Today marked the 10th anniversary of the Meta Connect conference, where Zuckerberg shared the latest news about Quest 3, AI advances, smart glasses and metaverse technologies. If you weren’t able to tune into the live keynote, we’ve summarised the key takeaways here.
This year’s Meta Connect focused on Mixed Reality
Zuckerberg has been keen on the metaverse concept for some time now, and at Meta Connect we saw new developments in this space.
Think: sitting around a table with friends, some of whom are in the same physical room while others are avatars who live miles away. Or, a meeting where some of the avatars are embodied AIs that help you accomplish tasks. This is what Meta imagines for our future.
Meta terms this ‘mixed reality’, which is a way of bringing digital objects into the physical world. And Meta says this future might be arriving sooner than we think, as the foundational technologies needed to make this a reality are already developed.
Check out some of the mixed reality developments here:
Meta Quest 3
Quest 3 is Meta’s new mixed reality headset, and Meta says it’s their most powerful headset yet. Here are some of the key features:
- Double the graphic processing power of Quest 2
- Powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip
- Completely standalone: no PC, console or battery packs required
- Immerse yourself in an expansive content library of games and experiences
- Compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming, so you’ll be able to play Halo Infinite, Minecraft Legends, Forza Horizon 5, and hundreds of other Xbox games
Starting at $799.99 AUD, Quest 3
Meta launches new AI features
Meta is rushing to join the AI craze alongside other big-tech organisations with its latest host of artificial intelligence features.
Meta AI, coming to the Quest 3 headset and social media, could be seen as Zuckerberg’s version of ChatGPT, allowing users to answer general knowledge questions or search the web using Microsoft Bing. The assistant will be available for a select group of US social media users and can be added to group chats to help with tasks such as planning a travel itinerary. Meta AI will also be compatible with the Ray-Ban x Meta smart glasses through voice activation.
In other Meta Connect news, image generation model Emu (Expressive Media Universe) was unveiled. Emu uses text prompts to generate images in seconds. You could simply write “make me surrounded by puppies” and Emu will create the background you have described while keeping you at the foreground of the image. Emu will also allow you to create custom generative AI stickers in Meta’s messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Facebook Stories.
Another feature is AI Studio, which will help businesses build AI chatbots across their social media platforms. In other words, developers can create their own third-party AIs for Meta’s messaging services.
This will help businesses configure AIs that reflect their brand’s values and improve customer service experiences. These AIs will eventually be embodied as avatars in the metaverse too. From today, Meta’s AIs will be rolled out in the US in beta.
Ray-Ban x Meta Smart Glasses collection
The Ray-Ban x Meta smart glasses were launched 2 years ago and have since struggled to generate popularity. The wearable device was designed to allow you to take photos straight from the glasses, rather than taking out your phone, allowing you to stay ‘in the moment’.
Among those who purchased the glasses, less than 10% of the products are used frequently, failing to provide real daily value for users. Despite these unpromising figures, Zuckerberg announced the next generation of smart glasses at Meta Connect today.
Here are the next-gen updates:
- Livestream directly from smart glasses to your friends and followers on Facebook and Instagram
- Voice-activated Meta AI is built in. You’ll be able to ask it what building you’re standing in front of or get a translation of a sign on the fly
- 12-megapixel cameras on the corner of the glasses and an LED light that turns on to signal to others that you’re recording.
- Mix and match the style of your glasses by customising frame colour, style and lenses. There are 150 combos in total.
Starting at $449 AUD, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses collection will launch on October 17, and they’re available for pre-order today on meta.com and ray-ban.com. Click here for more information.
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