Updates for the week ending: Sunday February 22nd, 2015
This summary is published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:
It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog
By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
Official LL Viewers
Current Release version: 3.7.24.297623 – no change
Login Viewer RC viewer version 3.7.25.298971 released on February 17th – core updates: reduces the login buttons on the splash screen to one (download and release notes)
Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 3.7.25.299021 on February 17 – 30+ bug fixes and improvements (download and release notes)
Stable branch updated on February 22nd to version 1.26.12.32
New release of the experimental branch, version 1.26.13.0, released on February 22nd – core updates: Viewer-managed Marketplace support (additional notes on this release)
Crossed Looks Over Moumou’s Square is a new exhibition now open at Trinity Yazimoto’s Petit Chat gallery. It features 20 pieces of art by Ermandalee and Lo Coeur, the result of an invitation extended to them both to create a series of images of the gardens of Moumou’s Square and Petit Chat.
With ten pieces from each artist on display along the paths and in the grounds of the gardens, visitors are invited to stroll around at their leisure and view them. Information givers scattered among the easel mounted pieces ensuring that, whichever direction one takes on arriving, information on the exhibition and the artists is readily available.
Many of the pieces on display are located alongside or near to the parts of the garden that inspired them, allowing a direct comparison between subject and image, and an opportunity to more directly see the subject through the eyes of the artist. This is particularly effective where Ermandalee and Lo have produced pictures of the same subject; not only does this help “see” the subject as each artist may have looked on it, it also allows one to enjoy their individual but very complementary styles.
Viewing the art in this way also gives the visitor time to appreciate the gardens, which have been landscaped for Trinity by Trixxie Nitely. As you do, you’ll find there are plenty of places to sit and simply enjoy things, and Trinity’s hospitality is both warm and inviting: she offers places to sit and eat or drink both indoors and outdoors; so don’t be surprised if you find yourself coming back for future visits simply to enjoy the friendly ambience of the gardens.
And when you are looking around, don’t forget to take a jump down the rabbit hole to Trinity’s underground gallery where she displays her own work. It offers a further artistic delight to visitors, as I noted when last blogging about it.
Crossed Looks Over Moumou’s Square will be open through until Saturday, March 21st, 2015, inclusive, and is a recommended visit.
On February 6th, residents and Lindens met in-world for what proved to be a challenge met with gusto and delight: the first in-world snowball fight involving Linden staff in a fair while.
As I was able to report from the front lines (when not picking myself up off the floor and dusting myself down after getting splatted by a certain Mr. Gibson Firehawk … several times 😛 ), the event was held in the Winter Wonderland created by the Lab and the Moles to help demonstrate the forthcoming experience keys / tools.
But will Strawberry “Snap Shot” Singh be on-hand this time? …
Well, with Winter Wonderland liable to be closing its doors in March, due to springtime arriving, the gauntlet has been once again laid down, with a challenge handed out to one and all for a further snowball fight – only this time it comes from the Firestorm team!
The challenge was given out in a Firestorm blog post, which reads in part:
The Firestorm team wants to do it again! Snowball fight pt 2! For those who couldn’t make it to the first one this is your chance to get involved and have some old school fun! We have extended an invitation to the Lindens as well and hope some of them will join in too.
February 6th proved to be a huge amount of fun for everyone involved, something which even recalcitrant weapons vendors and a healthy smattering of lag amidst the snow could do little to dampen.
… and who might find they’re in need of a bit of a sit-down amidst all the excitement? (And will hot cocoa also be available this time?)
So… if you missed out the first time around, or if you want to do it all over again, be sure to be in-world at the Snowball Warzone in Winter Wonderland by 13:00 SLT on Sunday, February 22nd!
It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to Second Life and Kitely by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.
As always, all times SLT / PDT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island, or at their Kitely Homeworld.
Monday February 23rd
06:00: The Emerald Atlas
Cata Charisma continues his reading of John Stephens’ The emerald Atlas, the first volume in his fantasy trilogy for young adults, The Books of Beginning.
