Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide - May 24, 2013

Linden Lab — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:54:44 GMT

If you who haven’t yet heard, we’re coming up on the Second Life’s tenth birthday, SL10B as we’ve affectionately dubbed it. While we’ve got a whole slew of celebrations planned, we’d really like to see how people across Second Life celebrate 10 years on the grid. So if you have an awesome place or a cool event, share your creations and we’ll make this a party for the ages.

Since we can’t stop thinking about SL10B, we figured we’d stick with the theme of parties and celebrations. For those of you who prefer something quiet and intimate, we’re bringing you haute cuisine in a waterfront restaurant. For the more raucous, be sure to check out a neon kaleidoscope of a dance club and a music and art venue carved out of a subterranean cave. A literal rock cave, if you will. And if you feel like taking a break, why not take a walk through a soothing park or an exquisite Italian town?

More Options for Buying Linden Dollars

Linden Lab — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:22:43 GMT

Following the recent update to the Second Life Terms of Service, which disallows trading of Linden dollars (L$) on third party exchanges, we’ve heard from some users outside of the US who are concerned that it may now be more difficult for them to purchase L$ to use in Second Life.

With a credit card, you can purchase L$ on the LindeX using 27 different currencies, including EUR, GBP, JPY, and AUD. If you don’t have a credit card, you can also use PayPal, which can be connected directly to a bank account in more than 193 countries and regions. If you put payment info on file for your Second Life account, you can also purchase L$ right in the Viewer with the “Buy L$” button. If you’ve never done it before, check out this helpful video:

Now, to give users more options and make it easier to purchase L$, we’re launching a pilot program of Authorized Resellers of L$. These sites are authorized by Linden Lab to purchase L$ on the LindeX and then resell those L$ using a variety of international currencies and payment methods. To be clear: per the Terms of Service, these resellers will not be allowed to purchase L$ outside of the LindeX (i.e. they will not be able to buy L$ back from users and cash people out). The list of Authorized Resellers participating in the pilot program is available here.

If you would like to receive an application to the program when it formally launches, please send an email to LDollarSeller@lindenlab.com.

We know that users are also concerned about the length of the LindeX’s cashout process and the limited choice of currencies when selling L$. We’re currently investigating ways to improve that experience for users while still providing superior fraud protections, and hope to hasten the cashout process and offer new currency options in the future.

The Drax Files Episode 6: Abramelin Wolfe

Linden Lab — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:57:09 GMT

Have you ever wondered about the personalities behind the avatars in Second Life? Virtual journalist and machinima artist Draxtor Despres has been documenting the many personal and inspiring stories of our creative community in the acclaimed video series “The Drax Files: World Makers.”

This week, Drax interviews Edinburgh-based motion capture artist Abramelin Wolfe -- founder of the successful animation and creations studio Abranimations.

Watch the video interview here.

You can check out Abranimations’ shop on the Second Life Marketplace or directly teleport to the store inworld.

Motion capture artist Abramelin Wolfe and his wife are based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

For more info on The Drax Files: World Makers, be sure to check out Drax’s website at draxtor.com. If you haven’t yet watched the rest of the series, check out the past episodes at the links below:

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 1: Kriss Lehmann

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 2: Jo Yardley

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 3: Eshi Otawara

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 4: Fantasy Faire / RFL

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 5: Engrama

Highlight Your Event Celebrating Second Life’s 10th Birthday this June

Linden Lab — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:49:12 GMT

This June, Second Life will celebrate its 10th birthday, thanks to users like you!

We have some fun things planned to celebrate the occasion (keep an eye on this blog for more on that soon!), but we'd also like to highlight your events. Like last year, we'll have a special category in the Destination Guide for Second Life birthday-related events. No one throws a better party than the Second Life community, and if you're planning an event to celebrate Second Life's 10th birthday, we want to know about it!

Submit your event or party information to the Second Life Destination Guide Submission Form (use the misc category) or via editor@lindenlab.com, using “SL10B” in subject line on the form or email.

In addition, there will be an organized community celebration happening that is sure to be great, and they are currently taking applications for volunteers, performers, and exhibits here.

Are you ready to celebrate?

