twitter from second life
Communicate with your friends who are on Twitter, while you're in Second Life!
Now you can use an old-school typewriter, from within Second Life, to type a message that gets published on Twitter. Once you hit enter, it publishes your 140 character or less masterpiece to the SLtypewriter Twitter stream.
I know! Who needs friends anymore? Or the outdoors? Starting next week, I'm officially becoming a pixel.
Labels: mashup, secondlife, social media, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:57 AM
1 comments
second life: getting a second life.
There are some interesting things going on at Second Life. Former Organic CEO is headed over to the virtual organization to head things up.
Catharine P. Taylor has some really nice things about his character and leadership abilities. We've seen recently that there's still a viable audience on Second Life, spending more time "in world" than before.
This will be interesting to see what the future holds in that wonderful second world that we all like to talk about so much.
Labels: secondlife, social media
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM
0 comments
second life: second wave?
There's been quite a bit of Second Life noise buzzing around the internets lately. The rumor that Apple is opening a store there.
That news that the time spent in-world by Second Life members is increasing.
Now that the hype is over, (and real estate in SL is tanking), perhaps we can all participate in something meaningful. Something that doesn't involve investing 2. 3 million to talk to 2.3 thousand. There's a real audience still spending their real time in that other world. And, by the looks of it, more and more of their time. What opportunities will be realized?
Labels: secondlife, social media, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:08 AM
0 comments
human resources wants to see you. about your avatar.
Late last year, I met an IBM employee at a party, and we were chatting about Second Life. He was complaining that he couldn't wear certain (let's call them "attachments") while in-world, when he was at work with IBM. I was laughing, and a little frightened of his attachments.
Well, we can thank the corporate HR departments for keeping us all safe. IBM does indeed have a Code of Conduct for virtual worlds. (Of course they do.)
New employee orientations must be a blast. "And now, we'll tour our Second Life offices....please ignore those unsightly people to your left, and take pride in your Second Life khakis..."
Labels: secondlife, trends, workplace
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:04 AM
0 comments
real estate market: tanking in second life, too.
Think it's only bad in your neighborhood? Second Life just slashed land prices, too. Regions that previously sold for USD$1650 will be reduced to USD$1000 by the end of the month.
Time to buy that fixer-upper and start that virtual surf shop you've always wanted to open. Or that horn dog sex shop you've dreamed about.
Labels: secondlife, social media, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM
1 comments
better late than never?
CNN just opened a news bureau in Second Life. I went inworld quickly, and couldn't find it - so I went to the next best thing, and snapped the photo above. The Belga news agency, from Belgium. And, the place was empty. Not a lot of news going on.
Actually, what CNN is planning sounds like a nice Second Life business plan. They're putting kiosks throughout the space, and allowing Second Life citizens to produce content. We'll see how it works. When we can find it.
Labels: secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:12 AM
1 comments
mind control for your second life avatar
Ummm...this scares me a little bit. Control your Second Life avatar simply by thinking about it.
Labels: secondlife, social media, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM
0 comments
bring your second life into your facebook life
Someone's create a sweet new application for Facebook that ties your Second Life to your Facebook life. Some would argue that if you have both of these, you have no life.
Anyway - the application lets you display your avatar on your Facebook profile, and indicate when you’re on and off line in Second Life. If your friends also have the app installed, you’ll be able to see each other’s avatars. Really cool idea.
Labels: facebook, secondlife, social media
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM
2 comments
not comfy in your own skin? try yourself as a third person.
Ok, this is a little bit confusing, but freakin' amazing. It's an an avatar machine. A crazy looking clunky device that you fasten to your body, so that you can experience your life as an avatar.
The camera records your image from the third person perspective - and then feeds that back to your virtual reality helmet. So you can go about your life in the third person. I soooo want to wear this to my next client meeting. Found on Reblog.
Labels: art, secondlife, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM
0 comments
making insurance cool again
Story in this morning's Wall Street Journal about a 176 year-old Italian insurance company that spent $40,000 to create an island in Second Life, in a noble effort to make insurance cool again for the younger generation (No...seriously). With all due respect to the well-intentioned marketing team, aside from the fact that nearly three-quarters of Second Lifers ignore corporate islands, no amount of tricked-out virtual world real estate will ever make insurance cool. Making insurance hip went out with the Cavemen.
