Swan Song for Screens and Spooky Events

Halloween can be scary, but the sweet spot (pun intended) is retail. The National Retail Federation estimates that Halloween spending will hit a record $12.2 billion.

NOVEMBER 16 | 3PM EDT | SCOOT APP 

A Scoot Thanksgiving Fest

 We’re combining a field trip to Scoot’s meeting platform with our Thanksgiving festivities. Put yourself in a totally different meeting environment. Join us on November 16th at 3 PM US Eastern where we’ll have some turducken fun. Register to attend this special event on the Scoot platform and stay tuned for more instructions. This event will be live only (no restream) so don’t forget to register. REGISTER

Swan Song for Screens

First, it sat on your desktop. Next, you held it in your hand. Now, that screen might be slowly disappearing from view. In its place come a plethora of choices: headsets, glasses, and AI wearables. 

Meta announced its new Quest headset a few weeks ago but, equally exciting, and a lot more useful was the Ray-Ban/Meta announcement. In partnership with eyeglass manufacturer EssilorLuxottica, Meta is launching a new generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. (Available for pre-order now.)

You can live stream from your glasses to Facebook or talk to the Meta AI just by calling out “Hey Meta”. It’s like wearing your Alexa, which has actually been a thing (Echo Smart Frames) for several years. The glasses’ frames have a built-in microphone for audio and a webcam for capturing what you see. There are tons of frames to choose from and reports say that they’re quite lightweight. Google Glass, if you remember, was skewered and its owners were the infamous Glassholes. Timing is everything and Meta's $299 price tag is a lot more palatable than the $1900 Google Glass. Just don’t wear them in the water. 

You can also wear your AI on your sleeve. Humane created a fashion-forward stir when it showed off its AI Pin on a Paris runway. At a recent Ted conference, its creator gave a demo of the device. Using sensors including voice and gesture, the pin uses a projector to display an image on your hand or other surface. The pin (not its formal name) will be unveiled on Nov. 9th, with rumors of a $1000 price tag. (There’s room on the waitlist.)

For the more cost-conscious AI wearable explorer there’s the Rewind Pendant. It is sort of like wearing your memory around your neck. Rewind’s Pendant will record everything you and the people around you say. It transcribes and encrypts it. Then when you transfer it to your computer, Rewind’s AI gets to work gleaning insights and organizing your day. Rewind already has an app available for the PC or Mac but the pendant frees you from your screen. You can get in line to buy one for only $59 at Rewind’s website.

In Other Spooky Happenings

Apple Does Virtual 

Apple is known for its elite invite-only events. Not this time. Its “Scary Fast” event was virtual, open to all, and uncharacteristically took place in the evening (5 PM PST). Virtual events can be global-time-zone friendly, which may be why Apple scheduled in the evening. At the event Apple announced the new “Scary Fast” set of M3 processors. It’s nice to see Apple utilizing the power of virtual events.

Revisiting Decentraland

The eve before Halloween seemed like a good time to give Decentraland’s metaverse another chance. If Halloween couldn’t draw the crowds, what could? It is sad to report that while I dusted off my meta wallet and spiffed up my avatar, the place still seemed pretty quiet. There were 5 or 6 Halloween-themed events being showcased as happening live; they were inscrutable, mostly empty, and even the doors wouldn’t open, saying “No one is home”. 

Decentraland hopes that special events like Halloween, fashion shows, and music festivals will spur activity. But the user experience still has that wansdering aimlessly and alone feeling. Slow to load, hard to find your event, and few instructions on what to do when you get there. In the “I’m my worst PR” category”, Decentraland recently hosted an AI Summit, but even the spokesperson had no idea how many people attended. The dream of a decentralized metaverse is still there; the reality is not.

WEEKLY 

Scuttlebutt

Could a Robot Be Your Tour Guide?

Now that AI is being used for all sorts of shenanigans, why not let it host a trade show tour? Boston Dynamics gave Spot, its guide Robot, “ears” to hear audience questions, location mapping to navigate around a floor, and a generative AI platform to process and answer questions from an audience. 

Congrats Metavent

VEG member Anna Marie Rembold writes in to let us know that Metavent earned #35 on the Fast 100, the Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area, and #94 on the Top 100 Largest Woman-Owned Businesses in the Bay Area. Metavent's new website makes their capabilities abundantly clear, with more templates launching frequently. 

Bleisure is Real, So Are Destination Boycotts 

At the International Travel Show this month, panelists discussed trends impacting the world of travel and events. Topics included whether to boycott a destination because of political turbulence and the resurgence of “bleisure” travel, which is travel that addresses attendees' need to balance work with a modicum of memorable experiences. Panels also discussed international travel, where visas and long wait times at customs are deterrents. A post at Skift Meetings outlined the major takeaways.

Money 20/20 Innovates

Julius Solaris, a master of event critique, really liked what he experienced at Money 20/20, a conference on all things finance. Solaris’ highlights include the black cube AI that acted as moderator for panels, the conference’s useful badging system, sports-like commentators for the sessions, a great podcast center, and even a poet’s corner for the more touchy-feely money-curious.

NAB’s Tips for Creators on the Go

Juliana Broste produces Traveling Jules, a mashup of travel host, influencer, and fun. Here she teaches a NAB Show New York audience to travel light but carry a lot of spare batteries. She posts from all over the world, and her prime gear includes her phone (remote clicker), her Teleprompter app, the Rode Video Mic NTG, and a collapsible portable background. For those who really want to dig in, Jules recommends taking a class with Studio Upgrade to sharpen your creator skills

VEG Community 

Welcome Soundings Connect & Shown Live 

Welcome to our new members, Tracey Judge from Soundings Connect and Shayna Steward from Shown Live. Expect to hear more from them in the future.

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