 BBC News investigated several virtual reality apps and found that kids can easily access virtual strip clubs. NSPCC has warned that metaverse apps can be "dangerous by design," and some of these apps lack any age verification. More: - A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl in Meta's VRChat found that it was easy for underage users to be exposed to various scenarios such as racist insults, rape, sexual material, and grooming.
- The VR app has many "worlds" that you can enter. Some come with restaurants such as McDonald's where you can hang out with friends, while other worlds have pole dancing and strip clubs.
- There were cases in which avatars were simulating sex. The researcher was shown sex toys and condoms and was approached by several adult men.
- Andy Burrows, head of online child safety policy, said there is a "toxic combination of risk" to kids in the metaverse.
- Meta's Horizon and Venues have over 300,000 monthly active users, and the Meta Quest headsets have around 75% market share.
- To enter the metaverse, the only requirement is that the user has a Facebook account. Facebook users must be at least 13 years old (older in some countries), but age verification consists of trusting users not to lie about their birthdays.
- Meta explained that the app has tools that enable users to block others and is currently working on safety improvements "as it learns how people interact in these spaces."
Zoom out: - Children's gaming platform Roblox also exposes children to online risks, as children between the ages of 9 and 12 play this game in the U.S alone.
- The gaming platform also exposes children to sexual content — in one case, a man was walking around naked wearing just a dog collar, two strippers were dancing, and another man was wearing a Nazi uniform.
- Roblox is a successful business model that allows users to create their own gaming experiences using the developer tools, but it also comes with challenges.
- Users have created sex games called "condos," which are areas where users can talk about sex and their avatars try to have virtual sex.
BBC News 
| |
 Youth-oriented clothing retailer Forever 21 is open within Roblox, as the company commissioned "metaverse creation" agency Virtual Brand Group to design and build the store for the virtual world. The store launched in late December and already has more than 200,000 users visiting the shop. More: - Virtual Brand Group helps brands enter the metaverse by building businesses, designing clothing, forming marketing strategies, and collaborating with influencers.
- J.P. Morgan calls the metaverse a trillion-dollar revenue opportunity and released a report that said: "Instead of having stores in every city, a major retailer might build a global hub in the metaverse that is able to serve millions of customers."
- Other brands like Nike, Gucci, and Chipotle have all rushed to create their own versions of digital stores, which are expected to boost real-world profits.
- Chipotle launched a virtual restaurant that gave the first 30,000 visitors a voucher for a real burrito at a real location.
- The metaverse offers brands and retailers an opportunity to scale their business and outreach to millions of people.
- The famous black beanie hat by Forever 21 is being sold in the Roblox store for 61 "Robux," the in-game currency, which works out to be $0.75 in the real world.
- Virtual Brand Group CEO Justin Hochberg explains that there are multiple benefits to the metaverse strategy for retailers and said: "There are no marginal costs. If I sell one or a billion, it's the same. There are no returns. There are no defects. There's no shipping. There are no global supply chain problems."
FT
| |
 A message from CONTRAST SECURITY Gartner Survey: Enabling Cloud-Native DevSecOps Are you looking to secure your Cloud-Native applications? Find answers to questions like: - What do Gartner clients think is the biggest challenge for implementing DevSecOps?
- Who is responsible for it and who owns the budget?
- What are the most frequently used tools for securing Cloud-Native Applications and which changes drive the most results?
Get critical insight into the blueprint for DevSecOps and securing your applications in the 2021 Cloud-Native DevSecOps Survey Analysis from Gartner. Download Report
| |
 Reese Witherspoon has entered the world of the metaverse and NFTs by partnering with NFT collective World of Women (WoW). The project will feature films and TV series based on a collection of NFTs. But some of her fans are not thrilled by the idea. More: - On Tuesday, the actress shared a video on her Instagram showcasing an avatar of herself and a French bulldog to enter a virtual art gallery with NFT artwork.
- Witherspoon said, "This is not a drill ... Minne is in the Metaverse!" Eva Longoria soon commented by saying, "Omg I love it!!"
- Some of her fans expressed extreme disappointment by saying, "Reese, this is incredibly disappointing to see you get involved in."
- WoW launched last year with a collection of artwork consisting of 10,000 pieces from women artists. It aims to incorporate the work of WoW artists into scripted and unscripted TV series.
- Witherspoon adds: "While the crypto and NFT space is largely dominated by men, there are inspiring leaders like World of Women creating incredible communities for women during this massive shift for media and technology."
ETA Canada
| |
 Cordell Broadus, a crypto entrepreneur, talks about how he got his dad, Snoop Dogg, hooked on the crypto and metaverse business. More: - Broadus was introduced to crypto by rapper Nipsey Hussle when he talked about how much he was making every month. The rapper advised Broadus to get involved with crypto and real estate.
