By way of the Torley pipeline, here’s yet another article on virtual property: “Virtual Trump: Making money off imaginary land holdings“. It’s a nice article although the headline (especially the loaded word “imaginary”) makes me wonder what headlines looked like back when actors like Chaplin were raking in the dough. Maybe something like “Pretend Mogul: Making money off of imaginary people“. Or athletes; “Playtime Rockefeller: Making money hitting a ball with a stick“.

One good thing about blogging: For those that can’t get past the headline, I can just point to earlier posts like this one. Easier that way. But for those able to see how this activity isn’t so different from many of the activities we now accept without thought, this bit from the article is pretty good:

Their Second Life income also supports a little boy in the Philippines through a sponsorship program.

“When coming to Second Life I wanted to explore how real this virtual reality actually is. Real in terms of real effects on real people,� she says. So the little boy, whose name is Geo, has become one of the first people who’s supported by a virtual real-estate business.

Doesn’t sound so imaginary anymore. I wonder how many athletes, actors, and even investors (isn’t investing in futures a virtual activity?) are supporting kids in third world countries.

These urban vinyls aren’t just amazing-looking collector’s toys, they’re part of what seems to be a very smart business. I’ve mentioned plenty of niche markets in the past including the vinyl toy segment, but this particular example, Muttpop‘s “Tequila”, comes wrapped in the kind of genuine developer-to-customer interaction and relationship building that I see as a model for many future businesses; especially those set up by Industrial Designers. Just check out the development process documentation over on Vinyl Pulse. Sweet. And make sure you read today’s entry which includes information on availability of some newly-announced limited edition versions of this stylish piece. Very cool.

Y’know, there are some highly-paid marketing types out there who could probably learn a thing or two from the savvy people that thrive in these niche categories. Ever since seeing Tequila, I’ve been wondering how my old Street Shark Hammerhead vinyl would feel if I adopted one these bad boyz. He may not have a say in the matter.

{Image Source: Vinyl Pulse}

The Fast Company piece from which I stole that headline is called “The Death of Corporate Permanence“, and it wouldn’t have anything directly to do with Industrial Design, virtual worlds or rapid-prototyping except for the last paragraph. It’s that last bit written by Adam Hanft that perhaps indicates how some of the things I discuss on this blog are bleeding into the mainstream.

The free market tells us that bankruptcy can be a good thing, in the way that the death of an old tree allows younger ones under its oppressive canopy to grow. There’s a lot of truth to that. But beyond the physical, bankruptcy has triggered an emotional change in our expectations. We’ve experienced what can only be called the Death of Permanence; what remains to be seen is the way the new Economy of the Evanescent will influence our business and even personal interactions. Never before have so many people lived with one finger on the game-reset button.

Based on that last sentence, I suspect Mr. Hanft is taking notice of stories that do directly relate to this blog. Maybe the collective finger is getting ready to hit “fast forward”.

Hard enough for people to imagine that you can “print” a real, three-dimensional object and use it like any other (even though those same people generally have no clue how most everyday objects are manufactured) then along come stories of printing body parts. And for the latest on that front, medGadget has an update.

This reminds me of Cronenberg’s “The Fly“; specifically the baboon screw-up and the steak taste-test afterward. Wonder if we’ll be printing our food in the future (not like chef Homaru Cantu in Chicago who I’ve mentioned previously, but printing a part that is then sold at the grocery, taken home, and cooked like the real thing)? Wait a sec, how do we know this isn’t already happening!? Just remember, soylent green is people.

What a creepy subject.

via Future Feeder

C|Net is reprinting a New York Times article on Volvo’s new videogame (or more accurately – “advergame”) for the XBox: “Volvo Drive for Life“. My first reaction is probably what most gamers will do… roll my eyes. However, considering it’s free and only intended to introduce potential customers to their brand, maybe it’ll work. There’s plenty of non-videogame playing adults with access to a console (good way to force lil’ Johnny off the box and make him do his homework; “Sorry son, your mother and I are still considering buying a new car… homework done?”).

Beyond the targeted application though, it occurs to me that Volvo may have the makings of an underground hit on their hands. A “hit”, that is, with Driver’s Education programs. What better time to differentiate the brand with their “safety” message than when potential customers are feeling most vulnerable? And what better time to sell the brand than when people are becoming newly-minted drivers? Further, if it’s on the XBox, a PC version can’t be far behind (as the XBox is so closely-related to Windows). I’ll be interested in hearing if this is what eventually happens. It’d certainly be a clever (if sneaky) tactic.