Category: In the News
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Will Turntable.fm really return?
For decades, some of us have found ways to share experiences remotely, using services stubbornly determined to enable individual use or physical world sharing only. The pandemic has shown that remote socialization beyond first-person shooter gaming can be part of mainstream life, whether that’s a Zoom happy hour or a game of Drawasaurus that I…
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Paris and how we get breaking news now
On Saturday night I visited Paris in Second Life, joining the impromptu gathering of people from all over the world. Avatars wore pins and held candles or signs showing their support for the people of Paris. Many dressed in blue, white, and red. There was also one avatar in a party hat, bathing suit, and rubber…
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Roundup: Anomaly, al-Asaad, Ashley Madison, Project Sansar, and a personal update
I have a bunch of small commentaries floating around in my brain and one massive post underway, so I think it’s time for a roundup. First though, a film. Anomaly takes place in the 1960s and is hard to explain. There’s a near-miss comet, an astronaut, a scientist, and the women they love. The pace drags a…
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Wednesday films: Chef, phlebotomist, and dubstep robots
Three short videos for your Wednesday enjoyment! The first is a cute musical film (wait for the drop). Dubstep Dispute from Fluxel Media on Vimeo. The next two are recently released robotic news videos. One is for a robot chef, or at least, an automated kitchen system that uses robotic arms. I don’t see it being practical, but…
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Roundup: Ex Machina, thoughtcrimes, Con Man, personal stuff
It’s Monday and after days of being deeply involved with the conference, I need to get back to my writing. Just a few short things to share: Ex Machina I’ve had mixed luck with future tech movies lately. Big Hero 6 was fantastic, Transcendence was a mess, and after reading the reviews, I couldn’t bring…
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Making the most of Safer Internet Day
It’s Safer Internet Day. Since this international effort — primarily about the safety and positive online interactions of young people — is co-funded by the EU, many of us in the States may never have heard of it, but I expect wider awareness since Google took up the cause by suggesting that account holders do a 2-minute security checkup today.…
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Teledildonics, VR movies, holograms… what a roundup!
I’m trying to be more active on Twitter lately because I find fascinating articles daily but don’t have time — or enough insightful thoughts — to write a lot of commentary. You can follow me @AvatarAnthro if you want to keep up with that. In the meantime, here are some very recent favorites: Finding the…
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Blending physical and holographic worlds with the MS HoloLens
I can’t help it; I’m a complete fangirl about some speculative technologies that could revolutionize the way we interact online and in the real world in the next 5-10 years. Even though Microsoft has broken my heart many times before, the promo video for the HoloLens has me bouncing in my desk chair with excitement. …
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Tech trends for 2015
Interested in what’s next or simply trying to keep up with impressive-sounding jargon? I’ve compiled a few lists of tech trends that are expected to be hot this year. I agree with some of them, for better or worse, and others are giving me food for thought as I consider the human implications. Click the links for…