- In 2018, Broadus started taking the cryptocurrency and NFT space more seriously and started a team. The focus of his venture is NFTs, crypto, and building the Snoop brand in the metaverse.
- He introduced his dad to Crypto.com and NFTs, and after one such project resulted in a seven-figure return, that's when Snoop Dogg (real name: Calvin Broadus) began to realize that the NFT hype is real and that there is potential in the ecosystem.
- When asked what type of projects Broadus is working on, he mentioned a series of NFT projects and said, "My dad is actually my client. So it's so amazing to work with him. And he actually gets to follow my lead for once."
Yahoo
| |
 A message from AXONIUS Controlling Complexity: a video featuring Amy Bream. Presented by Axonius. Watch it now Complexity is inevitable. Just ask adaptive athlete Amy Bream. She was born with one leg, but didn’t let that stop her from growing up to become a kickboxer. In 2021, she competed in the CrossFit Games, coming in second place worldwide. The key to her success? Controlling what she can. The message of control and complexity is a universal truth that applies to all areas in life. One of these areas is asset management. And that’s where Axonius comes in. Axonius correlates asset data from existing solutions to do three things: - Provide an always up-to-date asset inventory
- Uncover policy gaps
- Automate response actions
IT and security teams trust Axonius to understand what assets they have, so they can ensure devices, cloud instances, users, and SaaS applications are managed and secured. Learn more about Axonius and gain the confidence to control complexity. Watch Now
| |
 Minecraft worlds' NFTs are being sold for tens of thousands of dollars. The fastest way into the metaverse is through gaming and Web3 projects, and some developers have found a quick way to make the metaverse a reality: the answer is Minecraft. More: - According to a whitepaper, each NFT contains a code that generates a world in Minecraft. Once a user buys an NFT, the owner can take the token contract and input that code into Minecraft.
- Every user needs to buy the game, which costs $27, and players can create their metaverses by hosting their own servers.
- The project has verified builders available to help NFT holders develop their own metaverse experiences.
- The cost of becoming verified is $45,000 to prove their commitment to the project.
- By introducing NFTs on the platform, users can generate revenue by selling tokens.
Vice
| |
 The metaverse and the simulation argument, which was proposed by Oxford University Professor Nick Bostrom in 2003, have many similarities. In its most basic form, the argument states that we are already living in the metaverse or a simulation. More: - For the argument, there are mutually exclusive possibilities:
- No civilization has reached the point of being able to create these simulations or ever will.
- At least one civilization has reached this point of creating a simulation that now represents our "reality."
- If the first point is true, then we have never reached a point of creating simulation and it just is not possible to do so.
- If the second point is true, then there is a possibility that advanced civilizations have already achieved the simulation successfully, and we are living inside of it.
- Elon Musk notably said, "the chance that we are in base reality is one in a billion," a reality that is similar to the matrix.
Scientific America
| |
QUICK HITS - This startup has upended commercial real estate investing by taking buildings public via IPO.*
- Sony's new VR headsets have been revealed, and here is your first look.
- Apple's new VR/AR headsets are rumored to be launched within one year.
- Here are the three virtual reality stocks to keep on your radar this year.
- If you have played VR games, you might have noticed that the avatars do not have legs, and here is why.
- Here is how to build an open and safe VR environment for all.
- Loop TV provides fully licensed TV content for businesses. Ditch cable and satellite. Switch to Loop TV for free. Sign up today.*
*This is sponsored content.
| |
UPCOMING EVENTS - February 23 - Need to Know NoCoder: Derya Sousa (Kianda Technologies) (Register Here)
- February 24 - Alternative Investments (Register Here)
- February 24 - Conversational AI in eCommerce with Flipkart (Register Here) *
- February 28 - Inside Investment DAOs with Global Coin Research (Register Here)
- March 01 - Venturing in VC with Mike Vernal (Sequoia) (Register Here)
- March 02 - March 03 - Actionable tips for your ecommerce. Join 50+ inspiring DTC leaders (feat. TV personality Marcus Lemonis, The Profit) (Register Here) *
- March 10 - NoCode's Impact on the Gig Economy (Register Here)
- March 23 - Need to Know NoCoder: Nichole Bestman (Bubble) (Register Here)
- March 31 - How To Build In Web 3.0 (Register Here)
- April 06 - Entertainment in the Metaverse (Register Here)
- April 07 - Blockchain and the Law (Register Here)
- April 14 - Shopping In The Metaverse (Register Here)
- April 28 - Alternative Investments 2: Crypto Safety Standards (Register Here)
*This is a sponsored listing.
| |
 |  | Gia Mattu is based in Calgary, Alberta. She is an entrepreneur with experience in climate technology, drones, AI, machine learning, and blockchain technology. When she's not working, she loves to hike the Canadian Rockies, try new cuisine, and travel. | | | | Editor | Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 Ford. | |
| |
| |
Comments
Post a Comment