https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Te...1&pub_date=20211111190000&seq_num=17&si=44594
Into the Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
Virtual reality on steroids: Attend concerts with friends in other countries
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks to an avatar of himself during a live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference to announce the rebrand of Facebook as Meta. © Facebook/Reuters
LAULY LI, CHENG TING-FANG and YIFAN YU, Nikkei staff writersNovember 11, 2021 13:44 JST
TAIPEI/PALO ALTO, U.S. -- Mark Zuckerburg raised eyebrows when he announced late last month that his social media empire will be rebranded as "Meta."
The name is inspired by a sci-fi concept known as the metaverse -- and the company formerly known as Facebook is betting that it represents the future of the internet.
But what exactly is the metaverse, and why are companies like Google, Tencent and Nvidia so excited about it?
What is the "metaverse" concept and how long has it been around?
The term "metaverse" was coined by Neal Stephensen in his science fiction novel "Snow Crash." It describes a virtual world where humans interact with one another through the use of digital avatars. Movies such as "The Matrix" and "Ready Player One" explore this idea.
Now, real-life tech players believe it is possible to not only create such immersive digital worlds but also to integrate them with our physical reality. Facebook envisions a scenario in which two people virtually attend the same concert despite being miles away from the venue -- and each other. Or, co-workers in different countries could collaborate as if they were in the same room. Think of it as virtual reality on steroids.
Key technologies will include human-computer interface devices such as VR and AR headsets, multidimensional graphics and AI simulations, massive computing power and software and hardware for creating user avatars, to name just a few.
Why are companies so interested in the metaverse?
Tech companies are looking for the next frontier now that the internet, social media and smartphones have become everyday tools.
Facebook, which also makes the Oculus, the world's most popular VR headset, sees the metaverse as "the successor to the mobile internet," Zuckerberg said when the company announced its rebranding. Microsoft, Apple and Google are also pouring resources into virtual and augmented reality tech.
Nvidia, the world's most valuable chip developer, has embraced the metaverse with enthusiasm. To promote its Omniverse platform, the company in April held an entirely digital event; even CEO Jensen Huang was digitally simulated.
"Omniverse is the engine to create and simulate the virtual world ... and it also allows different agents, different people to connect to the virtual world," Huang told a news briefing on Wednesday.
"The metaverse could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but Omniverse, as we described, has immediate applications today," he added, describing how his company is already using it for a range of applications, including creating a digital copy of the real world in which to test self-driving vehicles.
China's tech titans also sense opportunities. Social and video gaming giant Tencent has filed nearly a hundred metaverse-related trademark applications since September, while e-commerce giant Alibaba has registered several related trademarks. A day after Facebook announced its name change, Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, applied to trademark the term "metaapp."
In hardware, Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, intends to be part of the metaverse supply chain.
"The next two big things in the tech industry are electric vehicles and [the] metaverse," Chairman Young Liu said. "Foxconn will definitely have metaverse-related products."
What are the technical challenges?
Giving users an immersive experience will require fast, low-latency transfers of massive amounts of data. That means wireless 5G connectivity will be a must.
Other requirements include high-powered semiconductors to run complex algorithms and devices like VR headsets to enable users to duck into the digital world.
Technical hurdles remain. Current VR headsets are heavy and often have issues with visual resolution, causing feelings of dizziness or nausea after extended use. And advanced computing capabilities such as gesture navigation will significantly eat up battery life.
Content will be crucial to the success of the metaverse, but 3D modeling software --- integral for building an immersive alt-universe -- is still more expensive than what many developers can afford.
What are there skeptics saying?
While companies race to embrace the metaverse, analysts are a bit more cautious. Donnie Teng, a tech analyst with Nomura Securities, told Nikkei Asia that the hype around the metaverse is merely the next stage in the ongoing search for ways to put VR and AR technologies to better use.
"The concept has been around for quite some time, but it's still emerging, and people are still exploring the possibilities, with no clear answer," Teng said. "At the end of the day, it's still whether there is a good enough tech infrastructure and applications out there to really realize this dream of building a fully virtual metaverse."
Are there any other concerns?
Data privacy and cybersecurity.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said in an interview with the Associated Press that the metaverse "will require us to put many, many more sensors in our homes and our workplaces," she said, adding that the company "should have a transparency plan for the metaverse before they start building all this stuff."
Haugen is not the only one urging caution. David Reid, professor of AI and Spatial Computing at Liverpool Hope University, is calling for regulation of the metaverse before the "technology becomes a reality in the next five to 10 years," he said in a statement.
"The metaverse has huge implications -- it comes with fantastic advantages and terrifying dangers," Reid said.
"We're clearly in the very early stages of the metaverse, but we need to start talking about these problems now before we go down a route we can't reverse away from," he added. "It's crucial for the future."
