Logitech subsidiary debuts “3D Mouse” for Second Life
3Dconnexion, a subsidiary of computer peripherals giant Logitech, debuted a made-for-Second-Life “3D Mouse” at the Virtual Worlds 2008 Conference in New York.
Apology to IBM and Linden Lab
Due to a technical error, I accidentally transmitted a story well in advance of the embargo set by IBM and Linden Lab. My sincerest apologies to all involved.
Reading lips in Second Life
A new technology could add a whole new level of immersion to voice chat. Called “Lipsync,” now a viewer alternative to the Second Life browser, it lets Second Life avatars move their lips in rhythm to their speech.
Linden tightens the reins on its brand
Linden Lab clamped down on Monday on use of its logo by third parties, and introduced a new brand for people and companies to promote their connection to Second Life.
Volkov Catteneo: Yes, I am Robert Leatherwood
Robert Leatherwood told Reuters over the weekend that he was the owner of the Volkov Catteneo avatar.
Linden Lab hiring up to 40 part-time content creators
Linden Lab will be paying up to 40 Second Life residents US$10/hr to create content as part of its “Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW)” initiative, Jack Linden said on Thursday. Linden will pay its workers in American dollars and not game currency, a break from most Second Life-based employment.
Jack Linden said he wanted [...]
Linden “actively discussing” ad farms
Jack Linden said Friday that Linden Lab is looking into the problem of ad farms — small patches of land filled with garish virtual billboards.
Poll: Most adults don’t want fantasy avatars
Given the chance to roleplay a furry, robot, or the opposite gender in a virtual world, most adults would choose something that resembles their real world persona, a new poll has found.
Davos 2008 biographies
Biographies for the Reuters/Second Life interviewees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Volkov Catteneo: Rollback exploit plugged by LL
Volkov Catteneo, the Second Life avatar at the center of last year’s SexGen copyright infringement lawsuit, told Reuters in a Second Life interview that the technique used to make copies of virtual objects has been blocked by Linden Lab.
Linden: 150% fraud penalty applies to exchanges, not residents
The 150% penalty for purchasing fraudulent currency is directed primarily at third-party currency exchanges, representatives for Linden Lab told Reuters on Thursday.
Comments enabled on secondlife.reuters.com
After receiving input from residents at office hours, Reuters will be opening its Second Life blog to comments. All comments will go into a hold, and will be moderated for content.
SL entrepreneurs cautiously optimistic for 2008
Second Life merchants sound mostly positive notes at an in-world discussion on the economy.
Kenzo rejects settlement offer in copyright dispute
Thomas Simon (Second Life: Rase Kenzo), the defendant in a virtual goods copyright infringement lawsuit, has taken a pass on a US$7,000 settlement offer, he told Reuters on Tuesday.
AvaStar to expand beyond Second Life
“We’re looking into expanding into other virtual worlds,” said Leider Stepanov, deputy editor of Second Life tabloid The AvaStar. The move would echo a recent rebranding of the now-defunct Second Life Insider into Massively.com, which covers multiple virtual worlds.
Second Life banks hacked in virtual crime wave
Last weekend saw a coordinated series of Second Life bank heists netting hackers L$3.2 million (US$11,500), news first broken by Nobody Fugazi of Your2ndPlace.com. Early reports suggest the banks were all using copies of the same software to manage their deposits.
Study finds sex, gambling not major Second Life draws
If there’s no “goal” to Second Life, no monsters to kill or experience points to collect, why do so many people log on and spend so much time there? Everyone has their theories, but a new academic study suggests cybersex and gambling are less of a lure than is often assumed.
UK to investigate pedophilia in virtual worlds
British cops will be going undercover in Second Life to investigate depictions of adult-child sex and track down pedophiles, according to a report by Channel Five News that is set to air on Tuesday.
Greetings from the Virtual Worlds Forum, Europe
I’m moderating four panels at the Virtual Worlds Forum in London on Wednesday. If you have any questions you’d like me to pose to the panelists, please email adamreuters [at] gmail.com.
Reuters Office Hours - Tuesdays 8AM SLT
Eric Reuters will be holding office hours every Tuesday, 8 AM SLT at the Reuters Auditorium. Share story ideas, give feedback to Reuters on its coverage, and talk about the latest news in the virtual world.