Updated Second Life Terms of Service

Linden Lab — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:55:17 GMT

When you log in to the Second Life Viewer today, you’ll be asked to accept an updated Terms of Service. As with any legal document, it’s important to read in its entirety before accepting, but we wanted to highlight one of the changes we’ve made in this update: to better protect Second Life users against fraud, the updated Terms of Service make it clear that trading of Linden dollars (L$) on exchanges other than the LindeX, Second Life’s official L$ exchange, is not authorized or allowed.

As the official exchange owned and operated by Linden Lab, the LindeX is the best place to buy and sell L$ for use in Second Life. It consistently offers the best rates for both buyers and sellers, and by limiting L$ trading to the exchange we operate, we are better able to protect users against fraudulent activity.

The majority of Second Life users who purchase L$ do so through the Second Life Viewer by clicking on the “Buy L$” button. There will be no change to that function, as these orders are placed directly through the LindeX. Similarly, shopping on Marketplace will not be impacted.

If you haven’t used the LindeX before, check out this Knowledge Base article and the video below for more information:

The Drax Files Episode 5: Engrama

Linden Lab — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:44:43 GMT

The latest episode of Draxtor Despres’ The Drax Files: World Makersis here! This week, Drax profiles the rock band, Engrama, who perform original music live (without pre-recorded backing tracks) in Second Life.

Watch the video here.

You can check out some of Engrama’s music here, shop for their merchandise inworld here, and catch them performing live in Second Life on May 11!

Want to discover music like Engrama in Second Life? Explore the Music category in the Destination Guide and check out the Live Music event listings.

For more info on The Drax Files: World Makers series, be sure to check out Drax’s website at draxtor.com. If you haven’t yet watched the rest of the series, check out past episodes at the links below:

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 1: Kriss Lehmann

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 2: Jo Yardley

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 3: Eshi Otawara

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 4: Fantasy Faire / RFL

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide - April 25, 2013

Linden Lab — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:37:28 GMT

It’s coming around to that time when we at the Destination Guide show off some interesting and generally awesome destinations new to Second Life. Much like last time, we wanted to introduce you to a few of the newer locations that caught our attention. So let’s get to it, huh?

This week, prepare for an invasion of art. Journey to an entire ecosystem of rusting, clanking machines, or take a look at a land of nine unique zones of thought. How about a perspective-bending island, or a wildly alien interactive music venue? But if all this sounds a little too far fetched, fear not, for we’re also bringing you a live boxing venue and a tango studio in the middle of a wheat field. As always, we love seeing all your new places, so join in the fun and share your own.

The Drax Files Episode 4: Fantasy Faire / RFL

Linden Lab — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:45:38 GMT

We’re happy to share another great episode of Draxtor Despres’ The Drax Files: World Makers. The latest episode features Zander Greene, one of the organizers of Fantasy Faire in Second Life.

You can watch it here if you have trouble viewing the video.

Now in its fifth year, Fantasy Faire is a fundraiser for Relay for Life, that will feature the work of some of Second Life’s top designers and merchants. Explore fantasy-themed builds and buy unique designs from the more than 140 merchants participating to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Second Life.

Fantasy Faire runs through April 28th - check out the official listing in the Second Life Destination Guide. Please note that the event does not open officially until 6 a.m. (Pacific) on April 20, so the teleport link may not be active prior to that time.

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 1: Kriss Lehmann

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 2: Jo Yardley

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 3: Eshi Otawara

Casting Call: Apply to Star in a Second Life Ad Campaign!

Linden Lab — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:40:15 GMT

Pictured: Lorna H. and her Second Life avatar counterpart Lollie Bigwig.

Banker by day, but intergalactic space cowboy in Second Life? We may be looking for you!

We are now casting both humans and their avatars for a new promotional campaign that will be featured on SecondLife.com and across the web.

For this campaign, we’re looking for people who are comfortable revealing their “human side” alongside their avatars in Second Life, like in the image above. Specifically, we are looking for those whose avatars do not physically resemble their owners.

This promotion aims to spotlight the diverse and creative communities in Second Life, so please apply if you’d like to share your passion for Second Life with the world!

To be considered, please fill out this application form by 11:59 PM Pacific on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. All submissions will be reviewed by the creative production team for the campaign, but no personal information provided will be disclosed publicly unless you are selected and specifically consent to participate.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Limited Time Only: Get the Pet Pack - The Troobles for Free on Amazon

Linden Lab — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:27:59 GMT

We’re happy to announce a new special offer for Second Life on Amazon - a pack of virtual pets!

