Nigel Paravane

A ‘Second’ chance to study abroad | News - Digital Media - CNET News.com

“According to an article in The Christian Science Monitor, several universities and even the U.S. Department of State are using Second Life to spread culture and experience to people who can’t afford pricey semesters overseas. This year, Ohio University noticed that its virtual campus was party to many visitors from around the world. The foreign students interacted with the campus’ avatars in an attempt to learn more about American culture.”

tags: OB, NP, Second Life, virtual worlds, education

Virtual world tipping point: Is there an enterprise use? | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

“Google has entered the virtual world game with a project called Lively and Second Life and IBM have pulled off a few interoperability experiments. Add it up and we may be seeing a little tipping point for virtual worlds. There may be even a few corporate uses in the future.”

tags: OB, NP, virtual worlds, Second Life, Google, IBM

Hands-on: Google’s Lively social 3D world is 20 percent done

“If Lively grows some legs during its Google Labs beta phase, the company can monetize it in obvious ways down the road by embedding text and video advertising in the rooms. Site owners can probably get a slice of the pie as well, giving them an incentive to try the platform. For now, however, Lively is a clunky beta.”

tags: OB, NP, Google, Lively, virtual worlds