Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Techno ... 7&si=44594
Into the Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
Virtual reality on steroids: Attend concerts with friends in other countries
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks to an avatar of himself during a live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference to announce the rebrand of Facebook as Meta. © Facebook/Reuters
LAULY LI, CHENG TING-FANG and YIFAN YU, Nikkei staff writersNovember 11, 2021 13:44 JST
TAIPEI/PALO ALTO, U.S. -- Mark Zuckerburg raised eyebrows when he announced late last month that his social media empire will be rebranded as "Meta."
The name is inspired by a sci-fi concept known as the metaverse -- and the company formerly known as Facebook is betting that it represents the future of the internet.
But what exactly is the metaverse, and why are companies like Google, Tencent and Nvidia so excited about it?
What is the "metaverse" concept and how long has it been around?
The term "metaverse" was coined by Neal Stephensen in his science fiction novel "Snow Crash." It describes a virtual world where humans interact with one another through the use of digital avatars. Movies such as "The Matrix" and "Ready Player One" explore this idea.
Now, real-life tech players believe it is possible to not only create such immersive digital worlds but also to integrate them with our physical reality. Facebook envisions a scenario in which two people virtually attend the same concert despite being miles away from the venue -- and each other. Or, co-workers in different countries could collaborate as if they were in the same room. Think of it as virtual reality on steroids.
Key technologies will include human-computer interface devices such as VR and AR headsets, multidimensional graphics and AI simulations, massive computing power and software and hardware for creating user avatars, to name just a few.
Why are companies so interested in the metaverse?
Tech companies are looking for the next frontier now that the internet, social media and smartphones have become everyday tools.
Facebook, which also makes the Oculus, the world's most popular VR headset, sees the metaverse as "the successor to the mobile internet," Zuckerberg said when the company announced its rebranding. Microsoft, Apple and Google are also pouring resources into virtual and augmented reality tech.
Nvidia, the world's most valuable chip developer, has embraced the metaverse with enthusiasm. To promote its Omniverse platform, the company in April held an entirely digital event; even CEO Jensen Huang was digitally simulated.
"Omniverse is the engine to create and simulate the virtual world ... and it also allows different agents, different people to connect to the virtual world," Huang told a news briefing on Wednesday.
"The metaverse could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but Omniverse, as we described, has immediate applications today," he added, describing how his company is already using it for a range of applications, including creating a digital copy of the real world in which to test self-driving vehicles.
China's tech titans also sense opportunities. Social and video gaming giant Tencent has filed nearly a hundred metaverse-related trademark applications since September, while e-commerce giant Alibaba has registered several related trademarks. A day after Facebook announced its name change, Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, applied to trademark the term "metaapp."
In hardware, Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, intends to be part of the metaverse supply chain.
"The next two big things in the tech industry are electric vehicles and [the] metaverse," Chairman Young Liu said. "Foxconn will definitely have metaverse-related products."
What are the technical challenges?
Giving users an immersive experience will require fast, low-latency transfers of massive amounts of data. That means wireless 5G connectivity will be a must.
Other requirements include high-powered semiconductors to run complex algorithms and devices like VR headsets to enable users to duck into the digital world.
Technical hurdles remain. Current VR headsets are heavy and often have issues with visual resolution, causing feelings of dizziness or nausea after extended use. And advanced computing capabilities such as gesture navigation will significantly eat up battery life.
Content will be crucial to the success of the metaverse, but 3D modeling software --- integral for building an immersive alt-universe -- is still more expensive than what many developers can afford.
What are there skeptics saying?
While companies race to embrace the metaverse, analysts are a bit more cautious. Donnie Teng, a tech analyst with Nomura Securities, told Nikkei Asia that the hype around the metaverse is merely the next stage in the ongoing search for ways to put VR and AR technologies to better use.
"The concept has been around for quite some time, but it's still emerging, and people are still exploring the possibilities, with no clear answer," Teng said. "At the end of the day, it's still whether there is a good enough tech infrastructure and applications out there to really realize this dream of building a fully virtual metaverse."
Are there any other concerns?
Data privacy and cybersecurity.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said in an interview with the Associated Press that the metaverse "will require us to put many, many more sensors in our homes and our workplaces," she said, adding that the company "should have a transparency plan for the metaverse before they start building all this stuff."
Haugen is not the only one urging caution. David Reid, professor of AI and Spatial Computing at Liverpool Hope University, is calling for regulation of the metaverse before the "technology becomes a reality in the next five to 10 years," he said in a statement.
