Virtual worlds can create a good deal of controversy, with some critics suggesting that the format is detrimental to real life and learning, with the emphasis tending to be on gaining virtual possessions and snogging other avatars.

We spoke...

Universal Studios and Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski are set to make a film about a man who loses his life due to an addiction to an online virtual world.

The idea for the film came from a Wall Street Journal article that...

Google announced earlier this week that it is to close down its Lively virtual world project, which it launched less than 4 and a half months ago, in order to focus its resources elsewhere.

It's not clear exactly whether it was user numbers...

A 28-year-old British woman is filing for divorce after finding out her husband was sleeping with another woman in online virtual world Second Life.

Amy Taylor cited "unreasonable behavior" in her filing for divorce, after deciding she just...

A British woman who caught her husband having virtual sex is filing for divorce.

Amy Taylor, who is 28-years-old, has cited unreasonable behaviour in the court papers and described how she walked in on her husband having sex with another...

Scientists in the US are using the virtual world, Second Life, to test the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence.

The team at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created Edd Hifeng - an avatar alike most in Second Life, but...

Philip Rosedale, the man who created the virtual world, Second Life, is to step down from his role as head.

Rosedale founded Linden Lab in 1999 and the company then went on to create the avatar world, Second Life.

He is currently...

Security experts are warning that terrorists may be using virtual worlds such as Second Life "to meet and exchange ideas".

So says the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), a US intelligence body which looks at developing...

IBM and Linden Lab, creator of the virtual world Second Life have announced that they plan to work together to develop new technologies and methodologies based on open standards that will help advance the future of 3D virtual worlds.

The...

In what looks like a really interesting indication of how far cameraphones have come, part of a new exhibition, showing at the Royal Albert Hall, has been entirely shot on the Nokia N95.

A collection of city landscapes snapped on the 5-megapixel...

If you like the idea of fresh herbs grown yourself but don't have green fingers, one company is about to come to your rescue with the AeroGarden.

Claiming to be the "world's first indoor smart garden" the AeroGarden is a miniature garden...

Oasis have opened their official online space in the Second Life and have kicked off their entry into the virtual world with a preview of thier latest release, a feature-length, limited edition double DVD called "Lord Don't Slow Me Down".

Despite what comScore would have us believe about Bebo, Nielsen NetRating has announced that Facebook is the UK's most popular social networking site.

New figures just released reveal some interesting stats about the state of Britain online...

Sky News is calling on Second Life residents to become virtual news reporters. The 24-hour news channel is joining forces with video-sharing website SkyCast to launch a reporters' challenge.

Second Lifers are invited to report on specific...

If you want to give your avatar a bit of class, then you'll be interested to note that posh Swiss watch brand Hublot plan to offer their products in Second Life.

Pricing unconfirmed, but expect to shell out a fair few Linden Dollars to get...