Google's Starline express, Meta's faking it until it makes it & TikToking tech workers.

Google’s Project Starline

Feel like you’re there, together.

That’s the promise of Google’s Project Starline - a next generation 3D video chat booth designed to improve telepresence by using advanced technology to replicate a face-to-face conversation.

The new booth captures people as they are using 3D imaging, compresses that information in real time to send it over existing networks and then renders that person viewable through a three-dimensional display, so it feels like you’re talking to someone right in front of you.

“We think we have a breakthrough in communication technology that makes you feel closer and more connected with people that could be anywhere around the world,” said Andrew Nartker, director of product management for Starline, describing it as a ‘magic window’.

But a magic window that is bulky, requires very expensive equipment and needs a twin to be able to work. So you’ll need more than an abracadabra to pull this one out of the hat.

That said, Project Starline isn’t a product at this point. But Google announced that it would be installing Starline booths for select enterprise partners including Salesforce, WeWork and T-Mobile as part of an early access program.

Watch this space.

Meta’s Legs Controversy

Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t have a leg to stand on this week after he was outed for not having legs to stand on.

The Meta boss came under fire after it was revealed that his demo of virtual reality legs at the Meta Connect event was staged.

During his segment, Zuckerberg announced that legs were coming to the metaverse, which is a pretty big deal given the difficulties in simulating legs/the lack of leg sensors in VR headsets/the history of floating torsos.

“I know you’ve been waiting for this. Everyone has been waiting for this. But seriously, legs are hard, which is why other virtual reality systems don’t have them either,” he said.

So hard, in fact, that not even he actually managed to create it. It turns out that his Meta legs were actually pre-rendered for the show using motion capture, a far more advanced and expensive process for capturing body movement than the technology they’ll actually be using called QuestSim.

UploadVR’s Ian Hamilton confirmed this via a Meta statement about the segment, saying it was necessary to enable a preview of what’s to come, but people have hit back saying that it is not representative given that different technology will be used.

I.e. Stop trying to pull our legs.

TikToking On The Job

Lifestyle vlogging has given rise to a new form of personal branding, where creators show followers the ins and outs of their workday, turning their job into their personal brand.

And the people love to see it.

Tech industry workers are getting millions of views, and huge followings, on TikTok as they document their daily grind.

From glossy inspirational content and free career resources to a questionable lack of work and an impressive amount of snacks, more and more creators are building a brand from their tech jobs.

But messy boundaries between what is and isn’t allowed is causing HR’s head to spin and reality to warp.

While companies that employ these creators will invariably benefit from the viral videos of employees extolling the benefits of their jobs, the need to protect confidential information, adhere to company policies and protect your job has meant most of the videos are exclusively highlighting the perks of their work.

Creators are having to develop tactics to deliver content that keeps their employers happy, while honouring their personal expression about the realities of the workplace.

Anything for the brand.