This could really be useful for classes as they surf the internet… it might be easier than trying to get a whole class into second life… and a bit easier to remember… interesting.
Weblin is a service that allows people to have avatars that appear on the Web pages they visit and communicate with any other Weblin users who are visiting the same pages.
(Credit: Weblin)
If you’re a social media addict but think that visiting regular Web sites is a lonely experience, you might want to take a look at Weblin.
Okay, technically it is only a subcommitte of Congress… but still… a meeting in second life. I’m not sure if I should be afraid, or excited… what do you think?
For those of you who have been following the Second-Life alternative, Croquet, you will be interested to know that a new (very early) release of the next build, Cobalt is now available. You can download it here.
You can read more about the new build here. The graphics are much improved and the interface also looks like it has some nice improvements. I am diving into it now.
What do you think? You long time Croquet users, what enhancements does Cobalt offer?
Last year when Google announced their Android platform they demo’d a device with a virtual environment. This morning I read an article about a hack that allowed someone to access Second Life on an iPhone, and a new company that is going to make Second Life accessible on 3G Handsets… Sweet!
Now your second life can become a bigger part of your first life. 🙂
So the release of Google’s new mobile Android platform is a couple of days old now, but I just finally found some time to read up about it and see a demo. Let’s start with that. (Note, you can skip the first minute and just go onto the demo…)
Well… I’m sad there is no gPhone… but on the other hand… Wow! I must say I am impressed. Just the design alone is awesome and reminds me a lot of the iPhone with one difference… OPEN SOURCE! I am more and more converted to educators using Open Source… not only for the cost, but the ability to make what ever you want. Imagine having the capabilities of the iPhone, but without the iBrick tendencies. 🙂 So without further adieu, here is my list of 5 ways Google’s new Android Platform could impact education:
1. Cost – FREE… what more needs to be said?
2. OPEN – With an awesome Software Development Kit that is totally open (you can even change the dialer and home screen). You can pretty much build any application you want!
3. Multiple Platform Capability – This is not one device that everyone has to have… it is a platform that will be able to run on all mobile devices!
4. Virtual/Distance Education/Gaming – Open GL capabilities and AWESOME graphics! Imagine navigating a virtual world using mobile devices and interacting with your hands for those with multi-touch screens! Takes experiential learning to a new level. (Just FYI… Croquet uses Open GL… 🙂 )
5. Collaboration – Education is more and more about working together in a GLOBAL community. With built in notifications and mapping software, it would be easy to write an application to notify a group of friends where you are all at once for an impromptu meeting.
6. Mobile Learning – It is becoming more important to have access to information where ever we are. Imagine being out in the field studying zoology and looking up a new bug you have never seen before on wikipedia. Nice.
7. High-Speed Capabilities – One of the BIG problems with the iPhone is the slower cellular network. It made video impossible. Now that functionality can be added in as well.
And this is just the beginning. The sky is really the limit with a product like this. Once again… thank you Google for pushing the envelope! Read the rest of this entry »
Recently I posted an article questioning the usefulness of Second Life in education, to which I received mixed feedback. Last week I had the opportunity to see Dr. Julian Lombardi and Dr. Marilyn Lombardi of Duke University demonstrate a open-source peer-to-peer virtual world application called Croquet. Croquet is basically Second Life, but much more.
This article looks at 7 ways Croquet is better than Second Life. I also explore some of the con’s of this alternative virtual world and some questions I still have.
Note: This product does not have a distributable application at this point. This article is one of two things: a call for help, or a glimpse in the future. If you have the skills to help out with the development, please do so, otherwise you should see a downloadable application this coming fall. Read the rest of this entry »
Right on the heels of my last post about Second Life a couple of Second Life alternatives are starting to surface. I have long known that there were alternate virtual worlds as well, but as I recall the problem lies in the fact that they are just not as big, nor are there nearly as many ‘other’ voices to enrich the experience.
TechCrunch published an interesting article a couple of days ago “Will The Last Corporation Leaving Second Life Please Turn Off The Light?” This article explores the cost of running a second life business and it’s relative small audience. Granted there are lots of things you can do in second life that you couldn’t do in a traditional webpage, but for most it wasn’t worth the amount invested? That led me to question… is Second Life really worth it in Education?
Weblin is a service that allows people to have avatars that appear on the Web pages they visit and communicate with any other Weblin users who are visiting the same pages.
For those of you who have been following the 
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