The Metaverse(元宇宙): The Future of Web Design and Development?

To many, the Metaverse might seem like this is something that is still far from becoming a reality. To others, it is the inevitable future of web design and development.

The Metaverse is an ambitious project that seeks to bring together many different web development and HiTech technologies in order to offer users a new experience of the web. Today, users view content on the web. On the Metaverse, users will be immersed(沉浸在)in the content thanks to technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Machine Learning, and other forms of Artificial Intelligence.

In brief, it is the next iteration(迭代)of the Internet where users will be able to navigate through a virtual space instead of the current two-dimensional screens. Although much has been said about it, there is still much that needs to be done, and this is both an opportunity and a challenge. Whatever the case is, it is the future of web design, and companies need to start thinking about how to reap the benefits of it.

One of the most important implications of this upgraded version of the web is the impact it will have on apps and websites. The rise of the Metaverse will not eliminate digital products as we currently know them. On the contrary, it will most likely be the case that both will coexist in new and more powerful forms.

This means that business websites will not become obsolete(淘汰的). As a matter of fact, they will probably become more relevant. Traditional websites will probably end up coexisting with the Metaverse, creating synergies(协同作用)that benefit users and businesses alike.

Aside from the impact on business websites, it is also important to consider operational aspects like the changes in the role of the typical web designer and developer. Digital product teams will have to rethink the tech stacks(一大推)they use in order to build interfaces and experiences for the user journeys coming our way.

Business decision-makers need to understand this and allow their teams to experiment with what might be the future of web experiences for users. Yes, it is a risky bet, but this is something that is gaining a lot of strength, and we might be hearing more about it sooner than we expect.

As mentioned above, traditional websites and other digital products aren’t going anywhere, but they surely need to be reworked in terms of what is expected of the future of web design.

Inspiration 4: Amateur astronauts set for orbital spaceflight

Four “amateur astronauts” are about to launch into orbit in another landmark mission for space tourism. It’s the latest flight to help open up access to space for paying customers, following on from       1     by Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos.

The trip has been paid for by Us billionaire businessman Jared Isaac-man, who will travel with three crew-mates. A healthcare worker, a science educator and a data     2     will circle the Earth with Mr Isaac-man for three days.

They hope to inspire others with their adventure and to raise money for children’s cancer medicine. The mission has been named Inspiration 4     3    .

The crew’s Dragon vehicle, manufactured by Elon Musk’s company Space X, will ride atop a Falcon-9 rocket. It is     4     to launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 20:02 EDT on Wednesday (01:02 BST, Thursday), or very shortly after.

The mission follows hot on the heels of Sir Richard Branson’s flight aboard his Virgin Galactic rocket plane on 11 July, and fellow billionaire Jeff Bezo’s trip to space nine days later in the New Shepard vehicle.

Some commentators have voiced concern about the     5     impact on the Earth’s climate of spaceflights like this one.

Space X’s Falcon-9 rocket uses highly-refined kerosene(煤油)fuel which produces the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), along with nitrogen oxides, which also help     6     to warming. The emissions from rocket launches remain tiny compared with the aviation industry, though they are     7     to grow.

In the 60 years since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin first went into space, fewer than 600 people have followed in his footsteps; and most of those have been military-trained personnel flying on government-     8     missions. Inspiration 4 is different. It’ll be a fully     9     purchased and operated orbital flight.

California-based Space X intends to sell many more orbital flights to interests beyond traditional space agencies. Nasa helped fund the development of a lot of the technology used by Elon Musk’s company, and did so to try to     10     the economy in low-Earth orbit. This approach is beginning to pay dividends(产生效益). Already, the Texas start-up Axiom Space has purchased four Dragon flights to take tourists to the ISS.

Three Hours a Week: Play Time’s over for China’s Young Video Gamers

China has forbidden under-18s from playing video games for more than three hours a week, a stringent(严苛的)social intervention that it said was needed to pull the plug on a growing addiction to     1     it once described as “spiritual opium(鸦片)”.

The new rules,     2     (publish) on Monday, are part of a major shift by Beijing to strengthen control over its society and key sectors of its economy, including tech, education and property, after years of runaway growth.

The restrictions, which apply to any devices including phones, are a body blow to a global gaming industry that caters to tens of millions of young players in the world’s most profitable market.

They limit under - 18s to     3     (play) for one hour a day - 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. - on only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, according to the Xinhua sate news agency. They can also play for an hour, at the same time, on public holidays.

The rules from the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) regulator coincide with a broader clampdown(压制)by Beijing     4     China’s tech giants, such as Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings.

The campaign     5     (prevent) what state media has described as the “savage growth” of some companies has wiped tens of billions of dollars off shares traded at home and abroad.

Gaming companies will be barred from providing services to minors in any form outside the stipulated(规定)hours and     6     ensure they have put real-name verification systems in place, said the regulator,     7     oversees the country’s video games market.

