Janko Roettgers
@jank0.bsky.social
📤 2712
đź“Ą 46
đź“ť 253
Reporter, covering streaming, AR, VR etc. Writing a weekly newsletter at www.lowpass.cc.
Wow, Nex Playground is currently the #1 selling toy and game on Amazon. Here's my recent story about TV cameras, featuring some quotes from Nex CEO David Lee
www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-cameras...
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Where have all the TV cameras gone?
Video calls and computer vision-powered games were supposed to make smart TVs more fun. Then the reality of hardware margins set it.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-cameras-sky-live-nex-playground
6 days ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
Got a scoopy AR/AI story in Lowpass today: A secretive new startup called Vonder is looking to take on Meta with its own AI glasses. Turns out it's really another AR company in disguise.
www.lowpass.cc/p/viture-von...
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Scoop: Here comes another Ray-Ban competitor
A new startup called Vonder is looking to take on Meta with its own AI glasses. Turns out it's really another AR company in disguise.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/viture-vonder-ai-glasses-ar
10 days ago
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Got a scoopy AR/AI story in Lowpass today: A secretive new startup called Vonder is looking to take on Meta with its own AI glasses. Turns out it's really another AR company in disguise.
www.lowpass.cc/p/viture-von...
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Scoop: Here comes another Ray-Ban competitor
A new startup called Vonder is looking to take on Meta with its own AI glasses. Turns out it's really another AR company in disguise.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/viture-vonder-ai-glasses-ar
10 days ago
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My latest for Fast Company: Why Amazon is betting on a new TV OS
www.fastcompany.com/91435891/ama...
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Why Amazon is betting on a new TV OS
Vega, a new operating system for Amazon’s streaming sticks has led to pushback from consumers. The e-commerce giant seems undeterred.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91435891/amazon-firestick-google-vega-streaming
13 days ago
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Also in Lowpass today: Netflix just copied HQ Trivia
www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-cameras...
16 days ago
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Today in Lowpass: Where have all the TV cameras gone?
www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-cameras...
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Where have all the TV cameras gone?
Video calls and computer vision-powered games were supposed to make smart TVs more fun. Then the reality of hardware margins set it.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-cameras-sky-live-nex-playground
16 days ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
TWiT Tech Podcasts
20 days ago
New Podcast Episode: This Week in Tech: Ferret Trousering Can Apple TV Fix the Broken World of Streaming Sports? with
@leolaporte.me
,
@iainthomson.bsky.social
,
@ashleyesqueda.com
,
@jank0.bsky.social
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Ferret Trousering | TWiT.TV
Elon Musk’s eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple’s big F1 gamble, and Meta’s scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech’s priorities and
https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/1057
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Can you really not report a spammy newsletter to Substack without installing its app first? I know Substack is big on weird dark-pattern growth hacks, but that's insane.
support.substack.com/hc/en-us/art...
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How do I report a publication to Substack?
Our Standards & Enforcement takes all reports of violations of our Content Guidelines seriously and thoroughly evaluates them. While we can't provide the outcome of every report, we will take a...
https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/23268155453076-How-do-I-report-a-publication-to-Substack
22 days ago
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Today in Lowpass: Sports streaming is a hot mess
www.lowpass.cc/p/sports-str...
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Sports streaming is a hot mess
There's more sports available on streaming services than ever, including every NFL game this season. But watching it all can be a challenge, as the YouTube TV ESPN spat shows.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/sports-streaming-messy-youtube-tv-mnf
24 days ago
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What's up with Sonos reporting its earnings before the opening of the markets tomorrow morning? Odd move for a Santa Barbara company ...
25 days ago
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Amazon’s new Vega OS-based streaming stick has a Spotify problem
www.lowpass.cc/p/fire-tv-se...
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Amazon’s new Vega OS-based streaming stick has a Spotify problem
The new Fire TV Stick 4K Select doesn't have a native Spotify app. Instead, it relies on a clunky Spotify Connect workaround.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/fire-tv-select-stick-spotify-app-missing
29 days ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
nilay patel
30 days ago
Really fun to have
@jank0.bsky.social
publishing on The Verge - and this dive into free-to-play mechanics invading Hollywood is just wild
www.theverge.com/column/80525...
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The future of Hollywood is sexy, expensive slop
Cheaply produced, highly shareable, and designed to make you pay.
https://www.theverge.com/column/805250/hollywood-is-in-love-with-microdramas-for-all-the-wrong-reasons
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In today's Lowpass newsletter, I explore why YouTube's latest UI changes on TV are such a big deal
www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-tv...
