Latest news with #MetaConnect
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Meta Oakley glasses leaked: Find out what's known so far ahead of June 20 announcement date
Meta has announced a new partnership with Oakley to develop smart glasses, with a reveal scheduled for June 20. This collaboration is expected to expand upon the success of Meta's popular Ray-Ban smart glasses, with Oakley set to enter the smart eyewear market. In a teaser shared by Meta's CTO, Andrew Bosworth, a promotional video featuring both brands' logos hinted at a major upcoming release. This marks the culmination of a partnership that began in January when reports first suggested that Meta was working with Oakley to create a new version of its smart glasses. Unlike the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which feature a camera but no display, the Oakley smart glasses are expected to have a similar design but with a few key modifications. Leaks by Android Central indicate that the camera will be relocated to the centre of the frame and will feature specific enhancements for cyclists and athletes. Oakley's Sphaera glasses, known for their sporty design, will likely serve as the base model for these new smart specs. The launch is scheduled earlier than expected, surprising many as Meta usually unveils new products at its Meta Connect event in September. However, Oakley's official Instagram confirmed the June 20 date, offering a glimpse of the future of smart eyewear. Despite Meta's leading position in the smart glasses market, the timing of this launch suggests it may be a strategic response to Google's recent announcement of Android XR glasses, set to debut in 2026. With multiple brands collaborating on Android XR glasses, Meta's swift move to launch the Oakley specs could give it a significant advantage in the smart eyewear sector. Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses have been among the company's most successful gadgets, and this partnership with Oakley could further cement its dominance in the market. With its existing market lead, Meta continues to innovate in the wearable tech space, leaving competitors such as Google to catch up.
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First Post
10-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Zuckerberg aims for 'superintelligence' with new AI lab at Meta
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has set up a new artificial intelligence (AI) lab to pursue 'superintelligence', a stage where AI surpasses the capabilities of the human mind. read more Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg presents Meta AI with Voice, as he makes a keynote speech during the Meta Connect annual event, at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US, on September 25, 2024. (Photo: Reuters) With his latest initiative, Mark Zuckerberg has put Meta on the pursuit of 'superintelligence', a stage where AI surpasses the capabilities of the human mind. Meta CEO Zuckerberg is putting together a team of AI scientists and researchers drawn from the likes of OpenAI, Google, and start-up Scale to set up a new AI lab that will work towards developing superintelligence, according to The New York Times. Scale and its founder-CEO, 28-year-old Alexandr Wang, are critical to Zuckerberg's vision. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With a multi-billion dollar investment in Scale, Zuckerberg intends to align the company with Meta in the pursuit of superintelligence just like OpenAI is aligned with Microsoft, DeepMind is with Google, and Anthropic is with Amazon. The news has come at a time when advancements in AI have sparked concerns about ethics and safety. There are concerns that superintelligent AI could no longer remain within human control and pose an existential threat to humanity if its values do not align with that of humans. There are also concerns of the fallout of superintelligent AI acquiring sentience. After initial setback, Zuckerberg wants to outdo rivals After losing out in the AI race to rivals like Google and Microsoft, Zuckerberg has now set his eyes on the race to superintelligence. Zuckerberg has offered up to seven- to nine-figure packages to dozens of researchers from OpenAI and Google to join the new superintelligence team at Meta, according to The Times. While Zuckerberg had set Meta's first dedicated AI lab in 2013, the company lost to Google and others in the race as they partnered with AI-centered start-ups like DeepMind, Antrhphic, and OpenAI, which are now world leaders in AI. While these companies are focussed on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), the stage where AI can do everything that a human mind can, Meta has now raised the goalpost to superintelligence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A table comparing superintelligence and artificial general intelligence (AGI). Bloomberg has reported that Zuckerberg has been frustrated with Meta's AI model, Llama, whose latest edition has underperformed compared to offerings of rival companies. Insiders as well as outside analysts have found the model as having over-promised and under-delivered. In the wake of such a disappointment, Meta has also delayed the release of Behemoth, the largest AI model of the company so far, which it had promised to be better than models of rivals OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
The Star
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Meta's Zuckerberg is hiring for new AI team, Bloomberg News reports
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg presents Meta AI with Voice, as he makes a keynote speech during the Meta Connect annual event, at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S. September 25, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo
The Star
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Meta eyes US$10bil Scale AI investment
