The i-Fashion Clothing Technical Center of Konkuk University is trying out their new 3D-scanning technology in a golf shop in Korea. Apparently this system can scan your body and create an avatar based on your RL dimensions in 10 seconds, which is ridiculously fast. The model is then used to see how clothing might look on you before you buy anything.

Clearly, this has amazing potential for avatar creation in virtual worlds. There's little technical spec info in this article, but that's not the important part. It's just going to get better, faster, smaller, etc. from here. And then the part where I get really excited: scanning wolves!

(Thanks, Iris!)

Iris Ophelia, Fashion Writer, Talented Photographer, and Sweetheart Extraordinaire, was recently interviewed live on in-world interview program Tonight Live with Paisley Beebe. In it, she's as adorable as I know her to be (full disclosure: she's a friend), and converses on a range of subjects including fashion, blogging, and her photography.

Don't mind the voice lag; the interview was done over Skype, with Iris in Canada and Paisley in Australia. It's an all-too-brief glimpse into the mind of someone I wish I could spend more time with. Enjoy!

Mario Gerosa, also known as Frank Koolhaas, who has been on the podcast, has taken a stance against the Italian press' apparent demonizing of SL across the board. From his blog:

"I don't subscribe to this point of view. As I say in my book SL is very eclectical, art oriented and full of creative people. Don't let that a few people destroy the reputation of this world!
Let's fight the crimes in Second Life but let's also contribute to know this world better!
For this reason, I launch a campaign against the criminalization of SL and I invite all the ones who read to send me a photo of their avatar like the one I posted, taken in Imogen (227, 253, 28)."

Go Mario! If any of our readers can read Italian, I'd love it if you'd point me to an article of the type Mario is talking about; maybe we can all see the sort of thing he's fighting against!

[ADDENDUM] Iris Ophelia tells me that the Imogen prison is no longer available, but perhaps there are other places to get this done?

Haver Cole and Saeya Nyanda are the co-creators of the brand-new magazine PWNED. I got them together to talk about it a little bit, and ended up biting off more than I could chew, as you will see. It's okay, though: it was yummy like nougat, with an interesting texture, and it's here that my metaphor breaks down. To begin the interview, I asked how the two of them came up with the idea for PWNED.

Saeya Nyanda: Well ... We were really effing bored one day and spent maybe that day and the next two days talking about how we wanted to do something but didn't know what ... and we thought of all kinds of stuff ... Like, Haver what were some of them?

Haver Cole: Like Gorean fairy princesses and furry tiny lesbians.

Saeya: We decided we should have a secret life where we're Gor slaves or something more interesting than standing around Haver's workspace.

Like 'Tracey Takes On'.

Haver: Exactly.

[UPDATE: Added Scarlet Singer mention] This is the twenty-fifth in a series of mini-interviews with the residents of Second Life. For the most part, I'll try to leave the responses unedited, except where editing will grant greater clarity.

Iris Ophelia is someone I'd like to hang out with more often. I'm a big fan of her personal blog and she's always fun to talk to. I know she's busy with college life and all, but if you get the chance, Iris, come visit! Incidentally, she'd like everyone to know that the above portrait was concocted by Scarlet Singer! I knew that, and even had plans to put that in, but at the last second, my mind went walkies. I've fixed it now!

Your SL name: Iris Ophelia

How did you first come to SL?: I'd been watching it and joined once I saw the mobile-phone verification instead of credit card verification, since I'm timid like that.

How did you choose your name?: I sometimes go by Ayame online, which is Japanese for Iris. I picked Ophelia because it was classy, and I'm an English major. Also allowed for a punchy blog title.

What's your favorite thing about SL?: The avatar customization and community potential.

What do you like least about SL?: The drama and incredible negativity.

Favorite hangout/store?: I can often be found sitting on shingled rooftops in Nakama.

Name one new feature you'd like to see added to SL: Being able to attach more than one thing to an attachment point, ie. layering necklaces, popping in a nosering, glasses, and prim lashes without extensive point juggling.

Shout outs: HI MOM!