Quick Hits: Google Gets Lively Sarah Levy Jul 09, 2008 2:30 pm |
![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||||||||
|
You'd think Google (GOOG) might rest on its laurels for a minute or two.
But no: On Tuesday, the Internet giant furthered its plans for world takeover with the release of a virtual reality website. The online world, called Lively, allows users to navigate a digitized version of "real life" via avatars infinitely more attractive than themselves.
Avatars can be molded to the gender, species, style and mood of your choice (a depressed female hipster marmot, for example) and shoved into any number of virtual rooms, many of them user-created. Existing rooms include the Dragon Tower, Fight Club, Margaritaville and the Super Hideout.
Like Second Life, Lively is sort of like a social-networking site gone 3-D - and more than a little creepy. Unlike the Linden Lab creation that preceded it, however, Lively is free, and can be accessed through other sites (including Facebook, that much-beloved productivity killer).
Sounds like there's room for everyone - except users under age 13, though the age requirement may be hard to enforce. Luckily for teenagers -- but not so much for their parents -- they're allowed to wander freely through Lively's virtual world.
Even into the Sex School, which is helpfully captioned "Learn how to do it."
Google: Keeping it educational.
For more on Facebook, check out Hoofy and Boo's always astute report:
discuss this article and more on the mv exchange |
|
No positions in stocks mentioned.
Get real-time options trading ideas from Steve Smith, veteran options trader and newsletter author, plus let him show you the way to cut risk and boost your returns through the strategic use of options. Click here for a free 14 day trial to OptionSmith by Steve Smith.
Get real-time options trading ideas from Steve Smith, veteran options trader and newsletter author, plus let him show you the way to cut risk and boost your returns through the strategic use of options. Click here for a free 14 day trial to OptionSmith by Steve Smith.
The information on this website solely reflects the analysis of or opinion about the performance of securities and financial markets by the writers whose articles appear on the site. The views expressed by the writers are not necessarily the views of Minyanville Media, Inc. or members of its management. Nothing contained on the website is intended to constitute a recommendation or advice addressed to an individual investor or category of investors to purchase, sell or hold any security, or to take any action with respect to the prospective movement of the securities markets or to solicit the purchase or sale of any security. Any investment decisions must be made by the reader either individually or in consultation with his or her investment professional. Minyanville writers and staff may trade or hold positions in securities that are discussed in articles appearing on the website. Writers of articles are required to disclose whether they have a position in any stock or fund discussed in an article, but are not permitted to disclose the size or direction of the position. Nothing on this website is intended to solicit business of any kind for a writer's business or fund. Minyanville management and staff as well as contributing writers will not respond to emails or other communications requesting investment advice.
| add rss feed | free article alerts |
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
DC
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennesee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Local Guides
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
DC
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennesee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Local Guides

















