The Best Virtual Worlds Books 2024

1. Possible Worlds : The Social Dynamic of Virtual Reality Technology, Used [Hardcover]

Once a tool of the 1960s military through which virtual wars were staged and studied so that actual wars could be perfected, in the 1990s virtual reality (VR) has become a revolutionary technology allowing users to experience nearly unlimited computer-generated realities--exercising a strong hold on the popular imagination, attracting hundreds of researchers, and spawning a booming industry. This book explores the complex significance of this technology to popular culture. It provides a sociological and historical account of the genesis of VR and how VR has shaped social life, and then relates VR to more general issues in the study and effects of the new communications media. Explained is VR's relationship to advanced research and development, to the education and entertainment industries, and finally to the culture of cyberpunk, youth culture, and cultural expression. Taken as a whole, Possible Worlds provides a complete understanding of this complex and exciting technology.

Possible Worlds : The Social Dynamic of Virtual Reality Technology, Used [Hardcover]

2. The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality [Hardcover - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. Computers have dramatically altered life in the late twentieth century. Today we can draw on worldwide computer links, speeding up communications by radio, newspapers, and television. Ideas fly back and forth and circle the globe at the speed of electricity. And just around the corner lurks full-blown virtual reality, in which we will be able to immerse ourselves in a computer simulation not only of the actual physical world, but of any imagined world. As we begin to move in and out of a computer-generated world, Michael Heim asks, how will the way we perceive our world change? In The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality, Heim considers this and other philosophical issues of the Information Age. With an eye for the dark as well as the bright side of computer technology, he explores the logical and historical origins of our computer-generated world and speculates about the future direction of our computerized lives. He discusses such topics as the effect of word-processing on the English language (while word-processors have led to increased productivity, they have also led to physical hazards such as repetitive motion syndrome, which causes inflamed hand and arm tendons). Heim looks into the new kind of literacy promised by Hypertext (technology which allows the user to link audio and video elements, the disadvantages including disorientation and cognitive overload). And he also probes the notion of virtual reality, "cyberspace"--the computer-simulated environments that have captured the popular imagination and may ultimately change the way we define reality itself. Just as the definition of interface itself has evolved from the actual adaptor plug used to connect electronic circuits into human entry into a self-contained cyberspace, so too will the notion of reality change with the current technological drive. Like the introduction of the automobile, the advent of virtual reality will change the whole context in which our knowledge and awareness of life are rooted. And along the way, Heim covers such intriguing topics as how computers have altered our thought habits, how we will be able to distinguish virtual from real reality, and the appearance of virtual reality in popular culture (as in Star Trek's holodeck, William Gibson's Neuromancer, and Stephen King's Lawnmower Man). Vividly and entertainingly written, The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality opens a window on a fascinating world that promises--or threatens--to become an integral part of everyday life in the 21st century. As Heim writes, not only do we face a breakthrough in the technology of computer interface, but we face the challenge of knowing ourselves and determining how the technology should develop and ultimately affect the society in which it grows.

The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality, Used [Hardcover]

3. Virtual Reality : Scientific and Technological Challenges, Used [Hardcover]

Despite widespread interest in virtual reality, research and development efforts in synthetic environments (SE)--the field encompassing virtual environments, teleoperation, and hybrids--have remained fragmented. Virtual Reality is the first integrated treatment of the topic, presenting current knowledge along with thought-provoking vignettes about a future where SE is commonplace. This volume discusses all aspects of creating a system that will allow human operators to see, hear, smell, taste, move about, give commands, respond to conditions, and manipulate objects effectively in a real or virtual environment. The committee of computer scientists, engineers, and psychologists on the leading edge of SE development explores the potential applications of SE in the areas of manufacturing, medicine, education, training, scientific visualization, and teleoperation in hazardous environments. The committee also offers recommendations for development of improved SE technology, needed studies of human behavior and evaluation of SE systems, and government policy and infrastructure.

Virtual Reality : Scientific and Technological Challenges, Used [Hardcover]

