Category: Virtual Reality

Meta: The New Name of Facebook and Why

On By Kendra FranklinIn facebook, Technology, Virtual RealityLeave a comment
Source: CNBC

Facebook announced that the company changed its name to Meta on Thursday at the Facebook Connect virtual reality conference, according to CNBC. The sudden rebrand came about in the midst of legal turmoil that the company has been combatting.

The name “Meta” refers to the “metaverse,” a virtual world where users can interact with each other no matter where they are located in the real world.

“The next platform will be even more immersive — an embodied internet where you’re in the experience, not just looking at it. We call this the metaverse, and it will touch every product we build,” wrote CEO and Founder of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, in a founder’s letter.

The social media app that the company is known for will remain as Facebook, but the company no longer wants the app to be the face of the company.

It is highly spectated that the name change was created as a distraction from ex-employee whistleblower Frances Haugen, who, according to the Washington Post, “sent tens of thousands of internal company documents to Congress and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.” This garnered a negative reputation for Facebook, along with a multitude of legal issues that arose after the documents were exposed.

It was revealed that the company has been well aware of issues its platforms have been causing but decided to ignore it.

Despite all of this, the company claims this name change comes from a shift in focus of energy. Meta aims to move towards being known as a metaverse company, rather than a social media company. The company has been forming a team whose goal is to create the metaverse.

Zuckerberg gave a demonstration of what the company wants the metaverse to look like at the Facebook Connect conference. CNBC described this as a “Pixar-like animation of software the company hopes to build some day.” The demo showed how users will be able to interact with each other using cartoon-like avatars within virtual spaces.

Though the plan for the metaverse has been revealed now, with $10 billion being designated for its development in the next year, it will be over 5 years before the metaverse technology is ready for the public, Zuckerberg said.

Of course, users of Facebook (now Meta) and its other platforms have many opinions about this sudden change. Some are excited about the approaching metaverse technology, while others fear what may become of society with technology like this.

Companies have already begun preparation for this new technology. For example, Nike has created several trademarks to sell products within the metaverse.

Facebook has opened up a new chapter in social technology. Now, it is just a waiting game until the technology is ready for the public.

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Mind Reading Technology (It Really Works!)

On By David SonIn Brand, Consumer behavior, Gaming, Technology, Uncategorized, Virtual RealityLeave a comment

Mind reading technology is the latest gadget that is going to blow your mind. With this new possibility, “the future is now” has a whole new meaning. With a growing number of companies beginning to focus on “Brain-Computer Interface”, this industry is expected to reach around $1.5 Billion by the end of this year.

The devices use sensors to record brain signals on the scalp. By tracking where the eyes are focusing, the devices can control an object without physically moving. A company such as NextMind has created a prototype that can create commands on objects. NextMind CEO, Sid Kouider, says the eyes are only used to see, but the vision process and interpretation is in the brain. Brain-Computer Interface uses that information in the brain to process what commands to make. For instance, a subject was able to change the color of a lamp only using her thoughts. Another example is how a subject was able to mute, change channels, or change the volumes only by focusing her eyes on a certain part of a screen.

As this device is still in its beginning phases, companies using this technology are already focusing on what could come next. As E-Sports and gaming communities have skyrocketed over the past few years, there are unlimited amount of possibilities in how Brain-Computer Interface systems can be used.

NextMind’s technology is not available to the public yet, but a developer kit is being sold to other companies who can add applications to the product. Contributing ideas and technologies in order to release the best product they can offer.

Another company such as BrainCo focuses on the frontal cortex of the brain. While the technology is similar, BrainCo has used the technology on VR games. In one game, the harder the player focuses on the rocket ship, the faster the rocket ship moved. Different colors light up on the front of the headband depending on how hard the user is focusing. This technology can be brought into education, because it can train kids on how to focus better.

Brain-Computer Interface can be very effective in prosthetics as well. It can enhance the response and reaction of controlling a prosthetic limb. As the user builds a connection with the prosthetic limb through Brain-Computer Interface, it can begin to learn habits of brain signals and respond even quicker.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/10/ces-2020-mind-reading-technology-lets-you-control-gadgets-and-games.html