Facebook adopts a new name: Meta

During his annual conference, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that the company will now be called Meta.

The announcement is made within the framework of the launch of the metaverse of the social network during Facebook Connect.

Zuckerberg has indicated that he sees the metaverse as the next chapter of the Internet, but also of the company, which linked to the first social network that he developed.

Therefore, one that will encompass social applications (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger) and another the platforms of the future (metaverse and Quest). This also implies a change of identity, which translates into the new name of the company: Meta.

“From now on we will be metaverse first, not Facebook first,” said the manager.

The metaverse

Facebook has shared this Thursday in the framework of its Facebook Connect 2021 event more details about the metaverse, the virtual environment where, which will be the basis for the creation of a new economic ecosystem of digital goods, and which will be developed under the new identity of company brand, Meta.

The CEO of the company, Mark Zuckerberg, has spoken about the different experiences that will await the users of the metaverse, which will be possible by being really present with the rest of the people in a virtual room, and not just in front of a screen, like it happens today.

This sense of presence will be supported by a series of elements, such as the virtual space, provided by solutions such as Horizon Home, Horizon World or Horizon Rooms; an avatar, which more than an image will be a three-dimensional living representation of the user, capable of reproducing their gestures and facial expressions, and with customization possibilities; and elements to decorate the virtual space.

These elements will be the basis of the digital economy that Facebook plans. Creators can create and sell their items, which users can buy to decorate their spaces or customize their avatar and share with other users.

In this context, Zuckerberg has highlighted the importance of interoperability, which will be the characteristic that will allow to incorporate elements from the outside in the virtual world, or remove them. It will also be important that this environment is safe, and for this he has underlined the need for privacy and security to accompany the development of the metaverse from the beginning, offering options such as blocking users or being able to be alone if you want.

, which in addition to allowing communication with others, will also be used for video games or for physical exercise. Another option will be the use of augmented reality glasses, for example, for work, since they can display a digital desktop before the user’s eyes, with the possibility of interacting with 3D models or holding meetings with other colleagues in the form of a hologram. .

Zuckerberg has argued that the metaverse for the economy and for the environment. But it has highlighted the role that it will have especially in the economy, with the ecosystem of creating products, services and experiences that it will allow to create.

This ecosystem will maintain the approach that Facebook currently has with creators: offering them services and tools at the lowest cost, compared to other platforms, as the manager has pointed out. It will be accompanied by new forms of ownership.

The interaction with virtual objects or the voice to control the environment will allow to merge the physical world with the digital one. And for this the company has announced new tools (SDK) so that developers can work on their mixed reality experiences for the metaverse. The Spark AR community now has more than 600,000 creators.

, but its development will depend on a specific hardware designed for it. In this sense, the company has advanced Project Cambria, which will be compatible with Quest helmets and will allow the avatars to reproduce eye contact and expressions in real time thanks to the sensors it integrates. This equipment will show the image in high resolution and mixed reality.

He has also mentioned the work that they are doing in their, which they approach from two perspectives: how much technology can be put into standard glasses and how that technology can be made miniaturized enough to fit. This is due to the number of sensors and elements that must be integrated without exceeding 5mm in thickness.

This hardware will be accompanied by new interfaces that detect the movement of users, not just their facial gestures, to recreate the interaction.

Source

Deshawn