Malcolm Crowe ( in SL: Malcolm Glasgow) has developed an interactive web browser which uses a special inworld mouse to enable interaction within secondlife. It not only allows one user, its also possible for several avatars to collaborate and interact opening up a host of possibilities."To drag the virtual mouse, you have to hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard, then click and hold your left mouse button on the arrow pointer, and move your mouse around. If the pointer disappears, then let go of the mouse and Ctrl key, and it will soon re-appear. To click the virtual mouse, simply click on the red button attached to the pointer.
Data entry occurs using ordinary text chat: URLs to visit can be specified on channel 2, and form data can be specified on channel 3."
Crowe developed the browser and mouse as part of an international collaboration between the University of the West of Scotland and San José State University they have also developed a quiz hud which will allow 3D interaction with surroundings.
"The quizHUD is a free, open source educational tool for Second Life. It primarily consists of a HUD (heads up display) object which you 'wear' on your user interface in Second Life, and separate website software which you use to administer the system."
Crowe does warn that the system is still in developement and open and free sourced - it still has a few bugs but it is a far greater improvement on what was previously possible.
More information on the Sloodle can be found HERE and on quizHUD HERE .
