Ever since Facebook rebranded as Meta, the metaverse has gone viral. It’s a new virtual vision of the internet and it’s about to change your life. Here are five of the the coolest applications to date.
#5: Luxury fashion
Dolce & Gabbana has already minted millions in the metaverse: 5.7 million, to be exact. At its Alta Moda show in Venice, Italy, the brand sold four pieces that were solely digital: Three men’s jackets and the Impossible Tiara, a crown that Dolce & Gabbana claims is made of “gems that can’t quite be found on Earth.”
#4: Weddings
It’s not yet legal but Traci and Dave Gagnon didn’t care. They got married in the metaverse over Labor Day weekend. The couple — or rather, their digital avatars — held a ceremony staged by Virbela, a company that builds virtual environments for work, learning and events.
#3: Workplace
Microsoft is working on something called Mesh that allows people in different locations to join shared holographic experiences. Now you can join a meeting remotely but still sort of be in the same room to collaborate with your co-workers using an avatar that best represents the real you.
#2: Dating
If you thought dating was weird IRL, try your best pick up line using your avatar. Match.com and Tinder are bringing dating to the metaverse with a product called Single Town. It lets singles move around different virtual locations like a bar or restaurant and have actual conversations using real-time audio. Testing has already begun on college campuses across Seoul, South Korea.
#1: Music
Remember when the music industry fell behind in the transition from CDs to digital downloads? Not this time. Universal Music Group and digital-avatar company Genies have built animated versions of some of their biggest real-world artists. Justin Bieber has a music video with his avatar while Rihanna used hers in a tweet to promote her company Fenty.
