Can virtual mobile phones give your avatar brain cancer? Just a thought (albeit a silly one). It was provoked by the news that Vodafone is launching a mobile network within Second Life, with virtual handsets that will let users call each other within the world, and send texts.
Vodafone is launching a 'Vodafone Island' next month in Second Life, so presumably users will be able to head there to pick up the handsets, although there's no details on how much (if anything) users will pay to use the virtual phones. Is it too cynical to predict enormous roaming charges if you want to 'roam' and call someone in the real world?
The operator sees Second Life as a new way to get customer feedback on its products and services. I'm not sure if it's an exclusive deal with SL creator Linden Labs, or if other networks are planning to follow suit. It does raise the fun prospect of, say, Vodafone and O2 fighting a virtual price war against Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless.
(via Brand Republic)