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Meta Launches New Interactive Options for VR Worlds, the Next Steps in the Metaverse Shift

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Meta Launches New Interactive Options for VR Worlds, the Next Steps in the Metaverse Shift

Meta’s taking early steps towards making its VR environments more interactive, with an initial rollout of the ability to invite friends into your Meta Horizon Home environment.

As you can see in this overview, soon, VR users will have a new way to invite their friends to connect in the VR environment, in order to play games, watch video, or simply explore new virtual worlds together.

As explained by Meta:

“For years, Home has existed as a transitory space. Home is the first thing you see when you put on your Meta Quest headset, and a familiar place to return to when you’re done exploring […] With v41, we’re taking a step towards our long-term vision. As part of this update, we’ll begin gradually rolling out the ability to invite friends to your Meta Horizon Home environment and hang out, coordinate your next gaming session, and even launch your group straight into supported multiplayer experiences.”

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There’s limited support for multiplayer interaction in VR apps right now, and as you can see, VR avatars still don’t have legs as yet. But this is another step towards Meta’s ultimate metaverse vision, where VR headsets will become a portal to entirely new, entirely immersive social experiences.

It may not seem like it now, as it’s still early days for VR adoption, but eventually, Meta’s hoping that this will become as common a practice as checking your phone, till you don’t even need your phone any more to interact, and you spend all your mobile screen time in VR environments instead.

That still seems far-fetched. Wearing a VR headset for any length of time can get annoying, while there are also issues with motion sickness and other factors that likely limit the amount of time you want to be engaging in virtual spaces. But again, Meta’s making big bets on VR, and the metaverse, becoming the future of interaction, with Zuck and Co. investing billions into the technology that will power the next phase of digital connectivity.

Experiences like this give us a glimpse of what we can expect, and while it is still early, you can start to see the framework of Meta’s metaverse taking shape, with more interactive tools being built in, more collaboration and creation platforms being released, and more avatar customization options being developed to facilitate personalization and identity within the space.

On that front, Meta’s also working on its new photo-realistic avatars, and developing new ways to create more true to life avatar characters for the VR space.

Late last year, Meta showed off its evolving Codec avatars, which are effectively photo-realistic depictions of your physical self, in digital form.

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Those are impressive, but the problem lies in creating these depictions, as users need to be filmed within a 360 degree camera rig to facilitate creation.

Or at least, they did.

According to a new report from Upload VR, Meta has now developed a new process which will enable users to create similar photo-realistic avatars via their current mobile device.

As per Upload:

“Previously, generating an individual Codec Avatar required a specialized capture rig called MUGSY with 171 high resolution cameras. But Meta’s latest research gets rid of this requirement, generating an avatar with a scan from a smartphone with a front facing depth sensor, such as any iPhone with FaceID. This scanning process takes 3 and a half minutes on average, the researchers claim – though actually generating the avatar (in full detail) then takes six hours on a machine with four high end GPUs. If deployed in a product, this step would likely happen on cloud GPUs, not the user’s device.”

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So, there is still a heavy processing load required – but again, we’re seeing the next steps of VR interaction, which will eventually form another layer of the metaverse shift.

It’ll take time, of course, for all of these elements to coalesce, and for VR take-up to reach the point of critical mass. But Meta’s bet is that younger audiences, who are more accustomed to engaging in virtual spaces like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft, will eventually welcome these new interactive environments, where they can interact via digital avatars within shared worlds.

Ideally, this would all happen at once, and we’d have a fully-formed VR space right now. But each step will take time, with a key shift being the rapid acceleration of VR take-up as VR devices become the central point of engagement for younger users.

One great game or app could be the catalyst on this front, and when that happens, the metaverse shift could happen faster than you’d think.

It’s not there yet, but the building blocks are being shifted into place.

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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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.

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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.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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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.” 

“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.

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“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.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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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.

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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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