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Disney Consumer Products is looking to establish a set of standards for web-connected toys. Web connected toys are now the norm but companies are left to their own
devices when it comes to design and implementation, according to Kenlip (Ken) Ong,
who until recently was Head of R&D at Disney Toys and Consumer
Electronics.  Ong was championing the standards initiative inside of
Disney but is due to depart the company shortly. Armen Mkrtchyan,
Technology Manager, Toys and Consumer Electronics, Disney Consumer
Products, is carrying on the standards activities and will be speaking
on the subject and sharing Disney's perspective at the upcoming Engage Expo Santa Clara
(Sept. 22-23). The idea of establishing standards has received mixed
reviews from other major toy companies.  The conversation in Santa
Clara will be the first open discussion on the subject.  Perspectives,
verbiage/jargon, expectations vary from company-to-company and
sometimes from product-to-product. The idea is to create a set of
standards that all toy companies can follow when creating web connected
toys. The discussion will address the
benefits and issues.  A detailed overview of Mkrtchyan's session is here.

Virtual world Utherverse has launched an in-world virtual casino, Tiberius Casino, that targets US users. Winnings from the virtual casino cannot be converted into real money right now, though this might change pending the outcome of a gambling bill currently going through Congress. Utherverse launched the virtual casino in hopes that real-world casino operators might set up virtual worlds of their own on the Utherverse platform. 

Jordan-based game developer Beladcom has signed a mutual cooperation agreement with MindArk for the creation of a new virtual world in the Entropia Universe platform. Beladcom says this project will be the first virtual world designed specifically to cater to Arab users, featuring entertainment, social networking, work simulation, and learning tools. 

"One of the most remarkable features of the planet concept we are developing is the robust 3D environment that truly delivers a lifelike experience," said Beladcom's Creative Director Mohammed Hujeij, in a press statement. "The platform utilizes cutting-edge technology which provides the framework for outstanding graphics and fluid animations."

The European Union has commissioned the development of a new virtual world, Citzalia, according to the Wall Street Journal. Citzalia is meant to simulate how the EU parliament works and offer users a forum for debating EU issues. The virtual world is being developed by the European Services Network, which has received €275,000 (about 0,000) to fund the project. ESN will cover an addition 25% of the development costs and does not expect to turn a profit through Citzalia. 

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The Mayo Clinic has opened a new bookstore in its Second Life Gonda Building, which opened in December 2009. The bookstore allows Second Life users to read excerpts from a selection of the most popular books published by the Mayo Clinic and order real-world copies. 

A poster inside the virtual bookstore displays a discount coupon that lets buyers get 10% off of their book orders. The bookstore is also populated with amusing points of interaction, like virtual rabbits that hop through the store. The Mayo Clinic Book Store is hosted by the Mayo Center for Innovation. 

Koinup is launching Metaverse Wallpapers, an app that lets iOS users download hundreds of images created by Koinup creators from Second Life as wallpapers. The images were selected from Koinup's library of over 300,000 images and edited to fit the display screen size of the iPhone and iPad. Over 100 Koinup creators submitted their own work for inclusion in the app, while 300 others submitted noteworthy images from the Koinup catalog. 

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