Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently teamed up with UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno to showcase the latest advancements in Meta’s smart glasses technology. The demonstration, which took place at Meta’s annual “Connect” conference, highlighted the company’s ongoing efforts to revolutionize the way we interact with digital content in our everyday lives.
Zuckerberg, known for his keen interest in mixed martial arts, found an unlikely partner in Moreno to help demonstrate the capabilities of Meta’s new augmented reality (AR) glasses, codenamed “Orion.” These cutting-edge glasses, weighing less than 100 grams, represent a significant leap forward in AR technology, allowing users to seamlessly blend virtual objects with their real-world environment.
During the demonstration, Moreno wore the Orion glasses while Zuckerberg guided him through various features, including accessing WhatsApp and Messenger, making video calls, and retrieving information about objects in his line of sight. The UFC champion’s agility and quick reflexes proved to be an ideal match for showcasing the glasses’ responsiveness and real-time capabilities.
Zuckerberg supported another UFC star at the event by wearing his merch – Dustin Poirier. Zuckerberg was sporting Poirier’s Jump The Guilly shirt.
The event also saw the unveiling of the more affordable Quest 3S mixed reality headset, set to hit the market on October 15th. With prices starting at $299.99 for the smaller storage capacity model and $399.99 for the larger one, Meta aims to make immersive technology more accessible to a broader audience.
In addition to hardware announcements, Zuckerberg introduced Meta’s first open-source multimodal AI model, Llama 3.2, capable of generating content from both image and text prompts. This advancement in AI technology is expected to enhance user experiences across Meta’s various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The collaboration between Zuckerberg and Moreno not only served to demonstrate Meta’s latest innovations but also highlighted the company’s efforts to appeal to a diverse audience. By partnering with a prominent figure from the world of sports, Meta seems to be signaling its intention to make AR and VR technologies relevant and exciting to a wider demographic.