"The metaverse has huge implications -- it comes with fantastic advantages and terrifying dangers," Reid said.
"We're clearly in the very early stages of the metaverse, but we need to start talking about these problems now before we go down a route we can't reverse away from," he added. "It's crucial for the future."
Into the Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
Virtual reality on steroids: Attend concerts with friends in other countries
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks to an avatar of himself during a live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference to announce the rebrand of Facebook as Meta. © Facebook/Reuters
LAULY LI, CHENG TING-FANG and YIFAN YU, Nikkei staff writersNovember 11, 2021 13:44 JST
TAIPEI/PALO ALTO, U.S. -- Mark Zuckerburg raised eyebrows when he announced late last month that his social media empire will be rebranded as "Meta."
The name is inspired by a sci-fi concept known as the metaverse -- and the company formerly known as Facebook is betting that it represents the future of the internet.
But what exactly is the metaverse, and why are companies like Google, Tencent and Nvidia so excited about it?
What is the "metaverse" concept and how long has it been around?
The term "metaverse" was coined by Neal Stephensen in his science fiction novel "Snow Crash." It describes a virtual world where humans interact with one another through the use of digital avatars. Movies such as "The Matrix" and "Ready Player One" explore this idea.
Now, real-life tech players believe it is possible to not only create such immersive digital worlds but also to integrate them with our physical reality. Facebook envisions a scenario in which two people virtually attend the same concert despite being miles away from the venue -- and each other. Or, co-workers in different countries could collaborate as if they were in the same room. Think of it as virtual reality on steroids.
Key technologies will include human-computer interface devices such as VR and AR headsets, multidimensional graphics and AI simulations, massive computing power and software and hardware for creating user avatars, to name just a few.
Why are companies so interested in the metaverse?
Tech companies are looking for the next frontier now that the internet, social media and smartphones have become everyday tools.
Facebook, which also makes the Oculus, the world's most popular VR headset, sees the metaverse as "the successor to the mobile internet," Zuckerberg said when the company announced its rebranding. Microsoft, Apple and Google are also pouring resources into virtual and augmented reality tech.
Nvidia, the world's most valuable chip developer, has embraced the metaverse with enthusiasm. To promote its Omniverse platform, the company in April held an entirely digital event; even CEO Jensen Huang was digitally simulated.
"Omniverse is the engine to create and simulate the virtual world ... and it also allows different agents, different people to connect to the virtual world," Huang told a news briefing on Wednesday.
"The metaverse could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but Omniverse, as we described, has immediate applications today," he added, describing how his company is already using it for a range of applications, including creating a digital copy of the real world in which to test self-driving vehicles.
China's tech titans also sense opportunities. Social and video gaming giant Tencent has filed nearly a hundred metaverse-related trademark applications since September, while e-commerce giant Alibaba has registered several related trademarks. A day after Facebook announced its name change, Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, applied to trademark the term "metaapp."
In hardware, Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, intends to be part of the metaverse supply chain.
"The next two big things in the tech industry are electric vehicles and [the] metaverse," Chairman Young Liu said. "Foxconn will definitely have metaverse-related products."
What are the technical challenges?
Giving users an immersive experience will require fast, low-latency transfers of massive amounts of data. That means wireless 5G connectivity will be a must.
Other requirements include high-powered semiconductors to run complex algorithms and devices like VR headsets to enable users to duck into the digital world.
Technical hurdles remain. Current VR headsets are heavy and often have issues with visual resolution, causing feelings of dizziness or nausea after extended use. And advanced computing capabilities such as gesture navigation will significantly eat up battery life.
Content will be crucial to the success of the metaverse, but 3D modeling software --- integral for building an immersive alt-universe -- is still more expensive than what many developers can afford.
What are there skeptics saying?
While companies race to embrace the metaverse, analysts are a bit more cautious. Donnie Teng, a tech analyst with Nomura Securities, told Nikkei Asia that the hype around the metaverse is merely the next stage in the ongoing search for ways to put VR and AR technologies to better use.
"The concept has been around for quite some time, but it's still emerging, and people are still exploring the possibilities, with no clear answer," Teng said. "At the end of the day, it's still whether there is a good enough tech infrastructure and applications out there to really realize this dream of building a fully virtual metaverse."
Are there any other concerns?
