torley-linden
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Imprudence 1.2 viewer for Second Life
The Imprudence project has released version 1.2 of their Second Life viewer. Imprudence is one of our favorite after-market Second Life viewers, and after some months in beta (and a couple of false starts), the latest release version of this viewer is available. There are some user-interface changes this time around, the ability to backup and restore your own intellectual property, an improved radar/minimap, improved third-party simulator support, RLVa support, optional vertical IM tabs, double-click go-to and teleports, more world map data and a host of other tweaks and features.
Linden Lab staff gagged? Unable to post to official blog
If you've noticed a distinct dearth of postings on the Second Life blog lately, it's with good cause. There has been hardly anything on this most visible of Linden Lab communication channels. Even a recent announcement by Katt Linden, Linden Lab's communications manager had to go sideways. A post on the Second Life wiki, and a note in the message-of-the-day to go search for it in there -- by yesterday, it was also posted to the Second Life education blog. Torley Linden in turn apparently was not able to get his Video Tip of the Week onto the official blog either, instead posting it to his personal blog, with an apology for both it and the Knowledge Base Article of the Week. 'Linden Lab,' he says, 'is undergoing changes in communication policy', but is unable to say what, when, why or how long. Time-critical announcements, innocuous routine customer-oriented tutorials and information, and changed policies regarding gambling -- all not being posted as they normally would. Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.
Cinemassively: Walking the SLRFL track in real life
Over a year and a half ago, Moriash Moreau, then a team member of McDunnough's Relay Gang for the Second Life Relay for Life, created a contraption that would let him walk virtually using his real body. Channeling MacGyver, he used a treadmill, a butchered USB keyboard, and assorted spare parts to enable him to participate in a whole new way! He even outlined the steps from start to finish on his website. Set to music by Torley Linden, he documented his test journey using popular sims throughout the grid to make sure that his method worked properly. In the end, he walked a whopping 23 miles, or 84 kilometers in Second Life!With SLRFL08 coming to a close, we'll have some interviews and statistics available to you soon, so stay tuned!If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
Cinemassively: Making shirts for Second Life in ArtRage
Second Life's new user experience can be baffling, but the worst part happens after the resident gets used to the virtual world. When it comes time to create something, the templates required are tough to master. While many residents, including this blogger, hung up their Wacoms, Torley Linden has an instructional video that just might help us out!Using ArtRage, a program that offers both free and paid versions, Torley shows us how to use the tools. Afterwards, he explains tracing and preparing the image for upload in SL. At almost 17 minutes, you're walked through every step of the process. Soon we'll all be clothing makers!If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them. Please note that due to the high volume of Second Life submissions, we would prefer submissions from other platforms.
Linden Lab puts out new newbie avatars
If you check the Library folder of your inventory, and look in Clothing, you'll see that Linden Lab appears to have selected the new Second Life newbie avatars from the set that Torley Linden was running the survey for earlier this week. We are not totally sure that these avatars are on offer to newbies today, but if they aren't, then it is probably only a matter of days before they become available to new signups at the selection screen. The new avatars are from Nylon Pinkney, Adam n Eve, Renegade Clothing, Wraith Unsung and Grendel's Children. We recall that there were a number of fantasy/role-play themed avatars in the mix, but apparently none of those made the final cut. You can be a dragon, but not a dragon-slayer. Pictured above are five of the new avatars. From left to right, they are: Gamer Female, Professional Female, Clubgoer Female (although at only five-feet two, she's easily mistaken for a minor. The underside of the prim-skirt on this avatar is messed up as well), Boy Next Door (as long as the boy next door to you is six foot, five inches -- he could be!), and Cardboard Boxbot. Older residents can access these avatars by dragging the folder onto themselves from the library which will generate a copy in your personal inventory. [Thanks to sharp-eyed Sean Heying]
Newbie avatar survey
Linden Lab has been collecting new candidate avatars for new Second Life users to start with. As a part of the selection criteria for the final set, Torley Linden is running an unofficial survey to see which ones people like better. The poll also takes into account the gender, age-group and nationality of the respondents, presumably to see if there's demographic groupings that lean toward specific choices. The survey doesn't take very long to complete. Head on over, give it a go, and make your preferences known.
Cinemassively: Getting started with voice chat in Second Life
Torley Linden is a tutorial-making machine! Her how-to's are great for the starting resident of Second Life, but might also teach the older enthusiast a thing or two. If you need instruction on a specific subject, there's actually a video tutorial wiki page.Yesterday, Torley did a whole series of them on voice chat. The video above is on getting started, but she also has videos on who's speaking, etiquette, improving your hearing, private calls, speech gestures, and disabling it for yourself and your land. These clips are in easy to digest lengths of just under one minute to almost four, depending on the complexity of the problem!
