Meta Connect shifts focus to AI and hardware

Meta Connect used to centre on VR, but now launches all the company's hardware, Metaverse and AI projects. This year's event will showcase breakthroughs in AI technologies, AI glasses and VR.

Zuckerberg keynote at seven PM ET today

CEO Mark Zuckerberg is slated to present the keynote speech at seven PM ET, four PM PT, with additional developer talks scheduled for tomorrow. Engadget reporters are covering live from Menlo Park, California.

New smart glasses and VR headset expected

Meta is expected to show off a pair of smart glasses without cameras onboard. It has been a while since Meta showed a new Quest XR or VR headset, and a new model is likely today.

Opening video shows VR workstation demo

The keynote opened with a video showing a live demo of a VR workstation with virtual windows and a realistic video chat avatar. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth appeared briefly as a VR avatar.

Zuckerberg pitches personal superintelligence

Zuckerberg says the future is for everyone and that Meta has shifted focus to make devices ready for AI superintelligence. He pitches AI agents as empowering everyone, not just the few.

“The future is for everyone.”

Muse AI agent gets new voice mode

Zuckerberg demonstrates Muse's new voice mode on Meta's AI glasses. He talks to his Muse agent, which appears as a Roman avatar named Agrippa wearing a toga and can handle complex task requests.

Muse avatars can be customized

Users can change their Muse avatar's voice, including accents, speed and character traits like sounding like a cowboy. Muse avatars can also be customized in appearance, such as being modelled after a user's own dog.

Muse expands to computers and shopping

Muse will be able to control your computer via a new Mac app and gets its own email address. New shopping partnerships with Shopify, PayPal, Walmart, Best Buy and Instacart let Muse buy items on the internet.

Meta's business model for Muse

Zuckerberg says Meta expects to make money with Muse over time by taking a small cut of transactions handled by the agent. Meanwhile, Meta is giving people a large number of tokens for free to use Muse.

Hearing Enhancement feature for glasses

Meta is adding Hearing Enhancement, an FDA-cleared hearing aid replacement feature for people with hearing loss or who are hard of hearing. It costs an additional one hundred forty-nine dollars one-time payment to enable.

New audio-only glasses without cameras

Meta is introducing audio-only glasses without cameras, opening up new design possibilities. These glasses have the longest battery of any of Meta's glasses and support Dolby Atmos for recording audio.

Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 with new styles

Meta is updating its Ray-Ban Meta line with Gen 3, featuring slimmed-down Wayfarers and new styles including aviators. The Clubmaster frames are way thinner than other Ray-Ban Meta frames due to redesigned internal electronic components.

Meta Glasses Lisa edition with celebrity collab

Meta is launching a new celebrity collaboration for Meta Glasses with Lisa frames, a new style of frame and case. Each one comes with a charm inspired by her pets.

Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses price cut

Meta is finally catching up with demand for its Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses and will sell them in more countries. The Meta Glasses in Adventurer are getting a price cut, starting at two hundred forty-nine dollars.

Meta VR Glasses unveiled at one thousand two hundred ninety-nine dollars

Meta VR Glasses weigh about one hundred grams and are much lighter than Vision Pro. Zuckerberg pitches them as cinema, a computer and a console. They will ship this spring for one thousand two hundred ninety-nine dollars.

“Cinema. Computer. Console.”

VR Glasses use hand and eye tracking

Meta VR Glasses have Muse directly integrated into the operating system and use hand and eye tracking, requiring no controller. Zuckerberg says Meta executives have reached over one hundred words per minute on the virtual keyboard.

VR Glasses support full game library and streaming

The VR glasses support the entire Quest back catalogue with controllers and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Seventy-five titles will be ready when the glasses ship, including a new version of Beat Saber made for hand support.

Full-body photorealistic VR holograms added

Meta is adding full-body photorealistic VR holograms to the glasses. Boz jokes that Meta has finally solved the problem of legs in VR. Holograms are also coming to Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses.

Immersive Cinema mode with Disney plus content

A new Immersive Cinema mode in the Disney plus app will have immersive versions of Infinity War and Star Wars Episode four: A New Hope. Live sports is also expected to be a major feature.

Muse Charm pocket device ships in December

Meta is launching Muse Charm, a pocket-sized puck about the size of an Apple Watch for talking to your Muse agent. Zuckerberg says it is not finalized yet but is planned to ship in time for the holidays in December.