The metaverse is a virtual universe that blends aspects of digital technologies including video-conferencing, games like Minecraft or Roblox, cryptocurrencies, email, virtual reality, social media and live-streaming. Quite how these pieces will fit together is a work in progress, but some tech giants already see it as the future of human communication and interaction. It’s “the next frontier,” Mark Zuckerberg said when he changed his company’s name from Facebook Inc. to Meta Platforms Inc.
What will it look like? It may be easier to grasp the concept by first saying what it isn’t: It’s not a single product, it’s not a game, and it’s not being created by one company. Rather, it’s akin to a 3D World Wide Web, where businesses, information and communication tools are immersive and interoperable.
In a way it’s a digital facsimile of how we live in the physical world. Just as you might create a document in Microsoft Word and send it via Gmail to a colleague to read on an iPad, items in the metaverse should be able to move across an ecosystem of competing products, holding their value and function. An original piece of digital art bought as a non-fungible token, or NFT, from Company A, say, should be displayable on the virtual wall of a house in a game made by Company B.
Photo: Reuters 照片：路透
The metaverse won’t reach its full potential — millions of people accessing and living in the virtual world anywhere, at any time — without ultrafast Internet. That’s why mobile carriers around the world are spending billions of dollars to build 5G networks.
The rise of the metaverse also presents a tangle of legal and regulatory issues to be resolved. Some of the thorniest issues around the metaverse revolve around users’ personal data and privacy rights.
(Bloomberg and Reuters)
「元宇宙」是虛擬的世界，融合了數位技術諸方面，包括視訊會議、Minecraft或Roblox等遊戲、加密貨幣、電子郵件、虛擬實境、社群媒體與網路直播。要如何把這些東西組合起來，各方仍在努力，但一些科技巨頭已將元宇宙視為人類溝通與互動的未來。這是「下一個新領域」，馬克‧祖克柏在將其公司名稱由「臉書」更改為「元平台」時說道。
元宇宙會是什麼樣子？要理解這個概念，或許先說明它不是什麼比較容易：它不是單一產品，不是一種遊戲，也不是由一家公司所創建的。相反地，它像是三度空間的全球資訊網，其中的商家、訊息與通訊工具，是沉浸式、可互操作的。
它有點像是我們現實世界生活方式的數位複製品。正如您可以在Microsoft Word中建立文件，並透過Gmail發送出去，讓同事可以在iPad上閱讀一樣，元宇宙中的物件應能夠在競爭對手產品的生態系統中移動，而保留其價值與功能。例如，從A公司購買的作為非同質化代幣（或稱NFT）的原創數位藝術作品，應該可以在B公司製作的遊戲中顯示在虛擬屋牆上。
若沒有超高速網路，元宇宙將無法發揮其全部潛力，讓數百萬人隨時隨地存取及生活在虛擬世界中。這就是為什麼世界各地的電信業者要花費數十億美元來建設5G網路。
元宇宙的興起也帶來一連串法律與監管問題，有待解決。與元宇宙相關的一些最棘手問題，主要是跟用戶個資與隱私權有關。
（台北時報林俐凱編譯）
A: Apart from megahit “KPop Demon Hunters,” what else is worth watching? B: The new shows featuring four top-tier actors – Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Yang Yang and Li Xian — are all popular. A: Yang’s TV drama, “The Immortal Ascension,” is definitely one of the summer sizzlers. Some praise it as the Eastern edition of the glorious “Harry Potter” series. B: Yeah, the costume fantasy drama is about a young man’s journey to immortality. All the magic powers and magical tools in the show are just stunning. A: Let me go stream it now. I wanna
Rarely does Nature present such a striking contradiction as the one found in Lencois Maranhenses National Park. Located along Brazil’s northeastern coast, the park unveils breathtaking scenery, where rippling sands meet crystal-clear lagoons. Under the sun’s golden glow, the waters glitter in shades of turquoise and emerald. So surreal is this spectacle that visitors might wonder if they’re gazing at a digitally modified photo rather than a living landscape. Were it not for the unique geographical and climatic conditions, such a marvel would not exist. Unlike typical deserts, Lencois Maranhenses receives a substantial amount of rainfall, particularly during the rainy season
A: Wow, animated fantasy film “KPop Demon Hunters” (KDH) has become Netflix’s most viewed film ever. B: Isn’t that the movie about a K-pop girl group secretly serving as demon hunters? A: Yeah, and its theme song “Golden” was No. 1 on the Billboard chart. B: The hit performed by HUNTR/X — the girl group from KDH — has inspired a “Golden challenge,” as celebrities are racing to cover its sky-high notes. A: Cool, let’s try it out. A: 哇，動畫電影《KPop獵魔女團》近日已成為網飛上觀看次數最多的電影。 B: 這部電影不是關於某韓流女團，成員秘密擔任惡魔獵人的故事？ A: 對，主題曲《Golden》更勇奪告示牌單曲榜冠軍呢！ B: 該曲由電影中的女團「HUNTR/X」所演唱，甚至還掀起一股全球《Golden》大挑戰︰一堆名人挑戰翻唱該曲飆高音。 A: 酷喔我們也來挑戰吧。（By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
An automated human washing machine was one of the highlights at the Osaka Kansai Expo, giving visitors a glimpse into the future of personal hygiene technology. As part of the event, 1,000 randomly selected visitors were given the chance to try out this cleansing system. The machine operates as a capsule-like chamber where warm water filled with microscopic bubbles gently washes away dirt. The 15-minute process also includes a drying phase, removing the need for users to dry themselves manually. Equipped with advanced sensors, the device monitors the user’s biological data, such as their pulse, to adjust water temperature and other settings
RSS