SecondTalk: VoIP In A Virtual World.

Via this press release:

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Centric today announced Second Talk, an easy-to-use voice communication system for Second Life. Second Talk "headsets" automatically scan for other Second Talk users nearby, and offer instant voice chat for groups of up to 10 users through Skype, a popular Voice over IP communication platform.

"We feel that easily accessible voice chat brings a new dimension to Second Life," said Jason Stoddard, Centric's Managing Partner, Interactive. "Whether you're coordinating a business meeting or talking to a new friend, voice is faster and more immediate than text."

Second Talk offers significant benefits in terms of convenience and cost. Since voice chat is facilitated by Skype, use of the system is free and virtually unlimited. In addition, Second Talk does not require the installation of proprietary software or SIP server setup. Finally, Second Talk does not require a base station to designate a chat area or manage chats - the headset is wearable and fully portable.

Second Talk launches with a free public beta...

So I headed over to SecondTalk, read the blog announcement and hopped into SecondLife through the SecondTalk locations. Guess who beat me to it? Tateru Nino (You can read her piece here).

While this isn't the first attempt at voice communication within SecondLife, it is probably the first that works with Skype. I know quite a few people who use Skype and SecondLife at the same time (myself included now and then), but not quite like this.

From the notecard received inworld with the headset - the SecondTalk FAQ:

Q: What do I need to use Second Talk?
A: 1) A Skype account. You can get one free at http://www.skype.com.
2) A microphone headset. Even your laptop has a built-in microphone, you’ll still want to wear headphones so other people don’t hear echoes.

Q: I’m hearing echoes on my conversations.
A: See above. You just need some cheap headphones. Otherwise, your speakers will feed back to your microphone, and, presto, echoes!

Q: How does this thing work?
A: By using LSL to scan for other users, place them in a potential chat queue, and using an external server with some code on it to facilitate a Skype call.

Q: Why’s it asking me to load a web page?
A: That’s how we talk to the external server.

Q: Is there any way to get around loading the web page?
A: Sorry, no. This is a limitation of both SL and Skype. We’re working on some new ideas that offer better integration.

Q: So can you listen in on my calls?
A: No, we’re just connecting you via Skype. Your connection is as secure as any other Skype call.

Q: Is this good enough to use for business conversations?
A: If you’re comfortable with using Skype to do business, you bet.

Please join the Second Talk group for updates and information!

Interestingly, since the Skype connection is not part of the grid... it is more secure to talk about business on Skype than it is to chat in world, in cases where you are dealing with sensitive material.

Time will tell how successful this will be, but I'm betting that it will see some success.