Into the Metaverse: 5 things to know about tech's latest buzzword
Virtual reality on steroids: Attend concerts with friends in other countries
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks to an avatar of himself during a live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference to announce the rebrand of Facebook as Meta. © Facebook/Reuters
LAULY LI, CHENG TING-FANG and YIFAN YU, Nikkei staff writersNovember 11, 2021 13:44 JST
TAIPEI/PALO ALTO, U.S. -- Mark Zuckerburg raised eyebrows when he announced late last month that his social media empire will be rebranded as "Meta."
The name is inspired by a sci-fi concept known as the metaverse -- and the company formerly known as Facebook is betting that it represents the future of the internet.
But what exactly is the metaverse, and why are companies like Google, Tencent and Nvidia so excited about it?
What is the "metaverse" concept and how long has it been around?
The term "metaverse" was coined by Neal Stephensen in his science fiction novel "Snow Crash." It describes a virtual world where humans interact with one another through the use of digital avatars. Movies such as "The Matrix" and "Ready Player One" explore this idea.
Now, real-life tech players believe it is possible to not only create such immersive digital worlds but also to integrate them with our physical reality. Facebook envisions a scenario in which two people virtually attend the same concert despite being miles away from the venue -- and each other. Or, co-workers in different countries could collaborate as if they were in the same room. Think of it as virtual reality on steroids.
Key technologies will include human-computer interface devices such as VR and AR headsets, multidimensional graphics and AI simulations, massive computing power and software and hardware for creating user avatars, to name just a few.
Why are companies so interested in the metaverse?
Tech companies are looking for the next frontier now that the internet, social media and smartphones have become everyday tools.
Facebook, which also makes the Oculus, the world's most popular VR headset, sees the metaverse as "the successor to the mobile internet," Zuckerberg said when the company announced its rebranding. Microsoft, Apple and Google are also pouring resources into virtual and augmented reality tech.
Nvidia, the world's most valuable chip developer, has embraced the metaverse with enthusiasm. To promote its Omniverse platform, the company in April held an entirely digital event; even CEO Jensen Huang was digitally simulated.
"Omniverse is the engine to create and simulate the virtual world ... and it also allows different agents, different people to connect to the virtual world," Huang told a news briefing on Wednesday.
"The metaverse could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but Omniverse, as we described, has immediate applications today," he added, describing how his company is already using it for a range of applications, including creating a digital copy of the real world in which to test self-driving vehicles.
China's tech titans also sense opportunities. Social and video gaming giant Tencent has filed nearly a hundred metaverse-related trademark applications since September, while e-commerce giant Alibaba has registered several related trademarks. A day after Facebook announced its name change, Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, applied to trademark the term "metaapp."
In hardware, Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, intends to be part of the metaverse supply chain.
"The next two big things in the tech industry are electric vehicles and [the] metaverse," Chairman Young Liu said. "Foxconn will definitely have metaverse-related products."
What are the technical challenges?
Giving users an immersive experience will require fast, low-latency transfers of massive amounts of data. That means wireless 5G connectivity will be a must.
Other requirements include high-powered semiconductors to run complex algorithms and devices like VR headsets to enable users to duck into the digital world.
Technical hurdles remain. Current VR headsets are heavy and often have issues with visual resolution, causing feelings of dizziness or nausea after extended use. And advanced computing capabilities such as gesture navigation will significantly eat up battery life.
Content will be crucial to the success of the metaverse, but 3D modeling software --- integral for building an immersive alt-universe -- is still more expensive than what many developers can afford.
What are there skeptics saying?
While companies race to embrace the metaverse, analysts are a bit more cautious. Donnie Teng, a tech analyst with Nomura Securities, told Nikkei Asia that the hype around the metaverse is merely the next stage in the ongoing search for ways to put VR and AR technologies to better use.
"The concept has been around for quite some time, but it's still emerging, and people are still exploring the possibilities, with no clear answer," Teng said. "At the end of the day, it's still whether there is a good enough tech infrastructure and applications out there to really realize this dream of building a fully virtual metaverse."
Are there any other concerns?
Data privacy and cybersecurity.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said in an interview with the Associated Press that the metaverse "will require us to put many, many more sensors in our homes and our workplaces," she said, adding that the company "should have a transparency plan for the metaverse before they start building all this stuff."
Haugen is not the only one urging caution. David Reid, professor of AI and Spatial Computing at Liverpool Hope University, is calling for regulation of the metaverse before the "technology becomes a reality in the next five to 10 years," he said in a statement.
"The metaverse has huge implications -- it comes with fantastic advantages and terrifying dangers," Reid said.
"We're clearly in the very early stages of the metaverse, but we need to start talking about these problems now before we go down a route we can't reverse away from," he added. "It's crucial for the future."
