Saturday, December 16, 2006

Get a life. Business Week.com reports: IBM Corp. said Friday that it collaborated with electronics retailer Circuit City Stores Inc. to open a big-box outlet in the virtual video-game world, Second Life. IBM said the prototype store is part of a bigger complex Big Blue plans to open next week in the virtual world. The store contains replicas of real-life Circuit City products. People can direct their avatars, or in-game characters, to walk down the aisles, pick up and examine items, and order online for home delivery, IBM said. The two companies are also working on virtual customer service and a place for shoppers to recreate their real-world living rooms, then test different TV sizes and sound system setups. At a holiday party last night, some of us discussed how immersive-world technology is evolving. Imagine, say, that in a few years, Second Life looks like a movie, not a cartoon. What a great place for learning and collaboration! Or is it? Once again, the technology is advancing more rapidly Informal Learning Blog, December 16, 2006. [Conversation] [Stephen's Web ~ by Stephen Downes ~ Edu_RSS Most Recent - RSS old] 1:16:32 PM      Google It!.

Seven Steps to Better E-Learning. Clark Quinn wrote this article for eLearn Magazine. It is "a distillation of cognitive research on learning intended to make your e-learning more effective, and to create a better experience for the learner. These seven principles integrate cognitive and emotional components of learning, and the more that happens, the greater the outcomes". Seven Steps to Better E-Learning Clark also invites comments on this article on his blog Learnlets Jane's E-Learning Pick of the Day, December 16, 2006. [Conversation] [Stephen's Web ~ by Stephen Downes ~ Edu_RSS Most Recent - RSS old] 1:15:06 PM      Google It!.

Look, Ma, No Hands . Letting go is difficult, especially letting go of the steering wheel. I'm not accustomed to it. I don't like it. I didn't want to do it. But I did, thanks to Toyota Motor Corp.'s advanced parking guidance system. By Warren Brown. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] 9:11:49 AM      Google It!.