I just read an article about virtual currency. So now I'm thinking huh?! As I read further into the article it is said that Canada developed a new virtual technology called the MintChip which is supported by the Canadian Government. Canada is trying to get rid of the use of physical currency such as pennies, quarters, and dollar bills for a few examples. The MintChip is operated based off of what is in your bank account. It uses a SD card, and has now opened an application development challenge to be designed for smartphones and ipads for example to support MintChip. More can be read from the article link posted below.

I think this would be beneficial overall. Maybe it will decrease the levels of robberies in stores and on the street such as purse thefts. If people are not carrying around physical currency they may be at a less risk of getting robbed. Their information would have to be secured if they do not want to be put at high risk.

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-04/canadian-mint-launches-its-own-virtual-cash-called-mintchip

Hello All! 

After reading one of my course assignments it made me look more into and ask a few questions on how businesses and individuals use virtual worlds to communicate. How do organizations improve in their business areas? What are some of the meeting techniques they use to communicate with different people globally and are able to stay focus on the subject of discussion? 

The picture above is one I found after reading a few articles. In this picture I noticed that this model is using  a pre-established virtual world model that informs and teaches individuals about amputee rehab. It connects with veterans as well as any other individuals and provided support discussion to their patients. I am not sure if this is in real-time but watching the video it looks like it was pre-recorded. One of the interesting concepts is that when new avatar is giving information their biography is announced. Not only do the avatars introduce their selves but a mini bio and picture of the active avatar is show for participants. 

I first started this blog because I wanted to explore the virtual world in depth. Lately I have been searching the web about virtual worlds in particular. I have come across various interesting virtual environments and how many different people use them. The collaboration and communication techniques that I have read upon are very intriguing. On a website called “New World Notes” (http://nwn.blogs.com/)  all they discuss is virtual environments. As I was reading through different post I came across “Pinterest”. Now at first I thought pinterest was just a social networking site. But as I looked further in depth I noticed that bloggers within pinterest most of them have second life accounts ( http://pinterest.com/secondlife/ ). The way I use second lie is nothing in comparison to how these people are using it. I found this very informal to what I am blogging about because this proves one of my points that people are using virtual worlds to collaborate and connect. Pinterest bloggers create well defined avatars in virtual worlds to share and sell products; products relating to fashion of course. I cannot wait to see what I find out next. 


Rebecca Jestice "Using a Virtual World for Multiple Audiences: Benefits and Challenged" August 25, 2009
Jospeh Moran "Living in Virtual World"

Welcome All

I will like to welcome all to my first blog; IT in The Virtual World. This blog is about virtual technology pertaining to the upcoming use of Virtual Worlds and how it is being implemented into various environments. I created this blog because I would like to get to know what everyone thinks about the development and usage of Virtual Worlds. Is it beneficial and how or do you think it is a waste of time and just a game?