With all the talk about virtual environments (virtual world is, after all, something of a misnomer), what if you could use the real environment and bring the virtual to you? That's been the fundament of Augmented Reality for some time, and the core of many a spirited discussion -- the overlaying of information, images, representation onto what we perceive of the real world. Information about products, places, people, directions to destinations.

What about games? What if you could layer a gamespace into your physical environment? Or a non-game virtual environment, like Second Life, for example? The Escapist's Howard Wen talks to Blain MacIntyre, Associate Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who has been one of several researchers there hacking on the Second Life viewer, adding Augmented Reality features to the software.

	Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.

Continue reading Goodbye, virtual environments. Hello, real environments.

Goodbye, virtual environments. Hello, real environments. originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Several minutes ago, Mitch Kapor gave his closing keynote for Second Life's fifth anniversary event (never mind that technically it wasn't a keynote, by definition). The topic was announced to be Second Life as a disruptive technology platform.

Since the announcement of this speech, we've been asked frequently what disruptive technology actually means. After all, it is a term not in very wide circulation, and most disruptive technologies have failed to succeed. The ones that you may be familiar with are the success stories -- the very few that actually survived.

So, we'll quickly explain the term, and then go back to Kapor.

Continue reading Mitch Kapor's SL5 keynote and the Linden Prize

Mitch Kapor's SL5 keynote and the Linden Prize originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's a certain amount of background anticipation among Second Life users about the "very important announcement" that Linden Lab tipped to be a part of former chairman Mitch Kapor's speech on the morning of 7 July. At least among those users who are aware of it, which seems to be very few. The ripples of that anticipation, however, have spread far wider.

'Blizzard has bought Linden Lab,' I hear for the ninth time today, and it's early yet. Another item in my mailbox from a user tells me that they are sure that Electronic Arts has snapped up the virtual world operator. Two more pitch IBM as a potential purchaser, and five insist that an IPO announcement will come on the day.

What's interesting is that of all the material people are certain enough to send on to me, they all relate to a sale or an IPO, essentially taking the business out of the hands of its current owners, and it all seems to be presented with an astonished, yet hopeful air.

Continue reading Will Kapor bore? Rumors say sale!

Will Kapor bore? Rumors say sale! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading A hands-free interface for Second Life

A hands-free interface for Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.