Google launches virtual reality division
by Tom Anstey | 14 Jan 2016
The company has been gearing up for a full VR launch since the debut of Google Cardboard / Google
Google has launched its own virtual reality computing division, appointing executive Clay Bavor to run the new arm of the technology giant.
Bavor, who has been named vice president of virtual reality, has prior experience in VR, having overseen Google Cardboard (the company's VR headset) since its launch in 2014.
Acting previously as vice president of product management for Google, Bavor has also worked on some of Google’s most widely used applications, including Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs.
The company has been gearing up for a full VR launch since the debut of Cardboard, announcing a partnership with action-camera maker GoPro in May 2015 to use Google technology to enable 360 degree views in virtual reality with the device.
Google announced in November that YouTube – which the company has owned since 2006 – could now support virtual reality video, with users able to use Cardboard and a smartphone to view VR scenes.
Google has also backed VR company Magic Leap, which turned heads in March last year when it turned its office into a robot-populated first person shooter. Despite the fact nobody really knows what Magic Leap actually does, Google revealed in October 2014 that it had invested US$524m (£352.8m, €486.1m) in the secretive virtual reality company.
Prior to that, the company had invested in augmented reality, with its Google Glass prototype. Hailed as the future of the emerging technology, the device was somewhat of a flop, with Google announcing in January 2015 that it would stop producing the prototype, but that it remained committed to the development of the product.
Google’s new senior vice president, Diane Greene, will take over management of web applications from Bavor, whose focus will now be purely virtual reality.
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Google has launched its own virtual reality computing division, appointing executive Clay Bavor to run the new arm of the technology giant. Bavor, who has been named vice president of virtual reality, has prior experience in VR, having overseen Google Cardboard (the company's VR headset) since its launch in 2014. Acting previously as vice president of product management for Google, Bavor has also worked on some of Google’s most widely
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by Helen Andrews | 21 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 13 Apr 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 05 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Mar 2026
A new floating wellbeing destination with a public park, residential and wellness facility is planned for a 12-hectare stretch of water within London’s Royal Docks, in the UK. The development is part of a wider regeneration of the Royal Docks to create a diverse waterfront, backed by £5 billion (US$6.35 billion, €5.85 billion) of investment over the next 20 years. The aim is to make the area a mixed-use development
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Mar 2026
Janu, a brand by the Aman Group, will open its second location in 2027, in Dubai, UAE – with a wellness and fitness space measuring 1,700sq m and a separate inaugural private members’ Janu Club. Developed by Dubai-based developer H&H, the 150-key hotel and 57 private residences will be located in a mixed-use development that measures 1.3 million sq ft in the heart of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
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"Culture is the beating heart of this project"
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
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