The Guardian view on social media’s metaverse: it may remain science fiction | Editorial

The online virtual reality experience that almost every tech giant today wishes to commercially exploit may not catch onIn the 1992 sci-fi dystopia Snow Crash, the author Neal Stephenson imagined a bleak 21st century where the collapse of the global economy had seen governments fall and their power replaced by a few giant businesses. The book is notable for prescience, anticipating the adoption of what was then seen as outlandish technologies like the wireless internet, cryptocurrencies and smartphones, as well as the rise of the gig economy. But it is the book’s prophetic vision of “the metaverse” that has revived interest in the work.That is because Stephenson described the online virtual reality experience that almost every tech giant today wishes to commercially exploit. Last October, Microsoft announced that users of its Teams online meetings app would be able to turn themselves into avatars – the term Stephenson popularised in Snow Crash – to encourage users into virtual interaction. Days later Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, rebranded his company as Meta, with a focus on the potential for virtual worlds. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-02-07 19:11:48 UTC ]
News tagged with: #global economy #wireless internet #gig economy #microsoft announced #mark zuckerberg #virtual worlds #science fiction

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Guardian view on social media’s metaverse: it may remain science fiction | Editorial'


Total Media lands Random House and Transworld Publishers online accounts

Random House Children's Publishers UK and Transworld Publishers have appointed Total Media to handle their online media planning and buying. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #transworld publishers


Unbound title on 2012 Fiction Uncovered list

A title from crowd-sourcing publisher Unbound has been chosen for Fiction Uncovered’s... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Orange to cease sponsorship of Fiction Prize

Orange will not renew its title sponsorship of The Women's Prize for Fiction after this year... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction prize #title sponsorship


Media Decoder Blog: Foer Returns to New Republic as Editor

Two months after obtaining a majority stake in the magazine, Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, is bringing back Franklin Foer as part of an ambitious plan to remake the magazine. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #majority stake #chris hughes #ambitious plan


AIM Media Texas Announces Acquisition of Texas Newspapers from Freedom Communications

DALLAS, TX, May 18, 2012 – AIM Media Texas, LLC (“AIM” or the “Company”) announced today that it has reached agreement to acquire the Texas print and online newspaper publishing assets from Freedom Co ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #freedom communications #llc ldquo #announced today


Octogenarian wins Indie Foreign Fiction Prize

Octogenarian Israeli author Aharon Appelfeld has won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Phoenix Yard to expand fiction

Phoenix Yard Books, which launched in 2011, is to expand its fiction publishing in 2013 with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #phoenix yard #fiction publishing


Children's Media Foundation seeks £30m funding

Campaigning body the Children's Media Foundation has launched an initiative to attract a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Media Decoder Blog: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Enters Bankruptcy Process

The educational and trade publisher, financially troubled for several years, has agreed with most of its senior lenders and bondholders to a restructuring that would convert existing long-term debt to equity. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #trade publisher #financially troubled


Media Decoder Blog: Amazon Program Offers "Harry Potter" Series to Kindle Owners

Members of the Amazon Prime subscription program will be able to read "Harry Potter'' ebooks for free through the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, a move intended to encourage consumers to buy Kindle devices. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #kindle owners #lending library


Curious Fox signs first fiction titles

Raintree has acquired the first titles for its fledgling fiction list, Curious Fox, from Fiction... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction titles #curious fox


Guardian and Sainsbury's team up in HCB campaign

A campaign for The Power of Three by H L Dennis, the first book in the Secret Breakers series... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The Media Equation: Byliner Takes Bissinger’s E-Book Off Amazon

Byliner.com, a digital publishing company, withdrew the ebook “After Friday Night Lights” by Buzz Bissinger from Amazon because of a pricing dispute involving a promotional giveaway. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media equation #buzz bissinger


Kindle remains Amazon's bestseller in first quarter 2012

  Amazon.com has announced a 19% hike in worldwide media sales, which include books, DVDs... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #include books


Pulitzer Prize for history, but not for fiction

The late Manning Marable won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for history, honored for a Malcolm X book. But no Pulitzer Prize was awarded for fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pulitzer prize


Digital media takes home a Pulitzer

The Huffington Post—and digital media—has won its first Pulitzer Prize. The award went to David Wood, in the category of national reporting, it was announced Monday by Columbia University, which administers the prizes.A longtime print journalist who did stints at Time magazine and the Los... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen greenblatt


Guardian and Hot Keys launch young writers prize

Hot Keys Books has partnered with the Guardian to launch a new young person’s writing prize... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young person #writing prize


The Media Equation: Amazon Low Prices Disguise a High Cost

An antitrust suit may provide short-term price reductions on ebooks, but once the competition is flattened, Amazon is likely to resume its monopolistic ways. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media equation #high cost #antitrust suit


Local Media Association and California Newspaper Publishers Association Form Strategic Partnership

Recognizing that collaboration in the industry has never been more important, the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) has joined forces with the Local Media Association (formerly Suburban Newspapers of America) to offer certain product ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #joined forces


Fairfax Media in talks to buy Business Spectator: Reuters

Fairfax Media is in exclusive talks to acquire the publisher of independent news and opinion website Business Spectator, Reuters says. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #exclusive talks #fairfax media #independent news