Hypergrid Business

I used to think that the path to the metaverse started with screen-based virtual worlds then expanded to virtual reality. At some point, I thought, we’d all be doing everything in the metaverse. The same way that the Internet made information instantly accessible to everyone everywhere, the metaverse would do the same with experiences and …

I’ve come around to AR. OpenSim might not be the way to get there — but Apple might be Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) Virtual reality hasn’t caught on with American teens, according to a new survey from Piper Sandler released on Tuesday. While 29 percent percent of teens polled owned a VR device — versus 87% who own iPhones — only 4 percent of headset owners used it daily, and just 14 …

Teens slow to adopt VR and more bad news for the metaverse Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) I can’t tell if he’s just being tone deaf, or trying desperately to do some damage control, but after releasing ChatGPT without any warning on an unsuspecting world late last year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is now calling for slow and careful release of AI. If you remember, ChatGPT …

OpenAI head calls for slow, careful release of AI — after releasing ChatGPT with no warning Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) Florida-based Avalon Corp. has raised $13 million to build a platform for games capable of taking advantage of the metaverse, featuring a universe of interoperable worlds with various intellectual properties, to be built using technologies including blockchain and game engines. According to the press release, Avalon Corp is uniquely …

Avalon raises $13m to build metaverse of interoperable worlds Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) Generative AI is one of the world’s top three geopolitical risks this year — right after Russia and China — according to a report released last month by the Eurasia Group, a US-based risk consultancy. “This year will be a tipping point for disruptive technology’s role in society,” the …

Report: AI is weapon of ‘mass disruption’ Read More »

In the first decade of this century, unscrupulous website owners noticed that Google had caught on to their tricks — link exchanges, invisible keywords, and meta tags. These tricks were designed to fool search engines into thinking that the websites were better and more useful than they actually were. Spoiler alert: these websites were usually …

AI farms are the new content farms — and are just as bad Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) I watch a lot of YouTube videos about new AI technologies. It’s a great way to stay on top of what’s happening while, say, cooking dinner or working out. YouTube videos tend to be relatively short and very accessible — a great way to learn about a complicated new …

No, you won’t get rich quick by cutting-and-pasting into ChatGPT Read More »

When I first tried out ChatGPT late last year, I noticed that many people were using it to write code. Python. Javascript. Even machine language. So of course I asked it if knew LSL, the Linden Scripting Language used in Second Life and OpenSim. It said no. I was disappointed but not too surprised. After all, …

ChatGPT can teach you LSL and even write code for you — kinda Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) I get dozens of emails every day from people who want to contribute articles to Hypergrid Business. Sometimes, they even want to pay me to run the articles. The catch? There’s a link somewhere in the article to something the author wants to promote. I’m not, in principle, opposed …

P.E.A.N.U.T.: 6 steps to staying ahead of AI when writing articles Read More »

At Hypergrid Business, we’ve been covering OpenSim and other desktop-based virtual environments since 2009, and began covering virtual reality extensively in 2014. Our goal has been to promote an open-source, distributed metaverse, and to help the little guy and gal with navigating that landscape. Specifically, the people running OpenSim-based virtual worlds — because I think …

AI for the little guy Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) Hi, everyone. This is me, Maria, your friendly local technology reporter and blog editor. You might know me from such things as my annual OpenSim stats presentations at the OpenSimulator Community Conference, my various attempts to run an OpenSim grid on my home computer, or the fact that, since …

OpenSim in review: 14 years of coverage and what’s next Read More »

(Image by Maria Korolov via Midjourney.) After ChatGPT was released on Nov. 30, 2022, the world changed. Whatever you might personally think about AI, the events of last year showed that AI was capable of human-level creativity in art, music, writing, and coding. And, for the first time, AI demonstrated common sense. Or, at least, …

AI war breaks out between tech giants Read More »

Prices start at $80 per month for a two-region private grid, with $50 setup fee. Includes voice, currency, hypergrid, and a user registration website. Additional regions are available for $12.50 a month for five regions with a $5 setup fee. All plans include full backups and root server access. The higher-priced plans have higher limits …

Hosting4OpenSim Read More »

Hosting4OpenSim, a virtual world hosting company, has announced its grand opening. Founded in December 2022 by three friends from Mexico, the US, and Brazil, the company aims to become the leading provider for OpenSim hosting services. As part of its launch, the company is offering a deal to the next nine customers who respond, with …

Hosting4OpenSim opens for business, already hosting four grids Read More »