Linden Lab asserts control of names and images
When Linden Lab chooses to shake things up, it doesn't do it by half-measures. Easter Monday saw an announcement by Linden Lab that they were introducing a new Second Life logo program, and changing the terms under which various words and images are presented. Unfortunately, we technically can't show you the new logo, since by all rights we have to go through the application process first. Actually, after reading all the terms and conditions a bunch of times, we are not sure that we're even allowed to mention its name. It's inSL, anyway. We'll let the company lawyers sort through the paperwork.
Cinemassively: Tonight Live with Paisley Beebe
I've covered the Second Life Cable Network before, but there's so much programming that I wanted to highlight one specific segment. Every week, residents join Paisley Beebe to watch her talk show, Tonight Live. Her previous guests have included sean Voss, Celebrity Trollop, Cylindrian Rutabaga, Filthy Fluno, TheDiva Rockin, and Torley Linden!Last week, Paisley interviewed Beyers Sellers, otherwise known as Robert Bloomfield, who also has a weekly show on SLCN called Metanomics. They discuss why some have called his program "Pretend TV" and also why he started out in SL as a woman. For more information about Tonight Live or to attend in person, you can check out their blog.
Cinemassively: How to make a gift box
If you're as prim-challenged as me, but want to give your SL friends something for Christmas, then this is the tutorial for you. Torley Linden has made an extremely informative video on how to make gift boxes in Second Life, add contents, send them, and how to receive them. If you have some time, I'd strongly suggest checking out her other tutorials, involving how to set permissions, fill out your profile, get texture info, and much, much more!If you're interested in making instructional movies yourself, the tool that Torley used is called Camtasia Studio 5. You can identify the style by their zoom ring, which focuses in automatically where the action is going on in the video.
Second Life Insider still ranks, even though it's technically dead
As of 12:30 AM, Saturday, December 8th, 2007, secondlifeinsider.com is ranked the #6 Top Second Life Blog on Sweet Second Life, behind luminaries Torley Linden's personal blog, Codebastard Redgrave's personal blog, Brutal Honesty, the Mean Girls Guide to SL, and at #1, The Official Linden Blog. And all this, despite the fact that the Second Life Insider has had no new content since Massively began!Honestly, I'm both pleased and puzzled by this. Sure, there's a metric f#$*-tonne of content in the archives, but the fact that Massively is nowhere on that 88-item-strong list probably means something. For all intents and purposes, Massively is the New Second Life Insider. We've just changed facades; the content is the same. So where's the Massively love? I'm going to just assume that because we cover MMOs of all stripes, we don't qualify as an SL-only blog. Sigh.In related news, both Our Tateru and Our Eloise's personal blogs are on that list as well, so go check 'em out!
Cinemassively: Windlight - Binary Beauty
This one is for all the Second Lifers out there. Linden Lab made an announcement on their blog yesterday that they opened up their Windlight First Look client to the public. Some of the newer additions to the client include water reflection and avatar imposters.Torley Linden has been releasing teaser pictures and videos of Windlight for months. Some content companies and Machinimists have also made videos. However, nothing even comes close to Torley's brilliant displays of color and light, melding together with objects and water. Take a look for yourself and then download the client!
The Second Life/Orange Island Identity Summit
Orange Island, previously reported upon here, will be holding a day-long summit this Friday, November 16, on the nature of identity and how it relates to one's avatar in Second Life. It's a packed event, with a host of SL luminaries presenting, including Ordinal Malaprop, Torley Linden, Celebrity Trollop, Michi Lumin, and Forseti Svarog.The day's line-up looks like this: 9am – 10am – Avatar as a Personal Brand Speakers: Torley Linden, Celebrity Trollop, and Saeya Nyanda Moderator: Haver Cole 10am – 11am – Open Discussion on Avatar and Brand Identity 11am – 12pm – Persona and Identity Transparency in Business Speakers: Ordinal Malaprop, Forseti Svarog 12pm – 1pm – Open Discussion and Gallery Showing of Avatar Showcase Winners 1pm – 2pm – Non-Human Avatars Speakers: NeoBokrug Elytis, Kumi Kuhr, Michi Lumin Moderator: Adri Saarinen 2pm – 3pm – Open Discussion and Gallery Showing of You and Your Avatar photos 3pm – 5pm – Wind Down Mixer and Discussions Music and entertainment by DJ Doubledown Tandino Finally, leading up to the event, the preceding Thursday will witness the Avatar Showcase, where "Residents are invited to present their most unique and interesting avatar in this two hour event. The top three avatars will have their portraits made and displayed during one of the gallery exhibitions during the following day's discussions." Full information on Orange Island's website. I plan to be there on either day; if you've an SL account, come enjoy the festivities![Thanks, Adri!]