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Inside YouTube's transformation on TV
YouTube has become the force in streaming without even trying. That changes now, with tweaks that make its smart TV app look more like Netflix.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-tv-app-shows-immersive-previews
about 1 month ago
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My latest for Fast Company ...
www.fastcompany.com/91428971/hbo...
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What Hollywood’s next potential merger means for streaming
From price increases to apps going away, a Warner Bros. Discovery sale could have big implications for consumers.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91428971/hbo-streaming-merger-larry-ellison-paramount-cnn
about 1 month ago
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Today in Lowpass: Hollywood is in love with microdramas, for all the wrong reasons
www.lowpass.cc/p/microdrama...
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Hollywood is in love with microdramas, for all the wrong reasons
What it's like to actually use ReelShort, the most popular microdrama app in the U.S.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/microdramas-reelshort-freemium-ux-nightmare
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
Samsung's Project Moohan Android XR headset will launch with FitXR, Synth Riders, Cubism and other popular VR apps and games
www.lowpass.cc/p/android-xr...
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Launch apps leak: MLB, Synth Riders, FitXR coming to Android XR
Samsung's headset is getting some heavy hitters
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/android-xr-moohan-launch-apps-fitx-mlb-synthriders
about 1 month ago
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Scoop: Here are some of the apps that will be available on Samsung's Project Moohan Android XR headset when it launches tomorrow: 1) FitXR - a VR workout app that's popular on Meta Quest
about 1 month ago
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Samsung's Project Moohan Android XR headset will launch with FitXR, Synth Riders, Cubism and other popular VR apps and games
www.lowpass.cc/p/android-xr...
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Launch apps leak: MLB, Synth Riders, FitXR coming to Android XR
Samsung's headset is getting some heavy hitters
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/android-xr-moohan-launch-apps-fitx-mlb-synthriders
about 1 month ago
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This drill feels a little too real
#earthquake
abc7news.com/post/great-s...
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Great Shake Out: Millions of Californians to participate in annual earthquake drill
Happening at 10:16 a.m., the annual earthquake drill is meant to make sure we're all ready for when "the big one" hits. Here's a simulated look at what a 7.0 quake feels like.
https://abc7news.com/post/great-shake-millions-californians-participate-annual-earthquake-drill/18019206/
about 1 month ago
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Today in Lowpass: Meta is building a smart TV – in VR
www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horiz...
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Meta is building a smart TV – in VR
Mark Zuckerberg has long wanted to turn TVs into XR apps. Meta's new Horizon TV app is the closest thing yet to realize that vision.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horizon-tv-app-smart-tv-ui
about 1 month ago
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Next up for Horizon Worlds, Meta's metaverse: gaming on Instagram?
www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horiz...
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Meta wants to take its metaverse everywhere
Also: RIP, TiVo
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horizon-worlds-vishal-shah
about 2 months ago
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Today in Lowpass: Meta wants to take Horizon Worlds everywhere ... even to Instagram
www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horiz...
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Meta wants to take its metaverse everywhere
Also: RIP, TiVo
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/meta-horizon-worlds-vishal-shah
about 2 months ago
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Got another story on The Verge today: Some of the Redbox / Chicken Soup for the Soul IP rights might end up with a company suing ISPs for copyright infringement
www.theverge.com/tech/791013/...
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Redbox’s next product may be piracy lawsuits
A little-known company wants to spend $100 million to go after internet providers that allegedly ignored DMCA notices.
https://www.theverge.com/tech/791013/redbox-chicken-soup-piracy-lawsuits-ip-sale-grove-street
about 2 months ago
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When Amazon announced a Fire TV stick running its brand-new Vega OS earlier this week, it didn't really spell out how it was going to make sure that the device has all the apps consumers expect. Now we know: Amazon is going to run select Android apps in the cloud.
www.lowpass.cc/p/amazon-veg...
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Amazon's Vega OS launch trick: cloud-streamed apps
To bring missing streaming services to its new Linux-based Fire TV stick, Amazon is streaming Android apps from the cloud.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/amazon-vega-os-cloud-streamed-apps
about 2 months ago
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Today, Amazon officially announced its first TV streaming device running Vega, a new operating system it has built in-house for its devices.
9to5google.com/2025/09/30/a...
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Amazon launches Vega OS, its Android replacement for Fire TV with no sideloading
Amazon is officially ditching Android for its Fire TV lineup, with the new Vega OS launching today and without sideloading.
https://9to5google.com/2025/09/30/amazon-fire-tv-android-vega-os-switch/
2 months ago
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Amazon just announced Vega OS, two years after I first broke the news about its existence.