Data privacy and cybersecurity.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said in an interview with the Associated Press that the metaverse "will require us to put many, many more sensors in our homes and our workplaces," she said, adding that the company "should have a transparency plan for the metaverse before they start building all this stuff."
Haugen is not the only one urging caution. David Reid, professor of AI and Spatial Computing at Liverpool Hope University, is calling for regulation of the metaverse before the "technology becomes a reality in the next five to 10 years," he said in a statement.
"The metaverse has huge implications -- it comes with fantastic advantages and terrifying dangers," Reid said.
"We're clearly in the very early stages of the metaverse, but we need to start talking about these problems now before we go down a route we can't reverse away from," he added. "It's crucial for the future."
Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
I have my doubts about all of this. Good quality virtual reality has been around for a while now but despite most people agreeing that it's quite an amazing technology once they've tried it, much like 3DTV's, it soon becomes a burden to have to wear something on your head or face in order to be entertained.
You might wonder why it would be such a big deal to simply put a pair of glasses on to watch TV, but research into why 3DTV never quite took off suggested that that was the main reason people didn't like it. Even the simple act of having to wear a pair of glasses turned something that we usually think of as a passive pass-time, such as watching TV, into an active one, and most people just didn't like it. It turned a casual thing into a major event, which people started off reserving just for 3D movies, but after a while, even the novelty of that wore off and they rarely used the 3D functionality of their TVs at all.
It turns out that it's a similar story for VR. I've tried VR several times and it is nothing short of amazing. Especially if you try the real deal Oculus types rather than something you just put your phone in, but again, it just hasn't taken off in the way most people were expecting, even among the most hardcore gamers. And it's the same reason - people don't want to have to wear something on their head in order to be entertained, no matter how good the tech is.
It would be strange for a company as big as FB not to take all of this into account so perhaps they know something the rest of the industry doesn't, or maybe they have some ace up their sleeves, but as it stands, I'd be hesitant about declaring this as the future of tech - or the next internet - just yet.
You might wonder why it would be such a big deal to simply put a pair of glasses on to watch TV, but research into why 3DTV never quite took off suggested that that was the main reason people didn't like it. Even the simple act of having to wear a pair of glasses turned something that we usually think of as a passive pass-time, such as watching TV, into an active one, and most people just didn't like it. It turned a casual thing into a major event, which people started off reserving just for 3D movies, but after a while, even the novelty of that wore off and they rarely used the 3D functionality of their TVs at all.
It turns out that it's a similar story for VR. I've tried VR several times and it is nothing short of amazing. Especially if you try the real deal Oculus types rather than something you just put your phone in, but again, it just hasn't taken off in the way most people were expecting, even among the most hardcore gamers. And it's the same reason - people don't want to have to wear something on their head in order to be entertained, no matter how good the tech is.
It would be strange for a company as big as FB not to take all of this into account so perhaps they know something the rest of the industry doesn't, or maybe they have some ace up their sleeves, but as it stands, I'd be hesitant about declaring this as the future of tech - or the next internet - just yet.
The difference between animals and humans is that animals would never allow the dumb ones to lead the pack.
Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
metaverse is a lot more than VR. but even if it was only VR I would not recommend to count it out just because the technology that we have today doesn't measure up. lots of people 10 years ago could never imagine us watching videos on our phones with small screens and shitty download speeds........
Money can't buy happiness but it can buy beer
Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
The movie "2047: Virtual Revolution" pretty much foresaw all this back in 2016.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4054004
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4054004
Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
We are going to need all the VR we can get in 10 years when the climate has begun it's death spiral and reality is intolerable.
Meanwhile, keep up all your bad habits and live for today.
Meanwhile, keep up all your bad habits and live for today.
Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
As far as Meta’s version of the metaverse is concerned, it will be sales dressed up in influencers and memes.
Those ads that currently appear in a fb or insta feed will be all around you as you walk down the street. Your devices, location and metadata will determine which ads are most prominent to you. Your likes indicate you have an interest in football? As you walk past a store with a sale on sports related goods, you’ll be alerted to the fact. Walking past a phone store? You’ll be reminded that the latest virgin locked Meta phone comes with $10 preloaded on the sportsbet app.
Then there is the business side. You liked zoom in 2021? Well now you can all see yourselves in the same office meeting room with your chosen holographic-like avatar, and see yourselves physically passing a document to a fellow meeting attendee. There will be a fee for more than the average virtual meeting experience.
You like live gigs? As you walk past a pub in a new city, you’ll be alerted to the week’s entertainment schedule and the fact that ladies get free entry and drinks on Tuesdays.
