Facebook is renamed and from now on it is renamed Meta. Meta is the company that now groups the social network Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Oculus. The news took place last Thursday, October 28, when Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, officially confirmed this name change.
The statement was issued during the Facebook Connect, a change that seeks to unify its brand as a metaverse. Zuckerberg showed his new vision of the future of the internet in which he will continue to keep the world connected. This is a transfer very similar to the one Google made in 2015 when it restructured the company’s internal organization. Facebook’s name change will begin to reflect on the stock market from December 1. From that moment on, the brand known with the acronym FB will be listed under the new acronym MVRS. The changes produced will affect only Facebook, so the vast majority of users will not notice any effect.
What is the metaverse?
It is a concept generally used to describe an immersive and multisensory experience in the applied use of various immersive technological developments on the Internet. The truth is that the metaverse has been with us forever but in different ways. Facebook has not invented the metaverse, but it is one of the companies that is betting the most on this new world. As the company believes, the metaverse will be the next evolution in the way we use the internet.
They see that future as a way of instant teleportation using holograms to be anywhere, at any time and in any situation. The metaverse is the new digital universe that will transform users’ online experiences. In Somos Sinapsis we have commented on the subject and most of us it reminds us of the virtual worlds of a long time like Second Life. However, Meta emphasizes that this is not going to be a virtual world but rather a new three-dimensional space. It can be accessed in various ways, such as; augmented reality glasses, virtual reality, telephones and computers.
So is the metaverse the future of the internet? Well, in a way it is. The metaverse goes beyond the typical searches done on Google, chatting with friends or family or sharing content on social networks. Ultimately, its goal is to create a more realistic experience over the internet.
Horizon, the new metaverse of Meta / Facebook
Horizon is the most collaborative platform in virtual reality with creative tools designed to help make the wildest dreams come true. This is one of the first new features of the metaverse, it is implemented as a set of characteristics to establish
- Spaces in which to socialize with friends.
- Creation of specific spaces as worlds.
- Environments, rooms and even work rooms.
Horizon includes; Horizon Home, Horizon Worlds and Horizon Workrooms. These spaces can be personalized and modified to suit the user.
Horizon Home
Horizon Home will be a space where we can invite our friends to chat, watch videos or play together. To feel that place as our home in the metaverse, we can customize it to our liking. Earlier this year the ability to receive text messages on Oculus Quest was enabled. Well, by the end of this year 2021 the voice calls will arrive. We can make or receive audio calls with the VR viewer and from any Messenger-enabled platform. A user who is using the application from a mobile phone or any other device can call whoever is wearing the headset, and vice versa.
Horizon Worlds
Horizon Worlds is the new name for the old Facebook Horizon. It is a virtual reality social network created by Facebook for its Oculus headsets. In Horizon Worlds, developers can create worlds and applications for this social network. Until now, it was possible to program in Unity for these two metaverses, being the most popular engine among programmers for this type of utilities. Facebook has implemented new functions and features to its development engine. Providing tools to create more powerful worlds and introducing requests that developers have made during this time that has been in beta.
Horizon Workrooms
It is a virtual meeting space designed to enhance a team’s ability to collaborate, communicate, and connect remotely. This application has the following features;
- Desktop and keyboard, in mixed reality.
- Hand tracking.
- Calendar
- Virtual whiteboard for taking notes.
- Transmission of the desktop of our computer to a virtual reality screen.
- Integrated video conferencing.
- Spatial audio.
- Latest model Oculus avatars.
- Capacity of up to 16 users in virtual reality and 50 people in the case of video calls.
And you, what do you think about the Meta – verse?