Monthly Archives: March 2011

InXpo’s VX takes virtual events mobile

InXpo’s VX takes virtual events mobile

Press release: VX Platform Combines Industry Leading Scalability, Reliability and Security with new User Interface, Making Virtual Event Production Easier than Ever CHICAGO — INXPO announces the... 

ProtonMedia to develop virtual clinical trial training

ProtonMedia to develop virtual clinical trial training

Press Release: ProtonMedia and PPD to Introduce New Virtual Clinical Trial Training Solution LANSDALE, Pa., and WILMINGTON, N.C.—ProtonMedia and PPD, Inc. today announced they have entered into an agreement... 

Second Life, OpenSim hosts can learn from Kitely

Second Life, OpenSim hosts can learn from Kitely

Kitely offers OpenSim hosting in the cloud — ridiculously easy to use and ridiculously cheap for low-traffic regions. Now, anyone can have their own sim up and running in less than two minutes, at... 

PioneerX supports clouds, open to Facebook

PioneerX supports clouds, open to Facebook

Kitely may be turning the OpenSim hosting model upside down with its metered pricing, but other OpenSim hosting providers have already embraced the cloud. “We already utilise cloud based resources... 

New grid to compete with higher prices

New grid to compete with higher prices

Update: AvWorlds abandons high-price strategy At a time when most OpenSim hosting providers are attempting to attract users with low prices, or, at least, moderate prices, one  OpenSim grid — AvWorlds... 

When do cloud-based sims make sense?

When do cloud-based sims make sense?

With Kitely‘s bill-per-minute, cloud-based OpenSim hosting service now available, non-technically inclined folks now have a real choice in what kind of hosting they’d like to have. Here is... 

Tipodean and Kitely should talk. Seriously, guys!

Tipodean and Kitely should talk. Seriously, guys!

How’s this for a match made in heaven: One company has a Web-based viewer for OpenSim. Still in early, experimental stages, but fast and responsive. Add avatars, voice, and the ability to sit down... 

Tipodean’s Web viewer now in public beta

Tipodean’s Web viewer now in public beta

San Francisco-based Tipodean Technologies launched a public beta today of its BuiltBuy.me Web-based viewer for OpenSim and Second Life. The viewer, formerly known as Canvas, is free, and can be embedded... 

Proprietary code is good for OpenSim

Proprietary code is good for OpenSim

A lot of debate about open source code versus proprietary code these days centers on the personalities of the folks involved, or on the politics behind the idea of open source. But, from a business perspective,... 

Kitely brings Facebook, instant regions to OpenSim

Kitely brings Facebook, instant regions to OpenSim

In a major step forward for usability of OpenSim, Israel-based startup Kitely has created a Website that allows any Facebook user to create, load and enter an OpenSim world in less than two minutes. The... 

Six tips for selling virtual event sponsorships

Six tips for selling virtual event sponsorships

Now that you’ve settled on the title, topic and date of your virtual event, it’s time to rally the sales team to go out and sell sponsorships. We provide six tips on how to approach the selling... 

Dress for virtual success

Dress for virtual success

Back when I was fresh out of college, in my first reporting gig, I learned that context matters a lot in getting folks to talk to you. At the start, a typical conversation would go like this: “Hi,... 

Unity 3D training simulations get recognition

Unity 3D training simulations get recognition

CliniSpace took first place yesterday in the AI-assisted training category of the Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge with its virtual medical training simulation. Los Altos Hills, CA-based Innovation in... 

Paper: OpenSim may help fashion industry

Paper: OpenSim may help fashion industry

Using tools built on the OpenSim virtual world platform could transform fashion design, Fashion Research Institute, Inc. CEO Shenley Winkler said in a paper released yesterday, by saving money, reducing... 

UBM Studios adds new chat tools

UBM Studios adds new chat tools

Press Release: UBM Studios Introduces New Evolution of Virtual Environments’ Chat Tool Chicago – UBM Studios continues to follow on its mission of transforming the way show organizers and event attendees... 

Avination residents welcome Vivox voice

Avination residents welcome Vivox voice

Avination grid owner Melanie Thiekler rolled out Vivox voice to her grid today — at no extra cost to residents or land renters. Residents immediately began trying it out, and it sounded great. Those... 

Is the username dying?

Is the username dying?

What would happen if at a school’s talent show some parents stood up and started heckling the child playing the piano or dancing in front of them? “You’re awful!” or “You call yourself... 

InWorldz develops own scripting engine

InWorldz develops own scripting engine

InWorldz has taken a further step way from mainline OpenSim Tuesday with the announcement of a proprietary scripting engine, called Phlox, which is expected to enter beta testing this week. The new scripting... 

