Links of interest that are not posted here by a del.icio.us auto-blogging widget:

– When I read this commentary on Wired (Link) discussing virtually-connected “garage bands”, a number of thoughts went through my mind; thoughts such as “How does this idea apply to fabbing?” What initially seem to me to be relatively easy-to-answer questions seem less straight forward the more I consider them.

– So Linden Lab plans to implement an “all your base are belong to us” verification system, according to their official blog entry (Link). Unfortunately, the Linden blog – like the Second Life “concurrent use” check valve – limits participation and sends overflow to a virtual void, so the comment thread aborts before a worthwhile discussion matures. I suppose once voice is implemented into Second Life, there’ll be more than a few avatars trying to drop their castrato-pitch voices down a couple of octaves. That should be good for a laugh. At least something will be.

– Chris Kelley, of UGS, has posted (Link) a call for assistance in developing a means of moving 3D data between Second Life and UGS’ JT format. With all the stuff going on in SL right now (new modeling tools, voice, age verification, aso), my suspicion is that those best qualified are too busy to take on something like this. Then again I can imagine a few people looking for something to sufficiently occupy them such that all the rest recedes. Having scanned the file specification, this should do the trick. If interested, be sure to comment over on Kelley’s blog.

– I’ve not yet watched it, but Core77 posted an entry (Link) calling attention to a Bruce Sterling/Scott Klinker video discussing spimes (Link). I noticed a month or so ago that the definition for “spime” may have been updated; actually moving the concept closer to stellayans/kirkyans/triblyans (i.e. one virtual many real/one real many virtual/too much of both aka “smart” grey goo). Perhaps this video will get into some of that.

– Most of you have read my comments on Coca-Cola’s VirtualThirst effort (reLink) and are aware that I find it and pretty much all efforts to extend RL brands into uncontrolled online spaces lacking in imagination. I caught something on the Business and Games Blog (Link) this morning that struck me as sounding quite a bit like what I’d read earlier on Darren Herman’s blog (Link). I honestly don’t understand the frequent {inappropriate} equivalencies made between “real” and “virtual”.