Metaverse

By Andrea Murad and Will Smale Published 17 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing There is a well-known saying when buying property that the three most important things to consider are "location, location, location". Well, it now appears that this mantra also applies in the virtual universe that some are hailing as the future of the internet, the so-called metaverse. Still very much in its infancy, this is the immersive, online space where cartoon-like 3D representations of ourselves, known as avatars, can walk around, and talk and interact with others. You typically access it by wearing a set of virtual reality (VR) goggles connected to your computer. The company formerly known as Facebook is so convinced that the metaverse is the future of the internet that last year it changed its name to Meta. Meta and its boss Mark Zuckerberg think that eventually … [Read more...] about The retailers setting up shop in the metaverse

Guests at Las Vegas hotels will soon be able to order VR porn kits on room service, thanks to a new delivery robot. VR Bangers says it has teamed up with a number of Vegas hotels to offer virtual reality porn as room service. Discreet delivery robots will rock up to hotels and sneakily deliver a 'VR porn box' featuring an Oculus Quest 2 headset pre-loaded with the company's latest adult flicks. READ MORE: £4000 Star Wars cocktail is galaxy's priciest drink - fans say Sprite is better The service costs £41 ($49.99) per day and includes a 'fully sanitised' set of goggles. The company says it currently has a fleet of five VR porn robots deployed across Las Vegas, with many more on the way. The company decided to start using robots after a number of hotels turned down its offer of VR porn headsets. Daniel Abramovich, CEO of VR Bangers, said some hotels "don't want to be associated with porn even though they show 18+ movies on their hotel TV, which is … [Read more...] about Las Vegas hotels to offer ‘first ever’ VR porn delivery robots as part of room service

A dark spot has appeared on the Sun and is growing by the day—but scientists say it's no reason to panic. The Sun spot is directly pointing towards Earth and has more than doubled in size in the space of just 24 hours. This can typically be a sign that the Sun is about to release a burst of intense radiation, known as a coronal mass injection or solar storm. Luckily, space weathermen at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have said there are no major solar flares expected and that "space weather conditions" aren't showing any notable or dangerous activity ahead. READ NEXT: Elon Musk's SpaceX could start building 'military Starships' under new Pentagon plans The sunspot in question, AR3038, is newly formed. Like many other sunspots, it could just die and fade away on the surface of the Sun without the release of any radiation that puts Earth at risk. However, it could also cause a solar storm. These are massive blasts of energy released by the Sun … [Read more...] about Dark spot on Sun might destroy the Internet but boffs say it’s ‘nothing to worry about’

FOOTBALL NOW is a new show that brings to light some of the global game's biggest issues, challenges, and debates. The world of eSports is booming. Over 300 million copies of the FIFA series have been sold since its launch 17 years ago, and there are some suggestions that its virtual popularity of football could exceed the real thing. But what exactly are eSports? It's an industry worth more than a billion euros, and events feature amateurs and professionals globally. The Growing Popularity of eSports The gaming world gained a direct relationship with more traditional sports via the video game industry. Several eSports streaming platforms were created due to demand from people staying at home during the pandemic. Analysts predict that by 2023, 15.5% of US internet users will watch esports at least once a month. Based on its current growth rate, the industry is expected to outperform major sporting events such as the Champions League and Formula 1. Fortnite … [Read more...] about eSports: Could it become more popular than the real thing?

Nissan and Mitsubishi simultaneously unveiled boxy little Kei car electric vehicles (EV) for Japan this week. The five-door Sakura and five-door eK X go on sale this summer in the country measuring just 133.6 inches tall, about two feet shorter than the smallest Mini Cooper. The US automakers don't sell the diminutive Kei cars here due to our current regulations and buying habits, but they make up about 40 percent of the market in Japan. The ultramini category was created in the 1940s with maximum regulations for size, engine capacity and output, so that owners pay less in taxes and insurance. The double release of these vehicles is due to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, founded by former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn . Both the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi eK X come with a 20-kilowatt-hour battery and one electric motor connected to the front wheels making a miniscule 63 horsepower and a respectable 143 pound-feet of torque. Three drive modes for driving include Eco, … [Read more...] about Americans won’t be able to get their hands on new Nissan, Mitsubishi EVs

