Meta’s Muse actually does the thing | The Vergecast

《The Vergecast》的最新一集由Sonos赞助播出，深入探讨了本周密集的科技新闻，从Meta雄心勃勃的AI代理Muse和一系列新硬件开始。播客开篇强调了Sonos在为电影和音乐创造沉浸式音效体验中的作用，强调了其可定制和集成化的系统。 主要讨论围绕**Meta Connect**和Meta的新AI代理**Muse**的发布。Muse展示了令人印象深刻的功能，例如通过连接用户账户来管理电子邮件和在线任务，但它立即因Meta长期存在的隐私问题而受到审查。嘉宾们表达了不愿授予Meta访问个人数据的意愿，这与普遍存在的对该公司用户隐私承诺的怀疑不谋而合，尽管马克·扎克伯格（Mark Zuckerberg）就端到端加密以及Signal的马龙·莫克西斯派克（Marlon Moxiespike）的参与提供了保证。主持人批评Meta针对其配备摄像头的Ray-Ban眼镜的隐私问题提出的“手机没有指示灯”的辩护，称其为“思维终结式陈词滥调”，驳斥了合理的担忧。他们认为，这个隐私问题像“乌云”一样笼罩着Muse的潜力。 尽管存在隐私障碍，Muse仍因其用户友好的设计而受到赞扬，它以其他聊天机器人未能做到的方式，使高级AI触手可及。它在应用商店排名中的迅速上升以及与ChatGPT的比较表明其开局强劲，Meta将其定位为继手机之后的“下一个平台”。“Muse Charm”——一款独立的冰球状设备的推出，凸显了Meta超越智能手机、通过AI控制用户界面的战略。主持人承认Meta成功地“将个人AI代理的承诺产品化”，这是谷歌（Google）、苹果（Apple）、Humane和Rabbit都曾努力而未达成的壮举。然而，专用AI设备的真正效用以及为其支付的5G服务持续成本仍然是悬而未决的问题。 除了Muse，Meta Connect还推出了新款**Ray-Ban眼镜**，包括一款纯音频版本。虽然这解决了一些“变态眼镜”的担忧，但主持人认为品牌本身可能已经受损。这款音频眼镜还具备听力增强功能，与非处方助听器类似，尽管该领域过去的市场失败也值得注意。Meta还展示了新款**VR眼镜**，这是一款轻巧、高分辨率的头戴设备，让人联想到苹果的Vision Pro，但价格减半，重量也轻得多。这项创新被认为对娱乐和虚拟工作空间意义重大，尽管它在Meta活动中的突出程度被对AI的关注所掩盖，这表明该公司“元宇宙”雄心发生了转变。 “**Google Books**”（一款新的高端Chromebook系列）也成为了头条新闻。这些设备，包括戴尔XPS型号，旨在与安卓手机深度集成，提供手机和笔记本电脑之间的无缝文件访问、应用使用和“继续操作”功能。虽然这为安卓用户提供了引人注目的功能，但它也造成了显著的锁定效应，使得这些笔记本电脑对iPhone用户来说用处不大。主持人质疑谷歌能否有效对抗已建立的Windows和Mac生态系统，特别是考虑到Chromebook更高的价格点以及安卓桌面应用体验持续存在的问题。 播客随后转到“Hype Desk”环节，阿什利·埃斯奎达（Ashley Esqueda）讨论了**马赫沙拉·阿里（Mahershala Ali）**对凯文·费奇（Kevin Feige）未能批准新电影**《刀锋战士》（Blade）**的“失败”所做的直言不讳的评价，指出这位演员罕见的坦率。该片段幽默地回顾了原版《刀锋战士》系列电影的“疯狂”本质，尤其是第三部中“性感的德古拉”，并质疑漫威（Marvel）将如何重启该系列。 “布兰登·卡尔是个笨蛋”（Brendan Carr is a Dummy）这一环节批评了FCC专员布兰登·卡尔（Brendan Carr）推行一项规则，该规则将先于地方宽带法规，阻碍城市追究ISP承诺基础设施建设责任的能力。主持人认为卡尔一贯偏袒ISP，导致美国互联网接入速度更慢、成本更高。 最后，闪电回顾环节涵盖： * **亚历山大·王（Alexander Wang）**关于Meta的Muse吉祥物Jolly的“好色推文”，展示了这位科技高管意想不到的个性。 * **派拉蒙-华纳合并**案，加州在沙特和埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）投资报告的背景下，就反垄断诉讼达成和解，条件包括为CNN设立独立的编辑委员会和电影上映配额。 * **YouTube的新AI功能**，包括一个用于优化频道和针对不同开头/钩子进行A/B视频测试的代理，引发了对内容过度优化和潜在滥用的担忧。 * Xbox持续的**裁员和工作室整合**，光环（Halo）被置于动视（Activision）的管辖之下，这表明动视暴雪（Activision Blizzard）收购案产生了持久影响。 * 一个积极的消息是：**Rode的免费固件更新**为其音频产品增加了4K支持，这被誉为公司为现有硬件提供重要免费升级的罕见范例。

The latest episode of The Vergecast, supported by Sonos, delves into a packed week of tech news, starting with Meta's ambitious AI agent, Muse, and a suite of new hardware. The podcast opens by highlighting Sonos's role in creating immersive sound experiences for movies and music, emphasizing its customizable and integrated system. The main discussion centers on **Meta Connect** and the launch of **Muse**, Meta's new AI agent. While Muse demonstrates impressive capabilities, such as managing emails and online tasks by connecting to user accounts, it immediately faces scrutiny over Meta's long-standing privacy issues. Guests express reluctance to grant Meta access to personal data, echoing widespread skepticism about the company's commitment to user privacy, despite assurances from Mark Zuckerberg about end-to-end encryption and the involvement of Signal's Marlon Moxiespike. The hosts criticize Meta's "phones don't have a light" defense regarding the privacy of its camera-equipped Ray-Ban glasses, calling it a "thought-terminating cliché" that dismisses legitimate concerns. This privacy problem, they argue, hangs like a "dark cloud" over Muse's potential. Despite privacy hurdles, Muse is praised for its consumer-friendly design, making advanced AI accessible in a way other chatbots haven't. Its rapid ascent in app store rankings and comparison to ChatGPT suggest a strong start, with Meta positioning it as the "next platform" after