2 months ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
Amazon posted a job listing a few days ago that confirms it plans to bring its still-unannounced Vega OS to TV streaming hardware this year. An announcement could come as early as next week.
www.lowpass.cc/p/amazon-veg...
2 months ago
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Amazon posted a job listing a few days ago that confirms it plans to bring its still-unannounced Vega OS to TV streaming hardware this year. An announcement could come as early as next week.
www.lowpass.cc/p/amazon-veg...
2 months ago
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Scoop: Amazon just accidentally confirmed that it launching its new Vega OS on TV streaming hardware this year
www.lowpass.cc/p/amazon-veg...
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Scoop: Amazon confirms new TV OS launching this year
Amazon plans to replace Android with Vega on Fire TV devices. A launch is planned for 2025, the company accidentally confirmed.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/amazon-vega-os-fire-tv-2025-launch
2 months ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
I talked to James Cameron and Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth about their partnership, 3D TV vs. 3D in VR headsets, and generative AI's potential for Hollywood. Check out my interview:
www.lowpass.cc/p/james-came...
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James Cameron on embracing VR headsets and generative AI
The Avatar creator talks about VR headsets, working with Meta, generative AI and the power of framed, linear entertainment.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/james-cameron-mixed-reality-headsets-generative-ai
2 months ago
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I can't tell if this an ad for a Masterclass or an abduction
2 months ago
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I wrote about Meta's new Ray-Ban Display glasses for Fast Company
www.fastcompany.com/91407135/met...
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Meta finally made smart glasses you might actually wear in public
The Ray-Ban Display blends a discreet screen, AI features, and subtle gesture controls into a frame that actually looks like glasses.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91407135/meta-ray-ban-display-smart-glasses-debut
2 months ago
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I talked to James Cameron and Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth about their partnership, 3D TV vs. 3D in VR headsets, and generative AI's potential for Hollywood. Check out my interview:
www.lowpass.cc/p/james-came...
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James Cameron on embracing VR headsets and generative AI
The Avatar creator talks about VR headsets, working with Meta, generative AI and the power of framed, linear entertainment.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/james-cameron-mixed-reality-headsets-generative-ai
2 months ago
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Looks like the Mastodon server I use just went down, so Bsky gets the first ... tweet?
2 months ago
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Got a fun interview going out to Lowpass subscribers in a few ... hint: It's with two people who were on stage at Meta Connect yesterday :)
2 months ago
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I'm doing a membership drive for Lowpass as part of the Back Indie Media initiative, which also includes publications like LA Taco and Court Watch. Read all about it here:
www.lowpass.cc/p/back-indie...
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Back Indie Media: Help Lowpass get 20 new subs
Now is the time to support indie media: Take part in the Lowpass subscriber drive, and help us meet our goal of 20 new subs by the end of September!
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/back-indie-media-help-lowpass-get-20-new-subs
2 months ago
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A couple of years ago, Pandora engineers embarked on an ambitious project: Pandora X, a completely reimagined Pandora app. "[It] was going to save the trajectory of the business,” a former employee says. However, Pandora X never shipped. Here's what happened:
www.fastcompany.com/91403780/pan...
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The music streaming service that just won't die
Pandora, the onetime king of internet radio, has tried ticketing, acquisitions, and a splashy relaunch to survive. Former insiders explain how it all went wrong, and why the service still hasn’t died.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91403780/pandora-burned-billions-but-somehow-hasnt-lost-its-groove?mvgt=3sugI2DHlXqY
3 months ago
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New in Lowpass today: Snap’s Spectacles get native browser, WebXR support
www.lowpass.cc/p/snap-spect...
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Snap’s Spectacles get native browser, WebXR support
Snap's Spectacles AR glasses get native browser with WebXR support, enabling more immersive web apps and easier developer access without Lens Studio.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/snap-spectacles-webxr-native-apps
3 months ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
Today in Lowpass: Roku's bet on AI ads Roku wants to bring ads from tens of thousands of small businesses to streaming. Its secret weapon? AI.
www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-ads-rok...
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The future of TV ads, according to Roku
Roku wants to open up TV advertising to tens of thousands of small businesses with the help of AI. Will ad breaks soon look like your Insta feed?
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-ads-roku-smb-ai-genai
3 months ago
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Today in Lowpass: Roku's bet on AI ads Roku wants to bring ads from tens of thousands of small businesses to streaming. Its secret weapon? AI.
www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-ads-rok...
