3pointD.com

CNet News, where friend of 3pointD Daniel Terdiman writes about virtual worlds, online games and cyberculture, among other things, has launched a permanent presence in the virtual world of Second Life. Located on the sim belonging to virtual-world services company Millions of Us, which built out the site, there’s a nice building modeled loosely after CNet’s San Francisco offices, complete with an amphiteater where CNet reporters can do interviews, give talks and stream media. Terdiman himself will do a regular series of interviews in the space, and give talks about recent stories he’s written. The site marks the first of what should prove to be several entrants from among the tech media that are planning to enter SL on a long-term basis. CNet’s launch gives it a head start, and Terdiman’s commitment to SL should keep things going, but it will be interesting to see what the other installations have on offer in terms of interactivity and things like news feeds. It will be nice to have more news coming into the world, in whatever form.

The latest episode of SecondCast, the only Second Life podcast that matters, is now available for your listening pleasure. We stick to the news in episode #34, covering Grid crashes, power outages at Linden Lab, and Hamlet’s recent video interview and wandering tongue, among other things. With special guest co-host, machinima queen Moo Money, for extra spice. Check it out.

An early model of Virtual Laguna Beach built out in Second Life

Good news, metaverse fans: This week’s episode of MTV’s eye-opening reality show Laguna Beach will premiere not on television but in the “music” channel’s virtual world, Virtual Laguna Beach, built on the same technology as There.com. The show will go on at 9pm Eastern time this evening, to coincide with the VLB “Winter Formal” being held tonight. The episode then airs on TV on Wednesday at 10pm. (Second Life residents can also visit a model of Virtual Laguna Beach in their own virtual world, sans the TV show. More on that below.) (more…)