More and more Americans are playing online games like Second Life, EVE Online, and Warcraft. The fantastic lands their developers conjure are compelling, filling a need we have for mystery, discovery, adventure - a need probably not being met now that tourists have pretty much overrun the best medieval towns and Mediterranean beaches. Unless they are brave enough to enter the receding jungles or cross the shrinking ice caps, it is hard for travelers to blaze trails through uncharted lands. (more…)

Scientists are using Second Life to create online 3D worlds in which scientists can collaborate with other researchers and with students.

Researchers at the university’s WA Supercomputer Program (WASP) say Second Life and gaming engines such as Unity provide new tools and opportunities for scientists to share their work.

“There’s a lot of money and expertise being thrown at hardware and software in the gaming industry, so the interesting question for us is can we exploit those developments in order to solve problems in other disciplines?” says Paul Bourke, a senior research fellow in visualisation at WASP. (more…)

Linden Labs is celebrating the five year anniversary of the launch of their virtual world Second Life, and you’re all invited, even if most of you won’t come! In honor of this milestone, the Lindens will be holding a two-week long Virtual World Fair, complete with parties, roundtable discussions, and exhibits that highlight the genitalia perversion creativity of the world’s residents.

Things kick off June 23rd with a keynote speech from Linden Founder and Chairman Philip Rosedale and newly appointed CEO Mark Kingdon, both of whom better have some pretty kick-ass avatars. If they don’t have at least jet packs and glowing eyes I’m laughing them off the stage. (more…)

Edd Hifeng barely merits a second glance in “Second Life.” A steel-gray robot with lanky limbs and linebacker shoulders, he looks like a typical avatar in the popular virtual world. But Edd is different.

His actions are animated not by a person at a keyboard but by a computer. Edd is a creation of artificial intelligence, or AI, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who endowed him with a limited ability to converse and reason. It turns out “Second Life” is more than a place where pixelated avatars chat, interact and fly about. It’s also a frontier in AI research because it’s a controllable environment where testing intelligent creations is easier.
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A Second Life artist who goes by the name “Eshi Otawara” faces real-life deportation due to the so-called “widow’s penalty” in immigration law.

The artist, whose real-life name is Irena Morris, is a Croatian immigrant who lives in Florida. Her American husband died suddenly, when they’d been married less than two years, while her application for residency was in progress. According to U.S. immigration law, the application is automatically rejected once the American spouse dies. Morris received formal notification from U.S. immigration authorities last week that her application was terminated, and she’s ready to be deported from the U.S. at any moment. (more…)

An Internet fantasy universe teeming with faux worlds devoted to socializing and video games is expanding to include virtual classrooms and universities. A new trend in online education involves students acting through animated characters called “avatars” mingling in simulated school settings and even rocketing off, via the Internet, on quests for knowledge.

San Jose State University in the heart of Silicon Valley has built a campus at Second Life, the popular virtual world created by Linden Lab in San Francisco. The University of Pheonix has created its own immersive environments, such as a fictitious company websites that contain realistic documents for business students to analyze. (more…)

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During tough times, the best course of action for retailers is to focus entirely on customer-driven projects without compromising on quality ­ even if that means spending more, said Domino’s Pizza IT director Jane Kimberlin.

“If we were in a different business, we would need to look at the economics, but consumer-facing projects would be the last place we would look to reduce costs,” she said.

“You have to be strong enough to continue investment in that area even during an economic downturn, as the good times will come back and customers will be loyal to the business that has looked after them.” (more…)

Common interests bring professionals together online, then lead them to corporate collaboration. Social networking and other Web 2.0 capabilities are creating new avenues for commerce by facilitating communication inside the corporate structure and extending collaboration beyond company walls.

Key to making the most out of new technology, however, is determining corporate goals before throwing a new tool into the mix. When chosen and applied judiciously, nearly every Web 2.0 weapon-from del.icio.us to wikis- can play meaningful and profitable roles within any company. (more…)