Strategic push: Zuckerberg speaking during the annual Meta Connect event in California. The company's push includes an effort to make Llama the industry standard worldwide. — Bloomberg CALIFORNIA: Meta Platforms Inc is in talks to make a multi-billion-dollar investment into artificial intelligence (AI) startup Scale AI, according to sources. The financing could exceed US$10bil in value, some of the people said, making it one of the largest private company funding events of all time. The terms of the deal are not finalised and could still change, according to sources, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. A representative for Scale did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meta declined to comment. Scale AI, whose customers include Microsoft Corp and OpenAI, provides data labelling services to help companies train machine-learning models and has become a key beneficiary of the generative AI boom. The startup was last valued at about US$14bil in 2024, in a funding round that included backing from Meta and Microsoft. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Scale was in talks for a tender offer that would value it at US$25bil. This would be Meta's biggest ever external AI investment and a rare move for the company. The social media giant has before now mostly depended on its in-house research, plus a more open development strategy, to make improvements in its AI technology. Meanwhile, Big Tech peers have invested heavily: Microsoft has put more than US$13bil into OpenAI, while both Inc and Alphabet Inc have put billions into rival Anthropic. Part of those companies' investments have been through credits to use their computing power. Meta doesn't have a cloud business, and it's unclear what format Meta's investment will take. Chief executive officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg has made AI Meta's top priority and said in January that the company would spend as much as US$65bil on related projects this year. The company's push includes an effort to make Llama the industry standard worldwide. Meta's AI chatbot – already available on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – is used by one billion people per month. Scale, co-founded in 2016 by CEO Alexandr Wang, has been growing quickly: The startup generated revenue of US$870mil last year and expects sales to more than double to US$2bil in 2025, Bloomberg had previously reported. Scale plays a key role in making AI data available for companies. Because AI is only as good as the data that goes into it, Scale uses scads of contract workers to tidy up and tag images, text and other data that can then be used for AI training. Scale and Meta share an interest in defence technology. Last week, Meta announced a new partnership with defence contractor Anduril Industries Inc to develop products for the US military, including an AI-powered helmet with virtual and augmented reality features. Meta has also granted approval for US government agencies and defence contractors to use its AI models. The company is already partnering with Scale on a programme called Defence Llama – a version of Meta's Llama large language model intended for military use. Scale has increasingly been working with the US government to develop AI for defence purposes. Earlier this year the startup said it won a contract with the Defence Department to work on AI agent technology. The company called the contract 'a significant milestone in military advancement'. — Bloomberg
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
I tried Meta's Orion hologram glasses to SEE apps in mid-air – they're so good I'm convinced we'll all bin our phones
A FUTURE without phones feels much more real now that I've donned Mark Zuckerberg's latest pair of sci-fi specs. I took a trip to Meta's London HQ to try on the Orion holographic smart glasses – letting you see a virtual world all around you, rather than through a tiny phone screen. 15 The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach goes hands-on (and eyes-on) with Meta's futuristic Orion glasses Credit: Sean Keach 15 The Orion holographic smart glasses let you see apps floating in front of you Credit: Sean Keach 15 It turns the world around you into a giant computer screen Credit: Meta First off: this is NOT a virtual reality headset. You can see the real world through the lenses – with some apps overlaid holographically. You're not looking at a simulation or video feed. Orion looks like regular glasses, but a little thicker. It reminds me of the 3D glasses you're handed at the cinema. We first heard about Orion last year at Meta Connect, when Zuckerberg showed a prototype off on stage. That same day, I sat down with his second-in-command and VR boss Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth who told me the specs might not just replace your phone but TVs and buttons in your home too. Trying them on during a demo in London, this futuristic vision starts to make sense. EYE LIKE IT You spend a bit of time calibrating the eye-tracking (look up, look left, so on). And you strap on a wristband that lets you make subtle hand gesture to control the specs. So if you want to bring up the app menu, you'd just touch your middle finger into your palm facing up. And to click something on screen, you just point your eyeballs at it and click your index finger and thumb together. You don't even have to raise your hand to be in view of cameras. It's the wristband doing the work, so you can leave your hand resting by your side. Neat. Scrolling works by balling your hand up into a fist and then rubbing your thumb against the edge of your finger. Meta's top VR boss predicts AI-powered future with no phones, brain-controlled ovens and virtual TVs that only cost $1 It all feels very natural. These apps float in front of you, and feel very familiar. It's like a computer screen in the air. You've got Instagram and WhatsApp (both owned by Meta, of course), which work well. I did a video call where I saw the other person hovering before my very eyes. I send a text with my voice using the built-in microphones, and browse the web too. You can have multiple apps open at once, so you can text a pal while watching YouTube, for instance. I'm also very impressed by the gaming on the glasses. I played a game of Pong with a Meta staffer. We use our hands to knock a virtual ball between us. She wins comfortably. I am emotionally crushed – but impressed nonetheless. 