I've been checking out the new virtual world Small Worlds over the past few weeks, and so far have been pretty impressed. Here's some of the things I like about it: Accessibility: It's a web-based 2.5D environment that runs on Flash, so its much more accessible than other VWs that rely on a client download….
Whyville & Field Museum create virtual coral reef to educate about biodiversity
I'm excited to share the news that my friends at the Field Museum of Chicago have teamed up with the tween virtual world Whyville to launch Whyreef: a virtual educational experience for young people to teach them about biodiversity and ecosystems. In Whyreef, you are challenged to observe different coral reefs and carefully record the…
Dancing in the Easter Parade with Michael Arenella & Friends (video)
Yesterday was a lovely sunny and brisk day for the Easter Parade in Manhattan on Fifth Avenue. Thousands of locals and tourists milled about and marveled at the elegant, fanciful, opulent and sometimes ridiculous Easter outfits worn by participants. The lindy hop crowd tends toward the more vintage-y and elegant end of the spectrum, with…
My breaking solo for performance next week (video)
Here's my solo that I'm working on for the breaking performance I'm doing with my group at PMT Studios next week. Yes, the ending is still not done yet, and my swipes need a lot of work. The song is of course "Body Movin'" by the Beastie Boys (1998).
Edgar Wright posts 1st videoblog from set of “Scott Pilgrim” flick!
Blog One – Introduction – Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World from Scott Pilgrim The Movie on Vimeo.Edgar Wright, the director of "Scott Pilgrim Versus the World," has posted the first video post in the production blog for the film. Based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's celebrated indie comic series "Scott Pilgrim," the film chronicles the adventures…
Metaplace / Second Life chat on New Trends in Game Dev with Raph Koster Today at 12pm PST
I got the news from Jade that she/he is organizing a multi-virtual world discussion on "Emerging Trends in Game Development" with Raph Koster and other notable metaverse thinkers today at 12pm PST. The chat will take place in both Metaplace (in the Interval space) and in Second Life (in Idea City, click here to teleport.). …
Hula + Swing = Hula Shim Sham (video)!
Here’s a late but very sweet entry in the “Global Shim Sham” project for Frankie Manning’s 95th Birthday Festival. Check out this beautiful and amazingly choreographed hula dance version of the “Shim Sham”! Here’s how the dancers described why they put these two seemingly very different dance forms together: Many traditional hula celebrate and pay…
Guided tours of Kristallnacht exhibit in Second Life April 21-23
In observance of the annual Days of Remembrance, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum is offering guided tours of the Second Life exhibit "Witnessing History: Kristallnacht, the November 1938 Pogroms." If you haven't been, it's a great example of how virtual worlds can combine various forms of media into a powerful, immersive, emotional experience for the…
My personal city biking rules
I don't know if every biker does this, but I have my own set of personal rules for how I choose to bike in the city. Since New York City bikers tend to play light and loose with traffic regulations, it can be tempting to think that we have no regard for the laws or…
Launch tomorrow of “CONSENT!”: youth-produced Second Life game about medical testing in US prisons
Global Kids is proud to announce the public release of "CONSENT!" — a youth-produced digital game about medical experimentation in US prisons on African-Americans. Built in Teen Second Life, Global Kids has arranged for it to be brought over to the Main Grid of Second Life, hosted by the nice folks at Clemson University. Starting…