Corroboration finally, on what I have been saying for years now – the Matrix is finally approaching reality. It simply has to be true now – the FT and Information Age are writing about it! Like it or not we’ll all soon be plugged in to a seamlessly linked, boundless 3D universe.
The heady future I speak of is the development of the 3D internet. By using a standard development approach and, of course uniform code, some of the biggest IT players in the world – IBM, Forterra, Cisco and Linden Labs – are meeting regularly, to lay the foundations for the next step in the internet. Think of it as Second Life, but for the whole internet, and with a purpose above simple escapism.
Imagine never having to leave the house again?! Doesn’t it sound great? Hyperbole simply doesn’t provide the words. Barely disguised mocking of hard-core Second Lifers aside, the practical implications of the 3D internet are truly interesting;
- Saving on travel through intelligent ‘avatar conferencing’ - good for the footprint and the pocket
- The creation of more immersive websites – a third dimension provides endless possibilities for business and entertainment
- Networking both internally and externally for business – while the need for face to face will obviously never disappear, it offers great opportunities for first contact and keeping in touch etc.
- Please speculate as you will…
While all this may be a while off, and much of it still nerdy speculation, it will definitely be interesting to see what develops. As long as the big players can decide on a decent universal standard, who knows where it could all lead – now is it to be the red pill or the blue?
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