Zone’s Ross Basham handpicks and shares the five best new stories on digital trends, experiences and technologies…
1. Zuckerberg reveals AI projects for Metaverse
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled several ambitious AI projects, describing AI as “the key to unlocking the Metaverse”. In a livestreamed demonstration, he created a basic virtual world using the AI feature Builder Bot. Zuckerberg also announced a plan to build a universal speech translator.
Builder Bot was part of Meta’s CAIRaoke project to improve AI assistants and allow “AI to see the world from our experience” as people entered virtual reality via headsets or glasses, Zuckerberg said. And he promised the AI systems driving Meta’s virtual worlds would preserve privacy and be transparent and responsible.
2. Russian hackers ‘behind powerful malware’
A cyber report published by intelligence agencies in the UK and US on Wednesday has attributed insidious new malware to a notorious Russia-backed hacking group known as Sandworm. The findings come amid concerns of major Russian cyber-attacks against Ukraine as part of its offensive in the region.
The report says Sandworm has developed a new type of malware called Cyclops Blink, which targets firewall devices made by Watchguard to protect computers against hacks. The sophisticated virus can withstand typical remedies including reboots. Ukraine has already suffered a string of cyber-attacks in recent days.
3. Fast grocery-delivery apps face city backlash
Apps that deliver groceries in minutes face a backlash from city authorities over how they operate. Amsterdam and Rotterdam have banned the opening of new ‘dark stores’ — distribution hubs for on-demand groceries — after complaints of disruption, while New York City Council says the apps are “misusing” empty retail units.
Billions of pounds are being invested in fast grocery-delivery services such as Getir and Gorillas. But Amsterdam’s deputy mayor said: “The business model of these companies is they need to be based in neighbourhoods. That’s exactly the place where they also cause nuisance.” Getir says it will work with cities to find solutions.
4. How to invest in EX to boost profitability
It’s widely accepted that great employee experience has a positive impact on customer experience. According to Forbes, companies that invest in employee experience are four times more profitable than those that don’t. However you care to look at it, investing in EX makes clear business sense.
Our new whitepaper, Shout Out to My EX, combines exclusive third-party research conducted with brand decision-makers and senior executive insights on how EX is the foundation of exceptional CX. We explore how to pursue an EX improvement strategy effectively, starting today. You can download the report here.
5. Trump having trouble with the Truth (Social)…
Truth Social, a social media network developed by former president Donald Trump’s new media company, is now live(ish) on the iOS App Store in the US. The service is closely modelled on Twitter, which was previously Trump’s preferred media platform before he was banned for inciting violence after the storming of the US Capitol.
Unfortunately for Trump, Truth Social got off to a sticky start, with the website loading intermittently, some users shown vague ‘something went wrong’ messages and others being told they’ve been put on a waitlist due to “massive demand”. So if you want to post your ‘Truth’, or ‘Retruth’ other people’s Truths, you might have to wait.
