Intel to Push Virtual Environments in CES Keynote

Intel CEO Paul Otellini's CES keynote this evening will tackle "The Third Life," moving beyond Second Life to feature a presentation with members of 3D avatars of Smash Mouth  playing in a re-creation of the garage the band formed in.  The music is a little dated, but the technology sounds exciting. Intel called on Virtual Heroes, Big Stage, Organic Motion, and eJamming to make the event happened, all of which are dedicated to creating online applications for their virtual reality, avatar, and music stream technology. "Having your 2-D picture on Facebook.com just scratches the surface of what's possible now with online socialization,"  Jerry Heneghan, Virtual Heroes CEO told Wired. Check back this evening for our interview with Big Stage Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jonathan Strietzel about his new way of quickly creating photo-realistic avatars and his interest in virtual worlds. [via Wired]