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 ]

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

Facebook Will Pay Publishers to Livestream Video in New Hub

Facebook has created a video hub that will roll out in the coming weeks for its flagship mobile app. According to a TechCrunch story, a button for the hub will receive prominent placement in the Facebook app and often highlight live video—though it will offer recorded clips as well. ... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Getty Foundation to issue $8.5 million in grants for Latino and Latin American-themed shows across SoCal

A show about the boundary-pushing art of radical Latin American women and another devoted to the science fiction of the Americas are just two of 43 exhibitions and events receiving $8.5 million in grants from the Getty Foundation as part of Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles/Latin America,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Mark Zuckerberg: Soon, The Majority Of Content We Consume Will Be Video

During a keynote at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress, Zuckerberg also pledged his support for Apple in its battle with the government.As expected, Mark Zuckerberg was quick to support Apple in its ongoing standoff with the FBI during his keynote address Monday at the Mobile World Congress in... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2016-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

The Federal Government Must Have Serious Apple Envy

Nothing pains me quite as much as having to admit I might have been wrong about something. But news breaking last week may force me to reconsider my opinion of Dave Eggers' 2013 novel "The Circle."I don't think the book has gotten any better. The main character is still annoying and, worse, a... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

The Story Of Mark Zuckerberg's TheFacebook.com, As Told By The Harvard Crimson In 2004

Profiling an Internet phenomenon and its quirky creator, a few months into its existence.Facebook turned 12 today. It's been part of everyday life for long enough that an infinite number of articles have been published about its phenomenal success and the vision of its inventor and CEO, Mark... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2016-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

January 2016: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review

The January 2016 selection of reviews from BlueInk Review includes a science fiction novel set in space and a children's picture book about families. The post January 2016: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Gollancz signs War of the Worlds sequel

Gollancz is set to publish a sequel to H G Wells’ science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, written by Stephen Baxter. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

MediaGuardian 100: why 1 billion users put Facebook back on top

The 15th edition of the media power list finds change in the air, with digital challengers elbowing aside older moguls – but a long way to go on diversity• Women on the rise, but much still to do on diversity• Your interactive guide to the MediaGuardian 100 Back in 2001, when this list was first... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

On the “Virtual Unreality” of Publishing in Spain

Manuel Gil challenges assertions that Spain's book industry is diverse and competitive, calling them science fiction. The post On the “Virtual Unreality” of Publishing in Spain appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook, And "Fast Company": Six Cover Stories (So Far)

Eight years ago, we featured the 22-year-old creator of a site with 19 million users. 1.5 billion members later, the adventure continues.In early 2007, Fast Company senior writer Ellen McGirt got a rush assignment from the magazine's editor, Bob Safian. Both were newcomers to the publication,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Facebook Debuts a New Push-Minded App for Publishers Called Notify

Facebook wants to become a one-stop shop for breaking news while giving media brands more mobile channels to reach viewers. The social media giant today launched Notify, an app curating push notifications from dozens of publishers and other media sources all into one place: your iPhone's lock... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Discovery get experimental with virtual reality

Virtual reality may still be closer to science fiction for most people, but don't tell that to Discovery. The company's new eight-person virtual reality unit has gone deep on the tech with videos that show people what it's like to surf, swim with sharks and survive in the wild. Fusion has also... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Five ‘no awards’ given at Hugos

Cixin Liu has won the best novel prize at this year’s Hugo Awards, although no awards were given in five categories, reflecting recent controversy over how the prizes are given. The annual Hugo Awards are for science fiction and fantasy works and are voted for by anyone who is a member of (i.e.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Adult Fiction Print Units Bouncing Back in 2015

Since ebook sales exploded in 2009–2010, the adult fiction category has seen the steepest drop in print units of all the major book segments as readers migrated to digital formats, particularly in such fiction genres as romance, mystery, and science fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Gollancz partners with Prince Charles cinema

Science fiction and fantasy publisher Gollancz has partnered with London's Prince Charles cinema and mobile video game library the Gamer’s Bus on the second Gollancz Festival. The festival takes place at Waterstones Manchester Deansgate on 16th October and Waterstones Piccadilly in London on... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

For Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, a personal revelation

Like many Facebook users, Mark Zuckerberg turned to the social network to announce that he and his wife were expecting a baby. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

George R R Martin urges fans to vote on Hugo Awards

George RR Martin has urged “every true fan” of science fiction and fantasy to vote for this year’s Hugo Awards to “help protect the integrity of the rocket”. The 2015 Hugo Awards, honouring the best science fiction and fantasy works and achievements of the previous year across a number of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Orbit to host fantasy workshop

Science fiction and fantasy publisher Orbit Books will host an online fantasy-writing workshop this summer. The week-long free workshop, taking place from Monday 27th July to Friday 31st July and led by author Karen Miller, will invite aspiring authors to take part in a “write-along” challenge... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Philip K Dick's only novel for children to be reissued in UK

A boy leaves Earth to rescue a cat in a short novel from ‘the Shakespeare of science fiction’ which has been unavailable in the UK for more than 20 yearsA boy and his family leave Earth on a “gentle” quest to save his cat, Horace – not the kind of manuscript you might expect from the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this