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WEEK IN GAMING: Augmented Reality is the new Virtual Reality (and also the new regular reality)

“Ooooh, Oculus Rift,” says General Public Member Number One. “It’s so cool, and when i put it on my head, I feel like my head is twice the size. That means I have more brains.” “Yes,” agrees General Public Member Number Two, sipping daintily from a china cup. “I like the way I walk into walls when I am wearing it, and also how I stood on my cat that

Prosecutors file charges against ex-CEO of Mt.Gox bitcoin exchange

Japanese prosecutors have filed charges against Mark Karpeles, the former head of defunct bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, accusing him of stealing $2.7 million of clients’ money, media reported. The French-born Karpeles, 30, was arrested last month in connection with the disappearance of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the virtual currency. The charges, which were filed on Friday, said Karpeles embezzled total 321 million yen ($2.66 million) by transferring

Hutchison seeks EU okay for O2 buy amidst regulatory headwinds

Hutchison Whampoa Ltd on Friday sought EU approval for its 10.25-billion-pound ($15.82 billion) bid for Telefonica’s British mobile unit O2, the same day regulators unveiled a tougher approach towards mergers in the sector. The European Commission said it would decide by Oct. 16 whether to clear the deal, which would make Hutchison’s Three UK business the second-biggest of the UK’s three remaining network operators. The EU competition authority could either

Solera leveraged buyout talks stall over price: sources

Solera Holdings Inc, the insurance claims processing software maker that has sought to sell itself in a leveraged buyout, has so far failed to agree on an acquisition price with private equity firms, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Buyout firms Vista Equity Partners and Thoma Bravo LLC have made offers that failed to meet Solera’s valuation expectations, the people said. Solera is now trying to sell itself

Sprint's plan for new iPhone trumps other U.S. carriers

Want to own the new iPhone without burning a hole in your pocket every month? Sprint seems to be the cheapest option in the United States. The competition in the U.S. wireless industry is fierce and the launch of the newest iPhone iteration on Wednesday is a chance for carriers to lure customers away from their rivals.

Curbing enthusiasm ahead of Fed meeting

With stocks already in a corrective phase on Wall Street, next week’s long-awaited Federal Reserve meeting may not spur a wild market reaction, even if the central bank hikes rates for the first time in almost a decade. Economists are about equally split on whether the long-awaited move will come, though futures market trades are pointing to at least one more month of the Fed delaying its 0.25 percentage point

Weak U.S. consumer sentiment, tame inflation muddy Fed rate outlook

U.S. consumer sentiment hit its lowest in a year in early September and producer prices were flat in August, signaling moderate economic growth and tame inflation that could weigh on the Federal Reserve’s decision whether to hike interest rates next week. The slump in consumer sentiment and persistently weak inflation reported on Friday are in stark contrast with a tightening labor market. Sentiment was likely undermined by recent stock market

Germany will back sharing bank risk only responsibility shared as well

Germany made clear it would agree to sharing more banking risk only if governments first proved they were ready to share more responsibilities as well, at a meeting of European Union finance ministers on Saturday. The ministers were discussing a deposit guarantee plan, an idea backed by the European Commission. It wants to propose steps toward a deposit insurance and reinsurance scheme in October, Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said.