Musk's poll quickly went viral, with over 2 million votes cast in a matter of hours. The results were overwhelmingly in favor of the "schloop," with over 75% of respondents expressing interest in the unit of measurement.

Many were surprised by the sudden appearance of the "schloop" poll, as it seemed to come out of nowhere. However, Musk is known for his unconventional approach to marketing and product development, and it's likely that the poll was simply a way for him to gauge interest in a potential new offering.

While it's unclear at this time what exactly the "schloop" might be used for, or even if it will ever see the light of day, it's clear that Musk has a knack for generating buzz and engagement on social media. Regardless of the outcome, it's likely that this won't be the last time Musk uses Twitter to gauge interest in one of his ideas.

Explore the buzz around Elon Musk's cryptic "Schloop" poll that took the internet by storm. Join us as we delve into possible interpretations and the potential implications of this viral phenomenon.

Elon Musk's Mysterious "Schloop" Poll Goes Viral: Decoding the Hype

On December 20, 2022, Elon Musk made headlines when he used Twitter to conduct a poll about the potential for a new product. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO asked his followers to vote on whether or not they would be interested in a "schloop," a unit of measurement for mass.

Elon Musk's 'Schloop' Poll Goes Viral: What Could It Mean?

Hey peeps,

## **The Stats: VivaTech 2023 by the Numbers**

Alright, hold on to your keyboards 'cause we've got some killer news to share from the biggest tech bash of the year, VivaTech. This Paris-based tech carnival just wrapped up its 7th edition, and boy oh boy, it was a rager! For the first time ever, over 150k people swung by in person, and a whopping 405k folks tuned in online.

## **A Who's Who of Tech Superstars**

For those who missed it, don't sweat it! We've got your back. Picture this, four days packed with amazing tech gurus from 174 countries, and the atmosphere was just electrifying. There were tons of "oh-so-cool" innovations and a lineup of speakers that reads like a who's who in tech. Everyone from Elon Musk drawing massive crowds, to Marc Benioff, the big man at Salesforce, was there. Even French President Emmanuel Macron was in the house!

## **Topics that Get Techies Talking**

There were juicy discussions on pressing topics, including AI, Climate Tech, diversity in tech, and even the "Future of Sport". It's safe to say, VivaTech was the very heart of the global tech conversation. One of the hottest highlights was Musk's chat with Maurice Lévy at the Dôme de Paris, attended by more than 6,000 peeps, and boy was the crowd hyped!

## **Investing in Startups: The Business Side of VivaTech**

But hey, VivaTech isn't just about show and tell, it's also about business and growth. This year, VivaTech hosted a truckload of investors giving startups a golden chance to network and build partnerships. They even had the Next Unicorn Awards celebrating Europe's most promising startups.

## **Shining the Spotlight: Awards and Recognitions**

And there's more, guys. VivaTech and the International Finance Corporation hosted the AfricaTech Awards, supporting innovative African startups in Climate Tech, Health Tech, and Fintech. And the Female Founder Challenge, a shoutout to women in tech, gave the top prize to Zuzanna Stamirowska, founder of Pathway.

As usual, LVMH threw in their Innovation Awards, and Save Your Wardrobe took the cake this year. And in true environmentally friendly spirit, the Tech on Track initiative allowed many startups, investors, and journalists to travel to Paris by train.

## **Wrapping Up: The Aftermath of VivaTech 2023**

When all was said and done, the co-presidents of VivaTech, Maurice Lévy, Pierre Louette, and CEO François Bitouzet, had this to say: "Our record-breaking attendance confirms Europe's booming tech scene and VivaTech's unique role in it. We're helping to grow an even more economically efficient tech sector that's good for the planet, communities, and individuals."

## **A Big Shoutout to the Supporters: VivaTech Partners**

Before we sign off, here's a big shout out to all the partners who made this tech extravaganza possible. Co-organizers Groupe Les Echos - Le Parisien, and Publicis Groupe; Founding Partners BNP Paribas, Google, La Poste Groupe, LVMH, and Orange; and Platinum Partners Amazon, ManpowerGroup, and many more.

