Posts tagged Bbc at Second Life Insider

Posts with tag bbc

5 Companies Who Need Virtual Worlds

Posted Oct 23rd 2007 7:23PM by Akela Talamasca
Filed under: Op/Ed

Over at Tech Digest, Stuart Dredge makes his case for 5 companies who ought to have virtual worlds of their own. It's an interesting list, and one could argue back and forth the benefits of any of the 5. Being a fanboy, I'll admit to being excited by the thought of a Nintendo space, and an Apple space.

In fact, the Apple thing could be its aborted 'eWorld' with a new lease on life. Nintendo could have a ton of different areas themed after any number of their more popular franchises: Mario, Metroid, Pokémon, Zelda, etc. Google is something I think everyone's curious about, and Microsoft is fearful of. The BBC has been interested in the whole virtual worlds topic for a while now, witness their various SL events. Nokia? Ehnh. Any companies we should add to this list? Send 'em in!

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BloodSpell Launch Party in Second Life 10/21 11am PDT

Posted Oct 20th 2007 9:04PM by Moo Money
Filed under: Events, Machinima, Arts and Culture, Live Performance

Hugh Hancock, coiner of the term "machinima", sent me this tidbit about his production company, Strange Company, premiering their feature film cut of their BloodSpell series. BloodSpell is a punk fantasy action-adventure movie filmed in NeverWinter Nights that has been written up by the BBC, the Guardian, Suicide Girls, Boing Boing, USA Today, and a slew of others. For those of you keeping tabs on machinima, there aren't many feature-length films produced in this medium.

That's why he's inviting everyone to be a part of the screening that will take place on Hathead Island on Sunday, October 21st, at 11am PDT, or 7pm GMT. There will be interviews, a special intro, and tons of awesome extras. After the screening, keep your eyes peeled for an interview here on Second Life Insider! Hope to see you there.

* I almost forgot to include a disclaimer about the violence that appears in this film. When I premiered the final episode of the series some time ago, many in the audience complained of the gore. Keep in mind that it's just pixels. If you have a strong stomach, come on over!

Gallery: BloodSpell Launch Party

Hope for the deaf?

Posted Sep 16th 2007 9:49AM by Eloise Pasteur
Filed under: News, Op/Ed

As you may remember, I'm critical of the the changes voice is bringing to the grid, particularly its move to disenfranchise the deaf, just like IRL. But, there is a new system out there that might help eventually. It's not ready for SL yet - it will require quite a lot of work to be ready for SL, because the control over avatar's hands is not good enough at the moment and I don't think expressive puppeteering, when we finally get it, will add it either, not at first.

But according to the BBC, IBM and students from University of East Anglia have released a system called "Say it, Sign it" or SiSi that translates both written and spoken text to British Sign Language or Sign Supported English (which is closer to normal English, supported by signing as you see on the television signed programmes). The system is also set up to allow translation modules (e.g. for ASL) to be plugged in. The RNID are happy to see the prototype, although it will take some time before it is in wide distribution according to the director of new technologies.

Thanks to MB Chevalier for the initial lead and link.

UK internet usage - how do you compare? Just Askin'

Posted Aug 23rd 2007 9:01AM by Eloise Pasteur
Filed under: Stories, Just Askin'

I'm desperately trying to find a link to today's results (the initial report is here), but on the BBC news this morning were more details of the results of a survey into internet usage. Apparently, although men still use the internet more than women overall, in "young people" (aged 25-34!) women use the internet more than men (shopping and social networking sites are thought to be the cause). Over-65s (silver surfers) use the internet most - on average 42 hours per month.

Why am I writing this on SLI? The newsreader had a break to cough after hours... I thought she was going to say 42 hours per WEEK. That's like spending 6 hours a day in SL... Come on, be honest, how many of you do that? OK, we, SL users, are hardly an average part of mainstream society, however normal we may be to ourselves, but does anyone that reads SLI spend less than 42 hours a month online?

The Money Programme

Posted May 29th 2007 9:53PM by Akela Talamasca
Filed under: Events, Business, Mixed Reality

Easier.com posts a story claiming that The Money Programme, apparently a BBC television show about, well, money, will be the first Beeb TV show broadcast in SL. I can't even keep up anymore with these claims, and I've been warned against saying 'first' anything anymore. Can someone confirm or deny this?

The show can be seen this Friday, June 1st, hosted by Max Flint, who should really consider a second career as a gumshoe detective, because that's his real name. Brilliant!

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Richard and Judy Tackle SL

Posted Feb 1st 2007 8:17AM by Akela Talamasca
Filed under: Events, Odds and Ends, Mixed Reality

I'm big into the Beeb's past shows, such as Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, and The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I'm not terribly up on their current mainstream programming. So it was with some pleased surprise that I received a link to this YouTube video, featuring not one, not two, but three SL residents in their real life selves, on the chat program Richard and Judy, which I understand to be the UK equivalent of the Today Show.

Errol Mysterio, Fizik Baskerville, and Slim Warrior all share the time, explaining to the hosts the basics of SL, and what their particular foci are in-world. It's a wonderful video, and we can all be proud of our three intrepid interviewees -- they've acquitted themselves admirably!

Best quote: "I've got Man Breasts!"

(Thanks, Adri!)

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BBC not making a Virtual World after all

Posted Jan 26th 2007 8:06AM by Master Penguin
Filed under: News, Odds and Ends

Akela previously posted about the BBC's Virtual World for kids, and much like the Hudsucker Proxy no one really understands the genius of the world. Because this Virtual World will not have interaction between players. Actually it apparently isn't a Virtual World at all. According the Mark Wallace of 3PointD, the widespread reports of the Virtual World being developed were false.

So, it will end up being an environment that kids interact with that may or may not have any interaction between players. You know, for kids.

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CBBC World: SL for Kids?

Posted Jan 24th 2007 6:43AM by Akela Talamasca
Filed under: News

The BBC, of all entities, will be launching a new Metaverse, aimed at children, called CBBC World. This will be the first step in the Beeb's new thrust to provide children with new and interesting digital content, with a formal Summer launch coinciding with their retooled CBBC digital TV channel.

CBBC World ... sort of an awkward name, especially in the mouths of babes. I'm hearing the radio adverts now: "I have my own avatar in TheeBeeth ... THEEBEE ... Theebeetheebeethh ... Theebee World *giggle*"

(Via the Guardian Unlmited)

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BBC in Talks With Linden Labs

Posted Sep 28th 2006 3:38PM by Caliandris Pendragon
Filed under: News

Saw Paul Mason, BBC journalist come online for the first time in ages, and said hello, and consequently learned that the BBC have just signed a deal with Microsoft, reported on the BBC website a couple of hours ago.

He tells me that the Director-General of the BBC, Mark Thompson, is in San Francisco, and is planning to talk to Linden Labs about Second Life too. The BBC have already organised several events in Second Life, including Paul's own broadcast for their flagship in-depth news programme, Newsnight, and the simultneous broadcast of the Radio One Weekend Festival which was held in Dundee and SL.

As it happens, I am organising a machinima for the BBC at the moment, and was scouting locations when Paul logged in. I will write more about that in due course, but I hurried to SLI to give you the news -- you read it here first!

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5 Companies Who Need Virtual Worlds

BloodSpell Launch Party in Second Life 10/21 11am PDT

Hope for the deaf?

UK internet usage - how do you compare? Just Askin'

The Money Programme

Richard and Judy Tackle SL

BBC not making a Virtual World after all

CBBC World: SL for Kids?

BBC in Talks With Linden Labs

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