Facebook is closing around 200 of its 500 Oculus virtual reality demo stations at Best Buy locations across the US, Business Insider has learned. The scaling back of Facebook's first big retail push for VR comes after workers from multiple Best Buy pop-ups told BI that it was common for them to go days without giving a single demonstration. An internal memo seen by BI and sent to affected employees by a third-party contractor said the closings were because of "store performance."

Earlier this week smart TV maker Vizio settled an FTC charge for nefariously collecting data from its customers, but that isn’t deterring China’s LeEco from completing a $2 billion acquisition of the company. Back in July 2016, LeEco announced a surprise $2 billion deal to buy Vizio and thus further expand its business empire, which already covers video streaming, mobile phones and a controversial smart car project. News of this week’s settlement — based on Vizio secretly collecting viewing data and selling it to third parties — was seen as a potential deal-breaker, but LeEco has denied that is the case. “LeEco is committed to the …

Google and LG have today introduced their new smartwatches, the LG Watch Sport and the LG Watch Style. Both of these smartwatches are now confirmed as coming running on the newest version of the Android Wear operating system, Android Wear 2.0. Google and LG have also now confirmed that both smartwatches will be available to buy in the US from February 10, although they will be sold through slightly different avenues. The LG Watch Style will be available to buy for $249.99 from Best Buy and the Google Store, while the LG Watch Sport will be available to buy for $349.99 from …

The Jawbone/Fitbit ugliness appears to be continuing on unabated, even the rival fitness companies work to deal with their own financial struggles and concerns around the health of the wearable market at large. The companies have been batting suits back and forth at least since mid-2015, primarily dealing with issues of intellectual proprietary and trade secrets – the sort of charges rival manufacturers often volley back and forth. The war seemed to have cooled slightly just ahead of Christmas when Fitbit dropped one case, citing its rivals financial struggles, which we recently highlighted in a piece about the company’s planned pivot. But in a new court …

Apple has been dabbling with augmented reality (AR) for quite some time and it seems it is finally in the process of making a smartglass that deploys the technology. Tech evangelist Robert Scoble had earlier claimed in a Facebook post that the next big Apple product would be an AR headset, which the company is reportedly manufacturing in tandem with Carl Zeiss. In the "This Week in Tech Show" held on Feb. 5, Scoble said that his prediction regarding the AR smartglass is based on information procured from "the highest level" of Apple administration. - See more at: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/196255/20170207/apple-working-on-an-ar-glasses-announcement-expected-mid-2017.htm#sthash.6i3J9CQG.dpuf

Some car makers are experimenting with putting Alexa in their vehicles, making it possible for drivers to access Amazon’s voice assistance while driving, but Logitech has a new feature that makes it possible to get in-car Alexa access without waiting for infotainment system integration. The new Logitech collaboration with Amazon’s Alexa service adds Alexa voice control to the suite of features available on Logitech’s ZeroTouch smart car mounts, which include both its air vent and its dashboard models. These hardware accessories work with Android phones, letting you instantly access Logitech’s ZeroTouch app to do things like make voice calls, dictate texts and …

Robots soon may be among us on the streets. Those who are homebound, busy or just don’t feel like going to the store gained a victory when SB 1207 passed unanimously through the Virginia Senate this week. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, would allow the use of Electronic Personal Delivery Devices, or EPDDs, on sidewalks, crosswalks and shared-use paths throughout Virginia. A similar bill in the House of Delegates, sponsored by Del. Ron Villaneuva, R-Chesapeake, is awaiting a floor vote. Villaneuva’s HB 2016 received a 21-0 approval in the House Transportation Committee. Statewide approval of the devices would …

There were 300 drones dancing behind Lady Gaga during the Super Bowl halftime show. They’re called Shooting Stars and were previously used in a holiday show at Disney World. These hundreds of Shooting Star drones flash, fall and flock in unison and are all controlled by one person — or rather one computer. This is the latest project in Intel’s quest to take drones from individuals to fleets. This is Ender’s Game brought to life. Just as in Orson Scott Card’s book, one person commands the group, sending instructions and monitoring the drones’ health. And Intel says its limitless in its scale, able to …

Make way for one more pivot from Jawbone. The fitness band maker that originally started out in headsets and later made speakers, has abandoned selling and supporting consumer hardware following a deluge poor reviews and media reports that it has run out of money. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Jawbone is preparing to shift its business yet again — moving from a focus on low-margin fitness bands sold directly to consumers, to a high-margin business to business to consumer model: a health product and accompanying set of services sold primarily to clinicians and health providers working with patients.

Early during tonight’s game, Google’s ad for the Google Home aired on millions of TVs. We’ve actually seen the ad before: loving families at home meeting, hugging, and being welcomed by the Google Assistant. Someone says “OK Google,” and those familiar, colorful lights pop up. But then my Google Home perked up, confused. “Sorry,” it said. “Something went wrong.” I laughed, because that wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t the only one.