On Bluesky, Catherine is @catherinewinters.com and she's still doing amazing projects -- follow her to see!

Are you or someone you know skipping GDC (or considering doing so) because of worries about coming to the US/San Francisco in the current environment? If so, I want to hear from you for a piece. DM me here or kyle DOT orland AT arstechnica DOT com. Please spread the word

Dudes rock

When your corporate bylaws basically say freedom only counts in a galaxy far far away

The door refused to open. It said, “Five cents, please.” In his desk drawer he found the contract. Sure enough; payment to his door for opening and shutting constituted a mandatory fee. "You discover I’m right,” the door said. It sounded smug. - Philip K. Dick, Ubik

On Bluesky, Catherine is @catherinewinters.com and she's still doing amazing projects -- follow her to see!

Now that I'm moving New World Notes to my Patreon, I'm re-sharing classic stories there -- starting with this one, the amazing tale of Catherine Omega, one of the first people I met in @secondlife.bsky.social! With an update at the end on what she's doing now. 👇 www.patreon.com/posts/home-f...

Check out this technology that is ushering in a new era of productivity and enlightenment for humanity >it's a $10,000 pair of giant sunglasses that lets me see my dead Nana standing in the kitchen clapping like a Monday Night Football quarterback hologram

My latest metaverse-related news feed is up! Including new *on site* job openings with Linden Lab, fun with Cyberpunk 2077's Photo Mode & Philip Rosedale calls for an enlightened "Strong Capitalism". Read it all below, join my Patreon for more features/specials! 👇 www.patreon.com/posts/weekly...

Here's "Mission Specialist", my entry for @augursociety.bsky.social's #AugurMicros2025. Enjoy!

“The Department of Justice has removed a study showing that white supremacist and far-right violence “continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism” in the United States.” www.404media.co/doj-deletes-...

OK, not even getting into the ethics or the existential issues around AI: Have some goddamn self-respect. If you're a writer and you do this I don't know how you look at yourself, but I know exactly how I look at you.

New World Notes is moving to my Patreon! The original Typepad-based blog shuts down October 1, but I'll keep covering the Metaverse ecosystem news/culture, related topics & OG metaverse Second Life there. Join free below, please consider subscribing for special benefits:👇 patreon.com/u4843285

Happy Monday! Here's the latest stories from New World Notes, including: - How an AI creation tool hurt Rec Room - How Second Life users co-opt Google Gemini to make their avatars "real" Much more on my Patreon -- join to get updates via the app/email! 👇 www.patreon.com/posts/138972...

Why isn’t every local news broadcast opening with, “What are the ‘Groypers’, and how do you know the signs of your son is part of the deadly gang?”

Words can damage people and nations. Words can be DELIBERATELY CRAFTED to undermine and hurt an adversary in wars that run hot or cold. Militaries know that. Propagandists know it. Can we please not pretend that all rhetoric is the same? Some words are not harmless. wwnorton.com/books/978039...

@slhamlet.bsky.social's New World Notes has moved to Patreon but I am still doing my column, be sure to sign up so you don't miss out! This week, I featured Jenny Lando's Emotions series. www.patreon.com/posts/cajsas...

This helps explain my increasingly frequent play times of Battle of Polytopia this year

Premium newsletter: A 8500 word analysis of how everybody is losing money on gen AI, with some startups spending 100%+ of their revenue on compute. Even GPU providers are struggling, with years-long time horizons to break even, if profit is even possible. www.wheresyoured.at/why-everybod...

I asked readers & social followers how many times they've seen Meta Ray-Bans used in public. Over 85% answered: RARELY OR NEVER. Yes, it's a small survey sample, but the answers are mainly from people interested in virtual worlds/VR. Much more info on my Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/in-sur...

We used to post etymologies. We still do, but we used to, too.

Agree

Now Google AI is just actively *asking* for a mob with pitchforks. 👇

Was wondering when a Glasshole backlash against Meta Ray-Bans would kick in.

Update, 3:03pm PT: Stephenson's Facebook account has been restored within the last 1-2 hours. (I've been checking since the morning.) But the irony goes on *forever*.

My latest book details how Meta's leaders never really understood the Metaverse, couldn't explain it to their staff, were never passionate about virtual worlds and what made them meaningful, and how they sidelined people on their team who were. But this is a bit too on the nose. 👇🏼

Excited to post this deep dive on a game design mystery: Why are there no scifi-themed MMOs as popular as fantasy MMOs like WoW? I talk to two experts, @brokentoys.social & @zenofdesign.com, who have some surprising theories. Subscribe to read for free on my Patreon!👇 patreon.com/posts/136414...

