| |
| Hey Insiders! 🗞️ Today's issue features research suggesting children are at risk of sexual abuse in VR, a dive into the market value of internet companies, Casio partnering with Polygon Labs, and more. ⏬ Scroll down for some Quick Hits and our Upcoming Events section. 💬 Your thoughts matter to us — don't hesitate to hit reply and share your feedback! If you find this newsletter useful, please share it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you. Vildana
p/vildana-b | |
| 1 | | Over 75% of people believe that children aged 6-12 are at a significant risk of sexual abuse in VR spaces, according to a U.K.-based National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) report. About 80% of respondents also think 13- to 16-year-olds are at major risk in these environments. More: - The report indicates that VR technologies can cause "phantom touch," where the brain simulates physical sensations.
- Richard Collard, Head of Child Safety Online Policy at the NSPCC, emphasized the need for understanding emerging risks in virtual spaces.
- Sex offenders use dark web games that simulate child sexual abuse, allowing them to practice abuse online.
- About 52% of children who have experienced sexual abuse in VR have remained silent.
- NSPCC report also delves into issues of depersonalization and disassociation in VR, stating that victims may experience a heightened risk of disassociation.
Zoom Out: |     | |
| 2 | | 
What the numbers say: As of August 2023, Alphabet led the global internet sector with a market valuation exceeding $1.6T. Amazon followed closely, holding a market cap of $1.373T, followed by Meta Platforms. Relevance: Today, the European Commission identified six major technology companies as "gatekeepers" under its newly enacted Digital Markets Act, aimed at transforming the operational frameworks of large digital platforms. The Commission labeled Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and China's ByteDance as gatekeepers, indicating that the EU believes these platforms limit access to essential services like online search, advertising, and communication. | | | |
| A message from our sponsor, VensureHR. |  | | Power Moves: Game-Changing People Strategies for SMBs Ready to make a change that sets your business up for greater success? Download our NEW eBook, Power Moves: Game-Changing People Strategies for SMBs. This eBook provides strategic approaches for your business including: - Talent management
- Customer experience
- Digital adaptation
- Cybersecurity best practices.
Take your business to the next level with game-changing people strategies focusing on talent management, customer experience, technology solutions, and best cybersecurity practices. Download now | |
|
| 3 | | Sweden's Hexagon is partnering with Nvidia to accelerate industrial digitalization by integrating its platforms with Nvidia Omniverse. This collaboration aims to create AI-enabled, physically accurate digital twins for enterprises, enhancing operational efficiency across various sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure. More: - Hexagon's HxDR reality-capture and Nexus manufacturing platforms will be connected to Nvidia Omniverse, the open platform for industrial metaverse applications.
- The integrated platforms are expected to benefit Hexagon's major ecosystems.
- The collaboration will enable professionals and developers to use advanced capabilities in reality capture, digital twins, AI, simulation, and visualization.
- With millions of factories worldwide, the $46T manufacturing industry stands to gain from this digitalization in tackling complex engineering problems efficiently.
- At the HxGN LIVE Global event, Hexagon and Nvidia showcased how their integrated offering can accelerate digitalization journeys for enterprises.
Zoom Out: - According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the digital twin market is expected to grow to $48.2B by 2026.
| | | |
| 4 | | Casio is partnering with Polygon Labs to introduce its G-Shock watch brand to the blockchain via NFTs. The initiative will allow NFT holders to create virtual G-Shock watches in the metaverse, with a rollout scheduled from Sept. 23-29, 2021. More: - Through this partnership, Casio aims to build a "co-creator community" in the metaverse.
- The company is releasing 15,000 free-to-mint G-Shock Creator Pass NFTs to launch its Web3 campaign.
- Holders of these NFTs will gain access to a newly created Discord channel for co-creation competitions.
- Casio IDs will be required for the initial rollout of NFTs from Sept. 23-26, followed by a public rollout from Sept. 26-29.
- The G-Shock brand has shipped over 100 million units since its inception in 1983.
