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July 25, 2008 1:41:29 PM CDT

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Stories related to: Second Life

Stories

12 Stories

  • May 2008

    • Your Pal in Second Life May Be a Robot

      newser  |  Associated Press  |  May 18, 08 7:25 PM CDT

      Your Pal in Second Life May Be a Robot

      Scientists are creating virtual robots in a virtual world with the hope of simulating real people. Got it? Second Life is prime testing ground for artificial intelligence because it allows experts to exert more control over their creations. “It’s a very inexpensive way to test out our technologies right now,” one says. More »

      Tags

      robot  • artificial intelligence  • Second Life  • avatar

    • Spain Opens Second Life Clinic for Teens

      newser  |  Guardian (UK)  |  May 10, 08 5:54 PM CDT

      Spain Opens Second Life Clinic for Teens

      Spanish health officials are opening a virtual clinic in the popular online world Second Life, where they plan to advise teens who are too shy to consult flesh-and-blood doctors, the Guardian reports. It will appear as a consultation room for now, but officials hope to expand the service and eventually “deal with problems of dermatology and psychology through a webcam," one doctor said. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • health care  • Spain  • doctor  • Second Life  • medical treatment  • teen health  • avatar

  • February 2008

    • Growing Pains Yield Virtual Reality Check

      newser  |  Der Spiegel  |  Feb 1, 08 3:18 PM CST

      Growing Pains Yield Virtual Reality Check

      The paparazzi have left, but the party isn't over for Second Life, the virtual world's founder says in a combative interview with Der Spiegel . Philip Rosedale acknowledges that the media hype has all but dried up but says he hopes new voice and education tools will turn the spotlight back on. Making the system crash less, however, is his "number one mission." More »

      Tags

      Second Life  • virtual reality

  • January 2008

    • Even the Real Economy Isn't This Bad

      newser  |  Wall Street Journal  |  Jan 23, 08 12:18 PM CST

      Even the Real Economy Isn't This Bad

      The subprime crisis has nothing on the economic implosion hitting Second Life’s virtual economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Linden Labs has shut down most of the banks in its online game, cutting users off from real-life cash they'd invested. That caused a very real bank run, with avatars swarming to ATMs, sometimes to find them disabled. More »

      Tags

      US economy  • bank fraud  • Second Life  • virtual investment bank

    • Second Life Offers Aid for Asperger's

      newser  |  ABC News  |  Jan 16, 08 2:18 PM CST

      Second Life Offers Aid for Asperger's

      Sufferers from Asperger’s syndrome, characterized by an inability to pick up social cues, are getting an unlikely assist from the virtual world Second Life, ABC News reports. Researchers have found that the site, in which users communicate through online avatars, is more effective than other therapies for guiding patients through social exercises such as asking another avatar out on a date or asking a “boss” avatar for a raise. More »

      Tags

      research  • autism  • Second Life  • Asperger's Syndrome

  • October 2007

    • Ghosts and Ghouls Invade Virtual Worlds

      newser  |  Wired  |  Oct 30, 07 12:26 PM CDT

      Ghosts and Ghouls Invade Virtual Worlds

      Take a break from scarfing candy to join in silly spookiness online. Wired gives you the inside scoop on special events and areas in your favorite virtual worlds dedicated to the holiday: Halo 3: A seasonal addition to the matchmaking playlist should keep players entertained for the 27 hours surrounding Halloween. Lord of the Rings Online:  Until November 11, you can compete in horseraces, bob for apples, pick geodes, or dance the night away at the Harvest Festival. More »

      Tags

      list  • Second Life  • World of Warcraft  • Halo 3  • Halloween  • virtual reality  • virtual worlds

    • Insurer Opens (Virtual) Island Getaway

      newser  |  Wall Street Journal  |  Oct 5, 07 11:27 AM CDT

      Insurer Opens (Virtual) Island Getaway

      Cruising over to Insurance Island might not sound like the most fun thing to do with your virtual life, but Assicurazioni Generali SpA is dedicated to being the rare corporate Second Life island that works, offering a car chase game, and manning the island with real employees. The 176-year old company wants to learn “what a virtual world looks and feels like.” More »

      Tags

      marketing  • insurance  • Second Life  • virtual worlds

  • September 2007

    • Sony Delays Answer to ‘Second Life’

      newser  |  Associated Press  |  Sep 20, 07 1:28 PM CDT

      Sony Delays Answer to ‘Second Life’

      Adding to a string of setbacks, Sony today delayed the release of its competitor for virtual world touchstone "Second Life," until next spring. The interactive world "Home"—made for PlayStation 3—has been demonstrated several times, the AP reports, and was to land before year’s end. Sony's stock price fell 0.9% on the news. More »

      Tags

      video game  • Nintendo Wii  • Sony  • homes  • Second Life  • PlayStation 3

  • August 2007

    • Virtual Bank Collapse Causes Real Pain

      newser  |  Wired  |  Aug 15, 07 2:19 PM CDT

      Virtual Bank Collapse Causes Real Pain

      Ginko Financial, an unregulated investment bank that promised returns of up to 60%, collapsed recently, costing its customers 200 million Lindens—the currency of online virtual universe Second Life, where the bank existed. While the bank, managed by a mysterious, anonymous owner, catered only to computer-generated avatars in its 3 1/2 years existence, the money it lost—about $750,000—was very real. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • FBI  • bank  • gambling  • casino  • Second Life  • virtual investment bank

    • Museum Looks Picture-Perfect Online

      newser  |  Wired  |  Aug 13, 07 1:28 PM CDT

      Museum Looks Picture-Perfect Online

      Dresden’s Old Masters Picture gallery is the first museum to create an online clone, now appearing in all its glory—down to the trash cans and fountains—as a location in the virtual reality game Second Life . The building’s 750 paintings have been reproduced digitally, as have the 37,000 square feet of the grounds itself, Wired reports More »

      Tags

      painting  • museum  • Second Life  • Art Basel  • Dresden

    • Man Treats Virtual Wife Better Than Real One

      newser  |  Wall Street Journal  |  Aug 11, 07 8:49 AM CDT

      Man Treats Virtual Wife Better Than Real One

      A man who spends up to 20 hours a day playing the virtual-reality video game Second Life may be getting more fulfillment from his online wife than his real one—and his non-cyber-spouse isn't feeling fulfilled at all. Ric Hoogestraat, a 53-year-old ex-teacher, says his virtual matrimony is only a game, even as his real wife talks separation. The Wall Street Journal looks at the surprising emotional power of virtual relationships. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • marriage  • video game  • affair  • Second Life  • infidelity  • virtual reality

  • July 2007

    • Real Priest Urges Virtual Soul-Searching

      newser  |  Reuters  |  Jul 29, 07 4:20 PM CDT

      Real Priest Urges Virtual Soul-Searching

      A Jesuit academic is encouraging fellow believers to take the word of God to a new world—virtual reality. In a Roman Jesuit journal, Father Antonio Spadaro urges missionaries to preach the good life in Second Life, describing the online simulation game as packed with real souls to save, Reuters reports. More »

      Tags

      Internet  • religion  • Second Life  • virtual reality  • spirituality

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