While the concept of the metaverse may currently appear to be a catch-all term for a bunch of disparate multiplayer online games, that definition is going to broaden considerably over the next few years. CNet has seen the draft report from the Metaverse Roadmap Project, which suggests that in less than a decade we’ll be spending the majority of our time in augmented or fully virtual realities. Only time will tell, but people are starting to colonise the metaverse with some enthusiasm – Second Life already has resident artists who make money from selling their work ‘in world’. Meanwhile Cory Doctorow is worried that online games are dictatorships, their residents subject to every whim of the game’s creators. There’s a lot to be ironed out yet, but this phenomenon isn’t going to go away. 

The perpetually excellent Technovelgy website has an interview with science fiction author Greg Bear, where they talk about his latest novel Quantico, some of the science and security issues raised in the story, and (this being Technovelgy, after all) some of the real-world technology that appears in the book.

I’m guessing that a lot of Futurismic reader have read other fiction online or on screen in their time. If you have an opinion or interest in the future of electronic fiction publishing, positive or negative, why not go and cast your vote in GalleyCat’s poll to determine whether or not free ebooks really do act as an effective loss leader?

I sincerely hope this turns out to be unnecessary concern, but Colony Worlds suggests that Liftport, one of the leading space elevator companies, may be forced to shut down after losing their office space. The official Liftport staff blog indicates that times are tough, but therer’s no definite word either way as of yet. I’m not ashamed to say that I’d be gutted to see Liftport fold – in a world where so many are busy staring at their feet, those guys have the guts to look up at the stars. Best wishes, Liftport.

Despite its made-for-tabloid vibe, that’s a real news headline. After changes to the law in Osaka that forbids human beings to walk the streets as touts for sex industry venues, one enterprising outfit has decided to circumvent the pan by dispatching a robot to do the work instead. Bill Gibson was right – the street does find its own use for things, especially when the law blocks an old method.