The fascist billionaire Republicans want you to believe resistance is useless. They want you to think nothing can change. But Kilmar’s freedom is proof that awareness matters, solidarity matters, and fighting back works.

🏝️SURVIVOR VR🏝️ THE BIGGEST REALITY TV SHOW PRODUCTION EVER FILMED IN VR. ✨GRAND PRIZE 1 YEAR OF VRC+. (sponsored by Nox Vitae) 🎥~Filming on Sat Sept 20th - Sun Sept 21st~ ‼️APPLY NOW: forms.gle/HjMPHM24kqFY...

"Star Wars has morphed from a worldwide cultural phenomenon to a business model for a streaming platform." 😂 www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xeM...

Hello. I wrote a nice long essay about AI and this very strange moment where we're constantly told we're living in the dawn of a strange new future but the only thing that's actually clear is that everyone feels pretty unmoored and uncertain. I hope you'll read it

every morning

NEW: Leaked Meta AI rules show chatbots were allowed to have romantic chats with kids One of those mornings where you wake up and go, 'What the fuck?" techcrunch.com/2025/08/14/l... via @techcrunch.com

Excited to post this deep dive on a game design mystery: Why are there no scifi-themed MMOs as popular as fantasy MMOs like WoW? I talk to two experts, @brokentoys.social & @zenofdesign.com, who have some surprising theories. Subscribe to read for free on my Patreon!👇 patreon.com/posts/136414...

BREAKING: I've gotten multiple reports of Second Life Marketplace subscription overcharges which have hit many SL brands with 1000s of extra L$ charges in the hundreds of thousands. Subscribe for free for updates and info on checking if you're affected! www.patreon.com/posts/breaki...

Remember Monument, the incredible @vrchat.com world with no purpose tbut collectively building a tower into the sky? Someone figured out how to AUTOMATE building. So now it's growing on its own. Camus said, "Imagine Sisyphus happy." And the Internet replied: lol no nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2025/08/...

Remember Monument, the incredible @vrchat.com world with no purpose tbut collectively building a tower into the sky? Someone figured out how to AUTOMATE building. So now it's growing on its own. Camus said, "Imagine Sisyphus happy." And the Internet replied: lol no nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2025/08/...

Feels like I've been reading articles here and there from New World Notes / @slhamlet.bsky.social since the dawn of time, so I started supporting them on Patreon with a "Prim level" membership because it's the very least I can do for so many years of metaverse reporting. patreon.com/user?u=4843285

I sometimes feel like the last hope of democracy and humanity's shared common knowledge is being held together by a few thousand anonymous highly nerdy volunteers.

pay very close attention to Wikipedia to find a way out of the AI slop internet www.404media.co/wikipedia-ed...

Me three months ago:

Super cool Second Life sim to visit this weekend -- Starlight Designs by Alexander Locket, a really amazing mainstore experience. Info and SLurl on New World Notes linked below. I'm looking for more innovative experiences in SL, so please send me details! nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2025/08/...

With Zuckerberg claiming we'll soon wear XR glasses linked to a "personal superintelligence", I'm shocked to report that actual XR experts have a very different view on HMDs going mass market -- and that there may even be *neurological* barriers preventing that. 👇 nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2025/07/...

The utter gastronomical tragedy here is that Love2Eat Thai Bistro, one of the best Thai restaurants in LA if not the whole US, and Iki Ramen, one of the best ramen joints in LA, are WALKING DISTANCE from Elon's "diner".

With Zuckerberg claiming we'll soon wear XR glasses linked to a "personal superintelligence", I'm shocked to report that actual XR experts have a very different view on HMDs going mass market -- and that there may even be *neurological* barriers preventing that. 👇 nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2025/07/...

I checked out this #VRChat instance and it was more impressive than I 1st thought because the tower is synced across ALL INSTANCES of it. You can go to the top of the tower and see the new individual bricks appearing at every 10 (or so) second intervals along with the ones that you place yourself. 😮

Happy Monday! Here's my latest metaverse-related stories, including a wild Sisyphean project in VRChat, ChatGPT eerily converting SL avatars into RL selfies, and (for Patreon subscribers), how 3 experts convinced me XR HMDs will *never* go mainstream. 👇 nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2025/07/...