An version of this article was published in TIME’s newsletter Into the Metaverse. Sign up for a weekly guide for the future of the Web. You can see past issues in the news here.
Over two thousand companies descended on Las Vegas last week for the annual CES technology show, organized by the Consumer Technology Association. Given the way the past year has gone you can choose the buzzword of the conference.
Idea: A “metaverse.” Ina Fried, written on Axios, laughed “A lot of CES viewers thought of a drinking party where big fans would shoot every time the metaverse was mentioned – but it was food for the Drunk. ” Nima Zeighami, who works in immersive technology and is at the conference, presents a Very nice and funny Tweet thread keeping in mind the common uses of the term “metaverse” in various advertising and branding campaigns.
While some of the use of the word is about nonsense, there are some aspects of technology that are really fun. (My colleague Patrick Lucas Austin is another broadcaster here.) And for many people at CES, the buzzword is just a place to get into specific discussions and technologies. “The idea of the metaverse is starting to pivot from a hot topic only to a way to get informative conversations about these technologies: the difference between AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality). ), between digital and virtual twins.Chris Stavros, founder of the AR/VR platform Makesea attended CES and spoke at a panel about education in public spaces.
Here are the announcements coming out from CES that caught my eye, for better or worse.
The new generation of augmented reality
A promotional image of the TCL LEINIAO AR, the smart glasses that are coming to market this year.
TCL
A full decade after Google introduced Google Glass — smart glasses with built -in displays — smart glasses have not entered the mainstream culture. But the lack of public interest does not stop many companies from developing their own prototypes. The idea of the abstract makes a lot of sense: while we’re spending a lot of time looking at screens, why wouldn’t we want to change some of that information to what we see in the screen? are you real On the other hand, the concept of smart glasses poses a personal level of privacy and security issues. Such things open the door to those who are being watched without being easily aware of it. The technology can be hijacked and abused by stalkers.
Nonetheless, the TCL digital camera manufacturer has unveiled smart mirrors that allow you to take and share photos, navigate with GPS -based directions to your site and set up an action show with public virtual tours. Microsoft has announced a partnership with Qualcomm to develop lighter AR lenses. And smart contact lenses are also coming. Mojo Vision is partnering with Adidas and other sports -related companies to develop relationships that provide real -time performance data, such as your speed or fitness. Next turn on a ski slope. However, the company is awaiting FDA approval.
So when do you see people wearing smart glasses on the street? John Egan, Director of Technology at L’Atelier, told me last month that he thought it would be a long time. “If the quality of a product is too high, the aesthetic protection is lower, that is,” he says. “Lensware and glassware have never been where there is an aesthetic value that allows people to have a low level of quality. That’s a trench to go.”
VR doesn’t burden you
VR (virtual reality) themes, which completely cover your field of knowledge that take you into 3D visual worlds, are also slow to unfold. Personally, I have found the use of the head to humiliate and irritate the head; I have a long hat that I can wear before my temples start. (People seem to be getting better, though: Meta’s Oculus VR app is the one that was released over Christmas.)
And, several new prototypes were announced at CES that could make VR even more important. Playstation’s VR2 promises “new sensory features” and eye contact, allowing you to rotate your eyes to look left and right before turning your head. Panasonic, on the other hand, is going for the right with its MeganeX headset, which weighs in at about half of Meta’s Oculus Quest 2.
Think of something in the metaverse
A walker tries on the Owo vest at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP and Getty Images)
To address the physical disorientation of spending time in virtual worlds, organizations are building programs that allow you to perceive physical perceptions about what is going on inside. of the metaverse. Spanish startup Owo is looking for $ 450 haptic clothes that are supposed to allow users to feel “the gun, the wind, holding your hand and a hug from a loved one. . ” Shiftall, a subsidiary of Panasonic, is a bodyguard that comforts you with temperature changes via a sensor mounted on the neckline. This growth may be significant, but a new study from the National Research Group found that most consumers responded to a metaverse image that could be “similar to physical relationships. “
NFT report
One of the biggest questions the public asked about NFTs last year was “how do you look at them?” Yes, Samsung thinks it has the answer: its new TVs will be equipped with NFTs, so you can watch your Bored Apes and watch NFT markets on a large screen. It’s not very high on the list of what the world needs, but I’m choosing the new value NFT whales to buy them.
Hyundai goes everywhere
Fewer companies showed more interest at CES for developments related to the metaverse than Hyundai Motor Company, which used a wide range of advice to speculate on major metaversian concepts. (I want someone to explain to me what metamobility is.) The company also announced a partnership with Unity to build digital twin businesses; I wrote about this event in an earlier post.
Education in the metaverse
There were several panels recorded in the metaverse at CES, including “Learning in a Virtual World.” The board may lack publicity, but it provides a solid account of the progress that has been made in the public domain. Stavros, founder of MakeSea, was one of the panelists; he was excited about MakeSea starting to use K-12 education among schools. “One kid is doing looking at the drone, someone is looking at the muscles and MRI scans. We have a student who is focusing on design and modeling, and a kid who is working. a robotics project, ”he said. “They’re learning how to use this technology as a global communication tool.”
Sign up Into the Metaverse for a weekly guide to the future of the Web.
Join TIMEPieces at Twitter and Discord
Must Read Stories from TIME