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Mark Zuckerberg originally championed a Web 4.0 version attainable for everyone. The metaverse that you could participate in, involved a Quest 2 headset. Was it uncomfortable? Yes, especially after a few hours. But it was also only $400. On October 11^th, Zuckerberg announces a headset that makes the latest Web 4.0 extensions seem exclusive to professionals and early adopters. Why? The latest headset is bigger and better, but also more than triple the original headsets’ price.

Unlock the power of the platform

Recent metaverse developments were focused on integrating fitness applications and social features. This led to hardware improvements in the handheld devices. Now that Meta’s developed games, social environments and fitness in the metaverse, they’re ready for the next step (Reality Labs, 2022).The next area of focus for Meta, will be bringing Web 4.0 to the workplace. For this, a new and improved virtual reality (VR) headset has been developed. On October 11^th, Zuckerberg launched the Meta Quest Pro. Its price tag reads $1500, making the upgrades of the headset available to a certain type of customer: one who can afford the hefty price tag. Beyond early adopters of Meta’s technologies, Zuckerberg sets out to convince professionals in the field of architecture, engineering and design, that they need the Meta Quest Pro.

Meta Quest Pro

In Meta’s keynote talk, they announced that the next chapter of VR experience will revolve on the work environment. The Meta Quest Pro will make this achievable and is set to be released on October 25^th. With this development, Meta rides the post Covid-19 wave where work is increasingly distributed and companies explore remote options. The headset includes upgraded features that heighten the feeling of presence in the VR workspace. The headset even has sensors to read the user’s facial expressions, which are then applied to their metaverse avatar. The Meta Quest Pro also comes with a unique partnership. Collaborating with metaverse rival Microsoft, features will include Microsoft Teams and Windows 365. Meta identified VRs potential in creative industries. Through VR applications like Gravity Sketch, shoes from Puma and New Balance can be designed. It is even applicable to laboratory work, as Nanome provides companies with VR possibilities of exploring molecules.

The Horizon

The advanced headset tests the boundaries in VR. Dubbed a headset for mixed reality, Meta aims to create a seamless transition from the physical world, to the digital world.  The VR headset integrated augmented reality (AR), since the holographic graphics let you hang a picture frame on your wall to see if you like it, before actually putting it up (Kyletanchua, 2022). Personally, I find it fascinating how Mark Zuckerberg found a way to make Meta relevant again, after perpetual stock price drops.

The company identified trends in the market as a result of Covid-19 and it seems they aim to capitalize on them with their heavy emphasis on presence. I am doubtful about the implementation of Meta Quest Pro in the creative industries as a whole. It appears extremely ambitious, regarding the hefty price tag. I ask myself: How would it work in practice? If you have a team of ten designers, each would require the headset to be optimally included. On the other hand, you could argue that nobody expected the widespread adoption of computers when the ideas originally appeared. What do you think? Will mixed reality be our new normal in 25 years?

References

Bishop, T., 2022, Microsoft goes Meta: Here’s what Nadella and Zuckerberg announced for the new Quest Pro Available at: https://www.geekwire.com/2022/microsoft-goes-meta-heres-what-nadella-and-zuckerberg-announced-for-the-new-quest-pro/ (Accessed 13 October 2022).

kyletanchua, 2022, Meta Debuts Quest Pro Headset Featuring Mixed Reality Capabilities | Tech360.tv Available at: https://www.tech360.tv/meta-quest-pro-headset-mixed-reality (Accessed 13 October 2022).

Reality Labs, Keynote and Developer State of the Union | In the keynote, learn from Mark Zuckerberg, expert developers and creators and discover how a social metaverse is additive to physical experiences… | By Reality Labs | Facebook Available at: https://www.facebook.com/RealityLabs/videos/keynote-and-developer-state-of-the-union/1425118524564060/ (Accessed 13 October 2022).

Stern, J., 2022 Meta Quest Pro: A $1,500 Virtual-Reality Headset for Working in the Metaverse. Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/meta-quest-pro-a-1-500-virtual-reality-headset-for-working-in-the-metaverse-11665507778 (Accessed 13 October 2022).

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Imagine that you’re interested in purchasing a new phone. Usually, the question goes as far as, will my new iPhone work well with the Windows computer that I have owned for over a decade? I think we can all answer that question. Extend this notion to purchasing a car. Would you prefer an operating system powered by Apple or Android? Suddenly, a new phone becomes a big deal, as it may influence your purchasing decision of certain cars.

This imaginative scenario seems to increasingly become a reality. Google’s Android Automotive team started in 2015, introducing an Android operating system for cars. The system is open-sourced and installed on the in-vehicle hardware. It is maintained by Google, which is a viable partnership for car manufacturers. As Google has the in-house resources to take care of software updates and continuous improvements regarding quality. It entered the market in 2020 through a partnership with Polestar, resulting in a wave of cars with Android displays.

Apple is close behind and rumoured to take it a step further with its newest version of Carplay software. The difference with Android Automotive is that it actually integrates components from the vehicle, like speed. It announced partners like Volvo and Porsche, for its launch in 2023. It remains a big step for Apple to license its software like Google has. However, they seem backed into the corner because if they refrain from doing so, Android will have a large chunk of control regarding automobile operating systems, which could make integration with Apple features difficult.

Google’s operating system did not only drive Apple to new extremes through forcing it to license its software. Additionally, it is pushing the traditional car manufacturing industry out of its comfort zone too. Car manufacturers have taken it upon themselves to create in-house operating systems to display in their cars. This rapid development fascinates me as the mobile tech industry innovates yet another way to be an unmissable part of our lives. Do you think this development will disrupt how we purchase cars? Or will it be a feature that is easily overlooked by the consumer? Let me know in the comments!

References:

Android, n.d., What is Android Automotive?  |  Android Open Source Project Available at: https://source.android.com/docs/devices/automotive/start/what_automotive (Accessed 2 October 2022).

Apple, n.d., iOS – CarPlay – Apple Available at: https://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/ (Accessed 2 October 2022).

Mims, C., 2021 Apple and the End of the Car as We Know It. Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-and-the-end-of-the-car-as-we-know-it-11621656010 (Accessed 2 October 2022).

Mims, C., 2022 The Next Big Battle Between Google and Apple Is for the Soul of Your Car. Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-next-big-battle-between-google-and-apple-is-for-the-soul-of-your-car-11664596817 (Accessed 2 October 2022).