Facebook’s follow-up to Portal will sit on your TV

Facebook’s follow-up to Portal will sit on your TV, says report

It’s reportedly another project coming out of Facebook’s futuristic Building 8 lab.

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Facebook’s Portal Plus.

James Martin/CNET

Facebook is reportedly planning another video chat device, but this one could be for your TV.

The world’s largest social network is building a camera-equipped device that sits on top of a TV and allows video calling along with entertainment services, according to Cheddar. The device is reportedly code-named “Ripley” and uses the same technology as Facebook’s Portal video chat device.

Earlier this month, the tech giant launched Portal and Portal Plus, two video chat devices designed to make you feel like you and your friends are hanging out in the same room even though you may be far away. The devices were built on Facebook Messenger and Amazon’s Alexa smart assistant, which enable them to use an artificial intelligence-powered camera to pan, zoom and reframe the picture, allowing you to move freely and naturally around, Facebook says.

The company plans to announce Ripley in the spring of 2019, according to Cheddar.

In addition, Ripley is reportedly a moonshot product coming out of Building 8, Facebook’s lab in Menlo Park, California, that focuses on long-term futuristic products. The lab has reportedly been developing an augmented reality project, code-named Sequoia, that uses a projector to create a virtual AR experience, which projects virtual objects and moves them around in a real place, according to Cheddar.

Facebook didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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