|
The Archives
-
02.18.09Microsoft, 3D Cameras, and Virtual ConferencingMicrosoft is in talks to purchase 3DV Systems for $35M, a purchase that would give it access to a 3D camera - a very similar product to that being developed by Mitch Kapor. According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the move would give Microsoft a competitor to the Nintendo Wii controller, but with a difference: no controller required, the camera works entirely through detection of body motion: "3DV Systems develops "virtual reality" imaging technology for digital cameras that it sells, called ZCams (formerly Z-Sense). Its main targets are the gaming market ("enjoy a genuinely immersive experience," the company says on its Web ...
-
01.19.09Philip Rosedale on Metanomics: 5 Things I’d Like to HearPhilip Rosedale will appear today on Metanomics at 12:00 SLT (PST). Now, there's lots I'd love to hear from the fearless and wandery founder of Second Life, but I'll set my standard list aside for a bit: you know, the one that includes things like why is Mono six months late, why did it crash the Grid last night, what were you THINKING when it came to open spaces, that kind of thing. When Philip hired Mark Kingdon, (M), he promised he was going off to do what he does best: focus on technology, and ideas, and to give presentations that ...
-
11.03.08Immersive or Open Spaces: What Tier Are You In?Following an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with Justin Bovington, CEO of Rivers Run Red, I came away encouraged: virtual worlds are ready for business, for collaboration, for all the stuff that I wish was a part of every work day - mind maps or quick collaborative team sessions with folks from around the world, 3D data visualizations, and social networking tools. And if you're a long-time resident of a virtual world you might know what I mean: it's just plain easier, more engaging, and 'deeper' when you connect with people, plan, share, and create in a virtual world. I mean, sure ...
-
10.29.08The Courage to Create (Part Two): Virtual Worlds and the FrontierRollo May wrote that courage contains the "seeming contradiction that we must be fully committed, but we must also be aware at the same time that we might possibly be wrong. This dialectic relationship between conviction and doubt is characteristic of the highest types of courage, and gives lie to the simplistic definitions that identify courage with mere growth." This dialectic is at the heart of the struggle to translate virtual worlds, and in particular those based on the imagination of their users, into the wider adoption that is often quoted as the end goal. We've Reached the Frontier, But It's ...
-
10.20.08M Linden Goes to London: Joe the Plumber, and Where We Go is Where We’ll GetM Linden gave the opening keynote in London at the virtual world conference and, well, it's more of the same really, just with a bit more data thrown in, at least according to the summary over on Virtual World News. But just as intriguing, in some ways, was the lead-up TO the keynote, with his last minute post to the Second Life blog, and the community response. And call this a crazy reference from the sidelines of popular political "narrative" (maaaaan how I hate the media's use of that word) but my gut reaction to M's post was, well, what ...
-
08.31.08Second Life Will Never Save the World, or Even Mobilize ItThe virtual world that will contribute to significant social change hasn't come along yet, according to Ben Rigby in an interview with tweedy Web 2.0 prof and raving ACA-Fan Henry Jenkins. Rigby, whose new book, Mobilizing Generation 2.0, tries to parse Web 2.0 tools like blogs, social networking sites, youTube and the lot as a mobilizing force for social change - or maybe, as we're seeing today, to try to get someone elected President. But when it comes to virtual worlds, they suffer from too much Snow Crash and not enough vision. He does give Second Life, the leading virtual world, ...
-
08.20.08Washington Post on Virtual World Governance and PolicingThe sheriff has come to virtual worlds, according to the Washington Post, which gives an overview of approaches being used to govern and police, pointing out that "nearly all ...users agree to certain policies when signing up The companies reserve the right to suspend or delete a user's avatar and seize virtual assets that have been accumulated. Most also allow users to report abusive behavior and provide a tool to let members ignore bothersome avatars." Enforcement of policies in virtual worlds ranges from owner-driven to community-led, according to the Post. They mention Second Life's notorious (but retired) Corn Field, and notes ...
-
07.08.08You TOO Can ENJOY Improved PERFORMANCE! Second Life Economic StatsLinden Lab announced its economic statistics today with bold, beautiful bar graphs. Among the highlights: - Land mass BIGGER!!!! - User hours LONGER!!!! - LINDEX Volume FLUSHER!!!! - Businesses PERFORM BETTER!!!! And YES!!! All this can be yours!!!! Just mail in the coupon today, because not only will you enjoy a BIGGER, LONGER, FLUSHER, BETTER PERFORMING Second Life, but it comes at a LOWER LAND COST with none of those NOTICEABLE, TELL-TALE SIGNS OF GAMBLING or other dysfunctions!!!! Continue Reading...
-
07.08.08Teleport to OpenSim from Second Life: Interoperability and the Decentralized GridIBM and Linden Lab have announced that they've accomplished avatar interoperability between OpenSim and Second Life today, allowing avatars to teleport between grids. At yesterday's keynote by Mitch Kapor the big announcement was met with a yawn, but his comments on needing to decentralize the governance and Grid hinted at the direction of the Lab. Today's announcement demonstrates the direction that the Lab is taking: acting as the central hub for commerce and identity while allowing other grids to link to these services. While cross-grid log-in between OpenSim and Second Life had been achieved before, the difference is that this time ...
-
07.07.08Mitch Kapor’s Moving PiecesMitch Kapor closed out the SL5B birthday celebrations today to a packed sim breathlessly awaiting Philip's new hair, or at least details of how to be a disruptive platform and win a prize. I somehow picture this group out in California that gets together over vegetarian sushi and compares vitamin regimens, all of them hoping to hang on just long enough to witness the Singularity. Mitch is one of those folks who moves his chess pieces around the board, or around the boards - sitting on them, forming them, and acting as both a formal and informal mentor to the kids ...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.