Second Life, the virtual world where users create almost everything in it, can feel almost like a real place once you get immersed amongst all that is happening. However, if you want to chat someone up virtual reality sets in and you have to hit the keyboard - or at least you had to. Pretty soon voice-over-Interent software will be introduced that allow people in the community to actually talk to each other.

In order to make it as realistic as possible, Linden Labs – the founder of Second Life – is using advanced spatial audio technology. In essence, the idea is that if the other people are so far away that you couldn’t hear them in real life, you can’t hear them in your Second Life either. But at the same time, users will have the ability to tune out anyone that they don’t want to hear – an ability I’m sure many people would enjoy having in the real world as well. 

Š