New voice features coming, + chat client: RL phone calls in SL!!
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Nika Talaj
now you see her ...
Join date: 2 Jan 2007
Posts: 5,449
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12-07-2007 16:14
In this week's Grid Talk (Dr. Dobb's Island), some new features were unveiled, basically, two groups of features: VOICE ---------------------------- -- Get RL phone calls in SL (avatar gets a phone number & voicemail, Q1 200  -- Call "moderation" (useful in large conference calls, have a moderator decide who can speak etc.) -- non-spatial broadcast voice throughout a region -- "Voice font" (i.e. built-in voice changer) -- Linux voice (later this month) OTHER ------------------------------ -- Desktop chat client that communicates with inworld residents -- Smaller, more flexible Communicate box All this is admirably summarized in this InfoWeek article: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=204702181The voice features look to me like they are required to support corporate clients' needs for large-scale collaborative meetings which outside users might call into (except for the voice fonts, useful for RP). I'm interested - do you see yourself using any of these? Which? As a non-corporate resident, my opinion on avatars getting phone calls from RL: EW!! |
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Klipang Torok
Kotoba mo nai wa
Join date: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 93
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12-07-2007 16:22
I share you view on the calls from RL Nika!  I think the chat client feature might be nice - but most of this appears to be aimed at corporate users.
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Jacques Groshomme
Registered User
Join date: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 355
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12-07-2007 16:30
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Derbor Torok
Lost soul
Join date: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1,016
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12-07-2007 16:32
I totally agree Nika... since sl is not a job for me, I'm pretty sure that rl phone calls and voicemail in-world would not be very useful.
It seems that the instability of sl is a bigger roadblock for 'real' work to be done here...
.d
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Nika Talaj
now you see her ...
Join date: 2 Jan 2007
Posts: 5,449
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12-07-2007 16:39
Holy moly! Great promo video, altho of course the audio was breaking up while I viewed it ... this on a non-bandwidth-limited link. So, Jacques, is Vodaphone the only service provider offering this, or is it a core SL capability that other service providers can offer too? It looks like RL-inworld Vodaphone calls will be free until April fools day, after which they'll be $L300/minute (over a buck a minute --- PRICEY!!) |
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Bobbyb30 Zohari
SL Mentor Coach
Join date: 11 Nov 2006
Posts: 466
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12-07-2007 16:42
From: Nika Talaj In this week's Grid Talk (Dr. Dobb's Island), some new features were unveiled, basically, two groups of features: VOICE ---------------------------- -- Get RL phone calls in SL (avatar gets a phone number & voicemail, Q1 200 -- Call "moderation" (useful in large conference calls, have a moderator decide who can speak etc.) -- non-spatial broadcast voice throughout a region -- "Voice font" (i.e. built-in voice changer) -- Linux voice (later this month) OTHER ------------------------------ -- Desktop chat client that communicates with inworld residents -- Smaller, more flexible Communicate box All this is admirably summarized in this InfoWeek article: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=204702181 The voice features look to me like they are required to support corporate clients' needs for large-scale collaborative meetings which outside users might call into (except for the voice fonts, useful for RP). I'm interested - do you see yourself using any of these? Which? As a non-corporate resident, my opinion on avatars getting phone calls from RL: EW!! Wrong forum. Try 'Services' or 'New Products'. |
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Bobbyb30 Zohari
SL Mentor Coach
Join date: 11 Nov 2006
Posts: 466
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12-07-2007 16:42
From: Nika Talaj Holy moly! Great promo video, altho of course the audio was breaking up while I viewed it ... this on a non-bandwidth-limited link.
So, Jacques, is Vodaphone the only service provider offering this, or is it a core SL capability that other service providers can offer too?
It looks like RL-inworld Vodaphone calls will be free until April fools day, after which they'll be $L300/minute (over a buck a minute --- PRICEY!!) Ventrillo is free and can do this pretty much with/without SL. Still a buck a minute isn't that bad, thats $60 for a meeting with probably more than 10 people. |
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Derbor Torok
Lost soul
Join date: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1,016
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12-07-2007 16:45
From: Bobbyb30 Zohari Wrong forum. Try 'Services' or 'New Products'. No, right forum.. and who made you the forum police? Edit: Sorry, didn't mean to jump on you.. just a little testy right now... Edit: But I still appreciate Nika posting this here.. .d |
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Amity Slade
Registered User
Join date: 14 Feb 2007
Posts: 2,183
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12-07-2007 16:48
From: Derbor Torok I totally agree Nika... since sl is not a job for me, I'm pretty sure that rl phone calls and voicemail in-world would not be very useful.