Chris McKeen/Stuff Auckland-based AI developer Soul Machines addresses ethical issues in digital twin technology Auckland technology company Soul Machines has raised US$70 million (NZ$105m) as demand for digital humans, from “celebrity twins” to artificial customer service reps, continues to grow. The company will use the new funding to expand its research into mimicking human intelligence, and its sales teams. Soul Machines currently employs more than 200 staff and co-founder Greg Cross said that was set to grow by about 50 per cent as it looked to recruit about another 100 to 150 workers. Most of the new hiring would be in Phoenix, Arizona, where Soul Machines has built a second research centre and employs 120 staff. READ MORE: 'It can be used incredibly badly': AI developer Soul Machines will ban politicians from creating digital twins NZ artificial intelligence firm Soul Machines scores $60m from big-name investors 'Fembots' push stereotypes into the … [Read more...] about Soul Machines raises $105m as market for ‘digital humans’ grows

By Jane Wakefield Published 13 June Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Most of us have been told by a friend that we have a doppelganger - some stranger they passed on the street who bore an uncanny resemblance to you. But imagine if you could create your very own twin, an exact copy of yourself, but one that lived a purely digital life? We are living in an age where everything that exists in the real world is being replicated digitally - our cities, our cars, our homes, and even ourselves. And just like the hugely-hyped metaverse - plans for a virtual, digital world where an avatar of yourself would walk around - digital twins have become a new, talked-about tech trend. A digital twin is an exact replica of something in the physical world, but with a unique mission - to help improve, or in some other way provide feedback to, the real-life version. Initially … [Read more...] about Why you may have a thinking digital twin within a decade

In 2018, while reporting on pandemic preparedness in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I heard many people joking about the fictional 15th article of the country’s constitution: Débrouillez-vous , or “Figure it out yourself.” It was a droll and weary acknowledgment that the government won’t save you, and you must make do with the resources you’ve got. The United States is now firmly in the débrouillez-vous era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the country, almost all government efforts to curtail the coronavirus have evaporated. Mask mandates have been lifted on public transit . Conservative lawmakers have hamstrung what public-health departments can do in emergencies . COVID funding remains stalled in Congress, jeopardizing supplies of tests, treatments, and vaccines . The White House and the CDC have framed COVID as a problem for individuals to act upon—but action is hard when cases and hospitalizations are underestimated, many testing sites have closed , and … [Read more...] about America Is in the ‘Figure It Out Yourself’ Era of the Pandemic

A TIKTOKER has exposed an Apple product on the market as a money pit for consumers. This Apple product can't even be improved with software. "It's probably the worst Apple product you can buy right now," TikToker Kevin Hirschberg declared to his 540,000 followers. Though the Apple Watch Series 3 has an attractive price of just $199 and was originally released to positive reviews , it's a device that's dead on arrival at your doorstep. The Apple Watch Series 3 was released in 2017 and came with big upgrades. It was the first Apple Watch that had a cellular connection, bringing Messages and calls to the Watch without the need for a boost from an iPhone. Read More in Apple SCAM ALERT iPhone warning for ANYONE receiving unwanted texts – turn Apple setting on now VIRTUAL VISION Apple metaverse headset release date 'revealed' by insider as rival to Meta But Apple Watch Series 3 has already peaked. The Series … [Read more...] about I’m a tech expert – an Apple product is a complete waste of money and I can’t believe they sell it

Every technological revolution presents a dilemma: How far can we leap ahead without leaving anyone behind? Today, 15 years after the advent of smartphones and 25 years after the internet became part of the fabric of our lives, this is an open and pressing question. That's because the world is on the cusp of the next great technological shift. We are taking our first steps into the metaverse, an industry that's predicted to be worth trillions of dollars in the coming years and bring tremendous potential to transform the ways many of us work, learn, and interact. But "many of us" does not necessarily mean "all of us." This historic opportunity in virtual reality will naturally flow to people of means—people who have the money and time to buy headsets, who attend schools and come from families with the resources to introduce them to the latest in technology. It is those people who will learn to navigate and program the virtual world, and in time, claim its greatest rewards. We … [Read more...] about If we want children to thrive in the future, it’s time to bring VR to schools | Opinion