Having been passed from pillar to post through orphanages, three siblings, Kate, Emma, and Michael, find themselves lodged at the home of one Dr. Stanislaus Pym. Kate, the eldest of the three is driven by a promise made by her mother, that if Kate protects her younger sister and brother, then their family will be one day reunited.
But in their explorations of Dr. Pym’s house the three of them find their way into the basement, where they come across a mysterious door and a equally mysterious emerald-covered booth, entirely without text. When an old photograph touches the blank pages of the book, however, the three are immediately transported to the time and place depicted in the photograph. Her they find themselves in a realm populated by witches, henchmen, giants, dwarves and more – and one Dr. Stanislaus Pym, a good deal younger than when they last saw him in his house…
19:00: Starswarm
Starswarm Station is a remote research station established to study strange alien life. The planet on which it is located is the home of the starswarm, intelligent plants living under the planet’s shallow lakes and seas, and roaming bands of centaur-like creatures dubbed “haters”.
The station is also home to Kip, a teenage boy living under the guardianship of his “uncle”. However, as Kip begins to discover, he has another guardian: Gwen, an AI system his mother had been working on, prior to her death, and which communicates with Kip via a small implant placed inside his brain at birth.
Gwen knows far more about the planet and the lifeforms it harbours than Kip could imagine. It also knows a lot about the company that runs the station and, for all intents and purposes, “owns” the planet on which it sits.
Slowly, Gwen reveals these various truths to Kip, including his own destiny. But in doing so, it puts Kip, and potentially the entire station, at risk.
Join Gyro Muggins as he commences a reading of Jerry Pournelle’s 1998 novel intended for teenage readers but which offers an interesting look at subjects such as neural nets and living computer systems.
Tuesday February 24th, 19:00: The Cailleach is Back!
Aoifie Lorfield returns with more tales of the old hag, Cailleach Bhéarach of Irish, Scottish and Manx mythology.
Wednesday February 25th, 19:00: Selections from The Islandman
Born in 1856, and a native of the Irish-speaking Great Blasket Island just off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland, Tomás Ó Criomhthain heeded encouragement to write about his life and times as a fisherman and crofter on a (then) somewhat remote island.
By doing so, and despite only a moderate education (schooling only occurred within the island’s tiny community if / when a school teacher came over from the “mainland”, and even then, schooling would oft be interrupted when the teacher returned home to take a husband), he wrote with astonishing richness about ways of life which have long since passed into memory or have been changed forever.
His writings appeared in two books published during his life, published under the anglicised version of his name, Tomas O’Crohan. These were Allagar na h-Inise (Island Cross-Talk), which included his writing from between 1918 and 1923, and An t-Oileánach (The Islandman), from which Caledonia Skytower reads selections.
Thursday February 25th, 19:00: Lost Worlds
Travel back to 1941 and the pages of Fantastic Adventures with Shandon Loring, as he reads P.F. Costello’s short story, People of the Pyramids.
It started, as all good adventures often do, in Cairo’s bazaar, when Neal Kirby is encouraged, somewhat reluctantly, into a shop if trinkets and curios. Once inside, he discovers a knife of great beauty. But he’s not the only one with an interest in it; the beautiful Jane Manners appears to be able to lay claim to it.
Only she, in turn, appears to be in the clutches of the cold, calculating Max Zaraf, the man who had ostensibly offered to help finance her attempts to complete her late father’s work, but who now seems to be in control of things, much to her distress. So when she manages to pass Kirby a plea for help, who is he to refuse?
He may not have a fedora, a bull whip or an encyclopaedic knowledge of archaeology, but when it comes to ancient mysteries deep in the desert, untrustworthy businessmen lusting after power, and the rescue of a young, beautiful woman, Neal Kirby proves he’s every bit as capable as people going by the surname of “Jones”!
Explore the Great Gatsby: explore the installation one last time and then say farewell by dancing at Gatsby’s mansion
This special facility, built is a partnership venture with Tacoma Little Theatre’s production of The Great Gatsby draws to a close.
Take the opportunity to tour the locations, drop-in to the Fitzgerald Gallery and listen to selections of the story being read over the stream. Then be sure to attend a special closing dance at – where else? Jay Gatsby’s mansion.
