Tag: meta

Meta’s Horizon Worlds social platform is finally coming to mobile and the web

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

Meta is finally bringing Horizon Worlds out of virtual reality. The 3D social platform has previously been exclusive to its VR headsets, but Meta announced on Thursday that Horizon Worlds is starting to roll out on mobile and the web in early access. “To start, a small number of people can now access Super Rumble through the Meta Quest app on Android, with iOS rolling out in the coming weeks,” Meta said. “Early access is also available on any web browser at horizon.meta.com.”

https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/14/23873820/meta-horizon-worlds-mobile-web-vr-early-access-release

In Threads’ dwindling engagement, social media’s flawed hypothesis is laid bare

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

Merely weeks after emerging as the apparent heir to address social media’s woes and generating over 100 million users in less than five days, Threads appears to be, well, fraying at the edges already with a recently reported 80% drop in daily active users since launch. The platform — celebrated early on for its “combination of the ridiculous, the lighthearted, and a little cringe” — has quickly become another example of the expeditious cycle by which innovation in social media operates and burns out users.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/30/in-threads-dwindling-engagement-social-medias-flawed-hypothesis-is-laid-bare/

Threads: Meta to launch web version of flagging Threads app

image via bbc.com
image via bbc.com

Meta is releasing a web version of Threads, as it attempts to revive the social media platform. The rival to X, formerly known as Twitter, enjoyed meteoric growth when it launched in July. However, users then abandoned it just as rapidly, partly due to its limited functionality. Meta says the web version is part of a drive to deliver new features but experts warn more needs to be done to rebuild customer interest.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66574762

Meta is rebooting Horizon Worlds as the VR platform struggles to grow

image via cnbc.com
image via cnbc.com

In an effort to make Horizon Worlds more compelling, Meta now has an in-house studio dubbed Ouro Interactive that’s focused on making first-party virtual reality games, Meta’s Vice President of Metaverse Vishal Shah said in an interview published Friday with the Lowpass technology newsletter. The studio’s first VR game, a shooter called Super Rumble, debuted Friday and reportedly contains better graphics and fidelity than other VR games built on top of Horizon Worlds. The video game will also be one of the first VR video games Meta plans to test when it eventually debuts a mobile version of Horizon Worlds, Shah said. “This is definitely more than just a new world,” Shah said, referring to it as “the next generation of Horizon Worlds.”

https://cnb.cx/3KhByam

Mark Zuckerberg: Threads users down by more than a half

image via bbc.com
image via bbc.com

The Twitter rival rocketed to more than 100 million users within five days of its launch earlier this month. But Mr Zuckerberg has acknowledged those numbers have now tumbled. "If you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We're not there yet," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66336058

Meta gives up on NFTs for Facebook and Instagram

image c/o theverge.com
image c/o theverge.com

Meta is moving on from more crypto projects, even though NFTs / digital collectibles were once pitched as part of its ‘metaverse’ future. “Across the company, we’re looking closely at what we prioritize to increase our focus,” Kasriel said. “We’re winding down digital collectibles (NFTs) for now to focus on other ways to support creators, people, and businesses.”

https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/13/23638572/instagram-nft-meta-facebook-quits-digital-collectibles

Facebook’s latest test brings back in-app messaging

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

Facebook head Tom Alison announced today that the company is testing the ability for users to access their Messenger inbox within the Facebook app. Back in 2016, Facebook removed messaging capabilities from its mobile web application to push people to the Messenger app, in a move that angered many users.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/07/facebooks-latest-test-brings-back-in-app-messaging/