Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth has been named the new head of the company’s consumer hardware efforts. That includes Oculus VR and the Building 8 division, which is reportedly working on a video chat device codenamed Aloha, reports Business Insider. The team is also working on a smart speaker, 360-degree camera, and "futuristic" wearables, according to the report.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the appointment of Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth to oversee Building 8 and Oculus, Facebook’s virtual reality arm. Bosworth previously served as Facebook’s VP of ads and business platform for several years, and helped create the News Feed and Messenger. He’s been at the company for over a decade and is a close confidant to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the report said.
Another longtime Facebook ads engineering exec, Mark Rabkin, will assume Bosworth’s previous responsibilities.
Project Aloha
The report also had more details of the rumoured video device from Facebook, codenamed Aloha. It will feature a large touchscreen along with a camera and speakers and be capable of recognizing peoples’ faces when they step into view, three people with knowledge of the device said. Prototypes of Aloha have been tested in employees’ homes in recent months, and the company's plan is to release the device in May 2018 for around USD 500.
One of Facebook's main hurdles with the device is limiting customer concern about privacy. Early marketing by the company showed that many expected Facebook to use the device to spy on users. The company is reportedly considering options such as a different brand name than Facebook or marketing the device as a way for the elderly to communicate in order to alleviate the privacy concerns.