The Troobles have arrived and are squeaking with excitement to be the stars of our third limited-time, special promotion on Amazon. From now to April 25, 2013, you can get the Pet Pack – The Troobles (a $9.95 value) for free.

The Pet Pack includes an adorable family of Trooble Pigs including Daddy, Mommy, baby sister, and baby brother. Each Trooble has their very own fashion accessories and special talents. Mommy Trooble offers customized greetings to your visitors, Daddy Trooble can go into guard mode and teleport trespassers, and the babies are always up for a cuddle.

There is a limit of one Pet Pack per customer, and this special offer is available only to users of the free Amazon Game Connect service, which is currently limited to customers in the US.

If you’d like a little more cute and cuddly in Second Life, pop over to Amazon and grab your free Pet Pack – The Troobles before April 25, 2013.

The Drax Files Episode 3: Eshi Otawara

Linden Lab — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:13:39 GMT

From Draxtor Despres, here’s another great episode of The Drax Files: World Makers, which profiles creative Second Life users. The latest episode features artist, fashion designer, and Second Life merchant Eshi Otawara.

Watch the video below, and be sure to check out Eshi’s store on the Second Life Marketplace to get some of her fantastic designs!

For more info on the series, be sure to check out Drax’s website atdraxtor.com. If you haven’t yet watched the first two episodes, you can catch them at the links below:

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 1: Kriss Lehmann

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 2: Jo Yardley

A Shiny New Communications Hub for the Second Life Viewer

Linden Lab — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:39:08 GMT

Today we’re excited to announce that the new Communications Hub User Interface (CHUI) is now a part of the main Second Life Viewer. The update should download automatically, or you can download the new Viewer here.

This video will help you get started with what’s new:

What is CHUI?

As we’ve previously blogged about, CHUI puts Second Life’s communications tools in a more flexible UI that lets you customize it for the ways you prefer to communicate inworld. You can even turn it all off when you want to build, make movies, or simply be left alone for a while.

With CHUI, you can:

Add participants to a conversation already in progress
See all of your conversations and everyone in those conversations, using an inventory-like UI
Quickly move your voice connection between conversations and effortlessly adjust individual volume or overall volume in a single click
View all of your recent communications in one window (Conversation Log)
See what was said in any conversation (Conversation Transcripts)
Set Do Not Disturb to focus on other things and get all the communications (and inventory offers!) you missed, after you come back
Choose from four levels of notification for each of five different kinds of incoming communication. You can set IMs from friends and IMs from non-friends to different levels of notification
Turn sound on and off for four different events, such as inventory offers and teleport offers
Access voice morphs more easily
Get to chat preferences and privacy preferences directly from the Conversations window.
Type your chats into an expanding, multiple-line box
Select multiple users across different conversations and start a new conference with them
Choose which conversations are in their own windows, and which should be in a tabbed window -- you can have both now.
Collapse any conversation to a single-line input with popup messages.
See users and objects you have blocked in a new tab in the People window.

How do you use CHUI?

There are a lot of ways to use the new communications features, and we hope you’ll take the time to explore. We know a new interface can be frustrating while you figure out how to do the things you’re used to doing, but this introductory video should help everyone get up to speed quickly.

To all those who helped beta test CHUI, thank you for all the great feedback you have given us along the way, which was incredibly valuable and helpful during the development cycle. Your input is truly appreciated, and we will, of course, continue to improve on this feature in future releases.

Clearer Pricing for Private Region Management Services

Linden Lab — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:28:29 GMT

If you have a private region in Second Life, there are several special services you might occasionally need, like region moves and name changes.

The charges for these services depends on the number of private regions you have, and to make it easier for all of our customers to understand the fee structure, we now have laid it out in this chart in the Knowledge Base:

To request one of these private region management services, please submit a case through the support portal.

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide -March 29th, 2013

Linden Lab — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:35:14 GMT

Once again, the Destination Guide editorial team pored through countless submissions for all sorts of interesting and varied locations. Quite a few events as well, truth be told. Much like last time, we wanted to highlight things that caught our attention. They could have a higher than usual level of polish, a silly sense of humor or just be plain fun to wander through. That said, let’s get to it.

