It’s been two years since Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook as Meta and the term Metaverse has completely lost it’s appeal since then.
Maybe it was Zuck being overzealous, maybe it’s that the hardware is still clunky, maybe it was the NFT and crypto bros that screwed it all up.
NFTs are dead, according to some researchers 95% of NFTs are worthless now and the few that maintain some value are at a fraction of their peak.
Look, I’ve guessed a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong, but I’ve always been bullish on the general idea of interconnected 3D experiences, VR video games and communities, and XR applications for businesses. I still am, but it’s still early despite a nice hype bubble for a minute there.
NFTs crashing, no biggie really. The underlying technology is interesting, but so many of the projects at the peak were either cash grabs or just bullshit outright. Likely, we’ll see the blockchain truly mature over time and come back around in a new form in the future.
The metaverse, we’ll see. The word is absolutely out of fashion, but the underlying technology is interesting and impactful, more so than JPGs. At least in virtual and augmented reality, there is real-world utility. VR games, online communities, and business training and collaboration that is ROI positive all create real value.
XR is alive and well, even if the trajectory hasn’t met expectations. It’s still growing, we’re seeing more games come out, more enterprises embrace XR for training or explore other use cases.
Apple is throwing its hat in the ring with a fantastic new headset. The development side is slowly maturing, and interest remains high among developers to build content.
Who knows, maybe XR stays niche, a subcategory of video gaming and a small function within the business world, maybe it breaks out into the mainstream. I don’t know, but I’m going to stick it out in this 3D software game and see where this goes.
Metaverse is dead, or not, or rebranding, who knows, have you seen this crazy video though? Mark Zurberg and Lex Fridman in a 3D environment with realistic avatars 😮
Last newsletter I talked about moving to Spain and the future, this one I’ll explain the downsides. Moving to Spain is a pain in the ass. Why? Their beauracracy is next-level dumb — there’s various conflicting laws and wordings. It’s near impossible to navigate the minutiae without a lawyer and the lawyers suck. Starting a company here is much more difficult than in the US and even more difficult than other parts of Europe. Spain wants entrepreneurs to come and build innovative companies in Spain, but they really haven’t actually figured out how to streamline that process. The business lawyer told me he’s frankly embarrassed, lol. The future is remote and countries like Spain, Portugal, Croatia, etc have a lot to gain from bringing in entrepreneurs, technology, and innovation, but their systems need some overhaul.
Oh well, it’ll be worth it in the long run, cost of living is lower, people are awesome, the food is delicious, and my kids are in a more relaxed place learning Catalan and Spanish.
I suppose there is the inevitable gentrification and rising costs in all major urban areas. I’m no politician, but countries should plan for this. You can't just shut your eyes to the future. Figure out how to bring in the money, the technology, and the innovation, and how to account for the displacement and help guide the newcomers to better integration into society.
🪱 Scientists combine spider DNA with silkworms to create stronger than kevlar silk
In a story that sounds almost like the origins of a horror action movie, scientist in China have used CRISPR technology to successfully add spider DNA into “silkworms creating silk six times as tough as Kevlar and ten times as strong as nylon”
One of the key problems with clothing is we add things like polyester to make clothes stronger, but these synthetic materials are a contributor to micro-plastic environmental contamination. Maybe this spider silk will be better.