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Meta Connect — the annual two-day bash held by Facebook's parent company where it unveils the latest innovations from its Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) gadgets — is right around the corner.
And whispers from inside Meta suggest there are several exciting announcements coming from CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Previous called Oculus Connect, the event could see new innovations unveiled around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Metaverse — the concept that pushed Facebook to rebrand its entire company back in 2021.
The event will kick off with a keynote on September 17 during the following regional times:
- 1am BST (September 18)
- 5pm PST
- 8pm EST
You have three options to watch the live event: the official Meta Connect website, Meta's YouTube channel, or the Facebook Meta for Developers page.
For an even more immersive and unique experience, Mera is also offering the ability to join a virtual watch party through Meta Horizon. Meta's virtual online reality game is an app that enables users to connect, socialise, play games, and explore virtual environments as avatars on devices like Meta Quest headsets, mobile, and the web.
You can also access the game through the Meta Quest headset, which is the company's virtual and mixed reality device that offers immersive experiences like gaming, social interaction, fitness, and productivity within a digital environment, blending virtual elements within your physical space.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg may announce new smart glasses with the first-ever digital display at this year's Meta Connect
| REUTERSSeveral rumours are swirling about what you can expect at this year's conference.
For starters, Meta's new smart glasses have been on the top of several minds. After prior collaborations with Ray-Ban and Orion, reports have suggested that Meta will unveil display-enabled eyewear for the first time.
Codenamed Hypernova, this will be Meta's third generation of camera-equipped glasses.
The new model will reportedly feature a digital colour display in the right lens of the device — a first for Meta's lineup of glasses. The display is rumoured to showcase notifications, maps, and photos, removing the need to pull your smartphone out of your pocket.
Sources have also confirmed that a new wristband could be revealed, which will reportedly allow you to control the glasses with hand gestures. This could give you even more capabilities with the glasses and even more streamlined use.
The current Ray-Ban glasses let you take photographs and video from a first-person perspective with a hands-free voice command | META PRESS OFFICE Many expect that the company will also update its existing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The new version may give you longer battery life, high-resolution cameras up to 3K, and better voice controls. Over 2 million units have already been sold from the current collection, illustrating a pretty large demand for the wearables.
"We thought that Ray-Ban Meta was probably going to sell three or five times more than the first version did. And we just dramatically underestimated it," said Mark Zuckerberg, co-creator of Facebook.
It's been rumoured that a new software development toolkit for the smart glasses will also be unveiled. While current Ray-Ban Meta glasses are limited in their development capabilities, the new toolkit is expected to support actual apps for the first time and is designed to integrate with the upcoming models.
No applications have been confirmed yet, but whispers suggest that they involve specialised industry tools, spanning across productivity, education, and communication.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
You can access Meta Horizons by either downloading the app or using Meta's Quest headset
|GETTY IMAGES
Meta Horizons is also set for a makeover. In fact, Meta has already started releasing tools to give creators even more abilities in the virtual world. These include:
- Customisation of personalities, voices, and behaviours to your avatars
- New conversational AI to select virtual interactions
- Unique AI environments can now be created through generative prompts
Stay tuned to GB News Tech as we keep you up to date with the latest Meta announcements and reactions to their upcoming announcements and releases.