Ulteo, one of the most promising online desktops?

Market Explanation:
In most cases web-based desktops are just lots of ridiculous graphics and poorly designed applications that pretend to offer you what you already have on your real desktop. However, for people handling business over a secure network (say at work or in a university lab) web-based desktops seem pretty novel. For instance, in some cases they allow you to install your own set of applications. One particular gray area, more of a moral gray area, though is how anonymous your internet activity becomes while browsing through a JAVA remote-access desktop. For the most part, if you're using a computer with JAVA and want to browse a website that is being blocked by the network you can get around it with a remote-desktop since it uses someone else's internet access and processor.

Overview:
A number of web-based desktops have come and gone over the years even before the whole web 2.0 thing. Some are made of Flash while other more advanced ones use JAVA. Ulteo is one of those more advanced ones that uses JAVA and Linux. Once you sign up you get a whole Linux based OS to toy around with from inside of your web-browser. Provided with the Linux OS are a couple of standard applications like Firefox and OpenOffice, granted they are slightly dated versions of those applications.

Synchronization:
Something Ulteo just did that makes this service much more meaningful is how they now have something called the Ulteo Document Synchonizer. Obviously from the name it's a synchronization tool for editing files off of your original desktop environment, apparently you can even pick multiple desktops in case you have a number of computers that need to be synced. At the moment this particular utility is only available to Windows users.

Speed:
Ulteo is surprisingly quick especially with that dated OpenOffice 2.3. Additionally browsing the internet through the installed Firefox is a surprisingly pleasant experience. I'd even go so far as to say it's possibly faster than my own internet access. The thing I like most about browsing the internet through Ulteo though is how everything loads. Loading webpages in my Firefox browser on Windows Vista loads things in chunks so the page rearranges while it loads. However, using Firefox through Ulteo creates this nice illusion that the page loads in one fluid movement.

LINKS:
- Ulteo
- Ulteo - Document Synchonizer
- Del.ico.us - web_based desktop links

Targeted Virtual Worlds (AWOMO, vSide)

I previously mentioned a couple new virtual worlds and it's pretty clear there some big differences in the strategies pursued by each of them.

A WORLD OF MY OWN (AWOMO) - gaming oriented
To start with AWOMO is a very unique platform. You could describe it as an advanced interactive version of Gametap. With AWOMO you are able to access regular PC games without having to manage any optical media or lengthy installations (website says revolutionary streaming technology) so in many ways its just like Gametap. Visually the appearance of AWOMO actually reminds me of an early virtual world called Omikron which to some people might be an unappealing connection. So far I like what I see and the idea of this as an advanced gaming platform for accessing and networking seems like a great idea not to mention timely given the competition brought on by the consoles.

PAYMENT OPTIONS OF AWOMO:
- Pay-per play
- Unlimited-play monthly subscription

vSide - music oriented
Another virtual world with a targeted approach is vSide. This virtual world mainly consists of nightclubs, places for shopping, and music that plays constantly in the background. Don't be fooled though, the way vSide integrates music is very well done. While your walking from store to store the music will transition from station to station and a pop-up will tell you the names of the songs you heard or are hearing. The shopping aspect of vSide is probably one of the most interesting from the aspect of enjoying music. Visually the overall appearance of vSide is actually quite nice (even though avatars have a cell-shaded look which may look too childish to some) and that's where it gains relevance to someone like me. For me, the graphics and styling are what make a virtual world worth exploring and vSide does a good job. Getting started in vSide is easy and they even give money to begin with so you can get started personalizing your avatar.

Virtual Worlds (List)

Image from WikipediaJust thought I'd do a quick write up on the upcoming advances in the area of virtual worlds. Currently the one I use most is Second Life but there are some new ones that look just as good. What's interesting though is that there seems to be a lot of talk about these worlds becoming interconnected so avatars can transfer from one world to another.