Labels: marketing, secondlife, social media
posted by Wilson Cleveland @ 9:31 AM
2 comments
social networking for your second life avatar
OMG. If you didn't already have enough social networking sites to keep track of, now there's one for your avatar. For real. A social networking site devoted entirely to avatars. I don't know whether to be impressed, or just tired of the social network scene.
Labels: 3d, secondlife, social media, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 AM
0 comments
media: we're tired of second life. let's move on to facebook.
Prepare for the media frenzy. Now that mainstream media is done reporting on SecondLife (without actually ever experiencing it), it seems they're ready to jump on to the next bandwagon.
Get ready for a host of stories about Facebook, from reporters who don't use it, or don't get it. MakeTheLogoBigger points to the Valleywag post on the BusinessWeek article, where they made a few booboos in Facebook etiquette, showing their inexperience with the tool.
We're recommending Facebook for many clients. But it's not for everyone. So before the media spin gets out of control, before you throw great money into the latest trend, ask "Why am I doing this? What do I expect in return? What benefit does this provide to the Facebook audience?"
And then spend katrillions of dollars with agencies like ours. ;-)
Labels: facebook, secondlife, social media, trends, web2.0
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM
5 comments
why people join social communities
Some great insight and discussion into why people participate in social communities, from the people who are participating, over at the New York Times. From Steve Rubel, via Twitter.
Labels: facebook, secondlife, social media
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM
0 comments
chris anderson gives up on second life
There have been plenty of failed brands with failed business plans in Second Life. And it's no surprise that most of the commercial builds in Second Life are now abandoned ghost towns. But Chris Anderson is the Editor of Wired Magazine. Chris Anderson defined an entire economic/business movement in his best seller "The Long Tail." And Chris Anderson is giving up on Second Life.
Now it's time to pay attention. Second Life has value for many people. But it's not for everyone. In fact, it's not for most brands. Before you spend a percentage of your marketing budget on a build - find out what you expect to get in return.
For Wired Magazine, it's important to be viewed as the early adopters of any new technology. I trust them to explore, explain and identify new trends. So, I expected them to have a build early on, and was pleased to visit them there. But can the same be said for Tide? Or Playtex? Not yet.
More importantly, this post give an excellent opportunity to show off Justus' pants, in Second Life. Hands down the best pants. Justus' pants have not, nor will not give up on Second Life. Just in case you were concerned.
Labels: secondlife, technology, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
2 comments
another virtual world so you can stay inside.
Can't figure out SecondLife? Tired of Second Life, and miss the Lower East Side of NYC? Your prayers have been answered. Now there's a virtual LES. You don't have to learn SecondLife, and there's nothing but actual LES businesses, bands, and happenings in the virtual version. Really cool idea. I wonder how many people living in the LES are playing around in the virtual LES. Weird.
From Urban Outfitters.
Labels: newyork, secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:52 AM
0 comments
what if real life were second life?
You'll need to have actually been in Second Life to laugh at this, but if you have, check out DraftFCB's video of their Paris office "in Second Life." Funny. From adfreak
Labels: adindustry, pop culture, secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM
0 comments
stream your youtube clips to your second life house
Don't have time for tv anymore, because you're too busy with your virtual self? Well worry not - because now you can watch tv in Second Life. YouTube TV - (the kind you really want to watch anyway.)
And another fantastic door of opportunity was just busted open for marketers. Yes - YouTube. Not just on iPhones, but but streaming in Second Life, too!
I didn't have time to load Second Life this morning for a snapshot, so I've included a stock shot of Justus' pants. For your enjoyment.
Labels: secondlife, social media, video, web2.0, youtube
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:23 AM
0 comments
what people really look like
When we're in Second Life at our office, we often wonder what the people that we're interacting with really look like, in real life. Because we're shallow like that.
Yesterday's NY Times Magazine has an excellent photo slide show of people next to their avatars. Pretty funny.
Labels: secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:08 AM
0 comments
financial people are here. it's real.
There's been speculation for some time now that credit card companies would someday offer cards that provided rewards in the virtual world. Places like World of Warcraft, or Second Life. That time has come.
VISA just announced their World of Warcraft credit card. Earn World of Warcraft rewards while you spend dough in meatspace. Thanks Devon!
Labels: future, gaming, marketing, secondlife, social media, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:13 AM
0 comments
shhh. the billboards are listening.
