MARK Zuckerberg may have teased an upcoming product in an Instagram photo – but fans are even more distracted by other details.
A photo posted to Instagram and Threads in February showed the Meta CEO sitting at his computer with gear scattered around him.
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Captioned “20 years in. Still at,” the photo was meant to show the evolution of his desk setup in honor of Facebook’s 20th anniversary.
But users zeroed in on a peculiar detail – several pairs of glasses with thick black rims resting near a box of malted candy.
They are now believed to be prototypes of Meta’s forthcoming augmented reality glasses, codenamed Orion, which are slated to debut at Meta Connect in September.
When a curious Threads user asked the tech tycoon to “tell me more,” Zuckerberg responded, “Will be ready to share more later this year.”
This came after an announcement that Meta was “almost ready” to reveal a prototype of its holographic glasses during an interview last month.
Eagle-eyed Reddit users observed other details, noting that Zuckerberg was using a keyboard despite having a laptop with a touchpad.
“Using a mouse when he has a perfectly placed track point. Pleb,” one user wrote, using a slang term to describe an ordinary person.
Others questioned his decision to balance the computer on a stack of books rather than a proper laptop stand.
“Guy is worth billions and won’t afford a laptop stand,” one user commented.
“One of the richest men in the world and he uses books as his laptop base,” another wrote, adding, “He’s just like me for real.”
Another user mentioned counting nine pairs of glasses and a Meta Quest headset.
Others pointed out he was using a well-loved Lenovo ThinkPad, triggering surprised reactions.
“A bit shiny keys, worn out touchpad, smudges all around it and it’s a pretty new laptop (T14s G2)…the guy is actually using it,” one user remarked.
“And just like every other ThinkPad in existence, it looks like a gross greasy mess,” another quipped.
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While little is known about the Orion glasses, they will be a sharp diversion from Meta’s existing suite of virtual reality and mixed reality tools.
The Quest 2 headset, for instance, is an example of a VR headset. It is opaque rather than clear, meaning users cannot see their real-world surroundings.
Its successor, Quest 3, falls into a category known as mixed reality that seamlessly blends the lines between physical and digital.
Examples of AR devices are the Microsoft HoloLens and the original Google Glass.
These tools are transparent, meaning users can see their physical world with images or text projected on top.
The Orion glasses are also expected to differ from the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which last the visual elements associated with AR.
Virtual Reality v.s. Augmented Reality – what’s the difference?
Here’s what you need to know…
- Virtual reality involves using a headset to simulate a virtual world
- In a VR world, everything you see will be computer-generated
- Popular VR headsets include the HTC Vive and Facebook’s Oculus Rift
- Augmented reality lets you see the real world, but “augments” (or adds on) computer-generated elements
- This means you’ll be able to see computer images overlaid onto your real-world view
- For instance, you could wear glasses that overlay directions onto the road in front of you
- Popular AR headsets include Microsoft’s HoloLens and the Google Glass spectacles
- Meanwhile, VR headsets include the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro
- Some headsets offer mixed reality, and can blend both experiences