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The future of TV ads, according to Roku
Roku wants to open up TV advertising to tens of thousands of small businesses with the help of AI. Will ad breaks soon look like your Insta feed?
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/tv-ads-roku-smb-ai-genai
3 months ago
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Pandora tuns 20! And has about half as many users as it did when it turned 10. Over the past couple of months, I talked to a number of former Pandora employees to figure out what happened. The first part of my story went live on Fast Company today:
www.fastcompany.com/91399623/pan...
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Pandora pioneered streaming music. Then it blew its massive lead
The epic tale of how the internet radio giant got disrupted by Spotify, Apple, and the all-you-can-stream model.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91399623/pandora-pioneered-streaming-music-then-it-blew-its-massive-lead
3 months ago
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omg
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
On Friday, YouTube is streaming its first-ever free NFL game. Here's how the service plans to pull it off ... and the plan B, C, and D -- also known as the Doomsday Armageddon scenario -- it put in place just in case.
www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-nf...
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The story behind YouTube’s NFL livestream
YouTube is for the first time streaming an NFL game for free to everyone. Here's how the service is pulling it off, from fiber links to hardware transcoders.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-nfl-livestream-bts-brazil-tech
3 months ago
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On Friday, YouTube is streaming its first-ever free NFL game. Here's how the service plans to pull it off ... and the plan B, C, and D -- also known as the Doomsday Armageddon scenario -- it put in place just in case.
www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-nf...
loading . . .
The story behind YouTube’s NFL livestream
YouTube is for the first time streaming an NFL game for free to everyone. Here's how the service is pulling it off, from fiber links to hardware transcoders.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-nfl-livestream-bts-brazil-tech
3 months ago
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Today's Lowpass newsletter has it all ... a behind-the-scenes story on YouTube's first-ever free NFL stream, the backstory of a hit AI film ... and a last-minute Google scoop!
www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-nf...
loading . . .
The story behind YouTube’s NFL livestream
YouTube is for the first time streaming an NFL game for free to everyone. Here's how the service is pulling it off, from fiber links to hardware transcoders.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/youtube-nfl-livestream-bts-brazil-tech
3 months ago
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Today in Lowpass: Why Netflix should buy Sandbox VR Netflix will open up two Netflix House locations in the coming months. That's a good start, but why not add 60-plus additional outposts in one fell scoop?
www.lowpass.cc/p/netflix-ho...
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How to supercharge Netflix’s shopping mall plans
Netflix is opening its first two Netflix House locations this year. Here's one way for the company to add 60-plus additional venues in one fell swoop.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/netflix-house-lbe-sandbox-vr
3 months ago
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lol
www.thewrap.com/jeffrey-katz...
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Jeffrey Katzenberg Is Betting That Drones Will Be the Next Entertainment Medium
The entertainment mogul and DreamWorks co-founder has invested in Nova Sky Stories, a drone startup run by Elon Musk's brother Kimbal.
https://www.thewrap.com/jeffrey-katzenberg-betting-on-drones-for-entertainment/
3 months ago
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reposted by
Janko Roettgers
Today in Lowpass: Burning Man is back! In the metaverse! What the resurrection of one digital community tells us about social VR:
www.lowpass.cc/p/burning-ma...
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Burning Man is back (in VR)
Microsoft shut down the VR version of Burning Man in 2023 when it discontinued Altspace. Now BRCvr is back with a dedicated BurnerSphere app.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/burning-man-vr-brcvr-burnersphere-2025
3 months ago
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Also in Lowpass today: The animation studio behind Qai Qai tested dozens of AI video tools. Those tests turned into a product roadmap, which turned into an actual product ... which is being released today as Invisible Studio:
www.lowpass.cc/p/burning-ma...
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Burning Man is back (in VR)
Microsoft shut down the VR version of Burning Man in 2023 when it discontinued Altspace. Now BRCvr is back with a dedicated BurnerSphere app.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/burning-man-vr-brcvr-burnersphere-2025
3 months ago
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Today in Lowpass: Burning Man is back! In the metaverse! What the resurrection of one digital community tells us about social VR:
www.lowpass.cc/p/burning-ma...
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Burning Man is back (in VR)
Microsoft shut down the VR version of Burning Man in 2023 when it discontinued Altspace. Now BRCvr is back with a dedicated BurnerSphere app.
https://www.lowpass.cc/p/burning-man-vr-brcvr-burnersphere-2025
3 months ago
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