6, 2016
Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a surprise appearance on Facebook Live on Tuesday, opening himself up to random user questions covering a wide range of topics. However, just when the nearly 100,000 live viewers thought the impromptu video chat was just going to be a geek-out session with Zuck, comedian Jerry Seinfeld joined the session, dressed in his familiar white dress shirt, jeans and blazer. SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts hacked, possibly due to an awfully weak password But before Seinfeld joined the fray, Zuckerberg answered questions covering everything from artificial intelligence to virtual reality and the Oculus Rift. Yet the most surprising thing is that Zuckerberg didn't present any new product. Nope, this was, apparently, just his way of trying to open himself up while simultaneously promoting the powers of Facebook Live as a video platform. Although, one odd user question that came up in the live chat was the notion that users might one day have to pay to use Facebook. Zuckerberg shot the rumor down and said the site will never charge a fee. Image: Later, with Seinfeld sitting just half a foot away from Zuckerberg, so that both could fit in the frame, the conversation quickly veered into the personal. The mostly retired Seinfeld talked about his passion project, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, and Zuckerberg revealed his obsession with running (and having run 365 miles overall), building an A.I. that controls his home and his intention on competing in a triathlon. Speaking of fitness, Zuckerberg also said that, even though he isn't currently wearing a cast, he broke his arm last week while riding his bike. Seinfeld, who was at Facebook to participate in a separate Oculus Rift project, also took a few questions, which you can watch now. The live viewership topped out at around 100,000 viewers, but as of this writing, the video had more than 5.1 million views, which means Zuckerberg might want to consider making this a regularly scheduled video show, since Facebook users are clearly ready and eager to watch. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a surprise appearance on Facebook Live on Tuesday, opening himself up to random user questions covering a wide range of topics. However, just when the nearly 100,000 live viewers thought the impromptu video chat was just going to be a geek-out session with Zuck, comedian Jerry Seinfeld joined the session, dressed in his familiar white dress shirt, jeans and blazer. SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts hacked, possibly due to an awfully weak password But before Seinfeld joined the fray, Zuckerberg answered questions covering everything from artificial intelligence to virtual reality and the Oculus Rift. Yet the most surprising thing is that Zuckerberg didn't present any new product. Nope, this was, apparently, just his way of trying to open himself up while simultaneously promoting the powers of Facebook Live as a video platform. Although, one odd user question that came up in the live chat was the notion that users might one day have to pay to use Facebook. Zuckerberg shot the rumor down and said the site will never charge a fee. Image: Later, with Seinfeld sitting just half a foot away from Zuckerberg, so that both could fit in the frame, the conversation quickly veered into the personal. The mostly retired Seinfeld talked about his passion project, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, and Zuckerberg revealed his obsession with running (and having run 365 miles overall), building an A.I. that controls his home and his intention on competing in a triathlon. Speaking of fitness, Zuckerberg also said that, even though he isn't currently wearing a cast, he broke his arm last week while riding his bike. Seinfeld, who was at Facebook to participate in a separate Oculus Rift project, also took a few questions, which you can watch now. The live viewership topped out at around 100,000 viewers, but as of this writing, the video had more than 5.1 million views, which means Zuckerberg might want to consider making this a regularly scheduled video show, since Facebook users are clearly ready and eager to watch. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Thứ Ba, 14 tháng 6, 2016
Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a surprise appearance on Facebook Live on Tuesday, opening himself up to random user questions covering a wide range of topics. However, just when the nearly 100,000 live viewers thought the impromptu video chat was just going to be a geek-out session with Zuck, comedian Jerry Seinfeld joined the session, dressed in his familiar white dress shirt, jeans and blazer. SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts hacked, possibly due to an awfully weak password But before Seinfeld joined the fray, Zuckerberg answered questions covering everything from artificial intelligence to virtual reality and the Oculus Rift. Yet the most surprising thing is that Zuckerberg didn't present any new product. Nope, this was, apparently, just his way of trying to open himself up while simultaneously promoting the powers of Facebook Live as a video platform. Although, one odd user question that came up in the live chat was the notion that users might one day have to pay to use Facebook. Zuckerberg shot the rumor down and said the site will never charge a fee. Image: Later, with Seinfeld sitting just half a foot away from Zuckerberg, so that both could fit in the frame, the conversation quickly veered into the personal. The mostly retired Seinfeld talked about his passion project, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, and Zuckerberg revealed his obsession with running (and having run 365 miles overall), building an A.I. that controls his home and his intention on competing in a triathlon. Speaking of fitness, Zuckerberg also said that, even though he isn't currently wearing a cast, he broke his arm last week while riding his bike. Seinfeld, who was at Facebook to participate in a separate Oculus Rift project, also took a few questions, which you can watch now. The live viewership topped out at around 100,000 viewers, but as of this writing, the video had more than 5.1 million views, which means Zuckerberg might want to consider making this a regularly scheduled video show, since Facebook users are clearly ready and eager to watch. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.