the phone. The introduction of the "Muse Charm," a standalone puck-like device, underscores Meta's strategy to move beyond smartphones and control the user interface through AI. The hosts acknowledge that Meta has successfully "productized the promise" of a personal AI agent, a feat that Google, Apple, Humane, and Rabbit have struggled with. However, the true utility of a dedicated AI device and the ongoing cost of 5G service for it remain open questions. Beyond Muse, Meta Connect unveiled new **Ray-Ban glasses**, including an audio-only version. While this addresses some "pervert glasses" concerns, the hosts suggest the brand itself might be tarnished. The audio glasses also feature a hearing enhancement function, drawing parallels to over-the-counter hearing aids, though past market failures in this area are noted. Meta also presented new **VR glasses**, a lightweight, high-resolution headset reminiscent of Apple's Vision Pro but at half the price and a fraction of the weight. This innovation is seen as significant for entertainment and virtual workspaces, though its prominence in Meta's event was overshadowed by the AI focus, indicating a shift in the company's "metaverse" ambitions. **Google Books**, a new line of high-end Chromebooks, also made headlines. These devices, including a Dell XPS model, are designed for deep integration with Android phones, offering seamless file access, app usage, and "continue on" features between phone and laptop. While this offers compelling features for Android users, it creates significant lock-in, rendering the laptops less useful for iPhone users. The hosts question whether Google can compete effectively against established Windows and Mac ecosystems, especially given the higher price point for Chromebooks and the ongoing issues with Android's desktop app experience. The podcast then moves to the "Hype Desk," where Ashley Esqueda discusses **Mahershala Ali's** blunt assessment of Kevin Feige's "failure" to greenlight the new **Blade movie**, noting the actor's rare candidness. The segment humorously recalls the "bonkers" nature of the original Blade films, particularly the third one with its "hot Dracula," questioning how Marvel might reboot the franchise. The segment "Brendan Carr is a Dummy" critiques FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr for pushing a rule that would preempt local broadband regulations, hindering cities' ability to hold ISPs accountable for promised infrastructure buildouts. The host argues Carr consistently sides with ISPs, making internet access slower and more expensive in the U.S. Finally, the lightning round covers: * **Alexander Wang's "horny tweets"** about Meta's Muse mascot, Jolly, showcasing an unexpected personality from a tech executive. * The **Paramount-Warner merger**, where California settled an antitrust lawsuit with conditions like an independent editorial board for CNN and movie release quotas, amidst reports of Saudi and Elon Musk's investment. * **YouTube's new AI features**, including an agent to optimize channels and A/B video testing for different intros/hooks, raising concerns about content hyper-optimization and potential abuse. * The continued **layoffs and studio consolidations at Xbox**, with Halo moving under Activision's purview, indicating the lasting impact of the Activision Blizzard acquisition. * A positive note: **Rode's free firmware update** that added 4K support to its audio products, praised as a rare example of a company providing significant, free upgrades to existing hardware.