Meta Pulls the Plug on AR: Reality Just Got Realer

So, Meta Platforms—yeah, you know, the artist formerly known as Facebook—just pulled a magic trick on us. One minute they’re all about augmented reality, and the next, poof! They're shutting down their Meta Spark platform faster than you can say "Zuckerberg." Starting January 14th, if you were hoping to sprinkle some third-party AR effects on your Instagram selfies, well, too bad. You’re gonna have to settle for reality, like the rest of us.

Meta says they’re just “prioritizing the products that will best serve the future needs of consumers.” Which, in corporate speak, basically means, "We got bored with it." But don't worry, the AR effects they own will still be there—because nothing says 'fun' like company-approved augmented reality.

And as for their stock? It’s taking a slight dip, down 0.39%. But hey, it’s Meta, they’ve got enough money to handle it. It's like they dropped their wallet, and only one dollar fell out. Meanwhile, the rest of us are like, "Can I have that dollar?"

So, moral of the story? If you're in the augmented reality game, now might be a good time to find a new hobby—like knitting or actually talking to people.