Saturday February 28th, 12:00 Noon SLT, Second Life: Seanchai 101
Join Caledonia Skytower in this special Seanchai Library workshop, downstairs in the fireside room. Participants in this workshop should come with 100 to 120 words from a piece of literature, preferably written by someone else, not memorized and not prepared in any way. Please remember that Seanchai is on a moderate sim when choosing your material.
—–
Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for January / February is Project Children, teaching and building peace in Northern Ireland, one child at a time.
I last wrote about Keisei in May 2013 (see here), and while it is a place I’ve often enjoyed dropping-in to, I’ve actually not set aside time to write about it since. Which is a little lax of me, as Daddio Dow’s region, with its rich mix of oriental themes and activities, is always a visually attractive place to visit.
I was actually put in mind of Keisei while writing about the Chinese New Year. While the region admittedly leans more towards a Japanese theme than Chinese, there is some cross-over in places, and writing about Chinese themed builds in SL got me thinking about other oriental locations I’ve visited over the years. Coincidentally, Daddio himself dropped me a little line asking after me, and mentioning that there had been some recent changes, so I decided to hop over to Keisei and rectify my lack of recent blogging.
The overall oriental theme to the region, coupled with the use of water – there are waterfall-fed streams running through the landscape – are primarily why I’m attracted to Keisei. With the streams spanned by bridges, the careful use of flora, a mix of grassy paths and cobbled streets, coupled with a rich ambient soundscape, everything combines to present a place ripe for photography, inviting exploration. And while the buildings might be suggestive of a specific period setting, the reality is that the region exists in its own time, easily mixing the use of stone lanterns perhaps of a bygone era with more recent electric lights.
Parcels within the region offer their own windlights, which may vary, depending upon who is occupying them (several of the parcels are open to rent through Daddio), but given the continuous theme through Keisei, the entire region lends itself to almost any windlight you might choose to use.
From the landing point, with the nearby Shinto shrine, pagoda and grand mansion, you can find follow the paths through the region to the bath houses, shopping area, tea house and onwards out to the palace and other buildings closer to the edge of the region, some of which are operated by those renting land from Daddio. So far as I’m aware, all of the buildings are open to visitors with the exception of the White Lotus Retreat in the north-west corner of the region, which has no bridge linking it to the rest of the region, signifying it is a private residence.
As an adult rated region, there are some activities of an adult nature (you might note the opium den and shibari house on the teleport map at the arrival point), but you shouldn’t let this put you off; everything is quite discrete (the shibari house is up in the sky, for example, and well out of sight) and the region can easily be enjoyed whatever your outlook on life.
MadTone – LEA26: The drum stage, where the Saturday, February 21st performance by DRUM will take place
Drumming – good drumming – is an art form, be it using a modern drum set, steel drums, native American drums, African drums or any other form of drum. I first became fascinated by it (although I don’t play the drums) via Japanese Taiko drumming, particularly as a result of listening to Kitaro, and love the sound created by, and skill involved in, ensemble drumming of all kinds.
On Saturday February 21st, at midday SLT, we can all enjoy a demonstration of cultural drumming from around the world via a special performance by members of DRUM.
“DRUM’s goal is to bring the world to you via the power of drumming,” Phoebe McMillan says of the ensemble’s intent. “Our aim is to have fun and to create incredible, beautiful rhythms – live. Right now our performances consists of 11 different drum cultures, Taiko (Japanese), Native American, African, Latin, Indian, Mallets, Stomp Wall, Rusty Barrels, African Ghost, Steel Pan drums and our newest set, Brazilian.”
Members of DRUM – which stands for Divine Rhythms of Universal Music – have collaborated to create the unique sounds, drums, and animations that allow them to perform live in-world, with each performance uniquely its own. Appropriately enough, they’ll be performing on the huge drum stage located over the MadTone installation at LEA26, with Lorin Tone hosting the performance.
As noted above, things kick-off at 12:00 noon on the 21st, so be sure to arrive a little ahead of time to get yourself set for what is sure to be a unique and entertaining event, which is not going to be one to miss.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 