Geek Week: Prelude

February 29, 2008

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Oh, the things I do for you.

I thought it would be fun to dedicate a week to visiting some information technology islands. Obviously, I have strange ideas about fun. However, it was an interesting journey and I hope you’ll find it worthwhile. How are these technology companies embracing this technology? Do they get it or are they just making 3-D web pages? Is there any reason you would want to visit these places? Are they forming communities? Is there anything to do? And are there any good freebies?

All these questions, and more, will be answered. So put on your propeller cap and dig out your pocket protector. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Leave a Comment » | computers | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

STELLLLLLLAAAAAA!!!!!

February 29, 2008

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Stella is a Brazilian singer with her own Second Life island. She was discovered by Kitaro, a legendary New Age artist who I have also never heard of.

As with many things, I found Stella island by accident, and landing there thinking I’d find a tribute to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Instead I encountered a giant butterfly. Jump on board (two of you can take a romantic bug ride) and you’ll tour the sets Stella uses in her upcoming music video.  Yes, you too can be Stella.

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The ride itself is… well okay, it’s not my cup of tea, but there’s a lot to see if you’re into pink, frilly, flowery, ethereal, icy things. I swear my pixelated gonads shrunk somewhere along the way. (Time to replace those Xcite parts). I suppose it might have been more of an experience if the music stream were working. In fairness, the debut of Stella’s album is on March 6th, so everything might not be up and running yet. In the meantime, it’s a very quiet pinky, frilly, flowery, ethereal, icy butterfly ride.

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If the build does not look like it was done by a marketing professional, it’s because it wasn’t. Stella and producer Gary Barlough “have designed a Virtual World Environment which works in harmony with her musical concepts.” It’s an interesting idea, anyway: An interactive music video. If they could sync the butterfly ride with the music (assuming they start streaming some) they’d really have something.

Stella’s web site notes that her new songs will debut live in Second Life on March 6th at 5PM SLT. In the meantime you can hear Stella at her MySpace site.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Stella/22/127/35

1 Comment | cute, music | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

Labor of love

February 27, 2008

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I lot of my exploring is done by surfing the map. I’ll randomly pick a spot, zoom in, and look for an island or region that looks interesting from the air. So imagine my surprise when I saw this:

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Now that’s something different.  I teleported in and happened to meet the creator, Surreal Numbers, hard at work adding a new building.

The Over The Rainbow world map is split into major regions. A helpful teleporter will take you to each one. Walking around is fun, but it’s easy to get disoriented.  Each region is represented by a building and a set of photographs taken by Surreal or his friends (except for Antarctica, where had had to resort to stock photos).

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The effect is (pun intended) a bit surreal. Where else can you stand on top of an Egyptian pyramid and see clear to a stormy Antarctica area? Or cross a flower-laden bridge across the Atlantic? Cheerio, darling, I’m going to take a stroll to America and pick up some salsa. Back in a bit!

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It’s fun to walk through and try to figure out where in the world you are based on the buildings and photographs. There are also several quiet, romantic spots with poseballs for you and someone significant to enjoy. Darling, I just crossed an ocean to be with you. Kiss me. 

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Surreal hopes the region will promote peace, love, and understanding through cultural exchange. I don’t know if it will do that, but his work is certainly worth a look.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Over%20The%20Rainbow/128/128/65

1 Comment | builds, cute, international | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

In the city

February 25, 2008

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I’ve landed in lots of Brazilian regions in my travels, and there’s a certain sameness to them. It usually consists of a large, commercial city and a large, packed dance club, sometimes on a beach. The women are tanned scantily clad, and shirtless tattooed men with long black hair dance around them. There’s always a party going on. It’s like Spring Break or TRL all the time. Full Disclosure: Lest you get the wrong impression of me, I have never actually watched an episode of TRL, but I have seen bits of it while changing channels. Really. Perhaps this represents the urban youth culture in Brazil. If you want to party, search for any region with Brasil (the Portuguese spelling) in the name. If you don’t mind lots of shouting in Portuguese, you won’t find a bigger party.

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Novo Ilha Brasil is a litle different from the norm. Maybe it is still new, but there isn’t a party going on, though there are some small venues for it. Instead, the region is a nicely detailed representation of a Brazilian city. In some respects it is even boringly so. Most of the storefronts are emty facades. But the variety and detail on the buildings is so well done that it gives you a feel for being in a hot ciy in the southern latitutdes.

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There are some things to do. You can ride up to  the top of a tower for a great view of the city. There’s the usual parachuting setup you’ve probably seen elsewhere, with the added challenge of trying not to hit the skyscrapers on the way down. I also found an RC car track. I invited my friend Velveeta to play and the game was challenging. Don’t worry about if your competitor has made gaming skills, the cars are tough to control for anyone. Our game was a little more like bmper cars than a race. Garth considers a comment about women drivers. Garth values his life and thinks the better of it.

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If you hear rumbling sound while exploring, that’s the subway beneath your feet. It really works, and will take you from one end of the region to the other — except that when you get to the other end there is no stairway to the surface. Subway from Hell! You can get in but you can’t get out! Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

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In what I can only guess is a quest for accuracy, there are lots of banks, complete with rope lines to the tellers and non-functional ATMs. That’s really… dull. There’s even a (((shudder))) McDonald’s. That’s getting a bit too realistic, even for my tastes.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nova%20Ilha%20Brasil/203/181/41

1 Comment | builds, commercial, games, international | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

Stepping inside a story book

February 22, 2008

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Hmmm. Seven little beds. Who could they belong to? Hmmmm… 

I was searching for a Little Red Riding Hood costume (don’t get excited, it wasn’t for me) when I landed in Fairytale Forest. It was a pleasant surprise. Bucolic paths lead you to the settings of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel & Gretel, and then some.

