What are the biggest insights and observations in AR and adjacent sectors this week? Welcome to Reality Bytes, featuring lightning-round commentary from AR Insider partner M7 Innovations. Founder Matt Maher lends his insights from the trenches of AR experience creation.

We continue the narrative this week with Maher’s look at Apple’s NFC activation, Facebook’s latest avatar moves, and Roblox record breaking. See the quick summary below, followed by embedded video. And stay tuned each week for more AR-related musings from Maher.

📱Apple is activating its NFC technology found in over 1BN iPhones to allow small businesses to accept payment directly through its smartphone, no extra hardware needed.

👹 Facebook is letting users build their own avatars for Instagram Stories and Messenger. We discuss the implications of this Metaverse play and if users will adopt it.

🏙 Brookhaven topped Roblox’s 2021 data report as the most visited location in its game. We dive into what this means for gamers, the public, and the eventual Metaverse.

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