The Second Life social networking site, which claims to have 10 million registered users, basked in mainstream spotlights twice last week. First came a bombshell from CSI creator Anthony Zuiker at the Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo in Los Angeles: Detective Mac Taylor (played by Gary Sinese – pictured) is set to chase a killer’s avatar on Second Life in two upcoming episodes of CSI: New York – Oct. 24 and Feb. 6.

Then the NYC-HQ’d Omnicom Group announced that it is investing in Millions of Us, a San Francisco agency that specializes in building destinations in virtual environments, including Second Life, for such brands as Toyota, Pontiac and 20th Century Fox.

‘We are entering an era known as the ‘Avatar Age’ in which people connect face to face online,’ explained Millions of Us CEO Reuben Steiger. ‘Because people today trust the recommendations of friends much more than advertising, companies can now seize the opportunity to support online communities and connect more deeply with their customers through social networks rather than through traditional online advertising.’