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| Hey Insiders! 🗞️ Today's Metaverse issue features Meta launching a beta test for Horizon Worlds on mobile devices, a dive into the Roblox games global DAU, Japan exploring military metaverse, 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
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| 1 | | Meta has launched a beta test for Horizon Worlds on mobile devices, aiming to expand its VR social environment. The mobile version functions like gaming apps, allowing users to control avatars and interact with VR players. More: - Horizon Worlds on mobile is designed to engage a broader audience in Meta's advanced digital environment.
- The mobile platform is expected to serve as a foundational space for Meta's next-level social interaction initiatives.
- Meta aims for users to engage via avatars in various activities, promoting the broader metaverse experience.
- The Horizon Worlds mobile experience could be vital in transitioning users to more immersive VR environments.
- The launch is timely, coinciding with the upcoming release of Meta's next-level Quest 3 VR headset.
- Meta believes the next generation will be keen to expand into the Horizon Worlds mobile experience.
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What the numbers say: By the second quarter of 2023, Roblox Corporation reported more than 65.5 million daily active users globally, marking a small dip from the prior quarter. The company has seen substantial growth in its user base since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Although it has successfully maintained and expanded its new audience, the pace of user growth for Roblox has been decelerating since 2022. Relevance: Roblox recently announced plans to allow users to sell complete avatar bodies and individual heads. This new category of user-generated content (UGC) could enable more individuals to establish businesses within Roblox, potentially deterring them from contributing to rival metaverse platforms such as Meta's Horizon Worlds and Epic Games' Fortnite. | | | |
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| 3 | | Japan is exploring the development of a military metaverse as part of its Defense Technology Guidelines 2023, aiming to deceive opponents through virtual environments. The initiative involves 200 selected companies and focuses on 12 key priorities, including "visualization of invisible things" and making "virtual/imaginary information as real things." More: - Japan's fiscal 2023 defense budget is 6.8T yen (approximately $46.6B), with 3.3% allocated for R&D in advanced technology.
- The Defense Technology Guidelines 2023 were released in June and identified 12 key priorities for technological adaptation in modern warfare.
- Potential applications of a military metaverse include advanced troop training, immersive recruitment techniques, and enhancing interoperability within defense circles.
- The concept of a military metaverse aligns with a weaponized narrative, exploiting confusion and social divisions to undermine enemies.
- China's People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) is driving Japan to match or outmatch its rising digital capabilities to maintain regional equilibrium.
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| 4 | | Africarare aims to attract a billion users to its African metaverse platform, Ubuntuland, turning the internet into a three-dimensional mixed reality space. Major companies like MTN and Nedbank have already invested, purchasing digital land valued at 0.1499 Ethereum per plot. More: - Ubuntuland is designed for users to connect, socialize, trade, and be entertained in 3D VR.
- MTN and Nedbank have bought 144 plots in Ubuntuland, each valued at around R4,500 or 0.1499 Ethereum on the Opensea NFT marketplace.
- The platform currently receives 1,500 to 2,000 page views per day.
- A marketplace was recently launched on Ubuntuland to trade digital and physical products via NFTs.
- The platform is introducing AI tools, including an "all-knowing being" to answer questions and virtual shop assistants in retail outlets.
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According to a May 2022 report by Analysis Group, commissioned by Meta, the metaverse is expected to contribute an extra $40B to sub-Saharan Africa's GDP within the next 10 years despite its current limited presence in the region. | | | |
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| 5 | | Altis Labs, a Canadian computational imaging company, is spearheading an international project involving pharmaceutical giants AstraZeneca and Bayer to advance the use of "digital twins" in clinical trials. The initiative aims to leverage Altis' AI-supported Nota imaging platform for managing and analyzing clinical trial data, thereby accelerating the trial process. More: - Altis Labs specializes in AI-supported computational imaging designed to speed up clinical trials.
- The Nota imaging platform uses prognostic AI models to manage and analyze imaging data from both past and ongoing clinical trials.
- AstraZeneca and Bayer will gain early access to AI twin models generated by the Nota platform for use in four of their clinical trials.
- Other partners in the project include Canadian health systems Trillium Health Partners and the University of Calgary.
- Altis Labs secured $6M in seed funding in June, specifically for expanding the Nota platform.
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| 6 | | According to a study by Cornell and Brown University researchers, smart glasses create a significant power imbalance between wearers and non-wearers. The study found that while AR glasses made wearers less anxious, non-wearers felt disempowered and anxious due to the lack of transparency in interactions. More: - The study involved five pairs of individuals discussing a desert survival activity while one wore AR glasses equipped with a video camera and five custom filters.
- Wearers reported that the AR filters reduced their anxiety and made them feel at ease during the exercise.
- Non-wearers felt disempowered and anxious, as they couldn't see what was happening on the other side of the lenses.
- The lack of direct eye contact due to the darkened lenses of the AR glasses degraded the quality of social interactions.
- To improve the experience for both parties, the study suggests adding a projection display and a recording indicator light to smart glasses.
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| 7 | | QUICK HITS *This is a sponsored post. | | | |
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Term of the Day Core Consumer Price Index (CPI): Core CPI measures the change in price of all items — less food and energy — for urban consumers. Question of the Week Do you share details about your salary with your coworkers? Join the conversation |
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