A lot is happening on Earth right now. The most important among them is the discussion around what happened in Menlo Park, California with Meta Connect 2024 being the cynosure of the world. Zuckerberg (as usual) has made the most-awaited announcements across a slew of product categories. We are presenting you the key takeaways from the Meta Connect 2024, so far. Stay (Meta) connected!
Moreover, than a conference, the Meta Connect 2024 can be seen as a promise to Meta’s AI, VR and AR advancements with new software and hardware arriving. Hence, the event showcased everything from updates to Meta’s Llama AI model to a new fully AR glasses prototype. We’ve compiled everything for you. Let’s dive through.
Meta AI
As we all know, particularly since the past year, Meta has been doing great by integrating AI features into its platforms. Adding more to the Meta magic, here comes celebrity chatbot voices, a list of image generator prompts in your feed and a new AI model dubbed Llama 3.2.
Meta’s Voices
Yes, you read it right. Meta now has not just a voice but a lot of voices to help you get stimulated vocal responses. Ask any question you want or chat with Meta AI through social media platforms like Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. You will now have multiple voice options for the digital voice assistant. These include the AI voices of celebrities like John Cena, Dame Judi Dench, Awkwafina, Kristen Bell, and Keegan-Michael Key. (Un)surprisingly the reveal comes the very next day after OpenAI announced the long-awaited rollout of its Advanced Voice Mode feature.
Meta Llama 3.2
Meta is flexing its new multimodal member ‘version 3.2’. The latest Llama 3.2 11B and 90B can interpret caption images, charts and graphs and pinpoint objects in pictures. It can also render a simple description of the pictures. For instance, Llama 3.2 11B and 90B might be able to look at a map of a park and tell you how long a certain path is. You can even share a photo of a delicious dish to ask your Meta AI friend how to make it. The AI will give you the full recipe. This feature is a checkmate to Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. You’ll realize how better Meta has become in a short period.
Now let’s move on to Meta’s smart glasses that can remember things for you!
Forgot? Meta Got You!
Meta’s new limited edition translucent Ray-Bans are smarter than its predecessor. Guess why? It comes with a new feature like “Reminders”. This feature works in such a way that the glasses will notify you about an object or happening after it has clicked a photo of the same when it caught your attention. The new Ray-Ban also allows you to scan QR codes and call phone number. All you have to do is wear them and look at the code or number directly from the glasses.
The announcements are such that there are only 7500 Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses on sale for $429. All of them are available in the standard size. They come with transition lenses in “an exclusive custom-designed black case.”
Beyond being smart, the Meta Ray-Bans are now adept at translating too. They can translate many languages from still images. As an add-on, the new Ray-Bans can work on a real-time language translation feature. For instance, if you’re binge-watching a Spanish movie with Meta Ray-Bans on, it will play back what you’re hearing in real time via speakers in the glasses. The glasses will get this feature in the coming months with translations between English, Spanish, French and Italian.
Meanwhile, the company is also planning to add the ability for the Ray-Bans’ AI to support real-time video processing. This will empower the glasses to analyze and comprehend what’s around you.
Makeover for Metaverse Avatars
Meta’s metaverse avatars are under repair as per the reports coming from Meta Connect. The new look will be available on October 1st, 2024, on Meta Horizon OS (its VR operating system), as well as Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
The upgraded avatars will give users the freedom to fine-tune eye size, nose shape and body shapes. Leaks are such that by 2025, users will be able to generate an avatar on their own simply by typing in a prompt and describing what they want. Meta is also introducing fantastical avatars if you’d prefer to style yourself as a spooky zombie, or an animal or a monster. You will also be able to unlock themed avatars such as Doja Cat’s 2023 Paris Fashion Week look and Captain America from Captain America: Brave New World by going to experiences in Horizon Worlds.
Meet the Meta Orion
“I’ll be ready, hiding in plain sight…” Remember the ‘eye’conic episode in which Clark Kent gets emotional and says this to Lois Lane. If you have watched it, you might have noticed Welling’s Clark Kent wearing a thick-framed pair of rectangular glasses. Meta’s Orion looks similar to these nerd glasses. Orion, Meta’s first pair of augmented reality glasses is expected to replace smartphones. But considering the cost of production and further complications, the company has now decided not to sell the pair.
Contrary to what expected, Orion’s design is basic. It is like a fancy computer you can wear on your face. But Orion has tried to address the centuries-old unresolved problem of the face computers concerning their hot and heavy displays. Orion comes with custom-designed features like Micro LED projectors inside the frame that beam graphics in front of your eyes via waveguides in the lenses.
The frames are made of magnesium, lighter than aluminum and used for evenly distributing heat. The lenses are made of silicon carbide known for its durability, light weight and ultrahigh index of refraction. This allows light to beam in from the projectors to fill more of your vision. The lenses thus give you higher resolution and offer a wide field of view (70 degrees). The Orion weighs 98 grams which is heavier than any normal pair of glasses. But it is far less than mixed reality headsets like the Meta Quest or Apple’s Vision Pro.
More about Orion
According to Zuckerberg people will use AR glasses like Orion for communicating with each other through holograms and interacting with AI. If the Orion is able to carry digital information overlaid on the real world via holograms, then this pair of glasses can be called “holy grail” device.
Orion borrows the generative AI capabilities from Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The hardware consists of three parts: the glasses; a “neural wristband” and a wireless compute puck. The glasses will become useless if they are separated from the puck by more than 12 feet or more. Seven cameras are carefully embedded in the frames. They are used to anchor virtual objects in real space, allow Meta’s AI assistant to understand what you’re looking at and assist with eye and hand tracking. The battery is a little disappointing lasting only about two hours.
Meta Quest Headsets
Meta Quest acclaimed as the greatest VR headset, is bidding adieu to the Quest 2 and Quest Pro. But come up with the new Quest 3S!
Meta has made it clear that with Quest 3S in the store, they’re officially winding down sales of Quest 2 and Pro. Meta will be selling the remaining headsets through the end of the year or until they’re gone. And the pre-event leaks already hinted at Quest 3S. Quest 3S is less expensive and it sets an alternative to the Quest 3, The 128GB version starts at $299 and 256GB is priced at $399. The entirely wireless headset is compatible with the existing library of Quest apps and games. The 3S is also expected to showcase exceptional mixed-reality features.
Also Read: Meta Quest 3: Your search for the greatest VR headset ends here
