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Meta Showcases New VR Building Tools, Which Will Facilitate Customized, Personalized VR Environments

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Meta Showcases New VR Building Tools, Which Will Facilitate Customized, Personalized VR Environments

Meta’s Horizon VR project is, in Mark Zuckerberg’s own words, core to its metaverse vision, offering the capacity to not only engage in wholly immersive digital spaces, but to also create your own, entirely new, interactive 3D environments, customized to your preferences, which could truly be a game-changing shift for VR interactivity.

But that’s no easy task. Creating objects in VR generally requires in-depth knowledge of design and 3D modeling, and there’s no simple way to build your own, custom VR space which you could then invite others to join.

Or at least, there hasn’t been till now. Check out this new demo of Meta’s in-development ‘Builder Bot’ process for Horizon Worlds.

Pretty amazing right? Meta is essentially building a VR construction process that won’t require any coding or design knowledge, or even any manual manipulation via 3D apps and tools. You’ll literally be able to speak things you want to see into existence.

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There are obviously limitations to this. More specific placement and customization likely won’t be possible via simple commands, while it’s also restricted by Meta’s voice-to-object recognition capacity, and the pre-built 3D objects that Meta has available in its system.

But Meta’s also developing on these aspects as well.

On speech recognition, Meta’s new CAIRaoke project will eventually provide more capacity for contextual understanding and translation in speech, which could help it build a more inclusive, comprehensive data set for object matching within its Builder Bot process.

In terms of available objects, Meta’s also developing improved 3D scanning tools, which, thus far, have primarily been focused on expanding its eCommerce listings, by providing virtual displays of items, in their real-world dimensions, to add more context for shoppers.

As this initiative expands, you can imagine how Meta could eventually build a massive corpus of 3D objects, which could then be integrated into this new VR environment.

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Essentially, the system would provide Meta with a double bonus – not only would it expand its available dataset of 3D furniture objects for display with its eCommerce listings and recommendations, but it would also facilitate a never-ending range of product additions for Horizon Worlds, which would then enable truly customized VR spaces.

When Meta talks about the metaverse not being built by any one company, I suspect this is what it’s talking about – through custom, branded worlds, businesses will eventually be able to create their own, fully immersive product and display environments, which will enable all new experiences with their offerings, and all new opportunities for marketing and customer engagement.

Though Meta, in the end, will be the one hosting the party, the one facilitating that connection – so the metaverse, as such, would be owned by Meta, but the experiences built within it will be constructed by many people, businesses and other organizations.

But in this scenario, Meta is the key facilitator, the key platform for next-level connection.

And you can see the appeal, it’s not hard to imagine some amazing new worlds being created within this space.

In some ways, it’s similar to Minecraft’s Partner Program for developers, which has lead to some of the most interesting re-purposes of the game’s mechanics, fueling all-new uses of the app, and launching development careers for many creators. Indeed, last year, Microsoft reported that the Minecraft Marketplace, which is made up of user mods and additions, had generated over $350 million thus far for the company, and with around 50% of that revenue going back to creators, it’s a powerful, valuable ecosystem for the game, and a key reason for its enduring popularity and success.

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It’s also a strong signal for the potential of Meta’s VR building tools. Younger audiences are already well accustomed to building in such environments, and engaging in these new worlds, and it’s this demographic that Meta will be targeting with the next stage of its VR functionalities.

You could further add in its SLAM digital art tools to its VR building process, which enable creators to digitally ‘paint’ interactive works, and NFT content displays, potentially, which are currently being tested in Instagram. Put all of these together and you can see how Meta is evolving towards the next stage of VR connection, and how brands and businesses will eventually be able to build their own worlds within this space, fully aligned to their products and creations, and wholly developed with a view to integrating eCommerce, promotion, interaction and more.

All of this is not possible yet, and many companies seeking to jump on board the metaverse bandwagon right now are largely missing the point. But the next stage is coming, and it’s becoming clearer every day.

And if you think Meta won’t be winning, and won’t be a central player, if not the central player in that process, you too could be missing the broader context.  


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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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