My friends at Ill Clan studios produced this sweet little machinima as a "book trailer" for the young adult thriller novel Cemetery Street by Brenda Seabrooke. Produced in Second Life, it's an interesting marketing tactic to attract new readers in the YouTube era. In related news, Ill Clan's "Tiny Nation" series has been accepted for…
Intellagirl talks about her study of 80 virtual worlds and online games tomorrow
Just got word that Sarah "Intellagirl" Robbins will be speaking on "Games and Virtual Worlds in Education: MMORPGs, MUVEs, Games…What's the difference?" at Indiana University Bloomington tomorrow, February 10, at 12pm EST. People can attend remotely using Adobe Connect at this link and log in as a guest. Here's the description: Today there are over…
Auto-tune: Music, manipulation and the authentic experience
There's a really interesting discussion in the comments section of Gizmodo about the use of "Auto-tune" technology to modify and correct the vocals of pop artists on their albums. The most notorious user of Auto-tune is hip-hop artist T-Pain. But according to Time magazine the modern recording industry uses Auto-tune for pretty much every album….
My address at UN General Assembly civil society hearings in 2005 (video)
Here's an oldie but a goodie that I dug up when thinking about some notable work highlights from the past. In 2005, I had the honor of speaking briefly at the first UN General Assembly hearings with civil society organizations (CSOs). This was a historic occasion, where the UN General Assembly for the first time…
Swipes into chair freeze from breakdance practice today (video)
Here's a little video from my b-boy practice this afternoon showing how my swipes are coming along, as well as a swipe into a chair freeze. After a few months of work, these moves are finally starting to look like… something.
Virtual LOLcats insulin pumps raise awareness about the dangers of diabetes
What you see here is a closeup of the virtual insulin pump worn by my dragon avatar in Second Life, courtesy of Noelyci Ingmann. Hamlet Au just blogged about the pump — which comes in a "regular" and a "LOLcats" version believe it or not — so I had to check it out. The free…
Cali Lindy Hoppers unite for 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-Thon
I love hearing about lindy hoppers using their skills to help a worthy cause. I got news that a 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon, is happening from March 5-9 in Orange County, California: The Dance-a-thon is a 24 hour swing dance in Orange County, CA. Its mission is to raise funds for cancer research and treatment…
Good times at Bryan Lee O’Malley book signing in Brooklyn
My buddies Frankyboy, Swifty and I joined the crowd of comic geeks at the lovely Rocket Ship comic shop in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn tonight for the Bryan Lee O'Malley book signing. The occasion was the much-anticipated release of the fifth book in O'Malley's celebrated "Scott Pilgrim" series: "Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe." The New Yorkers…
Bryan Lee O’Malley book signing in Brooklyn tomorrow! OMG!
I'm super excited that awesome comic book author Bryan Lee O'Malley is coming to Rocket Ship in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, tomorrow! Not only will he be signing the latest volume 5 in the fantastic "Scott Pilgrim" series, he'll also be selling a sweet Scott Pilgrim tee! I must have that tee-shirt!! (Sorry about all the…
Indian nonprofit “Child Rights and You” in Second Life
While I was visiting the Tata Indicom sim in Second Life, I stopped by the virtual headquarters of CRY – Child Rights and You – just one sim over. CRY is "an inclusive, participatory, people's movement" that campaigns for "child rights for India's children" according to the automated text that greets you as you arrive….