Logging on for Christmas cheer

 

Like many retailers, Chapeau Tres Mignon started preparing for the Christmas shopping frenzy in mid-November. There is just one tiny difference. The accessories shop – renowned for its owner’s signature hats – is located in Dreamworld East 183, 194, 21 on the information super highway, rather than on any real life High Street. But just because the framework of the store and everything inside it is built with bits and bytes rather than bricks and mortar, does not make what is on sale any less desirable.

Cyberspace cadet

 

A dazed and confused Ben Trovato struggles to get a life in a virtual world. Christmas is a time for miracles. Before the week is out, we will look back, shake our heads in wonder and say: “It’s a miracle we survived.” Personally, I am not prepared to chance it. Taking crime, taxi drivers and the aberrant nature of my family into account, the odds of not surviving are disproportionately high. I don’t have enough money to flee the country. I do, however, have plenty of time. Time which I intend spending with my new friends in my new life. My Second Life.

Where the Cool People Shop

 

Welcome to The Traveling Avatar’s Quick and Dirty tips for a Better Second Life. On this show we discuss tips and tricks for the game Second Life, created by Linden Labs. Today’s episode is “Do Spend It All In One Place.” Avatar fans’ favorite places to spend money. Every few shows I try to spend my time talking about where to go in Second Life instead of tips on how to behave when you get there. A few shows back I asked for some places that you folks liked to visit, and I was surprised at how much you guys like to shop! So, in honor of that, our first episode will be all about shopping!

Second Life development company lays off employees

 

A company that develops content for virtual world “Second Life” has laid off several employees, including Austinite Joel Greenberg, who was profiled in this Statesman story in April. The Washington-based Electric Sheep Company, which develops content for virtual worlds such as Second Life, has laid off 22 employees, according to published reports. Greenberg, the vice president of marketing innovation, was hired to develop an ad network for Second Life, a virtual society in which online role players act out alternate lives.

Second Life: What’s There Is Potential

 

I’ve been a Second Lifer for a year. I’ve had many of the same problems, experienced some of the same fears and have repeatedly slammed the relentless hype about the virtual world and the activities there. However, here’s the thing: Despite the terrible user interface, the presence of strange avatars, questionable marketing Second Life, we have only just scratched the surface of this virtual world’s potential. Put aside the problems and the hype for a moment, and consider some of the obvious strengths: campaigns, bizarre monuments to artistic vision and the myriad other issues that have vexed people and companies trying to us

Second Life’s potential not to be overlooked

The editorial on Second Life in last week’s issue of The Santa Clara was well written. However, as an educator and entrepreneur who uses Second Life in the classroom, I have a few friendly responses.

Second life: unreality check

It doesn’t look like much, at least not from the outside. A pair of double doors on a quiet San Francisco street leading into a converted warehouse. The low morning sun casts shadows across the street, accentuating the edges of the surrounding buildings and making everything look sharper, more real. Once inside the double doors, though, reality effectively ceases to exist. Here there is no death, no disease, no pain, no gravity and no sex – or not as we know it. Here you can be anyone you want to be. Nine years ago a brown-haired, bug-eyed, boundlessly enthusiastic man in his late twenties called Philip Rosedale founded a website called Second Life. The principle behind it was simple enough. Using the latest technology, people would be able to enter a virtual world. There, they could create a new identity for themselves – an avatar. If they wanted to change sex, that was fine. If they wanted to have two heads and a tail and give themselves a silly name like Aurora Lunarsea, that was fine too. There were no limits, except the limits of users’ imaginations, and next to no rules.

Second Life gets new Google-powered search engine

Linden Lab is pleased to announce that we are in the process of extending our inworld search mechanism which should improve the search experience and results for all Second Life Residents! The primary goals of this project are to both make it easier to find places to go inworld and to make it simpler to find objects to purchase. Before this project launches, we’d like to explain some of the changes to you and hopefully get some feedback before it moves into production. With today’s 1.18.4 release candidate (download 1.18.4 or read the blog announcement), we will be incorporating a new check box option to allow Second Life Residents to opt-into the new Search. For the initial population of the search, we’ve made some assumptions for the default settings of each type of result (explained below).