Blending virtual and real

The virtual worlds such as Second Life figure in the technology news fairly regularly.   When I do surveys on stage during futures presentations, more and more senior executives in big companies raise their hands when I ask who has an avatar in a virtual space.  For those people who think that virtual worlds are simply play things then think again.  For some they are, but there are also many blue chip corporations actively using and exploiting virtual spaces for business benefit.  

There are interesting debates we can have about where the money is in the virtual world and how the virtual economy operates.  It is also pertinent to consider the motives and decision making of the world's future movers and shakers in a few decades time when they will have grown up never not having had a virtual world presence.  But the potential augmented reality world opportunities are really exciting.  As wearable device technology develops to conveniently present the virtual and real worlds at the same time, then services to exploit this will really come into their own.