TECHNOLOGY, TRENDING

Meta Connect 2024: Mark Zuckerberg’s Coolest Tech Projects

Photo of Mark Zuckerberg announcing the new Meta Quest 3S MR headset at Meta Connect 2024

This is for everyone who missed the Meta Connect 2024 event. Read our brief review of the keynote presentation, just released Meta Quest 3S, and the developments in AI announced at the conference.

This year’s event on September 25, 2024, builds on the success of Meta Connect 2023, where Mark confirmed his company’s commitment to AI and the Metaverse. The previous event also saw the release of the Quest 3 headset, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the Emu Image Generator AI, along with several other AI tools.

Meta Connect Keynote by Mark

The event was hosted at Meta HQ in Menlo Park, California, in front of a full audience of industry professionals, media, and members of the general public. Mark opened his keynote by lauding the advancements in Smart Glasses, Mixed Reality (MR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and expressed his excitement for an awesome future in computing and for human connection.

Screen grab of Mark Zuckerberg during his keynote presentation

Meta Quest 3S

The most anticipated release and announcement of the Connect. Meta Quest 3S is a high-resolution, colored, mixed reality headset.
It is a wearable device that lets you experience reality projections through a VR headset. The Quest 3S is available for pre-order in two versions with shipping set to begin on October 15, 2024.

Key specs include:

  • 128 GB storage for $299.99 USD base model.
  • 256 GB storage for $399.99 USD Version.
  • HD resolution screen (1832×1920 Pixels per eye).
  • Dual RGB camera with Fresnel lens (3 position IAD).
  • 2.5 hrs average run time on a 4,324 mAH battery.
  • 96° horizontal and 90° vertical field of view.

Standard accessories

The in-box accessories include:

  • Quest 3S headset with pre-installed standard facial interface and glasses spacer.
  • 1 meter USB-C data and charging cable.
  • 2 Touch Plus controllers with 2 AA batteries.

Quest 3S add-ons

The following add-ons are included with every Quest 3S purchase:

  • Batman: Arkham Shadow game.
  • 1 year warranty for headset and in-box accessories.
  • Meta Quest+ subscription.

Premium accessories

Additional key accessories that you can purchase with the Meta Quest 3S include the following, along with their prices:

  • Soundcore by Anker Wireless VR Earbuds at $99.99 USD
  • Zenni Trademark MR Prescription Lenses at $49.99 USD
  • Meta Quest Pro VR Earphones at $49.99 USD
Screen grab of the audience following a live demonstration of Meta Quest 3S in use during the Connect

How the Headset Works and Quest 3S Use Cases

You wear the Quest 3S headset comfortably over your eyes and turn it on.

This allows you to view a mix of projected virtual images, screens, and videos. You can also incorporate live scenes from the real world around you—hence the term “mixed reality.”

The headsets are designed for playing immersive video games, simulating experiences, watching movies and tv shows, listening to music, interacting with friends and colleagues, engaging in creative activities, working, etc.

They have a hand-tracking software that enables you to interact with your virtual projections and environments by simulating touch via the Touch Plus Controllers.

Specifically, you can use Quest 3S MR headsets to:

  • Watch Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, etc.
  • Browse social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, etc.
  • Work on remote computer desktops, starting with Microsoft PCs.
  • Simulate virtual experiences with friends on Horizon Worlds.
  • Experience and explore photorealistic spaces on Hyperscape.
  • Play video games like Batman Arkham Shadow, Triangle Strategy, Just Dance, etc.

Developments in Artificial Intelligence at Meta

Screen grab of Mark Zuckerberg during his AI presentation

Mark Zuckerberg has been in the forefront advocating for adoption of open source AI as the industry standard.
In his 2024 Connect keynote presentation he maintained Meta’s commitment to the growth of the open source AI ecosystem.

“Meta AI is different from the other AI companies in the category because it offers unlimited access to its models for free, integrated into its different products and apps.”
—Mark Zuckerberg, 2024.

According to Mark, Meta AI is on track to becoming the most used artificial intelligence assistant in the world by end of 2024.

Towards this, he announced the following additional tools and products:

  • Open source Llama 3.2 multimodal model.
  • Meta AI Voice. A voice based AI assistant with various celebrity voice filters.
  • AI Studio. Tool for creators to engage with their communities through video chat, an improvement from text only.
  • Meta AI Translation. An automatic video dubbing tool for reels. Currently translates English and Spanish languages.
  • Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses updates. Including a functionality that helps you remember things.
  • Orion. First working prototype of the full holographic artificial reality glasses.

The Quest 3S, which is much improved and cheaper than its predecessor—the Quest 3—is arguably the coolest tech project to have come from Meta Connect 2024.
Alongside Meta’s Ray-Ban and Orion smart glasses, it is an exciting addition in the race to shaping the future of human interaction and building the Metaverse’s mixed reality experiences.

What was your highlight of the just concluded Connect 2024? Share your views with our City Digest Technology columnist in the comments below.

author-avatar

About Gordon Omondi

PropTech Startup Founder at Casavenida.com—Real Estate Advertising | Bachelor of Real Estate (HONS), JKUAT, 2022 - (G.M.I.S.K) | City Digest Politics, Business, and Technology Writer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *