activeworlds
Latest
Evolve your 3D avatar
Evolver (currently in alpha) is an interesting service. It allows you to build a 3D avatar either from scratch and components or from a photograph of yourself, and export that avatar as an image, a functional 3D model in a couple of different formats (presently Maya [MA] or Kaydara 3D Data Exchange Format [FDX]), or a ready-made avatar for a number of 3D virtual environments. They've got more planned it seems, like the ability to potentially embed a little animated 3D avatar in places where you might today be using a 2D image. Think Gravatars only in 3D.
Kzero forecasts virtual world growth through 2008
UK-based virtual world consulting and research firm Kzero have put out a predictions for virtual worlds for 2008. Note, of course that this covers the 'Metaverse' class of virtual worlds, that is primarily non-game. The chart they use is a wonderful piece of at-a-glance display, showing age-groups, time of establishment, current population, projected age-groups, and projected populations all in one straightforward (if large) chart.
ASU testing Snow Crash for Google?
Matt Stone at ASU Web Devil (Arizona State University's online newspaper) has gotten a hold of some internal emails between ASU officials that indicate that they are testing a secret project (referred to as Myworld or sometimes Snow Crash), among strong suggestions that it's for Google and that it's in beta with a small number of students right now. ASU is something of a poster-child for Google (who even have an office on one of the ASU campuses), and has been an early tester for assorted Google applications.
