Clipmarks | kidora's 'virtual' clips

CSI Comes To Second Life

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:59:26 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: An upcoming episode of CSI:NY will occur partly in Second Life. It will center around a murder who is stalking his prey virtually through SL.

While I am not a big fan of CSI (can anyone say overacting) this episode will be interesting for one main reason...

How many people will sign up for SL after the episode, and will the influx of users crash the SL servers?

This should be cool

Clip Source: www.techcrunch.com

Second Life is bracing itself for an influx of new members this coming week with the long awaited episode of CSI:NY does Second Life to be shown in the United States on Wednesday.

The episode will see Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) entering Second Life to pursue a killer who has killed a Second Life user in a case of virtual stalking gone too far.

CSI:NY fans will be encouraged to join Second Life and investigate the case by following a link on the CBS website. CSI:NY will have three options for CSI-related inworld activities. The first option will allow viewers to walk around virtual New York buildings and visit a CSI lab and play forensic games.

The CSI:NY episode also sees the launch of the Electric Sheep Company’s OnRez Second Life client, the first major independent Second Life client launched since Linden Lab moved to provide open access to their virtual world in January.

[Video]

Tags: second life, csi, forensics, computers

Pictures Of the Ugliest Tech Products In History

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:35:50 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: Check out these very unattractive items from yesterday, and one from today.

Enjoy!

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Acoustic Coupler Modems

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Osborne 1

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Motorola DynaTAC 8000X

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Microsoft Windows 1.0

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Nintendo Virtual Boy

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Tiger Electronics Furby

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

iMac Flower Power and Dalmatian

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Neuros II Digital Audio Computer

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Commodore 1541 Floppy Disk Drive

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Microsoft Zune Player

Tags: computer technology pictures ugly

IBM and Linden Lab Team Up

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:51:54 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: Very interesting ... IBM and Linden Lab teaming up. Trying to get a jump on Googles foray into virtual worlds?

Clip Source: www.techcrunch.com

IBM and Linden Lab (the company behind Second Life) will announce a new partnership at the Virtual Worlds Conference in San Jose today that will focus on virtual world interoperability.

The initial focus of the joint effort will be the ability to allow users to use a single virtual persona (or Avatar) across multiple virtual platforms, with seamless interworld transactions to be considered later.

IBM has been highly active in the virtual worlds space, both as a user of platforms such as Second Life as a conference and business communications tool, and as a creator with its Active Worlds chat platform. IBM’s Italian employee’s went on strike within Second Life in late September.

Tags: ibm, "linden labs", computers, "virtural worlds", "second life"

Google Getting Closer To A Virtual World

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:55:05 GMT

clipped by: kidora

Clip Source: news.zdnet.com

Virtual-worlds platform developer Multiverse Network is set to announce a partnership Tuesday that will allow anyone to create a new online interactive 3D environment with just about any model from Google's online repository of 3D models, its 3D Warehouse, as well as terrain from Google Earth.

The idea is simple: Multiverse's technology--which gives game developers tools to design custom virtual worlds--will let those designers pick and choose from most of the millions of 3D models created using Google's 3D software tool SketchUp, and to import pieces of terrain, as defined by entering specific longitude and latitude data, from Google Earth.

Of course, Multiverse's project is not the only one that has sprung up to make use of this data. Google is rumored to be working on a prototype virtual world, a beta test of which may or may not be under way at Arizona State University.

Tags: google, google earth, virtual, world

Buy Armani In Second Life

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:00:06 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: Interesting ... Now you can buy pixelated clothing from Armani in Second Life. This will most likely prove to be a more successful venture for a clothing company than other business that have attempted to set up shop in SL.

Clip Source: mashable.com

Armani’s virtual store in Second Life has opened today, and the designer himself has gone to the grand opening as his avatar, and was interviewed by Style.com’s fashion director Candy Pratts Price for the event.

Second Life users can now don themselves in Armani clothing, purchased with Linden dollars or directly through his online store for non-virtual items. Finally, a really smart integration of a clothing brand and Second Life, with options for purchasing real life items as well. Furniture next? Please?

It’s good to know that not all brands are having second thoughts on investing in SecondLife, and it’s far easier for a brand like Armani to take advantage of the virtual world for direct sales, as opposed to Pontiac, or companies that have purchased virtual space for office collaboration purposes. Other virtual worlds that are integrating real brands include Stardoll, Meez and SceneCaster.