This time around, we’re bringing you some more adventures than usual. Prepare to delve into the jungle and find a tropical warrior’s final treasure, seek out demonic eggs to uncover the death of a beloved fairy tale egg, or dive into the depths of mind-shattering madness in a dark and dreary carnival. For those of you looking for something a little more light-hearted, we’ve also got a club ripped straight out of Miami (by way of Dubai), procedurally generated Mandelbrot patterns and a soothing, summertime Siberia. As always, few things are as fun as sharing new places, so show your creative side and make something cool.

Watch the Next Great Episode of The Drax Files

Linden Lab — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:29:32 GMT

We’re excited to share another episode of Draxtor Despres’ fantastic series, The Drax Files: World Makers, which profiles Second Life users. If you missed the first episode, you can check it out here.

The latest episode profiles the talented Jo Yardley, the creator of the 1920s Berlin Project in Second Life. Check out the video below, and be sure to visit 1920s Berlin to explore the world Jo has created!

For more info on the series, be sure to check out Drax’s website at draxtor.com.

QuickTips - Meeting & Making Friends

Linden Lab — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:44:46 GMT

Second Life is a fun and social space, so meeting and making friends is easier when you understand the basic controls and options for chat. Learn about the text and voice chat features that can help you meet and make friends in Second Life in our latest QuickTips video tutorial.

Watch the QuickTips video tutorial here.

Learn even more in about Second Life communication in our Knowledgebase:

Did you miss our previous QuickTips videos? Check ‘em out!

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide - March 14, 2013

Linden Lab — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:37:20 GMT

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide - March 14, 2013

Are you looking for some last-minute decorations, festive costumes, or new Spring fashions to refresh your wardrobe? Come scratch that shopping itch over at the Second Life Marketplace. Check the celebrations section for seasonal fashions, Easter egg cake pops, green beer water slides, and a whole lot more.

Spring is in the air, and it’s a great time to celebrate in Second Life! We here at the Destination Guide combed through all the awesome submissions and pulleda few we really think embody the spirit of this season. They could’ve had evil bunnies, sunny pastel colors, green rivers, or just embodied the spirit of something fun and a little wild. This time around, we’re bringing you a garden Easter egg hunt, a soothing strawberry forest, a fluorescent take on Alice in Wonderland and a few wild and green festivals. Whether you’re looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Passover, Hōnen Matsuri, Easter, or just springtime in Second Life, get ready to throw off those winter clothes and bask in the sunshine. So join in the fun and submit your own destination, or just jump below and start exploring.

Advertising on Second Life Web Properties

Linden Lab — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:29:59 GMT

As you may have noticed, we recently added some banner ads to SecondLife.com. Today, we’ve also added them to the Marketplace, and we’ll soon expand the program to other Second Life web properties as well. The placement of these ads is designed to be unobtrusive, as we don’t want them to interfere with your Second Life experience on the web, and we’re taking care to keep the content appropriate.

These ads are a great opportunity for advertisers to reach the large, global audience that visits the Second Life web properties every day, and we want to extend that opportunity to Second Life merchants as soon as we can. For Merchants, advertising on the Second Life web properties will be a new way to get their offerings in front of potential customers, while at the same time making the ads extremely relevant to every Second Life user who sees them.

We have some work to do before we can make the ads purchasable by Second Life business owners, and it’s too soon to say precisely when we’ll be able to, but we wanted to let you all in on this plan early on. We’ll blog again when we have more info to share, so keep an eye on this space!

Fashion for Life Starts Saturday March 9th

Linden Lab — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:33:36 GMT

Photo by: Ramses Meredith

It’s that time of year again! Fashion for Life 2013, held March 9-17, features nine amazing sims created by some of the top creators in Second Life. This year’s theme, which aims to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society, is “The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.”

Fashion for Life will feature a full schedule of live events, fashion shows, exclusive designs and artistic wonders that you won’t want to miss! There’s so much stuff to see and do that you’ll want to visit all of the nine event sims, including the following themed areas:

Great Pyramid of Giza - Built by Thoth Jantzen - Sponsored by Chop Zuey Couture and Jewellery
Hanging Gardens of Babylon - Built by Patch Thibaud - Sponsored by Tres Beau Designs (built in honor of loved ones lost)
Statue of Zeus at Olympia - Built by KarlinJames Zepp - Sponsored by Sonatta Morales *8* Vintage Couture
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus - Built by nexuno Thespian - Sponsored by Leri Miles Designs
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - Built by Kaya Angel - Sponsored by LAZURI
Colossus of Rhodes - Built by Rebeca Bashly - Sponsored by .:EMO-tions:.
Lighthouse of Alexandria - Built by Bryn Oh - Sponsored by [sYs] Design
FASHION FOR LIFE International Plaza - Built by Eshi Otawara - sponsored by Miss Mundo Virtual Organization
FFL Event Sim - Built by Eshi Otawara - Sponsored by Christianraven Resident

