from Engadget by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Displays, Gaming, GPS, HDTV, Laptops
The initial focus of the joint effort will be the ability to allow users to use a single virtual persona (or Avatar) across multiple virtual platforms, with seamless interworld transactions to be considered later.
Discussions and efforts surrounding standards and interoperability are in vogue this year, as the marketplace for virtual worlds has matured. Chinese Second Life clone HiPiHi announced its intention to lead a push towards standards based virtual worlds in August, and TechCrunch 40 presenting company Metaplace offers interoperability between user generated worlds on its DIY virtual world platform.
IBM has been highly active in the virtual worlds space, both as a user of platforms such as Second Life as a conference and business communications tool, and as a creator with its Active Worlds chat platform. IBM's Italian employee's went on strike within Second Life in late September.
We are revising the terms of service to clarify our intent. The language in question will be revised to reflect AT&T's respect for our customers' right to express opinions and concerns over any matter they wish. And we will make clear that we do not terminate service because a customer expresses their opinion about AT&T.
Like the original dot com boom, the Expo is an awkward convergence of traditional media corporations like Disney (new owner of Club Penguin), MTV/Nickelodeon (announcing eight virtual worlds), and Turner (which recently bought partnered with Kaneva), scrappy start-ups like Metaplace and Ogoglio, and lumbering into the proceedings like they always have, Microsoft with Virtual Earth and an unknown MMO set to be announced there.
And if the last boom's trajectory of hubris and greed is followed, most of these are destined for obscurity– or acquisition by their wiser superiors. While kid-oriented MMOs have the most active users and thus seem like the safest bet, for example, as FoundRead editor Carleen Hawn suggests, they're also fragile ecosystems that can fall apart with too much outside interference and commercialism.
In any case, I'll be there to appear on a panel, and looking for GigaOM stories to file from the scene. If you see me, be sure to say hi; and if you miss me at this virtual worlds conference, you can still look for me at the one in London, later this month.
Disclosure: My Second Life blog New World Notes is a "media partner" with the Expo.
30 VIRTUAL WORLDS PLATFORMS TO BE SHOWCASED
With more than 30 virtual world platform providers participating at our Fall Conference, attendees will gain unique insight into the solutions available to meet their individual needs.
For the first time ever, professionals seeking to leverage virtual world technologies will be able to review and interact with all the major providers in one location. Attendees will be able to discuss business strategy, gain a comprehensive understanding of available technology and learn best practices. The Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo provides participants an edge in using virtual worlds applications to deeply engage their customers, partners or employees.
Virtual World platform companies participating at Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo:
| Company | Platform Name |
| | |
| Animax Entertainment | TyGirlz.com |
| Areae, Inc. | To Be Announced |
| Conduit Labs | To Be Announced |
| Disney Online | Club Penguin, Virtual Magic Kingdom and others |
| Doppelganger | vSide |
| Forterra Systems | OLIVE platform |
| GAIA Interactive Inc | Gaia Online |
| GoPets Ltd. | GoPets |
| HiPiHi Co., Ltd | HiPiHi |
| IAC/InterActiveCorp | Zwinktopia |
| Icarus Studios | Icarus Platform |
| Ironstar Helsinki | MoiPal mobile platform |
| Kaneva | Kaneva Platfrom |
| Linden Lab | Second Life |
| Makena Technologies | There.com |
| Microsoft | Microsoft Virtual Earth |
| Microsoft | Entertainment Effort To Be Announced |
| MindArk | Entropia Universe |
| MTV / Nickelodeon | more than 8 virtual worlds and growing |
| Multiverse Network | Multiverse platform |
| Numedeon Inc | Whyville.net |
| ProtonMedia | ProtoSphere |
| Qwaq | Qwag Forums |
| Stardoll | Stardoll Platform |
| Sulake Corp. Ltd. | Habbo |
| Sun Microsystems | Project Darkstar |
| Three Rings | Whirled |
| Transmutable | Ogoglio |
| Unisfair | Unisfair Virtual Event |
| View 22 | Immersiv Platform |
| VT&T | To Be Announced |
The conference has five primary tracks:
About half of the electricity Americans consume comes from coal, and China's economic boom is being fueled by the dirty-burning stuff. So while we'd prefer an end to all coal, technologies to capture and store the carbon emissions from coal plants will just have to help us out in the meantime. The DOE said today that it has awarded the first three large-scale carbon sequestration projects in the U.S., the largest single set of projects in the world to date.
The three projects — the Plains Carbon Dioxide Reduction Partnership, the Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, and the Southwest Regional Partnership for Carbon Sequestration — will test the storage of 1 million or more tons of CO2 in deep reservoirs. The basins supposedly have the capacity to store over 100 years of CO2 emissions, and the DOE will invest $197 million over ten years, subject to Congressional approval. Including partnership cost share, the total value of the projects is $318 million.
For now the technology of capturing and storing carbon emissions is unproven, expensive and still in the research stage. And clean coal technologies in general are highly controversial. Though that hasn't stopped the venture world from investing in startups like GreatPointEnergy and Secure Energy. Check out the release for details on the individual projects .
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