Alicia Harris
Second Life Gets 3D Voice Technology

In the virtual world of second life (2nd life), not everything is perfect, but its technology is getting close.
Linden Lab Company based out of San Francisco launched 3D voice technology last week. With 3D voice people can talk to each other through headsets. This gives 2nd Life virtual hearing and creates a special audio component.
2nd Life is a computer program that people use to create alter egos and create a second world for them to “play” in. “Over 10 million users have downloaded the application and logged on at least once since its launch in 2003,” said Brett Atwood, editor for secondlife.com.
“This is the next generation of use,” Atwood commented. Users of this program can now participate in more creative ways since 3D voice has enhanced 2nd Life. Musician users can join bands and have performance shows. They can also go to concerts and go clubbing. Atwood said he anticipates, “live music and audiences. 2ndFest was held out of Europe in a virtual area where several acts played one after another.”
The launch of 3D voice is making the application more desirable for businesses and universities. IBM and Cisco have already used it for virtual meetings and holding conference calls. The aspect of bringing people from different areas of the nation and the world together in the same virtual room is appealing to some companies.
Universities that offer distance programs may start using 2nd Life with 3D voice to hold classroom discussions while students are not physically present. Instructors can use PowerPoint in 2nd Life to teach in their virtual classroom settings while students can seat themselves there to learn.
2nd life is free for anyone to use on a basic level and there is a premium version that you can pay to use. 2nd Life users have a currency called Linden Dollars that they can buy things with in their world. There are security settings for people who own land in 2nd Life. As a land owner you can create settings to allow only certain people onto your area.
The game of 2nd Life is becoming more and more useful as technology increase. It can still be a fun source for imaginative play or an innovative way for businesses to grow and students to get education from afar.