SOCIAL
Meta Announces New, 2,500 Staff Engineering Hub in Toronto, New Grants for Canadian Researchers
Meta has announced a significant new investment in the Canadian tech sector, with a pledge to build a new, 2,500 staff engineering hub in Toronto, as well as the launch of a new, $500k grant program for Canadian researchers to fund new explorations into metaverse-aligned technologies.
First off, on its new engineering hub –as part of an expansion of its existing Canadian Reality Labs and AI Research teams, Meta is building a new, purpose-built engineering lab, focused on next generation development.
As per Meta:
“The majority of roles are engineering-focused and expected to span across building extended reality experiences and Meta technologies. We’re also establishing the first Canadian WhatsApp, Messenger and Remote Presence engineering teams and growing our Canadian Reality Labs and AI Research teams. These new, highly-skilled jobs will offer a blend of in-office and remote work options, creating economic opportunity for Canadian talent in every region of the country.”
The investment follows on from Meta’s recent announcement of a new, 2,000 staff ‘Meta Lab’ in Madrid, where it will explore new ways for Europeans to connect with each other in the next stage of digital connectivity.
In addition to this, Meta’s also launching a new grants program for Canadian researchers, with 17 projects getting $30k each to continue their work.
The projects being funded range from user-adaptive and personalized interactive systems, to AI and ‘hyper-connected virtual-physical objects’, all exploring new, advanced methods of digital connection and interaction, that will be critical for the next stage.
Which is still some way off as yet.
Despite what some trendjumpers and ‘first-movers’ may want to suggest, many elements of the metaverse are still entirely conceptual, and Meta’s taking on a huge amount of staff overhead and investment in the hopes that these bets will eventually pay off.
Which is still not certain. Despite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg being considered a visionary, and the company being one of the largest tech firms in the world, there is still a question as to whether its metaverse vision will come to fruition, and evolve into the all-consuming, immersive, multi-purpose medium that Zuck and Co. want to see.
Adding further context on this aspect, Meta also included this description of the metaverse within its announcement:
“The metaverse is the next evolution in social technologies and the successor to the mobile internet. It will be made up of digital spaces, including immersive 3D experiences, that are all interconnected so you can easily move between them, and has the potential to unlock access to new creative, social and economic opportunities. In the future, you’ll be able to access the metaverse from various devices, including VR headsets and AR glasses.”
How, exactly, all of these technologies end up being interwoven remains to be seen, with interoperability being both a critical element, and key potential fail point of the broader metaverse picture.
Which is why Meta is investing so heavily – so much so that its investment in metaverse-aligned projects is essentially what shrunk its profits in Q4 2021, sending shares in Meta sinking.
These new staffing and infrastructure announcements show that it’s not reverting course, and it’s firmly committed to its metaverse vision – which likely means that Meta investors will be in for more rocky earnings announcements for some time yet.
Canada, meanwhile, is the main beneficiary, with a huge amount of new investment into the emerging Toronto tech scene.
“Canada is poised to have a critical role in building for the next evolution in social technologies, so we plan to help further establish the country as a global leader in this effort.”
It’s interesting to note Meta’s global expansion in this respect, especially in regards to how it’s going about choosing locations, with tax relief – generally the biggest guiding factor for such in the past – now seeming like less of a consideration (though, of course, these investments won’t change its overall income process).
It’ll be interesting to see how these thousands of new staff accelerate Zuckerberg’s grand vision, and whether that does indeed see its full metaverse scenario begin to take shape, sooner rather than later.
You can read more about the projects being funded by Meta’s new grants program here.
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SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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