Zoom Out: - Polygon, the layer-2 Ethereum scaling solution, has been gaining traction, with over $7.7B in total value locked as of September 2021.
| | | |
| A message from our sponsor, Thoropass. |  | | Looking to Unlock Business Growth? This is Your Sign to Pursue ISO 27001. Does your organization operate outside of the US? Do you transmit, store, or receive sensitive information? If you answered yes to both, ISO 27001 is for you. Download the guide now to learn more about: What ISO 27001 is and how it can help you - The certification process
- The requirements, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance
- How to stay compliant
Additionally, there’s some bonus content for the experts, including ISO 27001 challenges and tips. See how ISO 27001 can help you maintain and achieve information security—and avoid falling behind your competitors. Get The Guide 
| |
|
| 5 | | Florida-based OptimaEd is pioneering virtual education by enrolling 170 students in its Optima Academy Online, which uses Meta Quest 2 headsets for immersive learning experiences. The academy aims to revolutionize traditional education methods and has plans to expand its services to Arizona and parts of Michigan. More: - OptimaEd is led by Erika Donalds, a conservative education activist and wife of Republican Congressman Byron Donalds.
- The academy offers a blend of VR sessions and online classes, targeting students from third to eighth grade.
- Students use Meta Quest 2 headsets for 30 to 40-minute sessions up to five times daily, focusing on "classical" education methods.
- Optima Academy has developed around 250 custom virtual environments and also sells access to these to other independent schools.
- However, research indicates that prolonged use of VR headsets can cause "simulator sickness" and "reality blurring."
Zoom Out: | | | |
| 6 | | L'Oréal has partnered with Ubitus KK to launch a month-long Perfect Skin Expo in Taiwan utilizing Ubitus' XR technologies. The expo aims to enhance customer experiences and will feature products from L'Oréal's Dermatological Beauty Division and other brands like La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, VICHY, and SkinCeuticals. More: - The Perfect Skin Expo will redirect shoppers to Taiwan's momo and Shopee eCommerce platforms for purchasing L'Oréal products.
- Ubitus provides cloud gaming solutions, ray tracing, and low-latency performance to optimize the user experience in the metaverse.
- L'Oréal previously collaborated with Meta Platforms and AR firm Modiface in September 2021 to offer an AR makeup filter on Instagram.
- Brands like Urban Decay, Maybelline New York, NYX Professional Makeup, and Lancôme have also been part of L'Oréal's AR initiatives.
- In November last year, L'Oréal and Maybelline New York partnered with Ready Player Me for an immersive makeup and hair styling experience.
Zoom Out: - The U.S. beauty and personal care market was valued at ~$93.5B in 2021, highlighting the potential for XR technologies in this sector.
| | | |
| 7 | | QUICK HITS: - Launch your MVP with AWS. The Build Accelerator offers access to on-demand content, technical support, and $2K in AWS Activate credits. Apply today!*
- The potential of AI and the rising generation of digital natives brings virtual socializing into the mainstream and enriches human connections in the metaverse.
- EA SPORTS revealed that their forthcoming WRC game, developed by Codemasters as the first official World Rally Championship title, will eventually include VR support despite initially launching as a PC exclusive.
- U.K.-based Envisics secures $100M in Series C funding for its automotive holographic technology.
- Instacart, ARM, and Klaviyo just filed for an IPO. Get access to the Top 25 pre-IPO deals like Stripe, OpenAI Databricks, and Anduril.*
*This is a sponsored post. | | | |
| Upcoming Events | | OCT
10 | | Optimizely is bringing back its annual conference, Opticon, to San Diego! Inside readers get a discount by using the code InsideDeal.* | | | | | | | OCT
16 | | Meet Our Fund 5, Building and Investing in AI | | | | | | * This is a sponsored event | | | |
Term of the Day Cost of goods sold (COGS): COGS refers to the direct costs of producing or acquiring the goods that a company sells to its customers. Question of the Week Do you share details about your salary with your coworkers? Join the conversation |
INSIDE METAVERSE LEADERBOARD (ALL-TIME) |
| |
| |
 | Your Business, Your Way! Partner with VensureHR. | |
|
 | Thoropass is the only closed-loop compliance and frictionless audit solution that offers in-house auditors at every stage. | |
|
| |
Comments
Post a Comment