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December 2, 2008 4:04:11 AM CST

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Second Life

Second Life news stories

13 Stories

 Virtual Affair Ends 
 in Real Divorce 

Digital cheating destroys UK marriage

Guardian (UK) Guardian (UK) Nov 14, 08 12:54 PM CST
(Newser) - When a UK woman discovered that her husband had fallen for another woman, she took the not-so-unusual step of filing for divorce. The kicker here, reports the Guardian , is that the cheating took place not in real life, among real people, but in the virtual world of Second Life. The woman had already forgiven her real-life husband once when she caught his online alter-ego having sex with a virtual prostitute. But the emotional betrayal of his second digital relationship was just too much. More »

More about:  divorce • online dating • Second Life • virtual reality

 Your Pal in Second
 Life May Be a Robot 

Researchers use virtual world to test AI creations

Associated Press Associated Press May 18, 08 7:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  robot • artificial intelligence • Second Life • avatar


Spain Opens Second Life Clinic for Teens

Virtual doctor's office welcomes those who hate the real thing

Guardian (UK) Guardian (UK) May 10, 08 5:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

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

Growing Pains Yield Virtual Reality Check

Second Life founder answers critics, promises improvement

Der Spiegel Der Spiegel Feb 1, 08 3:18 PM CST
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  Second Life • virtual reality

Even the Real Economy Isn't This Bad

'Second Life' bank shutdown causes all-too-real investor run

Wall Street Journal Wall Street Journal Jan 23, 08 12:18 PM CST
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  US economy • bank fraud • Second Life • virtual investment bank

Second Life Offers Aid for Asperger's

Online virtual world helps socially awkward patients pick up, practice skills

ABC News ABC News Jan 16, 08 2:18 PM CST
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  research • autism • Second Life • Asperger's Syndrome

Ghosts and Ghouls Invade Virtual Worlds

Digital realms like Halo and Second Life are getting in the Halloween spirit

Wired Wired Oct 30, 07 12:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

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

Insurer Opens (Virtual) Island Getaway

Another corporate marketing scheme pops up on Second Life

Wall Street Journal Wall Street Journal Oct 5, 07 11:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  marketing • insurance • Second Life • virtual worlds

Sony Delays Answer to ‘Second Life’

Former trailblazer's ‘Home’ won’t drop
now until spring

Associated Press Associated Press Sep 20, 07 1:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  video game • Sony • Nintendo Wii • homes • Second Life • PlayStation 3

Virtual Bank Collapse Causes Real Pain

$750K losses in Second Life prompt calls for federal regulation

Wired Wired Aug 15, 07 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  Internet • FBI • bank • gambling • casino • Second Life • virtual investment bank

Museum Looks Picture-Perfect Online

Dresden gallery gets virtual replica
in Second Life

Wired Wired Aug 13, 07 1:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  painting • museum • Second Life • Art Basel • Raphael • Dresden • Cologne

Man Treats Virtual Wife Better Than Real One

Second Life getting in the way of first lives

Wall Street Journal Wall Street Journal Aug 11, 07 8:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  Internet • marriage • video game • affair • infidelity • Second Life • virtual reality

Real Priest Urges Virtual Soul-Searching

Second Life fertile ground for new Catholic converts, Jesuit says

Reuters Reuters Jul 29, 07 4:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - 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 »

More about:  Internet • religion • Second Life • spirituality • virtual reality

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