Tags: second life, armani, clothing, virtual, worlds

Virtural Integration: Google and Second Life?

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:21:16 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: There has been a lot of talk lately about the integration of virtual worlds with the internet. The fact the Google likes to have it's fingers in all honey pots does not surprise me.
While I enjoy Second Life as a creative platform and sometimes virtual vacation it is in need of a more stable and powerful system to work under. Perhaps Google and Linden Labs (the creators of Second Life) could work together. Google would be able to supply a much needed power boost to the relatively small Linden Labs.

Clip Source: www.webware.com

For some time now, we here at CNET News.com have been hearing whispers that Google might be looking to get into the virtual world space, particularly in light of the increasing interest of existing environments like Second Life, and the success of Google Earth and the search giant's purchase of the Sketchup technology.

Well, now we might finally be on to something. According to TechCrunch, Google may already be testing its own 3D virtual world technology, in a secret experiment at Arizona State University.

And according to a report published Monday from eMarketer, Google is "planning enhancements to Google Earth to let users connect virtually with one another."

If it's even happening. And with rumors being what they are, you never know.

Tags: google, second life, virtual, computers

Second Life's First Credit Card

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:14:38 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: Wow who would have thought that a virtural world citizens will now have access to real world credit.
This is just strange!

Clip Source: www.techcrunch.com

Singapore based FirstMeta has launched MetaCard, a credit card for Second Life that is claimed to be the world’s first virtual world credit card.

The MetaCard works in the same way as a normal first life credit card works. Applicants are provided with a credit limit and present the card when purchasing goods at merchants who accept the card.

Although the amount of credit offered by FirstMeta is (in real life terms) rather low, it will be interesting to see how services like these develop in online worlds given that in effect they are financial services that would likely be subject to real life laws. Whilst Second Life companies such as the World Stock Exchange clearly state that they are in effect pretend outfits (ie: games), and therefore are not subject to real world laws, FirstMeta is actually providing credit that is tied to a real world account; in effect by securing their credit services they have crossed the line into the real world.

Tags: second life, credit cards, money

Virtual Business

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 22:42:59 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: Interesting article.
Despite the drawbacks I believe that it can be assumed that the future of the web, and business conducted on the web, will be done more virtually than it is done at the present time. Because of this business will have to adapt and learn how to run within a virtual environment like Second Life.
Despite the present drawbacks I believe that this is all very exciting for the future of business and the web.

Clip Source: www.pcworld.com

Virtual worlds such as Second Life can be useful to businesses if they evaluate the risks involved, according to a research note from Gartner.

Gartner analyst Steve Prentice, who recently published an in-depth study on virtual worlds, said virtual worlds can pose problems to security and corporate image, but shouldn't be automatically written off as time-wasting games.

Large companies are beginning to take virtual worlds seriously, with enterprises such as Intel, IBM and Sun setting up virtual offices in Second Life, and using it to hold press conferences and even internal meetings.

Dell uses Second Life to allow customers to build custom PCs and then order the real thing, while US retailer Best Buy uses its Second Life facility to give customers access to troubleshooting experts, and Cisco hosts virtual user-group meetings at its Second Life HQ.

Tags: second life, dell, best buy, business

Using Voice Chat In On-line Role Playing. Yes or No?

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:46:41 GMT

clipped by: kidora
clipper's remarks: The part about the 11 year old boy is hilarious.
While I enjoy chatting with people online, I don't think anyone wants to hear my southern twang. I would rather let the illusion stand, whatever the illusion happens to be.

Clip Source: www.wired.com

Recently I logged into World of Warcraft and I wound up questing alongside a mage and two dwarf warriors. I was the lowest-level newbie in the group, and the mage was the de-facto leader. He coached me on the details of each new quest, took the point position in dangerous fights and suggested tactics. He seemed like your classic virtual-world group leader: Confident, bold and streetsmart.

But after a few hours he said he was getting tired of using text chat -- and asked me to switch over to Ventrilo, an app that lets gamers chat using microphones and voice. I downloaded Ventrilo, logged in, dialed him up and ...

... realized he was an 11-year-old boy, complete with squeaky, prepubescent vocal chords. When he laughed, his voice shot up abruptly into an octave range that induced headaches and probably killed any dogs within earshot. Oh, and he used "motherfucker" about four times a sentence, except when his mother came into his bedroom to check on him.

Tags: voice, wired, wow, role-playing, games, online