It seems that the instability of sl is a bigger roadblock for 'real' work to be done here...
.d I agree. Useful features, but coming in the wrong place as far as priorities. It seems that Linden Labs places priority on what is fun for the technicians to develop, rather than what the potential customers find necessary. But this should at least be a boost for Second Life as a phone sex platform. That's something. |
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Ava Glasgow
Hippie surfer chick
Join date: 27 Jan 2007
Posts: 2,172
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12-07-2007 16:52
From: Bobbyb30 Zohari Wrong forum. Try 'Services' or 'New Products'. I disagree. Those forums are for residents announcing products or services they are offering. This post is notifying us of upcoming SL client features to be provided by Linden Lab. ETA: I have no idea why anyone would want to get calls though the SL client. I look forward to the chat client, and wonder if the region-wide voice broadcast will be high enough quality to use for music events. |
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Derbor Torok
Lost soul
Join date: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1,016
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12-07-2007 16:54
From: Ava Glasgow I disagree. Those forums are for residents announcing products or services they are offering. This post is notifying us of upcoming SL client features to be provided by Linden Lab. A much more mature way to express my reaction Thanks Ava! .d |
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Ava Glasgow
Hippie surfer chick
Join date: 27 Jan 2007
Posts: 2,172
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12-07-2007 16:57
From: Derbor Torok A much more mature way to express my reaction Thanks Ava! .d I'm five minutes away from leaving work for the weekend, and I just found out I'm getting an extra paid holiday on the 24th. I'm in a happy mood!  |
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Chris Norse
Loud Arrogant Redneck
Join date: 1 Oct 2006
Posts: 5,735
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12-07-2007 17:02
I wonder if there will be a way to disable the region wide broadcast without disabling voice on your own plot. If not it seems to be a prime griefer tool.
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Ava Glasgow
Hippie surfer chick
Join date: 27 Jan 2007
Posts: 2,172
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12-07-2007 17:23
From: Chris Norse I wonder if there will be a way to disable the region wide broadcast without disabling voice on your own plot. If not it seems to be a prime griefer tool. Good point. For that reason, I guess it will probably only be available on private estates. |
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Nika Talaj
now you see her ...
Join date: 2 Jan 2007
Posts: 5,449
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12-07-2007 18:45
From: Amity Slade But this should at least be a boost for Second Life as a phone sex platform. That's something. ROFL! A phone sex service could offer 3D animated sex as an add-on service for their clients ... give them a male avatar for 15 minutes, double the price ... |
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Cherry Czervik
Came To Her Senses
Join date: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 3,680
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12-07-2007 19:51
VOIP is VOIP is VOIP ... all our work phone systems are Cisco.
HHHHHHMMMMMMMM so does this mean I can get SL voice calls diverted to my mobile?
Oh hell yes!!! Woot!
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Bree Giffen
♥♣♦♠ Furrtune Hunter ♠♦♣♥
Join date: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 2,715
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12-07-2007 22:41
Phone calls in-world sounds like a corporate or educational need and not one for specifically made for the general residents. I can see this being marketed to businesses as a new feature for connecting employees in SL.
Desktop chat? That sounds great. Voice font? Good too.
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Amity Slade
Registered User
Join date: 14 Feb 2007
Posts: 2,183
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12-07-2007 22:47
From: Nika Talaj ROFL! A phone sex service could offer 3D animated sex as an add-on service for their clients ... give them a male avatar for 15 minutes, double the price ... It's something that's funny because it's true. Not only can you add animated graphics to the phone sex chat, but you can also remotely control sex toys over Second Life. http://www.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/commentary/sexdrive/2006/08/71657 |
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Cherry Czervik
Came To Her Senses
Join date: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 3,680
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12-07-2007 22:57
You can? Oh god. I see humiliation in my future. |
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Void Singer
Int vSelf = Sing(void);
Join date: 24 Sep 2005
Posts: 6,973
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12-08-2007 06:28
@Vodaphone
I was thinkit'd be nice to talk talk to some of my non US friends.... till I notided the required mobile phone (they are evil intrusuve things and I do no own one)... shame really, and I'm pretty sure I can get cheaper international rates if I DID have one so.... what's the point. also not impressed by their video, if it's any indication of their ability to provide service....
