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Meta Accelerates Metaverse Innovation With Hyperscape Capture

Meta Connect Unveils Photorealistic VR Breakthrough

Today’s Meta Connect conference showcased a blend of futuristic smart glasses and groundbreaking metaverse advancements. A highlight was the introduction of Hyperscape Capture, an evolution of the previously demoed Hyperscape technology, which empowers developers and creators to transform real-world spaces into photorealistic virtual environments.

Transforming Physical Rooms Into Digital Masterworks

Hyperscape Capture is now available in Early Access for Quest device users, offering an innovative scanning process that converts a physical room into an immersive digital replica. Although the capture only takes a few minutes, its subsequent rendering requires several hours to produce a high-fidelity virtual space. Initially, users will experience these immersive environments in isolation; however, Meta plans to enable private sharing through unique links in the near future.

Real-World Inspirations Fuel Digital Creativity

The technology is already at work, rendering virtual versions of iconic spaces such as Gordon Ramsay’s L.A. kitchen, Chance the Rapper’s House of Kicks, and the famed UFC Apex Octagon. Even niche environments, like Happy Kelli’s room filled with her Crocs collection, have been recreated with impressive detail. Utilizing advanced techniques like Gaussian Splatting, cloud rendering, and streaming, Meta ensures that these digital worlds maintain a remarkably lifelike presence when viewed through the Meta Quest 3 headset.

Expanding The Metaverse Experience

In addition to Hyperscape Capture, Meta rolled out a slate of new metaverse experiences at the conference. Fall VR releases include titles such as Marvel’s Deadpool VR, ILM’s Star Wars: Beyond Victory, and Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked and Reach. Furthermore, Horizon TV is broadening its streaming repertoire with support for platforms like Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu, while strategic partnerships with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse are set to introduce immersive special effects on blockbuster films such as “M3GAN” and “The Black Phone.” A limited-time 3D preview of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” also underscores Meta’s commitment to merging entertainment with technological innovation.

Looking Forward

While the initial rollout of Hyperscape Capture is limited to Meta’s Quest 3 and Quest 3S devices for users aged 18 and up, its gradual release indicates a larger strategy to enhance digital engagement. As Meta continues to refine its metaverse capabilities, the potential to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds reinforces its position at the forefront of virtual innovation.

Apple Ties Its Mac Strategy To The AI Boom With New Mac Mini And Mac Studio Models

Apple has updated its Mac Mini and Mac Studio desktops with new processors and higher AI performance as developers increasingly use Macs for local AI workloads. The new models are scheduled to ship on Sept. 22, weeks before the company is expected to introduce its next iPhone generation.

Macs Target Local AI Development

Developers and researchers are increasingly using Apple computers to run AI models locally, reducing reliance on cloud infrastructure. Mac Mini systems can support AI agent software, while Mac Studio machines are designed for more demanding model training and deployment workloads.

Apple said its processors combine Neural Engines for machine learning with unified memory architecture designed to reduce performance bottlenecks. The company says the combination allows users to run and fine-tune larger AI models directly on their devices.

Mac Mini Gets First M6 Generation Chip

The updated Mac Mini can be configured with Apple’s M6 and M5 Pro processors, making it the company’s first computer with an M6-generation chip. The M6 is manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) using a 2-nanometer process.

The previous Mac Mini lineup offered M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max processors. Apple said the M5 Pro version of the new model can process large language model prompts 8.5 times faster than earlier Mac Mini Pro configurations.

Pricing has also increased. The new Mac Mini starts at $899, $100 more than the previous model, after Apple raised the price from $599 earlier this summer, citing higher memory costs.

Mac Studio Targets Larger AI Workloads

Mac Studio remains Apple’s highest-performance desktop without an integrated display, following the discontinuation of the Mac Pro earlier this year. New configurations include the M5 Max, which Apple says can run large language models nearly four times faster than the previous generation.

The M5 Ultra is available for users with heavier computing requirements. Apple says multiple Mac Studio systems using the Ultra chip can be connected to pool memory and run models with up to a trillion parameters.

Mac Studio with the M5 Max starts at $2,499, unchanged from the previous generation. The M5 Ultra configuration starts at $5,499, compared with at least $5,299 for the previous model using the M3 Ultra.

Apple Expands Its Local AI Hardware

The new desktops give developers and researchers more computing capacity for running AI models locally. Apple is also increasing the role of its custom processors and unified memory architecture in handling AI workloads without relying entirely on cloud-based computing.

Both Mac Mini and Mac Studio models are available for presale and are scheduled to begin shipping on Sept. 22.

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