Cool things happening in the virtual worlds arena

First, a quick blog post from Microsoft's Project Spark, which isn't Open Source by any means, but gives a glimpse into next generation authoring tools for 3D environments (with a strong focus on gaming). That it will purportedly offer seamless compatibility between Windows and Xbox is a boon. Currently still in beta. See more here.

Next, there is the news from Meshmoon/RealXTend that their WebRocket native browser virtual world interface has reached 1.0 status. This is a Big Deal for folks who are still keeping the dream of the "3D Web" alive, since WebRocket allows for access to fully functional virtual worlds without requiring any plugins, apps, installations, or other headaches. Currently Chrome and Firefox support only, but aren't those the only browsers that matter?

Obligatory eye candy:

Microsoft's Project Spark 

Meshmoon 1.0