15 These hi-tech specs were first shown off by billionaire tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg during his Meta Connect event in late 2024 Credit: Meta 15 You control the glasses by performing simple hand gestures Credit: Sean Keach 15 I played a game of Pong that was floating in mid-air – and it was great fun Credit: Meta It won't win any gaming awards mind, but it's a nice demo of the potential of a device like this. The proper VR table tennis games on Meta's virtual reality goggles are far more impressive, so you can imagine something more like that arriving on these specs one day too. A more thrilling game let me control a spaceship to blast alien baddies out of the sky. Moving my head controlled the motion of the spaceship, while eye-tracking let me aim at enemies – firing missiles with finger taps. I could've played it for hours. Sadly my future as a starship pilot is once again locked behind closed doors at Meta HQ. 15 A smart wristband can tell when you're moving your hand – relaying controls to the glasses Credit: Sean Keach NO PHONEY What strikes me during the session is that I've scrolled Instagram, taken a video call, watched a YouTube video, sent a text message, and played a game – all without having to touch my phone. There's a friction with having to drag your phone out. The delay of having to pull it out when you want to navigate somewhere, or take a photo, or quickly search something adds a hundred micro-annoyances to your day. God only knows how people who live in skinny jeans must feel. These specs basically resolve that problem completely. It's hard to imagine much that they couldn't do that only your phone can. Manually typing without voice? Playing a game that relies on touch? The list is thin. 15 The Orion glasses are just a prototype for now – with a real consumer version still four to five years away Credit: Sean Keach 15 The prototype specs are packed with groundbreaking tech Credit: Meta It's also worth noting that the visual quality of the glasses is pretty decent. This isn't crystal-clear in the way that the pricey Apple Vision Pro is, but that's a full-blown headset. But it's easy to read text and watch videos without straining. If you're watching a beautiful movie, you'll still want to stick to a regular TV. In the future though? Upgraded visuals might kill the telly completely. META'S ORION – THE VISION Here's how Meta describes its own gadget... "Orion offers a glimpse into the future of human connection. "At Meta, we continually strive to break down the barriers between the digital world and the real world. "While not available to the public, the breakthroughs from this internal product are rapidly ushering in the next generation of computing and a paradigm shift in how we communicate with one another. "The culmination of effort from thousands of passionate individuals, countless hours of research and development, and extensive challenges overcome – Orion pushes the limits of what it means to connect to each other and to the world around us." Picture Credit: Meta AI AM HUNGRY I also get to use the AI element of the glasses. The specs feature built-in Meta AI, which is a chatbot you can control with your voice. I look at some ingredients on a table, and ask for a recipe out loud. Meta uses the built-in camera and correctly identifies the oats, bananas, cacao, chia seeds plus a few other bits – and tells me how to cook up a posh porridge. 15 The smart band sits snugly around your wrist, monitoring for subtle movements Credit: Sean Keach 15 You can use built-in cameras and Meta AI to ask about the world around you The recipe appears in mid-air, and I can click through to follow along with it. I can even keep it up while I cook. Cleverly, the floating window is placed above the table – and to the right of a lamp. That way, it doesn't block anything important. I'm told this isn't by chance, but a design choice. It's smart. In fact, these floating windows get even smarter, because they have 'persistence'. So if I put up a YouTube video on my kitchen wall, then pop out to the shop and come back, it will still be there in the same spot. Of course there's nothing actually on my wall. But in this virtual layer over the real world, anything goes. All the computing is handled by a small pod (a little smaller than a Beats Pill speaker, or roughly the size of a glasses case). 15 A computing pack needs to stay within range of the glasses for the system to work Credit: Sean Keach 15 It's possible to multi-task with several floating windows open at once Credit: Meta You can move about 30 feet from the pod, so you'll want to keep it on or near you. This helps to keep the weight of the glasses themselves down, and it seems like a fair trade-off. You could imagine one day a phone (or phone-like object) serving this purpose. COMING SOON(-ISH) So when can you get a pair? Well Meta tells me a proper consumer version is about four or five years away. And I can't imagine they'll be cheap. Meta has chucked billions at developing these prototypes, and it will want a decent return. The company has flogged VR headsets for hundreds and even thousands, so the pricing of these specs is anyone's guess. Ultimately, Meta will be hoping to make these glasses better, lighter, slimmer, and price-attractive for people with each version. And once we start reaching version four or five of this product, it's going to be be a serious contender for replacing a smartphone. 15 You can move around freely with the glasses – and they'll remember where you've placed virtual windows Credit: Sean Keach Even in their current state, I can think of many tasks (video calls, quick internet searches, texting, and checking social media) that would be much easier to do on the glasses versus dragging my giant mobile out of pocket. I can't give a proper verdict on Orion because it's not a final product. It doesn't have a release date or a price, and it's still far from being complete. But when I use Orion, I feel very deeply that it makes sense as a gadget. Accessing computers in this way feels a lot more free. Smartphones are limiting because you're capped at one specific screen size and shape. Orion basically turns your entire world into a computer. And if that sounds terrifying, don't worry: you can always just take them off.
