[From the Pixels and Policy blog (“Uncovering the ways virtual worlds change our politics, policy, and culture”)] 10/26/2009 The Curious Case of Racism in Second Life The standard techno-optimist argument in favor of expanding the Metaverse goes something like this: Virtual worlds hold the promise of commuication without regard for distance, physical ability, gender, or race. Every aspect of the avatar is flexible, rendering prejudice obsolete. It appears such wishful thinking might be snagged on the heated issue of race. Pixels and Policy reports on a little-noticed study that says our racial biases are carrying over into the Metaverse. Bringing Race…

[From The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Wired Campus blog; more information is available here and at the EchoDamp web site] October 27, 2009, 02:00 PM ET Software Helps Music Students Collaborate Online With Crystal Clarity By Jeff Young Music schools have a tradition of bringing in famous musicians to hold master classes with a handful of students, but many of those visits have been cut this year because of tight budgets. Free software developed at the University of Southern California promises to make videoconferencing clear enough to hold such classes remotely over high-speed Internet connections. The software is called EchoDamp,…

[From MIT’s Technology Review Editors blog; watch the 2:44 minute video demonstration here] Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Using Google’s Phone to Make Virtual Reality Goggles Tired of waiting for mass market VR goggles? Here’s an easy way to make your own. By Kristina Grifantini Both virtual reality and augmented reality have been gaining attention with the growing popularity of powerful smart phones. And, as the technology inside these devices becomes better and smaller, it seems only a matter of time before someone invents cool-enough looking VR/AR glasses or goggles. In the meantime however, the folks over at Recombu.com have demonstrated…

[From Newlaunches.com; the project is on display at the Digital Contents Expo in Tokyo] Media Vehicle simulates a cocoon by gary, posted October 26, 2009 – 9:07 AM This cool Media Vehicle is capable of nesting you safely into its safe confines that make it look like a cocoon. Once you´re sealed inside it, you can monitor everything that´s happening outside with the help of a large spherical screen. This screen displays grabs from a camera that is located outside it. The four wheels provide stability and fluidity of motion. The Media Vehicle is described as a `personal virtual reality…

[From Reuters] America beats Guadalajara in first game shown in 3D Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:15pm EDT CO CITY (Reuters) – Excited Mexicans clutching buckets of popcorn and soft drinks in cinemas ducked whenever the ball was kicked toward them as they watched Sunday’s big game between America and Guadalajara in 3D. At the packed Azteca, thousands more had a more traditional view of the match between the country’s two most popular teams which finished with a 1-0 victory to America after an early goal by Colombian Aquivaldo Mosquera. “It was incredible,” said 25-year-old Claudia Fernandez. “I’d already seen films…

[From The Chronicle of Higher Education; a 1 minute video is available in the web version of this story] October 18, 2009 Beam Me to the Faculty Senate Videoconferencing proves useful on campusesBy Jeffrey R. Young The days of face-to-face faculty meetings might soon come to an end. Colleges with several campuses are embracing videoconferencing systems for a range of faculty and staff meetings, to save money and fuel by reducing trips. And more academic meetings now offer the option of attending virtually, using video streams. Anyone who has tried a videoconference or watched a lecture on a screen in…

[I’ve often enjoyed listening to church bells marking the current time and spreading music through a neighborhood but I didn’t realize they probably weren’t ‘real’ chimes – at least according to the company BRG Precision Products; there’s more information at this site); a related item about a ‘simulated’ grand piano follows below. –Matthew Lombard] BRG Electronic Carillon Church Bells and Chimes. Did you know that most church bells installed today are digital electronic chime systems? It’s true! Advanced electronic carillon (kare’ uh-lawn) bell systems include digital recordings of real cast bells, chimes and carillons. Even more important, digital electronic bells…