Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has reportedly halted the development of their smartwatch and has also decided to limit the release of their AR headset to developers. The two decisions are part of the company’s larger move to scale back their investments in their Reality Labs hardware and AR/VR division.
Continue reading “Meta halts development of smartwatch and commercial release of AR glasses”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a couple of creator-focused updates to Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels. Creators on these platforms now have access to new editing tools, the ability to create and schedule Reels on desktop, and more.
Continue reading “Meta introduces new editing tools for Facebook and Instagram Reels”
Facebook Messenger has begun rolling out an update to its iOS and Android apps that will add a new ‘Calls’ tab to the home screen. The move comes as the company has observed a 40% increase in daily callers now when compared to pre-COVID times.
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Meta has released updated 3D avatars for Facebook and Messenger in India. The new avatars are much more expressive, flexible, and varied. Meta is adding new facial shapes and devices to help people with disabilities so that they can better represent the untold millions of unique people on the planet. Continue reading “Meta rolls out 3D avatars for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger in India”
Collectors and creators of non-fungible tokens, also known as “NFTs” will soon be able to show off their creations on Instagram. “Similar functionality” is coming to Facebook, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who confirmed this in a press statement. Continue reading “Instagram to begin testing NFTs starting this week”
Meta has begun testing a number of new tools that will allow developers to experiment with various methods to monetize Horizon World, a social VR platform in the meta-universe. As part of it, the metaverse now allows creators to sell virtual items, and the Horizon Worlds Creator Bonus program is used to fund them. Continue reading “Meta to let creators sell virtual items in Horizon Worlds”
Meta has released an update to its Facebook Messenger app that enables users to use shortcuts, a new command system, and adds a little additional fun to their messaging experience. By just typing keyboard shortcuts, you can access a number of helpful functions. Continue reading “Facebook Messenger gets Slack-like Shortcuts feature”
Last year, Facebook began testing Reels within the Facebook app for users in the US. The feature is now being rolled out to more than 150 countries worldwide, and to monetize them, Facebook is introducing Overlay ads in Reels. It is also receiving a couple of new updates to improve the creator experience and discovery experience.
Meta has released their earnings report for the last quarter 2021, along with earnings for the entire 2021 fiscal year. The company recorded $117.9 billion revenue during 2021, which is a 37% YoY growth, and the net income was recorded at $39.37 billion, which is growth of 35% YoY. In Q4 2021, they recorded $33.67 billion in revenue, growing 20% YoY, while the net income was $10.2 billion, declining 8% YoY.
Since its rebrand last year, Meta has been working towards their goal of creating a metaverse. One of the major components of this metaverse are the digital avatars used by individuals to represent themselves. The company has revealed an updated version of 3D avatars that can be used in stickers, feed posts, Facebook profile pictures and more.
Continue reading “Meta introduces updated 3D avatars for Facebook, Messenger and Instagram”
Inspired by the Facebook Subscription model, which was launched back in 2020, Instagram has also started testing the Subscription model in the US with some creators. However, the company is planning to expand access to more creators over the next few months. Continue reading “Instagram launches Subscription service to help creators earn monthly”
Facebook has launched the Pac-Man community on Facebook Gaming developed by Genvid and, in collaboration, with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment. Continue reading “Facebook launches upgraded Pac-Man game with multiplayer feature: Here’s how to play”
Facebook Protect, a security program for groups of people that are more likely to be targeted by malicious hackers, is now being rolled out to 50 countries, including the United States, India, and Portugal. Continue reading “Meta is expanding Facebook Protect to 50 countries including India, makes 2FA mandatory for high-risk accounts”
Just as Facebook announced their rebranding to ‘Meta‘, new leaks have surfaced that showcase an upcoming product of the company – a smartwatch. Images of the device reveal a rounded square design and a front-facing camera, and it will likely compete in the market against the Apple Watch.
Continue reading “Meta smartwatch with front-facing camera surfaces”
During their Connect 2021 yesterday, Facebook announced that the company is rebranding to ‘Meta’. The goal behind this rebrand is to announce the company’s change in direction from being a collection of social media apps to a collection of apps and technologies that form a ‘metaverse’.
Continue reading “Facebook company announces rebrand to ‘Meta’; Oculus brand to become Reality Labs”