The metaverse is about spending more money more easily. So convenient. So toxic.
Those ads that currently appear in a fb or insta feed will be all around you as you walk down the street. Your devices, location and metadata will determine which ads are most prominent to you. Your likes indicate you have an interest in football? As you walk past a store with a sale on sports related goods, you’ll be alerted to the fact. Walking past a phone store? You’ll be reminded that the latest virgin locked Meta phone comes with $10 preloaded on the sportsbet app.
Then there is the business side. You liked zoom in 2021? Well now you can all see yourselves in the same office meeting room with your chosen holographic-like avatar, and see yourselves physically passing a document to a fellow meeting attendee. There will be a fee for more than the average virtual meeting experience.
You like live gigs? As you walk past a pub in a new city, you’ll be alerted to the week’s entertainment schedule and the fact that ladies get free entry and drinks on Tuesdays.
The metaverse is about spending more money more easily. So convenient. So toxic.
Despite what angsta states, it’s clear from reading through his posts that angsta supports the free FreePalestine movement.
Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
Just like the movie “Minority Report”.violet wrote: ↑Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:49 am As far as Meta’s version of the metaverse is concerned, it will be sales dressed up in influencers and memes.
Those ads that currently appear in a fb or insta feed will be all around you as you walk down the street. Your devices, location and metadata will determine which ads are most prominent to you. Your likes indicate you have an interest in football? As you walk past a store with a sale on sports related goods, you’ll be alerted to the fact. Walking past a phone store? You’ll be reminded that the latest virgin locked iPhone comes with $10 preloaded on the sportsbet app.
I am reminded of a conversation I had many, many years ago with an Aussie guy in an mIRC chat room. It was in the days of dial up internet with a 56kb connection so maybe mid 90’s. Anyway, I recall mentioning that I couldn’t wait for the day we could watch a movie on our computer over the internet and his reply was “you’re a dreamer” or “keep dreaming” or something along those lines.
And then, later, in 2000 at an Interbuild exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham, I saw a small robot arm picking highlighter pens that had been dropped from a small feed hopper onto a small conveyor. The arm was picking each pen up and placing it in a neat row at the side all sorted by colour. The boss and I spoke at length about this on the ride home and how this tech would see almost all low skilled jobs become obsolete in time. When that would be we weren’t sure but we could see it coming.
And now, here we are, streaming movies, AR, VR, autopilot tech for cars, wearable tech incoming (if not already here) and the list just goes on.
There are, unfortunately, some who view this in a negative light and even some who believe the advancing tech is leading us to a singularity by around 2030 (at current rates of advancement). http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ ... 151228.htm
Where do I sit on all this? Well I worry for my kids but beyond that I have sort of reluctantly resigned myself to the inevitable. I don’t believe we can stop it nor do believe we could if we tried. Our only hope is that once AI is fully developed we are able to break some fundamental laws of physics and spread out amongst the stars (or time) and “boldly go where no man has gone before.”
Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
What if your Metaverse looked like this ...
Take the red pill & see how deep the rabbit hole goes I reckon.
Take the red pill & see how deep the rabbit hole goes I reckon.
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
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Re: Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
Iceland's Mark Zuckerberg tourism promotion pokes fun at Facebook's Meta rebranding
Iceland has long attracted tourists with picturesque geothermal lagoons and the dare of sampling fermented shark meat. But lately, it seems like the country - or at least its official tourism board - also wants to be known for internet shenanigans. Its latest bit, released Thursday, is a clever promotional video that takes not-so-subtle shots at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his instantly memed Metaverse.
The video begins by introducing a "Chief Visionary Officer" named Zack Mossbergsson who sports Zuckerberg's Augustus Caesar haircut and black crew-neck sweater.
Full: https://www.traveller.com.au/icelands-m ... ing-h1zsd6
Iceland has long attracted tourists with picturesque geothermal lagoons and the dare of sampling fermented shark meat. But lately, it seems like the country - or at least its official tourism board - also wants to be known for internet shenanigans. Its latest bit, released Thursday, is a clever promotional video that takes not-so-subtle shots at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his instantly memed Metaverse.
The video begins by introducing a "Chief Visionary Officer" named Zack Mossbergsson who sports Zuckerberg's Augustus Caesar haircut and black crew-neck sweater.
Full: https://www.traveller.com.au/icelands-m ... ing-h1zsd6
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