VIRTUAL WORLDS:
- 9you - GTown
- Blue Mars
- Eitaro Soft - Lamity
- Football Superstars
- HiPiHi
- Kaneva
- LEGO Universe
- LivePlace
- Music Mogul
- Novoking
- Nurien
- Openlife Grid
- Planet Michael
- Playstation Home
- Second Life
- There
- Twinity
- Utherverse
- vSide

MUSIC:
- Loudcrowd
- Music Mogul
- Planet Michael
- vMTV
- vSide

DATING:
- Utherverse
- Weopia

EMAIL & SPACE:
- 3D Mailbox
- Celestia
- Copernic

RELIGION:
- Muxlim
- VivaConnect

WEB-BASED / IN-BROWSER (RANDOM VW STUFF):
- 3DXplorer
- ExitReality
- Journeys
- Just Leap In
- Kickfly
- LivePlace
- Loudcrowd
- Meez
- Muxlim
- NewLively
- PlaYce
- SceneCaster
- SmallWorlds
- sMeet
- Sosauce
- VivaConnect
- Vivaty
- WebFlock
- WeeWorld
- Yoowalk

VIRTUAL-WORLD CHATROOMS:
- Club Cooee
- ExitReality
- hangout.net
- IMVU
- Journeys
- Just Leap In
- Kickfly
- Loudcrowd
- Meez
- Multiverse Places
- Muxlim
- NewLively
- Onverse
- SceneCaster
- SmallWorlds
- sMeet
- Sosauce
- Taatu
- vMTV
- VivaConnect
- Vivaty
- WebFlock
- WeeWorld

SOCIAL-NETWORKING EXTENSIONS: (social-networks with virtual-worlds)
- ExitReality
- IMVU
- Kaneva
- Kickfly
- Loudcrowd
- Meez
- NewLively
- SceneCaster
- Sosauce
- Twinity
- Vivaty
- vSide
- WeeWorld

VIRTUAL BUSINESS-NETWORKING:
- 3DXplorer
- Prototerra
- Unisfair

VIRTUAL TOURISM:
- Amazing Worlds
- GeoSim (example: GeoSimPHILLY)
- Google - Earth
- Journeys
- Microsoft - Virtual Earth
- PlaYce
- The Forbidden City: Beyond Space and Time
- Twinity

VIRTUAL WORLD PLATFORMS:
- Blink 3D
- Croquet
- ExitReality
- RealXtend
- OpenSim
- Metaplace
- Multiverse
- Near
- Ogoglio
- Simurban
- VastPark
- Virtual Heroes
- web.alive

STANDARDS:
- MetaWSS
- MOGBox
- OpenSocial
- VastServer / IMML

RESOURCES:
- 2008 METAVERSE TOUR - THE SOCIAL VIRTUAL WORLD'S A STAGE
- Virtual Worlds Management - $184 MILLION INVESTED IN 23 VIRTUAL WORLDS-RELATED COMPANIES IN Q1 2008

Yaaay! Devicescape now on Slacker devices

Image from WikipediaFor those not in the know, Devicescape is an awesome way to simplify dealing with various WiFi networks especially those managed by places like Starbucks and airports. I really don't think Devicescape has gotten the attention it deserves considering how painless it makes using different WiFi networks.

RELATED NEWS:
Gearlog - Slacker Gets More Mobile

Browser Add-ons for Google

In general it's hard to believe anybody could offer something that improves upon Google but sure enough even Google is lacking various features. Whether or not you actually value the features these add-ons offer is something you'll have to find out for yourself. However, most of these services will likely be assimilated or made irrelevant in the future.

Google Reader: AideRSS
This is a rather well integrated way of ranking the bombardment of news that floods your Google Reader. Currently Google Reader has no built-in features for filtering news, so for now this is as close as I've seen anybody get to offering an integrated solution. Another less attractive alternative is available via a GreaseMonkey script, I tried to use it but I think it required more tweaking than I was willing to put up with.

Gmail: Xoopit
I'm not really one for explaining things so you'll probably have to visit the website yourself to understand this. However in my words, it's a way of expanding the Google Mail interface so you can view photos/attachments without digging through your emails.

Google Blogger: Zemanta
Zemanta basically scans what you're typing and offers relevant news articles or links to reference sources like Wikipedia. Another thing that is pretty cool for amateurs like myself is that it helps dig up images that are fair-game or free to use.