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ZUCKER-VISION!
Mark Zuckerberg vows to reveal ‘future of human connection’ at AI event in days – I’m most excited for cheap new gadget
Don't miss the exact moment Mark Zuckerberg will step out on stage
META could unveil powerful new AI features, smart glasses, and sci-fi "mixed reality" goggles in just days.
Tech boss Mark Zuckerberg will use his yearly Meta Connect event to show off new gadgets just in time for Christmas.
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WHAT IS META CONNECT 2024?
Meta Connect is where Mark Zuckerberg shows off his latest upgrades for his growing tech empire.
That includes apps like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as well as Meta Quest headsets and smart glasses.
And the event will also showcase new upgrades to Meta's artificial intelligence systems.
Meta calls it a "a two-day event featuring the technologies of the future".
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For this year, Meta said: "Join Mark Zuckerberg as he shares Meta’s vision for AI and the metaverse, including Meta’s newest product announcements."
The event is also aimed at developers, so there'll be lots about building apps and features.
But it'll be the main Meta Connect keynote that reveals the good stuff: gadgets and app upgrades.
WHEN IS META CONNECT 2024?
Meta Connect 2024 takes place on September 25 and 26.
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The real meat of the show will be during the Meta Connect keynote.
That's on Wednesday, September 25 at 10am local time in the heart of California's Silicon Valley.
Meta unveils AI chatbots to rival ChatGPT including ‘personal assistant’ and virtual Snoop Dogg bot
It means you'll want to tune in at 1pm in New York or 6pm in London.
The keynote will be live-streamed so you'll be able to watch along as Mark Zuckerberg makes his announcements.
WHAT'S COMING AT META CONNECT – THE OFFICIAL PREDICTIONS
For a start, we know Meta is going to be talking about artificial intelligence and the metaverse.
And the company has already confirmed that it will be making some new product announcements too.
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Here's what Meta says about the keynote itself: "Join Meta Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, as he shares the latest developments in mixed reality, AI and wearables.
"Hear how Meta is building towards the next computing platforms and get a first look at new products and features that will deliver the future of human connection."
For AI, we might see more details about the new Llama large language model (LLM) that powers artificial intelligence systems.
At last year's Meta Connect, Zuckerberg showed off new AI Personas that you could chat to inside WhatsApp and Instagram.
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We may see similarly AI chatbot features at this year's event.
On the product side, we're likely to see next-gen versions of some of the company's biggest gadgets.
Last year, Meta fully revealed its Meta Quest 3 mixed reality headset (after a tease in June).
This year we're expecting Zuckerberg to unveil a more budget-friendly model called the Meta Quest 3S.
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The Meta Quest 3 costs $499 / £479, but the Quest 3S is rumoured to come in closer to $299 / £299.
A juicier Meta Quest 4 isn't expected for a while yet.
In 2023, Zuckerberg also showed off the new Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
They were powered with a voice-controlled Meta AI feature that could scan things you're looking at and tell you about them.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR AT META EVENT
Here's what The Sun's tech expert has his eyes on...
Mark Zuckerberg will probably make dozens of announcements at the September 25 Meta Connect event.
And it's going to be difficult to process it all.
Meta, Google, and Apple are all relentlessly unleashing AI upgrades at a rate that's difficult to absorb.
There will undoubtedly be some very cool AI upgrades coming.
But it's hard not to be most excited about the prospect of a Meta Quest 3S virtual reality headset.
If the $299/£299 price point is true, that puts it at far less than a new PlayStation or Xbox.
In fact, it would be less than half the price of the exorbitant new PS5 Pro.
The Meta Quest has plenty of gaming to offer (not least from the wildly addictive Beat Saber), but it's great for socialising, working, and watching videos too.
And a cheaper version means it's in the right sort of price for a nice family Christmas gift.
The timing is right too: Zuckerberg is dropping news right before the holiday spending season kicks off.
So if you're thinking about buying those Christmas gifts early, maybe wait until Zuckerberg has spoken on Wednesday.
It could even help you get dressed.
This year it's rumoured that we'll see a new pair of glasses – codename: Orion – with augmented reality features.
That's when computer-generated images are overlaid onto the real world around you.
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It might be something like Google Glass, a pair of AR spectacles that came out all the way back in 2013.
You can get AR features from the Meta Quest 3, but upgrading a slim pair of glasses to offer the tech is trickier.
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