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WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS MONTH

Many new software programs are being developed for virtual space: These soft ware programs can be integrated into the MDT-P playpen and are off the shelf.  The gaming industry gets new applications, often inspired by the virtual Rock band: Gorillaz.  .  

NASA AMES RESEARCH (Moffit Field) Simulation training for pilots and astronauts.

Virtual Iron Bird: Gives leeway to user. Before the software was usually very set in its contents and ability to navigate.  They call it precursor to Holodeck. Before any change in the variables met months of reprogramming. Environments now change on the fly.

FANTASY BASKETBALL: Superstation & TNT & Sprite: Jan. 8 to April 12, 2002

ACTV and Liberty Live Wire created a virtual fantasy basketball game with NBA.com

They provided enhanced interactivity through telecast. NAB.com usually gets 1 million hits a day, 1/3 from outside the USA. The player could choose his or her own rooster of 5 players. Game predictions were made based on the live games. Coca Cola and Sprite did the cooperate backing for this iTV: great synergy between interactive and real-time TV/ 

VIRTUAL STUDIO PLATFORM:  Microsoft

Visual Studio development tool programming platform and VisualStudio.net

Cost high: $2499 and low: $1074: Competing with JAVA programming language

SUCCESSFUL INTERACTIVE TV:  BBC:

One centrally flawed idea is that a TV will morph into a PC and your PC will morph into a TV in a bloody battle for convergence. Scott Gronmark:  head of BBC.

BBC is a trailblazer in that they successfully did a 3 feed live event interactive coverage of the Olympic.  The viewer was in the drivers seat with their remote control.  They had more viewers than the classic over terrestrial TV viewers. They also had 8 M viewers for their W. Tennis tournament with interactive feeds.