@the general topic:
well what'd you expect, the avearge SL user is viewed by SL as a Beta tester, and guinea pig for the real big fish, corporate clients the fact that they make it enjoyable is just the incentive to keep us testing, it's actually a rather brilliant business plan when you think about it.... compare it to Amazon.com and you'll see what I mean
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Nika Talaj
now you see her ...
Join date: 2 Jan 2007
Posts: 5,449
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12-08-2007 10:18
From: Void Singer @Vodaphone
I was thinkit'd be nice to talk talk to some of my non US friends.... till I notided the required mobile phone (they are evil intrusuve things and I do no own one Really, I always just use Skype for one-to-one calls, better audio and free, although if you want to call to a land-line there is a fee, and I believe also a fee for conference calls. There's even a Skype secondlife hud that will find other Skype users in the area and start phone calls with them with just a click, if you don't want to leave SL to talk. Haven't been able to get SL voice's "call" feature to work at all, tho conversation with nearby folks works OK (audio nowhere near as good as Skype's, tho). Again, this seems to be putting the cart before the horse to me ... get the basic audio quality up, THEN add the shine. |
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Cherry Czervik
Came To Her Senses
Join date: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 3,680
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12-08-2007 10:21
From: Nika Talaj Really, I always just use Skype for one-to-one calls, better audio and free, although if you want to call to a land-line there is a fee, and I believe also a fee for conference calls.
There's even a Skype secondlife hud that will find other Skype users in the area and start phone calls with them with just a click, if you don't want to leave SL to talk.
Haven't been able to get SL voice's "call" feature to work at all, tho conversation with nearby folks works OK (audio nowhere near as good as Skype's, tho).
Again, this seems to be putting the cart before the horse to me ... get the basic audio quality up, THEN add the shine. Ironic - I find the quality of Skype simply abysmal. |
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Nika Talaj
now you see her ...
Join date: 2 Jan 2007
Posts: 5,449
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12-08-2007 10:25
From: Cherry Czervik Ironic - I find the quality of Skype simply abysmal. Really? I'm west coast US, and I talk with a friend in Oxford (you're in the UK, yes?) fairly often - usually both with the SL client up ... quality is great. He showed me the Louvre last time we talked! So even my craptastic laptop can do both SL and Skype, no worries. Maybe it's just that my lappie isn't up to spatial voice. |
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Cherry Czervik
Came To Her Senses
Join date: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 3,680
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12-08-2007 10:31
From: Nika Talaj Really? I'm west coast US, and I talk with a friend in Oxford (you're in the UK, yes?) fairly often - usually both with the SL client up ... quality is great. He showed me the Louvre last time we talked! So even my craptastic laptop can do both SL and Skype, no worries. Maybe it's just that my lappie isn't up to spatial voice. Might be some sort of settings issue. I'll find out tonight how my lappie is going to handle anything as I am staying in hotel with a great connection. It's not looking too happy re graphics right now ... I hope voice is better! |
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Lucy Zelmanov
Registered User
Join date: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 178
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12-08-2007 12:08
From: Chris Norse I wonder if there will be a way to disable the region wide broadcast without disabling voice on your own plot. If not it seems to be a prime griefer tool. As far as I can tell you cannot even disable voice on your own parcle atm, I use the nickOS version but have both the RC and Windlight versions installed too. I loged on with the RC client and disabled voice in the media settings, logged out again. Next day I logged in with Windlight client and discovered that although the media tab said my land was not voice enabled, the icon for voice was still there. As I don't use voice I have no way of knowing either way. Since voice arrived I have crashed in all client versions on a daily+ basis where as before I would crash maybe once a week at most. What I'd like to know is how they can justify extending voice features when as far as I can see it has been such an unmitigated flop? |
