Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Meta Ray-Ban Display and Meta Neural Band at Connect. The glasses feature an in-lens display for checking messages and photos, designed for brief interactions. The Neural Band uses EMG technology for control with subtle hand movements. Features include messaging, video calls, navigation, live captions, and music playback. Priced at $799, they will be available in select US retailers starting September 30, with plans for international expansion.
Threads is introducing a feature that allows users to attach up to 10,000 characters of text to their posts, addressing the need for longer content. This will enable users to share complex ideas and promote their work directly in Threads. Users can also include links to full content on other platforms. This update aims to enhance the creator experience and foster community engagement.
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Meta has expanded its AI translations tool for Facebook and Instagram creators, enabling automatic dubbing and lip syncing of reels between English and Spanish. The tool uses the creator's voice tone for authentic translations and allows control over enabling, reviewing, or removing translations. It supports face-to-camera videos and up to two speakers. Creators can upload up to 20 custom dubbed audio tracks per reel and track views by language.
Meta improved its Professional Dashboard on the web for Facebook creators with a new home screen showing earnings, content performance, and audience engagement. Navigation is simpler and consistent across devices. Upcoming updates will add advanced insights, data export, and bulk uploads. New metrics like views over time, view rate, and retention help optimize content. The Facebook for Creators site is revamped for easier access to resources and tips.
Instagram has launched features to enhance connections among friends. Users can now repost public reels and posts, which appear in friends' feeds and a dedicated tab. The Instagram map lets users share their location with selected friends and view nearby content. A new Friends tab in Reels shows public content friends interact with, facilitating conversations. These updates aim to improve user interaction and content discovery.
WhatsApp is launching new features in the Updates tab, including channel subscriptions, promoted channels, and ads in Status. Users can subscribe to channels for exclusive updates and discover new ones. These features will not impact personal chats, and privacy is prioritized with end-to-end encryption. Ads will use limited information, and WhatsApp will not sell or share phone numbers. The rollout will happen over the next few months.
Threads has launched a search feature and a dedicated fediverse feed, enabling users to discover content from various independent social media servers. Users can view posts from federated users on platforms like Mastodon and WordPress. The new search function allows interaction with federated profiles directly in Threads, fostering community engagement and enhancing conversations across different platforms.
Maxine Williams, Meta’s VP of Accessibility, recognizes Global Accessibility Awareness Day by showcasing Meta's efforts to enhance accessibility. Key developments include Ray-Ban Meta glasses for the blind and low vision community, a customizable AI feature launching in the U.S. and Canada, and sEMG wristbands for improved human-computer interaction. Meta also adds live captions and speech features in its products to facilitate communication.
Meta has launched Llama 4 models, including Llama 4 Scout and Llama 4 Maverick, featuring advanced multimodal capabilities and a 10 million context window. Llama 4 Scout has 17 billion parameters and 16 experts, while Llama 4 Maverick has 128 experts and outperforms GPT-4o. Both models are available for download, and Llama 4 Behemoth, a more powerful model with 288 billion parameters, is still in training, highlighting Meta's commitment to openness in AI.
