Part 1. Vocabulary
|
virtual |
/ˈvərCH(o͞o)əl/
adj - not
physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so The internet
created many virtual friends and social groups. |
|
augmented |
/ˌôɡˈmentəd/
adj - having been
made greater in size or value There will be an augmented pension for those retiring at 65. |
|
revamp |
/rēˈvamp/ n - a new and
improved version. The show was
a revamp of an old idea and format. |
|
tarnished |
/ˈtärniSH/ v - make or
become less valuable or respected His regime
had not been tarnished by human rights abuses. |
|
scrutiny |
/ˈskro͞otnē/
n - critical
observation or examination All
applicants will be under scrutiny before being hired. |
Part 2. Comprehension Questions
What is
Facebook Inc. planning after being under fire from regulators and lawmakers?
What is
“metaverse” as mentioned by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg?
What are the
other app products and brands under Facebook Inc?
What is the
hardware that Facebook Inc. is developing?
When was
“metaverse” was first coined?
The name change will be announced next week, The Verge
reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been talking up the
metaverse, a digital world where people can move between different devices and
communicate in a virtual environment, since July, and the group has
invested heavily in virtual reality and augmented reality, developing
hardware such as its Oculus VR headsets and working on AR glasses and wristband
technologies.
The move would likely position the flagship app as one of
many products under a parent company overseeing brands such as Instagram and
WhatsApp, according to the report. Google (GOOGL.O) adopted such a structure
when it reorganized into a holding company called Alphabet in 2015.
Facebook said it does not comment on "rumor or
speculation."
If true, the rebranding would make sense as the core
Facebook business becomes less important to the group and it seeks to revamp
an image tarnished by regulatory and legal scrutiny of how it handles
user safety and hate speech, analysts said.
"It reflects the broadening out of the Facebook
business. And then, secondly, I do think that Facebook's brand is probably not
the greatest given all of the events of the last three years or so,"
internet analyst James Cordwell at Atlantic Equities said.
Facebook is under wide-ranging scrutiny from global
lawmakers and regulators over its content moderation practices and harms linked
to its platforms, with internal documents leaked by a whistleblower forming the
basis for a U.S. Senate hearing last week.
"Having a different parent brand will guard against
having this negative association transferred into a new brand or other brands
that are in the portfolio," said Shankha Basu, associate professor of
marketing at the University of Leeds.
Last month, Facebook appointed Andrew Bosworth, who heads up
the social media company's augmented reality and virtual reality efforts,
including products like its Oculus Quest VR headset, as chief technology
officer.
Metaverse, first coined in a dystopian novel three decades
earlier, is popular in Silicon Valley and has been referenced by other tech
firms such as Microsoft. The popular children's game Roblox (RBLX.N) describes
itself as a metaverse company. Epic Games' Fortnite is also considered to be
part of the metaverse.
Zuckerberg plans to talk about the name change at the
company's annual Connect conference on Oct. 28, but it could be unveiled
sooner, the Verge said.