Advertising Lab reports that UK company ContextAds can serve virtual billboard ad space within Second Life, based on contextual data. So when avatars are talking about cars, a ContextAd billboard can serve up an ad for VW. Just like Google does in the "real" virtual world.
Labels: outdoor, secondlife, technology, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:28 AM
0 comments
tech expo in second life: fun, problematic
Wired reports on a technology expo that took place this weekend, within Second Life. Perfect audience, excellent location.
While it appears there was lots of business done and many connections made, there's (still) the frustrations of Second Life's limitations - huge computing power required of users (which typically results in crashes); limited number of visitors to the expo (only 40 at a time); and of course, lag, lag, lag.
The good news: the show drew 6,270 visitors over the weekend. That's effective niche marketing.
Labels: marketing, secondlife, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM
1 comments
for sale: second life skate park
We've built an amazing skate park in Second Life for a client that's had a change in their marketing plan, where Second Life doesn't make sense.
So we're putting the park up for sale. It's ready to launch - in minutes. The park features some of the most advanced vehicle movement systems within Second Life. It's fun - residents that we've shared private tours with are stoked about the skating function, and that there's something to do in this build.
This is an excellent opportunity for a brand that's looking for a quick entry into Second Life, but doesn't want a lame, boring place. Like the Sears store.
We're not looking to make a buck on it, as much as we want to see the work live. So we'll work with you, if your brand is appropriate for the park. Sports companies, youth brands, here's your chance....
Labels: secondlife, sports marketing, via, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:02 AM
3 comments
second lifers: unhappy with brands
A new study shows that current Second Lifers don't appreciate brands coming into Second Life. Many don't even notice the brands. "Over a third of them were unaware of the branded presence and 42% said they thought it constituted nothing more than a short-term trend, lacking durable commitment from the companies."
Shouldn't really be a surprise - as the majority of the brands that have made the greatest noise outside Second Life aren't doing anything worthwhile inside Second Life.
In the old days of about a year ago, brands could issue a press release announcing their Second Life existence, and expect boku attention. No more, thankfully.
Like any community of humans, a brand needs to provide something of value to the community, in order to get recognition. It's the most simple branding, marketing or business principle. And yet everyone's thrown that out the window in the last year.
So, before you launch your lonely island in Second Life, ask your agency "what benefit will this provide current Second Lifers?" If you hear a long 'uhhhhhh...' it's time to rethink the strategy.
Unrelated, Justus flexes for the camera, in his world famous pants, above.
Labels: branding, marketing, secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:12 AM
2 comments
how to get coffee like you're in a video game
If you play World of Warcraft, the world's most popular video game, you'll really appreciate this. This is what it might be like, if you lived in WOW, and needed to get a cup of coffee.
Second Lifers and other MMO players will also get a laugh. For those of you too busy working, with no time for games, I'm not sure what you'll think. Just get back to work. Thanks Devon!
Labels: art, gaming, parody, secondlife, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:51 AM
1 comments
get paid to sit on the pot
Umm...the latest development in Second Life? Camp Chair toilets. Nuff said.
Labels: secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:21 AM
0 comments
zombie ad people walk among us
P&G marketing chief Jim Stengel made an unusual introduction/entrance to a recent keynote he gave. He entered as an avatar in Second Life. That's not the unusual part. He brought someone with him - a dead Leo Burnett. Cool.
Apparently, Leo's avatar was even a little grey. What a cool Second Life idea. What about a zombie island, filled with nothing but dead drone zombies? Actually, that would be a really cool concept for a horror film promo....hmmmm. And Leo could work there.
Labels: adindustry, creativeinspiration, secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:53 AM
0 comments
this is big
And we're not talking about the stars and stripes ass on Justus, above. Second Life is testing speech.
I'm still a doubting thomas on the ability of the grid to support such a feature, but if it could - this would change everything - and open a whole new world of opportunities for business. Today, avatars basically communicated through instant message. Which is cute, but limiting.
Real speech would change everything. Real meetings could be conducted. Valuable seminars could be held. Travel could be eliminated. Hookers could scream things. Can't wait. (For the meetings, that is)
Labels: secondlife, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:29 AM
0 comments
cbs pours money into second life
Sears, Circuit City, and Scion are only the beginning. CBS just invested SEVEN million dollars in Electric Sheep - one of the more prominent Second Life development companies.
