German makes million in virtual Chinese
take-away
A German woman is the first person in the world to become a
millionaire from playing in a virtual reality world.
Former Chinese language teacher Ailin Graef has made her fortune
by developing "land" in the massively multi-player online
role-playing game Second Life.
Graef has been so successful in designing online properties that
people are happy to pay her money for the pleasure of owning them.
The property development is carried out by Graef's avatar, a
character in the game called Anshe Chung.
Downtime knows that software developers are occasionally tempted
to play online games, such as Second Life, while they are supposed
to be working, but don't assume quite yet that Second Life will
make your fortune.
Graef employs 10 full-time computer gamers in China to develop
content for Second Life. Her business, Anshe Chung Studios, also
runs a datacentre of more than 400 servers stuffed full of virtual
designs.
Graef's virtual world
www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982001.htm
Speedy system keeps UK tat supplies topped
up
Downtime paused to marvel recently that the world's largest
container ship, the Emma Maersk, was able to unload its 3,000
containers crammed full of Christmas tat in less than a day.
This was thanks in part to a complex computerised unloading
system at Felixstowe docks - isn't Britain wonderfully
technologically advanced? However, it doesn't change the fact that
the ship was laden with a cargo of laptops, dancing gorilla toys,
bingo sets, fax machines and the like, but returned to China with
little more than crates of waste plastic, paper and steel for
recycling.
Downtime doesn't know much about economics, but wonders how long
that particular game can last.
The seasonal docking of the Emma Maersk was also a bit of a
disappointment for hundreds of day trippers who flocked to the
coast to marvel at the ship. Apparently, it spent most of its time
so far out to sea that the quarter-of-a-mile long vessel was
indistinguishable from all the other big ships on the horizon.
Payroll system delivers the Scrooge touch
Bah humbug! Hard-working employees in the US were cursing a
payroll system this week when their bosses decided that money the
system had overpaid in November would be deducted from their
salaries in December.
More than 100 employees of Macomb County in Michigan were
overpaid after the local authority implemented a new payroll system
at the beginning of November. The system used the wrong information
to calculate overtime pay, resulting in employees receiving extra
pay ranging from 10 cents to $1,500.
The 112 affected staff will have their next salary payment
deducted by the amount of the overpayment unless they cough up
first.
Rumours that Gordon Brown has had a look at the system and plans
to run it as a shared service payroll application for every central
government department are completely unfounded.
Impress your friends with a bling bling
laptop
For the more discerning among you, Asustek Computer's S6
notebooks are now being offered decked out in leather and
jewels.
"It's not for everybody," admitted an Asustek spokesman. "We are
thinking this would be perfect for the top executive or high-end
salespeople who want to look impressive."
Downtime can think of a few things it might make you look, but
impressive isn't at the top of the list.
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