Let’s Get Meta
Uncanny Valley | WIRED29 Loka 2021

Let’s Get Meta

Facebook has a new name. This week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company is changing its name to Meta. The title comes from something Facebook has been calling the metaverse—an VR/AR experience that allows users to interact remotely with a mix of virtual and in-person elements. It's a very deliberate change of course for the company, and one that comes at a time when Facebook is embroiled in a weeks-long controversy about how its product may harm its users. But while the company may have a new name, that doesn't mean its problems are over.

This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED senior writer Arielle Pardes joins us to talk about Facebook's rebranding, its push into the metaverse, and the challenges that come with that shift.

Show Notes:

Read Arielle Pardes’ story about Facebook’s name change. Here’s Lauren’s story about Facebook’s metaverse ambitions. Read WIRED’s series about the Facebook papers. Also check out Peter Rubin’s stories about Facebook’s camera glasses and Horizon workrooms. Here’s how to change the algorithmic ranking of Facebook’s newsfeed. And here’s how to delete your account, permanently.

Recommendations:

Arielle recommends the new Dune movie. Mike recommends the most recent episode of The War on Cars podcast with food writer Alicia Kennedy. Lauren recommends WIRED’s story package about the Facebook papers.

Arielle Pardes can be found on Twitter @pardesoteric. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

If you have feedback about the show, or just want to enter to win a $50 gift card, take our brief listener survey here.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(426)

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Welcome back to Uncanny Valley! This week, WIRED’s Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger are joining the show as the new co-hosts, alongside Zoë Schiffer. And our attention has been on the drama going down in...

22 Tammi 36min

BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World

BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World

Katie sits down with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales talks about what it means to build something used by billions of people that’s not optimized for growth at all costs. Jimmy reflected on Wikipedia’s ...

20 Tammi 58min

BIG INTV: Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to ‘Stand Up’

BIG INTV: Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to ‘Stand Up’

The LinkedIn cofounder and frequent Trump target, Reid Hoffman has a simple message for his peers: “Just speak up about the things that you think are true.”Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny V...

13 Tammi 51min

BIG INTV: Margaret Atwood on Doomscrolling: ‘I Want to Keep Up With the Latest Doom’

BIG INTV: Margaret Atwood on Doomscrolling: ‘I Want to Keep Up With the Latest Doom’

On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood talks about Elon Musk, political resistance, and why she still has hope for America’s future.Join WIRED’...

6 Tammi 54min

BIG INTV: CTO Elizabeth Stone On The Future of Netflix: “Personalized, Interactive, Immersive”

BIG INTV: CTO Elizabeth Stone On The Future of Netflix: “Personalized, Interactive, Immersive”

Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone is an anomaly. Instead of coding, she spent her twenties getting a PhD in economics. She quietly rose through the ranks in Silicon Valley and is now responsible for leading...

23 Joulu 202542min

WIRED Roundup: The Five Tech and Politics Trends That Shaped 2025

WIRED Roundup: The Five Tech and Politics Trends That Shaped 2025

For better or for worse, this year had it all — from the AI industry shaping the global economy and our lives, to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) taking over U.S federal agenc...

19 Joulu 202531min

Introducing A New Chapter for Uncanny Valley

Introducing A New Chapter for Uncanny Valley

As the year draws to an end, Mike and Lauren have some news to share with listeners. But first, they head over to the pool to unwind and reflect on what they’ll be watching for in the tech space this ...

18 Joulu 202525min

BIG INTV: AWS CEO Matt Garman Doesn’t Think AI Should Replace Junior Devs

BIG INTV: AWS CEO Matt Garman Doesn’t Think AI Should Replace Junior Devs

The head of Amazon Web Services has big plans to offer AI tools to businesses, but says that replacing coders with AI is “a non-starter for anyone who's trying to build a long-term company.” Katie sit...

16 Joulu 202545min