Why PioneerX matters

Why PioneerX matters

Yesterday, I posted a story (yes, a little on the long side) about a new services from PioneerX Estates where they manage your whole grid for you. Everything — estates, land rentals, voice —... 

PioneerX offers no-fuss grid management

PioneerX offers no-fuss grid management

Back when 3rd Rock Grid first launched in the spring of 2008, it was one of the earliest OpenSim grids and the owners had to figure out everything on their own. The grid’s managers had to learn how... 

Beware vendors bearing gifts

Beware vendors bearing gifts

Resellers of open source software survive by making life easier for their customers. For example, Website hosting providers handle the setup, backups, updates, load balancing and server management for... 

SAIC demos OLIVE at Defense GameTech

SAIC demos OLIVE at Defense GameTech

Press release: SAIC Demonstrates OLIVE Virtual World Solutions at the 2011 Defense GameTech User Conference ORLANDO — Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) will feature advanced virtual... 

The Many Advantages of Virtual Collaboration

The Many Advantages of Virtual Collaboration

The results of this Harvard Business School study, and many others like it, provide ample and compelling evidence to suggest that virtual collaboration is a powerful means of achieving new levels of efficiency... 

Design firm builds virtual tours, 3D learning games, university grid

Design firm builds virtual tours, 3D learning games, university grid

Working in the space of 3D virtual immersive environments (VIE) is a small, but dedicated group of people who are creating some really wonderful and powerful learning. The other day I had a chance to... 

Top OpenSim grids gain regions, users

Top OpenSim grids gain regions, users

The world’s top 40 public OpenSim grids gained 424 regions and 12,746 registered users since the middle of February, a slightly slower than usual growth rate. Total regions on OpenSim's 40 largest... 

Avination first with Vivox voice on OpenSim

Avination first with Vivox voice on OpenSim

OpenSim’s largest commercial grid, Avination, announced a major new milestone today — it will be offering in-world Vivox voice at no charge to its residents and region renters, as well as to... 

Open Wonderland marks first anniversary with free workshops

Open Wonderland marks first anniversary with free workshops

Open Wonderland — an open source, Java-based virtual world platform — marks the first anniversary of the project’s founding on March 11. Open Wonderland was originally Sun’s Project... 

Blue Mars releases 3D app for iPhone, iPad

Blue Mars releases 3D app for iPhone, iPad

Press Release: Avatar Reality’s Blue Mars Mobile becomes first 3D iOS app with thousands of user generated items available for purchase App Now Available to Download for Free on App Store HONOLULU,... 

VenueGen hosts free talk on immersive learning

VenueGen hosts free talk on immersive learning

Press Release: eTraining Experts Tony O’Driscoll and Karl Kapp To Host an Intimate Talk in VenueGen on Immersive Online Learning and Collaboration Co-authors of the new book “Learning in 3D” will... 

Paper: Virtual worlds expand uses of 3D models

Paper: Virtual worlds expand uses of 3D models

Press Release: Daden releases white paper on virtual worlds and the built environment Birmingham, UK – Planners, developers, builders and architects should be looking to virtual worlds to provide... 

Survey: 84% of attendees would recommend virtual career fair

Survey: 84% of attendees would recommend virtual career fair

Press Release: UBM Studios Unicruit’s Diversity Virtual Career Fair Assists College Students in Finding Employment in a Challenging Economy Nearly 25 Employers Came Together with 3,500+ Students from... 

Ten Challenges 3D Virtual Meeting Platforms Face in Corporations

Ten Challenges 3D Virtual Meeting Platforms Face in Corporations

Corporations are comfortable with using WebEx-like solutions for their virtual meetings, with some using pseudo-3D platforms for large-scale virtual conferences and trade shows. When they need more sense... 

Study: People open to avatars at work

Study: People open to avatars at work

Employees willing to interact with a variety of avatars — except for those that are “creepy” Employees prefer to use more formal avatars to represent themselves According to a new study... 

Successful virtual engagement marketing

Successful virtual engagement marketing

Sometimes, people new to the concept of virtual engagement ask: “How do you market a virtual event? Is it necessary to drive attendance with email and other tools?” As experienced marketers, we know... 

InterCall buys virtual events Unisfair

InterCall buys virtual events Unisfair

Press Release: InterCall Expands Its Streaming Services Portfolio with Acquisition of Unisfair OMAHA, Neb. – InterCall, a subsidiary of West Corporation and the world’s largest conferencing...