What will 7 mill buy? "infrastructure to enable sponsorship by advertisers", was included as one answer to that question in an interview with the Sheep CEO. That, and of course, a Star Trek virtual theme park.
Labels: secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM
0 comments
second life is calling
In our testing, we've found that Second Life doesn't run well on a PC or Mac less than a year old. Unless there's a boatload of processing power. But that hasn't stopped someone from figuring out how to run it on a cell phone.
Labels: secondlife, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM
0 comments
get a virtual wife
Giuli pointed this out on Valentines Day, and I never got around to posting about it. You can get married now in Second Life. And it only costs ten Linden dollars. Conveniently, a divorce costs $25 Linden bucks.
This should open up a world of opportunity for SL wedding planners, producers, and of course, divorce attorneys. I just hope the songs they play at SL weddings are better than in real life. We could all do with a little less Kool and the Gang.
Labels: secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM
0 comments
leave your virtual world for a conference in the real world
...but about virtual worlds. That's right. You can go to a conference about virtual worlds, but you need to travel to NYC to do it. Umm...right. Why not do this in Second Life? One of the things I've enjoyed most about Second Life is the access it's allowed me to people I wouldn't likely meet or see in real life. Kind of like an expensive conference used to do.
I understand that conferences are a business, and you need to get people out of their offices, yada yada yada - but why not at least do a portion of the conference about virtual worlds, in a virtual world?
The picture of Justus, wearing his magic dancing pants is for your enjoyment only. They likely won't be featured at the conference.
Labels: adindustry, secondlife, social media
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM
0 comments
some great second life thinking
In the Grid has a good post reflecting at least two really great points about Second Life:
1. Creating your own island isn't the only way to promote your brand in SL. iVillage is doing something really valuable. They're showing residents the grid by leading tours and sponsoring events that independent women would appreciate. Classic marketing. Produce something that connects with your audience. Many brands could learn a thing or two from this approach.
2. The more popular SL becomes, the less residents can enjoy. SL servers have real limitations - and an event that draws too many people will create havoc. Causing your avatar to crash, and generally become a frustrating experience for the user. This is an issue that Linden Labs needs to address, soon.
Anyway, In the Grid is one of the now many awesome blogs about everything Second Life. Add it to your roll.
Labels: branding, marketing, secondlife, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM
0 comments
watching buzz turn into business
Info geeks rejoice: Steve Rubel has put together some fantastic analysis, using trending tools like Google Trends, and Indeed Job Trends. He's compared Google searches for web 2.0 stuff, against job data, to compare buzz to business. The conclusion is really interesting.
"Well, the evidence is anecdotal but it appears as though blogs and podcasts, which skyrocketed to prominence in 2004 and 2005, are now mature. They are largely flat when it comes to hype but they are generating more jobs. So with Second Life hype climbing, will it start generating jobs?"
Really cool stuff to impress your boss with. And the charts will make you look all smart, in your next PowerPoint on web 2.0.
Labels: blogging, marketing, secondlife, strategy, technology, trends, web2.0
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM
0 comments
second life, half life - some uses in real life
There's been a lot of debate about any actual marketing value for Second Life. Many of the complaints we hear are related to "but what do you do in Second Life?" And I've posted before about how some brands are wasting their users time.
It sounds like Universal Pictures is on the right track. They've created an "in life" contest, where a participant can win one million Linden dollars. They've duplicated a hotel from the film Smokin' Aces in Second Life, and users can hunt down other people. Or something like that - we haven't checked it out yet. We're very busy in our first life.
Which, btw - you have to check out the hilarious Second Life parody, Get a First Life. Pretty funny.
Meanwhile, some zany architects have come up with a unique use for the Half Life game engine. Half Life is a pc game, evolved from an older PC game Quake. The gamers really dig it. So anyway - some developers/architects/people with a lot of time created a walk through of Frank Lloyd Wright's infamous Kaufmann House. The video clip is above.
Some architects are contemplating the game engine's use for client presentations. Cool, but I actually think that one might be better in Second Life.
Confused about life yet?
Labels: architecture, gaming, parody, secondlife, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM
0 comments
sears in second life: as boring as the real store.
Sears just launched their joint in Second Life. And the press has been rejoicing in the news that there's a place where you can explore custom kitchens, and design your own kitchen.