Looking for a complete schedule? You can visit the official event site for the latest updates, but here is a list of things to see and do:

SATURDAY MARCH 9TH

12:00 PM (Pacific) - Grand Opening of Fashion for Life 2013

SUNDAY MARCH 10TH

10:00 AM (Pacific) - Fashion Show (produced by KV Dream Agency)

MONDAY MARCH 11TH

4:00 PM (Pacific) - Fashion Show (produced by Solo Evane)

TUESDAY MARCH 12TH

4:00 PM (Pacific) - Fashion Show (produced by AVENUE)

WEDNESDAY MARCH 13TH

4:00 PM (Pacific)- Fashion Show (produced by Elegance Agency)
6:00 PM (Pacific) - Antonio Galloway in Concert

THURSDAY MARCH 14TH

4:00 PM (Pacific) - Fashion Show (produced by UEMA Agency)

FRIDAY MARCH 15TH

12:00 PM (Pacific) - Changhigh Sisters Fireshow of Light, Life and Love
4:00 PM (Pacific) - Fashion Show (produced by Opium Evolution Agency)

SATURDAY MARCH 16TH

10:00 AM (Pacific) - Galliano Couture Inspired Collection (Produced by BLVD Agency)

SUNDAY MARCH 17TH

9:00 AM (Pacific) - Grand Finale - SL Top Model Competition
11:00 AM (Pacific) - Closing Party - Raffle Winner Announcement

In addition, BOSL Radio will stream across all nine sims in partnership with the Second Life club The Velvet. There will also be a public “Best FFL” Photo Contest for the duration of this event. The winner will receive items from participating FFL designers.

For more information, visit the Fashion for Life 2013 website.

QuickTips - Getting Help

Linden Lab — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:22:10 GMT

Second Life is fun — but sometimes you might encounter a problem inworld.

Need help with your land? Have a billing question? We want to help you make the most of your Second Life. This week’s QuickTips video tutorial walks you through the many support options available to both basic and premium Second Life users.

Learn more about our Knowledge Base and Support Portal, as well as Abuse Report options and more.

Watch the QuickTips video tutorial.

Learn even more in about Second Life Support in our Knowledgebase:

Did you miss our previous QuickTips videos? Check ‘em out!

Featured News articles

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide - May 24, 2013

Casa De Aromas

Club InFuZion

Casa De Aromas

Bliss Gardens Park

Egoisme Milano

More Options for Buying Linden Dollars

The Drax Files Episode 6: Abramelin Wolfe

Highlight Your Event Celebrating Second Life’s 10th Birthday this June

Updated Second Life Terms of Service

The Drax Files Episode 5: Engrama

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide - April 25, 2013

Rust

Ocho Tango

House of Champions Boxing Gym

Virtually Real

Ub Yifu Gallery Park

The Nine Art Planets

The Drax Files Episode 4: Fantasy Faire / RFL

Casting Call: Apply to Star in a Second Life Ad Campaign!

Limited Time Only: Get the Pet Pack - The Troobles for Free on Amazon

The Drax Files Episode 3: Eshi Otawara

A Shiny New Communications Hub for the Second Life Viewer

Clearer Pricing for Private Region Management Services

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide -March 29th, 2013

3D Mandelbrot Fractal Art

MadPea Madness Fair

Lost Treasure of the Inca Warrior

Taiga

The Who Killed Humpty Dumpty Hunt

Vipera

Watch the Next Great Episode of The Drax Files

The 1920s Berlin Project

QuickTips - Meeting & Making Friends

Highlights from the Second Life Destination Guide - March 14, 2013

Botanica's 2nd Anual Easter Egg Hunt

Saint Patrick's Day Weekend

The Green Festival

2013 St. Patrick's Day Town

Almost Wonderland

Erdbeeren 2013

Advertising on Second Life Web Properties

Fashion for Life Starts Saturday March 9th

QuickTips - Getting Help