DescriptionThis week, Facebook is entering the Metaverse, the MLB is ignoring extortion, and TVs are more expensive.ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreFacebook is now Meta, and the Metaverse has everyone confusedOver the past few years, a term has become popular among software companies: metaverse. This term is a combination of the word meta, meaning beyond, and the abbreviation verse, short for universe. The idea is that it is a virtual space where people can interact with one another. The term does not require virtual reality, but in modern times it almost always does. Earlier this year, Epic Games discussed their plans, but the company at the forefront of the content is Facebook. This week, the company showed its dedication by changing its name to Meta, as well as announcing a huge collection of initiatives towards this end.read full articleAugmented Reality glasses and watches are still on the horizonWith Virtual Reality becoming the primary focus of Meta, the future of other hardware could have been placed in jeopardy. The Facebook Portal devices, for example, have seen no real market adoption. But, the company appears to have committed itself to various types of hardware outside of the former Oculus brand of VR headsets.read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by Loot CrateGaming is still important in the future Metaverse, Oculus is notNow that Facebook is Meta, and the company is all-in on the Metaverse, VR is a bigger focus than social. The company has a strong VR infrastructure already, but its future is changing.read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesMLB hacked by pirate site owner, attempted extortion for $150,000The past few years have seen everyone inundated with hacks, malware, and digital extortion. It hasn't mattered if you're an individual or an international megacorporation - everyone could come under fire from these tactics. This week, it was revealed that Major League Baseball (MLB) was the victim of hacking, as well as attempted extortion. But, the details are stranger than usual.read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeTV prices are highest since 2012 - what will Black Friday look like?2021 has seen a variety of issues to the supply chain, and they are all affecting the price of a lot of products. One of those product categories being hit in price is televisions, a traditional staple of Black Friday sales. As we approach Black Friday 2021, fears over the availability of TV sales have begun to emerge.read full articleClosingPowered by Tech Podcast Network