Happy New Metayear!

Happy New Metayear to my friends, fans and followers,

As we say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new, I take a brief moment to reflect on some exciting developments and opportunities that await us in the year ahead.

I’m optimistic about the future and believe that with joint effort and determination, we can create a better world for ourselves and those around us. And with the public availability of ChatGPT, I’m even more excited about the potential for AI to enhance our lives and the multitudes of metaverses.

Here are a few things we are looking forward to in the coming “Metayear”

  1. More wearable companions to smartphones (Modular Mobility)
  2. Apple releasing their very first metaverse device running on xrOS
  3. A shift towards more AR products (a first sign of Reversed Virtuality)

So here’s to a happy, healthy, and successful new year to all! May this new Metayear bring you joy, prosperity, and all that you wish for in any metaverse.

Wishing you all the best for 2023,
MetaMike van Zandwijk

PS. My family and I are enjoying the Christmas holidays so little to no posts from me this week. I will also switch to a more weekly in-depth article than short posts every other day.

The Triple Paradigm Metashift

Three megatrends are imminent. Each trend triggers a next paradigm metashift: a fundamental change of how we think about the metaverse and see our world. Literally.

Megatrends leading to Triple Paradigm Metashift

  • The first megatrend is the relocation of key functions in all-in-one mobile phones to mobile hubs with a wide range of wearable companions:
    • Wireless earplugs replaced your phone’s mic and speakers (speech)
    • Smartwatches take over phone controls (touch and gestures)
    • Smart (AR) eyewear might soon substitute your phone’s screen (sight)
  • This current megatrend, Modular Mobility, enables us to superimpose anything digital into our real-world easily with small-factor AR overlays
  • The rapid growth of Augmented Reality in the real-world instead of VR in simulated worlds, leads to the second megatrend: Reverse Virtuality
  • Reverse Virtuality (RV) is the new mindset that the metaverse is not about merely an online 3D world for VR gear but about the real-world application of truly Mixed Reality for our AR-first physical world.
  • These megatrends bring both big benefits and challenges that phase us to the third megatrend, ultimately leading to Societal Metamorphosis
    • First phase: Digital Disorder, bad actors abusing disruptive meta-tech
    • Next phase: Digital Renaissance, tech-for-good tackling global crises
    • Final phase: Digital Singularity, irrevocable transformation of society
  • The good news? A Digital Singularity would be so much better for human civilization than a Technological Singularity. The bad? It’ll be tough first.

Our world is on the brink of another technological revolution.

As we stand atop the steep slope of the S-Curve Pattern of Innovation, we can’t help but wonder what the future holds. Following the (mobile) internet revolution with the rise of the web and smartphones, it’s difficult to predict what lies ahead.

Continue reading →

The Metaverse Mall: the Future of Retail?

Imagine the metaverse became a reality: the lines of the digital and the physical are completely blurred with virtual objects superimposed onto our real-world. How would you picture a Metaverse Mall of the 2030s in a real-world scenario?

Key insights from this (sci-fi short) story

  • A metaverse mall is not necessarily an online 3D shopping center
  • Such a Meta Mall is primarily a physical, social “Smart Space”
  • A blend of digital personal companions and physical public sensors
Continue reading →

Apple Reality OS (rOS) renamed to Apple xrOS for its possibly delayed mixed reality headset

Apple Reality Operating System (or rOS for short) just seemed to be rebranded to Apple xrOS. Analysts took it as a hint that Apple was close to launching its mixed or eXtended Reality (XR) device as planned for early 2023. New reports indicate that headset shipment is delayed to the second half of 2023 due to software-related issues.

Key insights in this post

  • Reports indicate that Apple rebranded Reality OS (rOS) to xrOS
  • Shipment of the mixed reality device seems delayed to second half of 2023
  • Expected volume less than 500.000 units in 2023 at a price of ~3.000 USD
Continue reading →

The Metashift Quadrant: a model for potential impact of the metaverse

The Metashift Quadrant is a simple model to analyze the potential impact of one or multiple paradigm shift(s) caused by metaverse developments and its underpinning technologies like AI and XR. The four quadrants represent different types of impact.

Key points in this primer ‘metarticle’

  • The four quadrants of the Metashift Quadrant
    • Disruption: disrupting existing systems, structures and/or processes
    • Innovation: driving (AI-generated) inventions by human’s creativity
    • Synergy: creating connections across (completely) different domains
    • Transformation: transform the way people think and behave
  • On the x-axis the development stage ranges from early to late adoption
  • On the y-axis the anticipated time and longevity for the shift to manifest

Keep reading to see the visualization of the Metashift Quadrant and a pretty mind-blowing kicker at the end.

Continue reading →

Sony Mocopi to control the movements of your online avatar

Next to Sony Playstation VR, the Japanese tech company is expanding its footprint in the metaverse with the announcement of Sony Mocopi, a live motion-tracking system featuring 6 wearable trackers available in late January 2023 for around $360.

Key points about Sony Mocopi

  • Sony introduces a new live motion-tracking system called Mocopi
  • Mocopi will be available late January 2023 for around 360 USD/EUR
  • A total of 6 trackers, charged in 90 minutes for 10 hours battery life
  • One for the head, one of the hip, two for ankles and two for hands
  • No finger tracking so that would require e.g. a Leap Motion Controller
Continue reading →

Smart glasses for deaf people: XRAI Glass. “Life. Subtitled”

The XRAI Glass app just released on the Google Play store. It helps deaf people to see real-time subtitling in the special augmented reality (AR) glasses from Nreal. Aside from transcription, paid plans offer translation capabilities as well.

Key takeaways

  • The app released in November 2022 on the Google Play store
  • A free subscription plan offers unlimited transcription into 9 languages
  • Paid plans offer translation ($~20/mo) and a personal AI ($~50/mo)
  • The Nreal Air hardware goes for 350 USD/GBP or 500-800 EUR
  • Watch the short video clip for a quick demo
Continue reading →

New phase of Dubai’s metaverse strategy approved by its Crown Prince

Dubai’s metaverse strategy is entering a new phase now its Crown Prince approved to enhance the digital economy and implement measures to empower the use of the metaverse and future technologies. The official strategy “aims to turn Dubai into one of the world’s top 10 metaverse economies as well as a global hub for the metaverse community.”

Key insights on this news article of 24th Nov’22

  • Dubai publicly shares its, albeit high-level and general, metaverse strategy
  • Its aim is to become one of the world’s top 10 metaverse economies
  • Aside attracting over 1.000 companies to Dubai in the field of blockchain and the metaverse, it aspires to support over 40.000 virtual jobs in 2030
  • The key technology pillars are no strangers: all XR (AR/VR/MR) and digital twins

Interested in the full news article? Visit the publication on Khaleej Times.

Must-see metaverse video: it’s not a tech wave but social tsunami

The Economist just published a 20-minute must see metaverse video: “How will businesses use the metaverse?” The film shows how creative industries like Hollywood and game studios are using metaverse technologies such as AI and Digital Twin next to AR/VR. If this sounds like a tech wave, wait till you see the social tsunami.

My key insights from this video

  • Leading industries like cinema, the army and healthcare are fully using “meta-tech” so the turning point for massive adoption is around the corner.
  • Global issues like climate change are faced with AI and Digital Twins as “the operating system of the metaverse” but there is still a big problem:
  • Lack of standards. We need protocols and structures to easily navigate from one (3D) world to another like we do with websites already.

Metaverse video

How will businesses use the metaverse?

There are multi-trillion dollar opportunities.