4. We, Robot: Skywalker's Hand, Blade Runners, Iron Man, Slutbots, and How Fiction Became Fact [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. "If you grew up like I did on a steady diet of The Jetsons, The Six Million Dollar Man, Star Wars, and The Terminator, then you've been wondering when all your robot fantasies might become true. But unlike promises that every American will own a personal jet pack and hovercraft by now, the proliferation of cyborgs, androids, and avatars is real. With wit and insight, Mark Stephen Meadows separates science fiction from actual fact, navigating the ethically sketchy territory of domestic robots and autonomous military robots, artificial hands and artificial emotions. We, Robot raises the crucial questions that robot-makers largely ignore. In doing so, it shows us that in our quest to create more and more lifelike robots, we've become more robotic ourselves." --Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms Examining our favorite science fiction tales to reveal which robots actually exist today--and what's coming tomorrow We, Robot does for robotics what Michio Kaku's bestselling Physics of the Impossible has done for physics. How close to becoming reality are our favorite science fiction robots? And what might be the real-life consequences of their existence? Robotics and artificial intelligence expert (and science fiction fan) Mark Stephen Meadows answers that question with an irresistible blend of hard science, futurist imagination, solid statistics, pop culture, and plenty of humor. What exists now? Robots strikingly similar to those in The Terminator, The Jetsons, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Meadows reveals robots that hunt humans, walk your dog, tidy up the house, invest your money, and campaign for your favorite political candidate. What will we see in the coming decade? Robots just like the ones in Iron Man, Blade Runner, and Neuromancer. Readers will learn about the near-future robots who dodge bullets, love you, and get hurt when you don't love them back. What about twenty, thirty, even fifty years from now? Creations like those from Star Wars, The Jetsons, Battlestar Galactica, and Avatar. Prepare your kids and grandkids for robots that have animal brains or animal bodies, rule the world, govern your city, and demand equal rights Including full-color illustrations of famous science fiction robots, photos of current real robots, and more, We, Robot is a must for fans of both science fiction and science fact, as well as anyone with a touch (or more) of geekiness in their past or their present.

We, Robot : Skywalker's Hand, Blade Runners, Iron Man, Slutbots, and How Fiction, Used [Paperback]

5. Reality Check [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. Solar-powered, housecleaning robots, and a Jetson's-like view of the 21st century--these are all fantasies that have fallen by the wayside. Wired asked more than 100 experts to assess the most favored future fantasies of our time, including an AIDS vaccine, contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, a cancer cure, food tablets, and the paperless office. Reality Check reveals the real future. 75 duotone photos.

Reality Check : You've Heard the Hype, Wired Asked the Experts, Here's the Real Future, Used [Paperback]

6. Step into Virtual Reality/Book and Disk [Paperback - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. This text explains how to make your own virtual reality equipment and interfaces to create and enter a virtual reality environment. Projects include a head-mounted display (HMD), LCD stereoscopic glasses, data glove, robot car explorer, tactile sensors and a virtual reality exercise bike. By using the disk and an HMD unit, homebound exercise cyclists can transport themselves to a cyberspace version of the Grand Canyon, enjoying the beauty of this natural wonder as they pedal in their own living-rooms.

Step into Virtual Reality, Used [Paperback]

7. Virtual Reality : The Revolutionary Technology of Computer-Generated Artificial Worlds-And How It Promises to Transform Society, Used [Paperback]

Imagine being able to "walk" into your computer and interact with any program you create. It sounds like science fiction, but it's science fact. Surgeons now rehearse operations on computer-generated "virtual" patients, and architects "walk through" virtual buildings while the actual structures are still in blueprints. In Virtual Reality , Howard Rheingold takes us to the front lines of this revolutionary new technology that creates computer-generated worlds complete with the sensations of touch and motion, and explores its impact on everything from entertainment to particle physics.

Virtual Reality : The Revolutionary Technology of Computer-Generated Artificial Worlds-And How It Promises to Transform Society, Used [Paperback]

8. Virtual Private Networks, Used [Paperback]

Historically, only large companies could afford secure networks, which they created from expensive leased lines. Smaller folks had to make do with the relatively untrusted Internet. Nowadays, even large companies have to go outside their private nets, because so many people telecommute or log in while they're on the road. How do you provide a low-cost, secure electronic network for your organization?The solution is a Virtual Private Network (VPN): a collection of technologies that creates secure connections or "tunnels" over regular Internet lines -- connections that can be easily used by anyone logging in from anywhere. A number of products now exist to help you develop that solution.This book tells you how to plan and build a VPN. It starts with general concerns like costs, configuration, and how a VPN fits in with other networking technologies like firewalls. It continues with detailed descriptions of how to install and use VPN technologies that are available for Windows NT and UNIX.Topics include: How the VPN compares to other available networking technologies Encryption, firewalls, and other technologies that let VPNs work VPN configuration (sample included) Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and Level 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) The AltaVista Tunnel The Cisco PIX Firewall Maintenance and trouble-shooting Upcoming technologies like IPsec and S/WAN

Virtual Private Networks, Used [Paperback]

9. Silicon Mirage: The Art and Science of Virtual Reality, Used [Paperback]

An introduction to virtual reality covers every aspect of the revolutionary new technology and its many possible applications, from computer games to air traffic control. Original. National ad/promo.

Silicon Mirage: The Art and Science of Virtual Reality, Used [Paperback]

10. Virtual Reality Playhouse : Explore Computer Generated Artificial Worlds on Your PC Including 3D Glasses, Used [Paperback]

A book and disk package which lets the user enter the world of virtual reality and even create his or her own personal digital dimension. Demo programs include a 3-D simulation that puts the user inside a robot which travels through a computer-generated city.

Virtual Reality Playhouse : Explore Computer Generated Artificial Worlds on Your PC Including 3D Glasses, Used [Paperback]