The deep seated need to connect is making headway in the virtual world. IMVU is proof. CEO Cary Rosenzweig talks to Jennifer Jones about how the user-driven IMVU is so successful that it is generating $1 Million a month. More than 1.7 million different items to buy exist in this virtual world and at least 50,000 virtual rooms. What a choice! For the more than 60% of U.S. users and 40% rest-of-world users, IMVU is a joy to behold. Marketers need to learn what it is all about.

Jennifer Jones Marketing Voices, marketing, social media Cary Rosenzweig, IMVU, Jennifer Jones, Marketing Voices, social media, virtual worlds

When Intel’s research teams think about the future of computing – from mobile devices with near-limitless functionality to technology for the developing world to virtual worlds and advanced robotics, they are literally mapping our future (a future that could include, for example, a cafe table with networking ability). In this podcast preview of the 2008 Research@Intel Day, to be held at the Computer History Museum in the heart of Silicon Valley, we hear from some of Intel’s key players when it comes to the next generations of technology. Hear what Intel Research is focusing on now from Andrew Chien, vice president, corporate technology group and director of Intel Research; Intel Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Corporate Technology Group Justin Rattner; and Eric Brewer, director, Intel Research Berkeley.

Research Day is a chance to check in Intel on the future impacts that its advanced chip technologies will have on human health, mobility, innovation and, of course, computing – from Terascale architecture, software and programming issues to visual computing challenges.

You can hear more from Andrew Chien, here talking about essential computing, “the vision that drives Intel Research.” Justin Rattner shares some thoughts on virtual words as a precursor to the 3D Internet, and Eric Brewer, also a professor of comptuer science at the University of California, Berkeley, talks about how research from his Berkeley lab could lead to better technologies for the developing world.

Past coverage of Research@Intel Day

Paul Lancour Corporate, Intel, Research@Intel Andrew Chien, Eric Brewer, essential computing, Intel, Justin Rattner, mobility, Research@Intel, Silicon Valley, Terascale, virtual worlds

We have quick profiles of two companies that launched at the TechCrunch40 conference last week. Metaplace lets users build their own virtual worlds and put them on their Websites. Founder Raph Koster takes us through a demo. And Musicshake is a Korea-based service that lets users create their own music. Kihong Bae and Blue Yun do the demo, starting at about 6:00.

Connected Social Media Syndication Connected Social Media, Enterprise 2.0, Inside Silicon Valley Blue Yun, Kihong Bae, Metaplace, Musicshake, Raph Koster, TechCrunch40, virtual worlds

Users are looking for a richer, more cinematic experience from the Internet, according to Justin Rattner, Intel chief technology officer and director, Corporate Technology Group. Rattner gave the final keynote of the Fall IDF in San Francisco, focusing on virtual worlds, which are evolving into what he referred to as the “3-D Internet,” in a keynote titled, “Research and Development: Virtual Worlds – The Rise of the 3D Internet.”

Rattner, who spoke with PodTech’s Michael Johnson to give a preview of the Fall IDF, wrapped up the annual developer conference by acknowledging Wired Magazine’s prediction that, as social media and user-generated content hit the mainstream at the same time as the rise of broadband and increased connectivity (and mobility), the coming year could see 60 million participants in online virtual worlds.

Rattner was also joined onstage by Greg Nuyens, CEO of Qwaq, who demoed virtual worlds for the enterprise. Outside of business applications, virtual surgery (especially as a training tool) suggests that realistic virtual environments are already a significant force in some communities.

The larger message that Rattner left the crowd with was that the computing power that will be necessary to deliver this rich 3-D experience will have to be substantial, especially given the demand that real time or “frame rate” visual experience for the 3D Web will demand.

Michael Johnson Connected Social Media, Corporate, Intel, Intel Developer Forum 3D Internet, Fall IDF, Greg Nuyens, Justin Rattner, Qwaq, social media, user-generated content, virtual worlds