Second Life Roundup – itsReal

Publicity from Traditional Media and the Blogosphere continues to pump out, To jump onto the juggernaut just add “Second Life” to your press releases or posts and the world gets to see what you are doing…if you want a serious virtual worlds strategy…speak to me

Click-Image-to-Call APLINK from Big-Bit

Google News Alert for: “Second Life”

Second Life: Clicks and mortar
Telegraph.co.uk – United Kingdom
Adam Edwards enters the lucrative world of Second Life This summer,

a part-time administrator at Oxford University, with no publishing experience and a …

The Straits Times, STMoney 05 Oct 2007. Pages 64 – 65 Big-Bit & Wusic

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The Straits Times
05 Oct 2007

Big-Bit Voice for Virtual Properties like Second Life & Social Networks Launched – itsReal

Service to enable virtual world, social and business networks users to make voice IDD calls to the real world, click-to-call service also offers advertisers new channel to reach consumers and businesses on these new and evolving platforms.

SINGAPORE. October 2, 2007 — Big-Bit Australia Pty Ltd, a leading virtual properties full service solutions provider today launched an Internet-to-Phone Service with Wusic, a fast-growing internet-to-phone service. This service will enable users in virtual properties to make phone calls from within virtual worlds like Second Life and social and business networks to numbers in the real world. In addition, leading brands can use the click-to-call platform for promotional and advertising campaigns to reach to these new and evolving consumer and business platforms.

This newly launched service is based on Wusic.com, an Internet-to-Phone (not VoIP) service that enables users to initiate calls from the Internet (Click-to-Call). Wusic currently interconnects with all countries and provides an easy to use system for initiating calls and tracking of billing records. Users have been able to save over 90% off their IDD calls by switching over to Wusic‘s Voice Service.

Big-Bit Launches Internet-to-Phone and Advertiser Services with Wusic for Virtual Properties

Service to enable virtual world, social and business networks users to make voice IDD calls to the real world, click-to-call service also offers advertisers new channel to reach consumers and businesses on these new and evolving platforms.

…will we Resort to SL travel instead of a Real Resort – hmmm

Security is getting beyond ridiculous when we travel… but i guess we are stretching our imaginations if we think a virtual holiday can compete with a real holiday… The article below suggests it may…

CYBERSPACE could be the next big holiday destination. No more worrying about excess baggage, now to get away from it all, all you need is broadband.

Dream holidays are now within the reach of millions more people – at least in the virtual online world of Second Life, where a burgeoning tourism sector has sprung up.

Second Life is one of the most famous virtual worlds on offer. It has attracted 7.5 million members since first developed by San Francisco-based developers Linden Lab in 2003. A cross between a computer game and a chat room, these digital worlds let visitors explore 3D virtual environments and interact with one another in cyberspace.

Linden Lab take a very hands-off approach in Second Life so what you see there is created by and for its ‘residents’, and it is a very entrepreneurial world.

Read more at : News.com.au

Virtual Life — If you go – itsReal

WHEN TO GO: When “Second Life” gets crowded, your avatar might seem sluggish and there might be a delay before elements of the world pop into full view. So you may want to consider visiting in the “offseason.” Creator Linden Research Inc. says that’s usually before US time 1 p.m. and after 4 p.m.

WHO YOU MIGHT MEET: Check out the profiles at slprofiles.com

HOW TO GET THERE: Visit www.secondlife.com, download the free “Second Life” software and pick a name for your avatar.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: A graphics card and a computer that meet the software’s technical specifications. See secure-web9.secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php.

GETTING AROUND: Fly, teleport or catch a ride on a hot-air balloon. Plan on spending some time on an orientation island while you’re figuring out how to navigate.

HOOK UP WITH A TOUR GUIDE: Synthravels bills itself as “the first online virtual travel agency”: www.synthravels.com.

FIND AN AUTOMATED TOUR: The Guided Tour Company of Second Life offers a free, automated tour of tours: slurl.com/secondlife/Mocha/228/85/32.

GUIDEBOOKS: “The Unofficial Tourists’ Guide to Second Life,” published recently by St. Martin’s Press (US$9.95). Also the Wired travel guide to “Second Life”: www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.10/sloverview.html.

AFTER DARK: Like on the Internet, sex is everywhere. Those under 18 should stick to “Teen Second Life,” and everyone else should be forewarned: You might run into something you wouldn’t see at Disneyland.

end of work as we know it – itsReal

Increasing connectivity will change how and where we labor—even the very notion of an employer.

You have no idea how you’d get any work done on business trips if you didn’t have a laptop. You can’t remember quite how you lived without your BlackBerry. Your cell phone might as well be surgically attached to your ear, it’s so crucial to your job. Then there’s the Internet. It’s hard to conceive of getting through the day without Google (GOOG )—or, if you’re under 40, text messaging or even joining Facebook to stay in touch with your extended network of colleagues. In just a decade or less, technology sure has done a number on the way you work, hasn’t it?

Well, brace yourself. Over the next decade, the relentless march of computer power and Net connection speeds will bring more profound changes to work than anything we’ve seen so far. Consider just a few of the breakthroughs technology visionaries think we’re likely to see in coming years. Picture Apple’s (AAPL ) slick iPhone shrunk down to the size of a credit card. Then imagine it can connect not only to your contacts on the latest social network but also to billions of pea-sized wireless sensors attached to buildings, streets, retail products, and your co-workers’ and business partners’ clothes—all sending data over the Net to you.

THE RESULT:

Read more at BusinesWeek

LinkedIn or facebook WAR – itsReal

There appears to be a LinkedIn and Facebook users WAR in the making – which platform should members spend their valuable time on, BOTH or pick ONE platform of choice. What about Second Life now that VOICE has arrived will SL get into the frontline of business networking by erasing the need to play table tennis email ?

Voice arrives in Second Life – BUT will residents use it – itsReal

Tonight I Logged into SL and the usual upgrade popup awaited me, however this time the download took far longer than usual, the reason Second Life VOICE has arrived. So after a very long download and install I logged in and was asked if i want to use voice chat or not. I choose voice chat and commenced another LONG exercise in attempting to get the facility working…eventually it did work but the VoIP is bad…really bad.. Yes I realize it’s early days, but for those accustomed to SL without VOICE they will either have patience and learn the ropes or continue life without voice…or maybe there is another solution ?

New Second Life VOICE Features:

* In-World Voice Chat
** In-world Voice Chat is now part of the main viewer.
** You can see and manage all voice settings in Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat.
** Voice is off by default.  To enable (and disable) voice, visit Edit > Preferences > Voice Chat and check/uncheck the box beside “Enable voice chat”.
** A voice set-up wizard appears during first voice use to help residents set up voice and adjust their mic volume and tuning.  You should run the voice set-up wizard even if you only want the ability to hear others and do not wish to speak.
** Push-to-Talk is part of the Voice feature.  Push-to-Talk is ON by default, which means Resident mics are OFF by default.
** Speech gestures for voice are included in the Library, in Gestures > Speech Gestures. These gestures need to be activated in order to work; they are off by default.