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A lot of work obviously went into the atmosphere here. You feel like you’re living inside a story book. You can interact with some of the story sets (try sitting in a dwarf chair) and there are quiet places along the paths where you can chill out alone or as a couple.

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All in all it’s worth taking a pleasant stroll through. There’s enough variety in the trails (bridges, swamps, and ravines) to keep you entertained along the way. Don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with every fairy tale. Each story set displays the text of the tale on a very readable sign.  

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rosewood%20Gardens/162/183/25/

Update: It’s gone. What a shame.

Leave a Comment » | builds, cute | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

Do you like suprises?

February 20, 2008

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I encountered this cute little building while wandering around one of the Japanese regions. Seems innocent enough. What could be inside?

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Aaiiiiieeeee!!!!!!

Okay, not such a surprise anymore.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/SLingHokuriku/206/76/23/

Leave a Comment » | cute, international, scary | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

I went to a dance and a hockey game broke out

February 19, 2008

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Okay, that’s not how the old joke goes, but still… It’s always a pleasant surprise when I decide to teleport to a busy place on the map and it turns out not to be dancing or camping. I found a sports arena, only this time a hockey game was in progress.

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Little did I know that the SL Hockey has been around for about two years, organized by people who simply like the game. They are remarkably well organized, complete with organized teams, schedules, and seasons. Gameplay, equipment, and training are all free. It’s very easy to figure out what’s going on. Instructions, rules, schedules, team records, and season banners are all easy to find.

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You can’t just jump in and play, but the action looks very sophisticated.  I’m not a sports fan, but it was fun just watching. It was all too easy to fall into cheering and joking with the other spectators. Well, there was a certain lion chanting repeatedly about his sexual preference, but that’s what Mute is for.

Prominent signs ask that you remove (not just turn off) an animation overirdes, bling, or scripted attachments during games to keep things running smoothly. Flexi hair can slow things down too, and some folks really feel strongly about it. Good thing for me I go bald in SL.

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After the game, though, the scripts came out and the dancing began in earnest. It’s a friendly bunch of people. The downside of SL Hockey is that you’re not going to just show up and play or organize your own team. They found that didn’t work. Instead you’ll train and get drafted by an existing team. The upside is that SL Hockey is really, really organized. If you get into it and make the commitment you’re going to get as close to a real hokey experience as you can possibly get in Second Life.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jericho%20Hill/187/107/28

2 Comments | games, sports | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

Grave concerns

February 18, 2008

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When I first landed on Memoris I was astounded. Of all people, I never would have expected the Japanese to build a Second Life cemetery. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t have imagined such a thing at all.

Half of my brain thinks it makes sense. Horrible as it sounds, someone you know in Second Life may die in real life, or they may leave (and for all intents and purposes be dead in the metaverse). Memoris offers a way to erect a memorial in a peaceful setting free of sex clubs and low flying skyboxes.

The other half of my brain thinks it’s just freaky.

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The land rental rates seem to me to be fairly reasonable, but the memorials are sparse. That is to say, really sparse. I mean, really, really sparse. Most of the land is covered in unattractive (if at least subtly shaded) floating rental boxes. If only the management had made them stone tablets set in the ground, it would have salvaged the atmosphere somewhat. As it is, you sometimes feel like you’re in the place where rental boxes go when they die.  

At the landing point you’ll find inexpensive funeral clothes and praying animations for sale if you don’t already own something appropriate. Most of the region is no-fly which makes walking the pathways something of a chore. If there were more to see besides the row upon row of rental boxes it would be more interesting. As it is, the region is still a good place for a quiet, contemplative walk… if you like rental boxes.

Did I mention that there were a lot of rental boxes?

Many of the memorials are not Japanese and the rental instructions are also in English, so if you want to erect a memorial don’t worry if you aren’t from that part of the world. It seems to be open to all.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Memoris/6/215/22/

Leave a Comment » | international, religion | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!

February 15, 2008

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I’m not much of a sports fan, so when I saw an island named MyWorldofSports my first reaction was, “meh.” Still, I decided to take a look and came away impressed.

The center of attraction is a stadium and soccer field. It was sadly empty when I got there (making for some easy goals) but the gameplay looks like fun if you can get enough people together. Click on a sign to get a free HUD and a shirt (either red or blue), click on the scoreboard and off you go.  A ball will drop from the scoreboard.

The HUD animates a loping, kicking run for your avatar (if you remember to turn off your AO, oops), and seems to make the ball stick to you just enough to keep control over it (but not enough to keep someone from stealing it, I suspect). It also allows you some low and high kicks to make those game-saving goals.

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The rest of the island is an impressive build, if a little sterile. I suspect that it is a work in progress and not fully up and running. There are lots of empty rooms which could presumably hold shops. Likewise, there is streaming video throughout the region that doesn’t seem to be working. That said, there’s nothing stopping you from starting a game right now.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/MyWorldofSports%20/124/52/21/

Leave a Comment » | games, sports | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

Hallelujah

February 14, 2008

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I’m not a religious man, but I think I want to join this church.

Oh, okay, it’s just a wedding chapel. Never mind. Happy Valentine’s Day.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Odaiba%20Tokyo%20JAPAN/69/204/22

1 Comment | cute | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Garth Goode

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