Meta Connect 2024 Live Updates: Meta’s annual developer conference will see new iterations of its flagship virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) wearables infused with artificial intelligence.
Meta Connect 2024 Live: Meta is holding its Connect 2024 event today, September 25, where it is expected to introduce its latest range of mixed-reality headsets, smart glasses, and a bunch of major AI software updates.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg will kick off Meta’s annual developer conference with a keynote outlining his “vision for AI and the metaverse.” The tech giant is also expected to unveil its first-ever AR smart glasses that is rumoured to be made in partnership with Luxottica, the company behind the famous eyewear brand Ray-Ban.
The event is being held at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US. It will also be live-streamed on the ‘Meta for Developers’ Facebook page from 10:30pm IST onwards. Stay tuned to our live blog and catch all of Meta’s product launches and AI announcements in real-time.
Zuckerberg demoes AI voice mode in Meta AI
Meta AI is powered by a new Llama 3.2 model that is open-source and multi-modal. It is also rolling out Meta AI with Voice in the voices of celebrities such as Kristen Bell and Awkwafina.
Meta AI is at 500 million monthly active users
One of the simplest use cases for AI is your AI assistant, Meta AI differentiates itself in this category by offering unlimited access to these models integrated into Meta products, says Zuckerberg.
Batman Arkham on Quest 3S
“Quest 3S is compatible with our full library of thousands of apps and games, plus upcoming Quest 3 and 3S exclusives like Batman: Arkham Shadow. Games that received Quest 3-specific performance updates will also work on Quest 3S, which means you’ll benefit from the same upgraded visuals and faster load times,” Meta said.
The Meta Quest 3S is here!
Mark Zuckerberg touts it as the highest-quality mixed reality experience on the market. Priced at $299 and available for shipping starting October 15, this device boasts features like advanced mixed reality, hand tracking, and Touch Plus controllers. With access to thousands of apps and games, the Quest 3S is designed to offer an immersive and optimised experience for a wide range of gaming genres. The device seems to be positioning itself as a game-changer in the world of virtual and augmented reality.
Mark Zuckerberg takes the stage
Where’s Mark?
We’re ten minutes past the scheduled time of 10:30pm and the live-stream is yet to begin. Oh, and there’s 23,000 Facebook users tuned into the live-stream so far.
There’s around 300 people on the live-stream so far. In case you were struggling to find the live-stream link to Meta Connect 2024, click here and thank us later.
AI celebrity voices on the cards?
A few days ago, Reuters reported that Meta was planning to announce a new AI feature that will let users give its Meta AI chatbot the voice of a celebrity. The list of celebrities reportedly includes actors Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, John Cena, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key. We may hear more about these new AI audio capabilities at today’s annual Connect conference.
Meta to hold AI hackathon in Bengaluru
A few days ago, Meta announced that it will be organising an AI Hackathon with Llama in Bengaluru on October 19 and 20. At this event, participants will compete with each other to tackle real-world challenges themed around AI.
Meta Quest 4 and Quest 4S release
According to The Information, Meta is planning to release its highly-anticipated Quest 4 and 4S models only in 2026. The two consumer-focused, premium headsets have reportedly been codenamed Pismo Low and Pismo High. However, the tech giant is expected to introduce Quest 3S, the more affordable option in the lineup, today. These developments come in the backdrop of Meta’s efforts to cut the spending of Reality Labs, its XR and metaverse arm, by 20 per cent, as per the report.
Meta Quest 3 specs leaked?
In the run-up to the Meta Connect 2024 event, certain features of the Quest 3S have apparently been leaked thanks to a Walmart display. Based on the rumours, Batman: Arkham Shadow is the video game that will be included with the mixed-reality headset, which will likely have slightly lower resolution per-eye. It is expected to be priced at $299 (Rs 25,000 approx.)
Meta Connect 2024: What’s on the agenda?
With just hours to go for Meta’s Connect 2024 event to begin, here’s a list of the developer-focused sessions that have been planned for later:
– Momentum with mixed-reality
– Get started with mixed reality
– Paths and pitfalls of mixed reality design
– How we’re improving the Meta Horizon developer experience
– Learn about Meta Quest devices
– Making Meta Quest 3 shine: tools, tips and best practices for maximum performance
– Unlocking more with 2D apps on Meta Horizon
– Introducing the new Meta spatial app framework
– Yeeps: A Meta Horizon Start success story
– Launch and grow in the Meta Horizon Store
– Llama 101
– How Meta technologies are built with Llama models
What will Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote focus on?
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the stage and kick off the annual developer conference with a keynote in which he will share “the latest developments in mixed reality, AI and wearables.” He will also talk about “how Meta is building towards the next computing platforms” and give viewers a first look at new products and features.
Recap: Meta Connect 2023
At last year’s annual developer conference, Meta had unveiled the Quest 3 mixed-reality headset powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip with a Microsoft 365 integration and design adjustments for glass wearers.
It had also introduced upgraded Ray-Ban smart glasses featuring a 2MP wide-angle camera that’s capable of recording 1080p video at 60fps and comes with five mics as well as built-in speakers improved for directional audio.
Connect 2023 further saw the debut of Meta AI, the AI virtual assistant that has now been integrated with WhatsApp, Instagram, etc, and the company had revealed that Xbox Cloud Gaming was coming to Quest 3. Judging by last year’s event, we can probably expect to hear about some brand new AI features for the first time.
Can Meta pull off AI hardware?
The gambit on AI hardware has not been going well for some tech companies, with returns of the Humane Pin outpacing sales and user complaints against Rabbit R1 devices. However, Meta’s smart glasses are a slightly different story because they are more affordable and look good. Currently, the AI features that come with these smart glasses can identify objects and tell wearers more about them. It is also integrated with Meta AI, which can be used to translate menus or write Instagram captions. But what other AI improvements are coming to Meta’s smart glasses? We’ll be keeping an eye out.
The Meta-Ray-Ban collaboration
Earlier this month, Meta announced that it will continue to work with eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica in building new smart glasses till 2030 and even beyond that. The recently extended partnership between the tech giant and the Ray-Ban maker began in 2019, leading to the release of two models of smart glasses so far.
“I’m excited about our long term roadmap ahead. We have the opportunity to turn glasses into the next major technology platform, and make it fashionable in the process,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a press release.
What do we know about Project Orion?
The buzz around Meta Connect 2024 is all about the tech giant’s smart AR glasses that has apparently been dubbed internally as ‘Project Orion’. Rumour has it that Meta’s Orion AR glasses are likely to function similarly to a Meta Quest headset and are likely to include a holographic-style display for each eye.
However, they are probably going to be much easier to wear and use than a Quest headset, especially outdoors. The Orion glasses is also expected to include cameras and microphones along with built-in AI features. Though, the real question is: How expensive will the Orion AR smart glasses be?
Meta’s new AR smart glasses
Did Mark Zuckerberg accidentally leak Meta’s new AR smart glasses? Well, rumours have been swirling for months that Meta is working on a new pair of AR smart glasses after a user with a keen eye spotted it in a Threads post by Zuckerberg. Rather than deny it, the CEO replied that more information will be revealed later this year. Was that “later” supposed to mean the annual developer conference happening today? We’ll have to wait and watch.
Meta Connect 2024: What to expect
Here’s a short list of everything we expect Meta to announce at its annual developer conference:
– A cheaper VR headset
– New and improved Meta-Ray-Ban smart glasses
– Orion AR glasses
– Upgraded Llama 3.1 language model
– Improvements in Meta AI