## **Save the Date: VivaTech 2024**

Mark your calendars, 'cause VivaTech will be back from May 22-25, 2024 at Paris Porte de Versailles. Trust us, you don't want to miss it!

Get the inside scoop on the VivaTech 2023 tech carnival in Paris. From record-breaking attendance to the most exciting innovations, we've got all the deets on this global tech fest.

VivaTech 2023: 150,000+ People, Elon Musk, and a Lorry Load of Innovation

The metaverse hasn't been faring particularly well recently, particularly since the rebranding of [Facebook](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/facebook-ai) to [Meta](https://about.meta.com/) almost two years ago. However, the recent unveiling of [Apple’s Vision Pro](https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/), priced at a humble $3,500, has refocused attention on the potential and future of this digital space.

Venture investments in metaverse startups, encompassing businesses in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the virtual world sectors, have seen a significant drop since Meta’s rebranding. According to Crunchbase, the sector experienced a dramatic 77% decrease in funding from Q4 2021 to Q1 this year. Current indications suggest that the upcoming quarter may not offer an improvement.

It's worth mentioning that 2021 was a record-breaking year for venture funding, marking a stark contrast to the current funding landscape. The venture market has witnessed a significant downturn since, with little sign of revival.

Funding amounts decreased from $2.2 billion in Q4 2021 to a mere $526 million last quarter, and the number of deals also saw a decline. Major deals such as Magic Leap's $500 million investment and Niantic's $300 million Series D funding have been absent this year.

This year's largest deal - $104 million for Impel, an AI-powered car buying platform utilizing AR features - is arguably tangential to the core concept of the metaverse.

The adoption of the metaverse has suffered setbacks beyond VC investments. For instance, [Microsoft](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjU6vaLwM3_AhUvIQYAHbS3AooYABAAGgJ3cw&sig=AOD64_0h2rWA52vpTpwvl4ihCWNleYACBA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjbtuyLwM3_AhV__rsIHTnQCQ8Q0Qx6BAgNEAE) announced its decision to close AltspaceVR, a social VR platform acquired in 2017. Even Meta seems more invested in AI, the tech industry's latest trend, than its namesake, the metaverse.

Yet, Apple’s introduction of its Vision Pro has revived metaverse discussions. Apple's reputation for turning elusive concepts into tangible, user-friendly devices may well play a pivotal role in bringing the metaverse back from the brink.

It's crucial to remember that infrastructure for platforms like the metaverse can take years to establish, and during that time, fluctuations in the marketplace are inevitable.

Though the fate of the metaverse remains uncertain, Apple's massive market cap of nearly $2.9 trillion lends some hope. If any company can bring the metaverse to fruition, the makers of Mac may very well be it.

*Note: The information provided in this article is sourced from Crunchbase News*

A deep dive into the current state of metaverse investments, exploring the potential influence of Apple's latest unveiling, the Vision Pro, on the future of this digital space.

Apple's Vision Pro: A Beacon of Hope for the Metaverse?

Apple’s Vision Pro: A Potential Lifeline for the Dwindling Metaverse Investments?

## **Twitter Fatigue: Caught in a Love-Hate Relationship with Social Media**

Hey, we’ve all been there. Hours of endless tapping and scrolling through algorithmic jungles, slowly chipping away at our self-esteem and purpose, right? The TikTok noise overdose, the marathon of doomscrolling till the phone gasps its last battery life, leaving you with the reflection of a tired soul.

And who hasn't dreamed about going full-on Jason Bourne and erasing every single digital trace of themselves? From cringe-worthy DMs, unfortunate party pics, to those profound late-night thoughts that hit you during a 2014 house party. But as Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter showed us, it's not that simple to ditch these digital spaces we're so entangled with.

