IBM

IBM announced it will integrate a virtual world platform into Lotus Sametime, a collaboration software that will be used by the US intelligence agencies to discuss topics like terrorism.

IBM's uptight, starched-shirt image has survived for many decades, but the stereotype may finally meet its demise at the hands of a giant boulder and a meeting room up in the sky. IBM is building a virtual world to help its employees collaborate, and while it's not the first big technology company to do so, Big Blue may be unusual in that it decided not to mess with those silly laws of physics in its own virtual environment.

Unveiled today, the second annual "IBM Next Five in Five" is a list of innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years. The list is based on market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBM’s Labs around the world that could make these innovations possible. In the next five years, our lives will change through technology innovations in the following ways:

It looks like Chicago is soon going to have the most advanced city-wide intelligent video surveillance system (i.e. intelligent security system) in the United States. The Associated Press is reporting that the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is teaming up with IBM and Genetec on the project, which is part of Chicago's Operation Virtual Shield (OVS). OVS is reportedly one of the world's largest video security deployments.