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Updates on: survey on how Americans use technology, high points in artificial intelligence, universities team on virtual worlds research

A new consumer survey conducted by Deloitte & Touche called “State of the Media Democracy” highlights how Americans are embracing technology in their everyday life. According to the survey, some 38 percent of U.S. consumers reported watching television shows online, 54 percent report making their own digital content, and 36 percent use their mobile phones as entertainment devices. — Digital Trends

Scientific American’s article “The Year in Robots” recaps the advancements of artificial intelligence throughout 2007. The highlights include robotic technology that provides surgical care for astronauts in outer space, autonomous vehicles that drive in an urban setting guided only by sensors, computers, and global positioning systems, humanoid robots that socialize with children, Toyota’s violin playing robot, and even robots that infiltrated a community of cockroaches and changed their behavioral patterns. — Scientific American

Appalachian State University and Clemson University are partnering in research, development, and implementation studies related to 3-D virtual worlds through the newly established Carolinas Virtual World Consortium. The Clemson team represents disciplines from across the campus, such as computer science and educational technology, as well as communication, rhetoric, industrial engineering, psychology and sociology. Research from the consortium will help inform regional, national, and international policy makers of the educational and economic impact of virtual worlds and similar social and immersive technologies. The consortium also will promote and support policies related to employing and implementing virtual worlds in educational settings. — Asheville Citizen Times