<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/UoQ2ldjonJLTVkFxrq" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/phone-scrolling-doomscrolling-UoQ2ldjonJLTVkFxrq">via GIPHY</a></p>

## **Rise of the Twitter Alternatives: A Solution or Just More of the Same?**

So here comes Meta’s Threads, snapping up a cool 30 million downloads on its release day – myself included. Guinness World Record vibes there, folks. Would've been bigger if not for it being MIA in the EU.

Marky Z’s pitching it as a “friendlier” Twitter rival, jumping into the ring with others like Bluesky, Hive, Mastodon, all hoping to score big from Twitter's recent… um, feather ruffling.

Sure, these new kids on the block get their 15 minutes of fame, but old habits die hard. But here's where Threads sneaks a lead. Most of us are already on Insta, right? And Threads is basically joined at the hip with it. Streamlines the whole hopping-onto-a-new-app process. Even my dear mom’s taken the leap.\
<iframe src="https://globalnews.ca/video/embed/9811894/" width="670" height="372" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen scrolling="no"></iframe>

## **Does Twitter Really Need a Challenger?**

While it's juicy to speculate whether Threads is a real contender for Twitter's crown, or whether Musk and Zuck will really get in that bizarrely hyped cage fight (cue biggest eye roll), I'm more hung up on a different question: Do we even need a Twitter alternative?

I'll be honest, I was madly in love with Twitter. Joined the bird gang back in 2009, even had a six-month gig there during the pandemic. It's been my news hub and networking ground for over a decade. Yeah, it gave me occasional existential dread, but when Musk strolled into Twitter HQ, it hit me hard.

That sinking feeling was about realizing the ephemeral nature of the internet. Social platforms, like fashion trends, come and go (Myspace, anyone?). And they usually fade away when we've moved onto the next shiny thing.

<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/FMvc3FCa30ZsuY5QYv" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/cirquedusoleil-twitter-meta-threads-FMvc3FCa30ZsuY5QYv">via GIPHY</a></p>

## **Digital Detox: Is Less Really More?**

What's weird about Twitter is how many of us are still there, despising every scroll yet too hooked or just too burnt out to log off. Social media, once a tool for connecting with like-minded peeps, is now this ad-stuffed beast gnawing at our brains and attention spans.

So why the heck would anyone want more social media apps clogging up their phone and mind?

Many youngsters are already craving a more offline life. "Dumb phones" sales spiked in the US in 2022. Over 212,000 people are members of the r/nosurf subreddit, seeking ways to trim down screen time.

<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/TbUpRvtztIIbmOH53J" width="384" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/NBCUniversalTelemundo-say-more-threads-instagram-hello-TbUpRvtztIIbmOH53J">via GIPHY</a></p>

## **Redefining Social Media: What’s the Way Forward?**

Doesn’t it seem like we've reached a tipping point where we don't need more social media platforms but a complete overhaul of the concept?

As video entertainment took over the internet, the personal touch that once filled Facebook statuses in 2008 moved to messaging apps like WhatsApp or community platforms like Discord. But in this shift, we lost the line between branded influencer content and intimate, genuine connection.

With tech honchos throwing Twitter punch-ups, it's clear we've lost the plot somewhere. No easy solutions here, folks, but a revisit and rethink of the entire social media landscape seems due.\
\
Photo by [Prateek Katyal](https://unsplash.com/@prateekkatyal?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/social?license=free&utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)\
C﻿over Photo by The New York Times

Threads joins the line-up of Twitter alternatives, but do we need more social media platforms or a total redefinition of the social media concept? Join us as we explore the implications and the way forward.

Twitter Blues: Is the Answer More Social Media or a Total Rethink?

Threads App: Sick of Scrolling? Musings on the Need for a Twitter Alternative

CRYPTO HUNTERS TV SHOW 🌟 GLOBAL ONLINE CASTING NOW OPEN 🌟
JOIN THE HUNT AND SHOWCASE YOUR SKILLS ON THE FIRST-EVER CRYPTO ADVENTURE REALITY TV SHOW 🌟