The new rules swiftly became one of the most discussed topics on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter. Some users expressed support for the measures     8     others said they were surprised at how drastic(严厉的)the rules were.

“This is so fierce that I’m utterly speechless,” said one comment that received over 700 likes.     9     expressed doubt that the restrictions could be enforced. “They will just use their parent’s logins, how can they control it?” asked one.

The NPPA regulator told Xinhua it     10     (increase) the frequency and intensity of inspections for online gaming companies to ensure they were putting in place time limits and anti-addiction systems. It also said that parents and teachers played key roles in curbing gaming addiction.

8 . Devotees of Stump-town Coffee, a high-end roastery with fewer than 10 total locations in four select cities, pride themselves on avoiding mainstream coffee chains. What they are probably unaware of, however, as they sip their mochas and cold brews, is that their favorite spot of individuality may soon be just another chain in the Phoenix airport. What they might suspect even less is that they will have a different shopping experience in the coffee shop.

Stump-town, the iconic small-scale brand, was recently acquired by Peet’s, a chain with a couple hundred locations. Peet’s has been in the news for taking over Intelligentsia, another well-loved and self-consciously indie coffee brand. Stump-town’s sale to Peet’s exemplifies an economic phenomenon not limited to the world of craft coffee. Stump-town joins the ranks of a number of popular brands that went from independent to corporate - then Italian San Pellegrino, now owned by the Swiss giant Nestle (along with its main competitor Perrier), the originally Quaker-owned chocolate-bar maker, Cad-bury, acquired by the U. S. corporation formerly known as Kraft, and The Body Shop, the cosmetics brand synonymous with ethical sourcing, bought by the French behemoth L’Oreal, to name a few.

Stump-town’s story is typical of an innovative young venture becoming a victim of its own success. Founded in 1999 by Duane Sorenson in his native Oregon, it turned into a national phenomenon and was at the forefront of the small-scale retailers that positioned coffee - making, and coffee-drinking, as a kind of art form. Stump-town’s business model rested on providing an intensely personal experience. Coffee-drinkers were treated with top-notch beans and unique brews crafted in Stump-town’s “coffee labs,” But these personal touches don’t fit well in the assembly lines of large-scale operations.

The arithmetic of the “bigger is better” paradigm(范例), or what economist call “economies of scale,” is simple enough. The larger the machine, the more lattes it can spew out. Most of all, scale translates into standardization: the conversion of an unpredictable creative process into a precise and highly economical algorithm(算法)of production. All of this means more profits.

But, based on studies of human behavior in places ranging from blood banks to daycare centers, academics now recognize that the calculus is more complex: People act more responsibly in the context of personal relationships that are meaningful to them than in strictly commercial deals, Loyal customers don’t mind going that extra mile to get the perfect cup of coffee.

Smaller institutions have much to offer - not just sentimentally, but also in terms of pure economics. The idea goes back to the 20^th century British economist E. F. Schumacher’s declaration that “Small is beautiful,” a notion fashionable again in the era of institutions “too big to fail.” Since the logic of scale is more attuned to quantity than quality, workers (whose wages are usually driven down), consumers (who enjoy lower prices, but usually get a worse product) and the landscape of the economy (which shows signs of marked decreases in diversity) all suffer from growth that is too rapid. Size is the traditional measurement of a company’s success, but when stability is pursued as passionately as profit, less may truly be more.

9 . Covid has made online shopping addicts of us all

Impulse-buy moments can happen to anyone. Since the pandemic began, I have received a stream of requests for advice on how to curb (抑制) shopping compulsions. Despite rising unemployment and economic struggles, online spending keeps breaking records.

    1     And since coronavirus, these are precisely the predominant emotions many have experienced. When lockdowns restricted activities that maintain wellbeing, such as dinner with friends, travel or a trip to the local swimming pool, many turned to their internet browsers for refuge.

Shopping can provide an escape into wished-for realities, distraction from uncomfortable feelings, and a sense of having control over aspects of our lives that, ultimately, may not be controllable.     2     The problem, of course, is that dopamine highs wear off, prompting a need to re-dose.

Psychologists have identified a human tendency to turn to objects to help compensate for unmet needs. This starts in the cradle, with babies reaching for their favourite stuffed toys in order to ease the anxiety that arises from their parents' absence at bedtime. Turning to products for emotional comfort doesn’t stop after childhood. Shopping addictions are most likely to occur when feelings of depression and anxiety become more lasting. So as the pandemic drags on, shopping addictions risk occurring in increasingly more of us. Buying products as a way of feeling more empowered or to escape from uncomfortable feelings can result in guilt due to over-splurging. This increased discomfort can, in turn, intensify the urge to shop.     3     At the same time, efforts to manipulate and accelerate consumers’ online buying behaviour has expanded and grown more sophisticated.

If since Covid-19 arrived you have shopped more than usual, and want to stop, here is a suggestion.     4     Do you really want a new sweater, or a sports toy for your child? Step away from the computer. It could be that what you are searching for is more connection, excitement, normalcy and joy.