I've used Second Life as a reference tool, in this way. Showing a virtual property (the W Hotel) as an example of interior design that I was looking to refer to in the real world. It works. So I was pretty stoked to check out the new Second Life Sears, and try their custom kitchen maker.
Well, let me save you some time. It sucks. You can choose from about three kitchen styles, and from three different cabinet styles. Oooh - and two different countertops. Picture what a Flash developer might have created back in 1997, for the internet. It's almost that good. That's my "custom" kitchen, pictured above. (And yes, my pants are pretty badass. Thanks for noticing.)
Lots of brands are entering Second Life, and getting real world press for it. Obviously, the people who are writing the articles about Sears in Second Life, and the people who are reading the articles about Sears in Second Life, will never actually go into Sears in Second Life. If they did, they'd be pissed.
Imagine sending a press release out that you've produced a website where users can choose from THREE different door styles, and see what they look like on a stock kitchen? Think any media would pick that story up?
Marketers need to make sure what they're doing in Second Life actually provides some value. To an audience IN Second Life. Stop thinking about what users might expect on a website, and attempting to translate that to Second Life. It's a different media, altogether, and deserves a different approach.
Now, if you'll excuse me, my pants and I have a meeting at the W Hotel.
Labels: retail, secondlife, strategy
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:48 AM
0 comments
the second life hype cycle is real
I was having a fantastic conversation with a client of ours, Headblade the other day, about new media like Second Life. We were discussing how early on in the discovery of a new medium, plenty of early adopters jump in, and get a ton of attention "just because they're doing it." Not because they're actually providing anything of value to the audience, but just because they're doing it.
And a lot of bloggers are starting to notice that this is happening in Second Life. Some big brands have created islands that are exactly that - in every sense of the word. Islands - devoid of any audience, any attention or Second Life members.
So I was delighted when Giuli found this post about the Second Life Hype Cycle. It's really valuable - and you should read it. It's written far better than I could summarize, so just read it.
The brands that succeed in this next wave are going to be the companies that produce something of value for those inside the game. There is an audience of value here. Perhaps it's not the 2 million + advertised audience, but a valuable audience, nonethless. Forget about the press releases in the real world. What are you doing for Second Lifers? This is where good strategic work will really shine. And there's a lot of opportunity ahead. So keep an eye on the curve, and ask yourself, "Is our Second Life strategy providing value within Second Life?"
Labels: secondlife
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM
0 comments
this week at via
Here's what happened this week at the world's most hoppin' design and branding firm:
Leigh has lit the Brand Flakes Gift Guide on fire with a bunch of new ideas. If you haven't already checked this out - visit today for some creative gift ideas for creative people.
David nearly completed a site he's been working on with Paul, for Switchfoot. Should launch next week. Titled Oh, Gravity!, the site pulls clips from YouTube that feature crashes, faceplants and other pleasant action sport type incidents. I think this is a great use of existing technology and tools, and bringing them together to create something unique. And it's fun to watch people destroy themselves. ;)
Leigh completed work on a site for K-OS, which when live, will allow fans to upload their own photos to be featured in the online video player. Great video, and cool work. Not launching till January, and we can't wait for you to see it.
Leigh designed logos for an island we're working on in Second Life. Much more on this later.
David worked on some conceptual treatments for a new Snowboard Catalog for SnowJam, Zuma and Spice brands.
Justus conceptualized a sales brochure for a new kind of residential construction company.
We tested hippity hops in our office this week. We even popped one. Giuli is pictured above, with the evidence. Didn't really think that was possible with industrial rubber, but it is.
Labels: secondlife, thisweekatVIA
posted by darryl ohrt @ 2:58 PM
0 comments
newscasts from second life
Edelman and Electric Sheep have created a vlog/machinima blog that's essentially a Second Life news-type program. Titled GridReview, they feature reports on events in SL, and interviews with SL celebrities - like CopyBot. Great idea.
I can see Second Life talent agencies and production companies following. So many possibilities. So little time.
Labels: blogging, secondlife, video
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM
0 comments
| Darryl Ohrt |
| David Plain |
| Justus Johnson |
| Rob Biddiscombe |
| Matt Hunsberger |
| Steph Fuda |
| RJ Fenn |
| Sara Champion |
| ATOM Site Feed |
