The Second Life Book Club studio, Book Club Island
First announced on Friday, March 27th, the Second Life Book Club launches on Wednesday, April 8th as part of efforts to broaden the appeal of Second Life and showcase what can be achieved with a virtual platform, as well as offering SL users a new and informative series focused on the world of literate – which is actually a popular subject among SLers thanks to the long-running work by the likes of Seanchai Library and others.
These are strange times indeed: With the current public health crisis sweeping across the globe, many of us are finding it more difficult to go out and physically do the things that comfort us and bring us joy. Socializing. Shopping. Dancing. We can’t wait to get out and explore in the physical world again – but, fortunately, you can do these things virtually right now in Second Life.
During this time of great anxiety, stress and social isolation, we’ve seen a spike in interest and activity in Second Life as people seek online outlets for comfort and social connections. Many are discovering for the first time how Second Life can bring people together for friendly conversations and fun social activities – such as live music performances, virtual nightclubs and deejay events and even book readings.
– From the Second Life blog post, March 27th, 2020
Hosted in-world at a new venue which uses one of the Lab’s turnkey solutions to help businesses and organisations make use of Second Life (in this case, the Conference Centre design), The Second Life Book Club is, in the words of the official press release (also a blog post) about it, an:
Initiative that enables authors to have real-time book readings, engage in meet-and-greets with their fans and promote their publications in front of a live audience within the Internet’s largest user-created virtual world [ which] will kick off with a multi-author panel that will discuss the new reality of writing and selling books in the age of COVID-19. The event will feature a live Q&A with best-selling authors Matt Ruff (“Lovecraft Country”), Ken Liu (“The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories”), SL Huang (the Cas Russell series) and CB Lee (the Sidekick Squad series).
The Second Life Book Club is a monthly event produced jointly by Linden Lab and Draxtor Despres who also hosts episodes.
Shows will take place before a live Second Life audience, with the first edition taking place on 10:00 SLT on Wednesday April 8th, at the Second Life Book Club Island. Audience space is limited, so if you are unable to secure a seat, it will be streamed live across all official Second Life social channels.
Further programmes and guests will be announced through the official Second Life blog.
As I’ve oft noticed in these pages, through her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, Dido Haas presents some of the most evocative, engaging art to be found in Second Life. I’m constantly drawn back to the gallery each month as Dido has the ability to draw out the very best in the artists she invites to exhibit there, gracefully coxing their own inner voices to the fore.
However, Dido is herself a gifted photographer, although it is rare that she places her own art into the spotlight at her gallery. It is in part because of this that the latest exhibition at Nitroglobus is so attractive, because for April she offers a selection of her own work. I say “in part”, because Birds & Blue is very much a joint presentation from Dido (photography) and Harry Cover (ImpossibleisnotFrench – 3D elements).
We’ve turned Nitroglobus into a large pond, with the soothing sound of rippling water. Harry added awesome blue boats, barrels and super cool birds he made specially for this installation … For my part selected snapshots from my blog posts, which I made blue to fit into the mood of this installation, and I’ve added pieces of land (thx Miu) with seats and parasols, waving blue flower beds, rusty wind turbines, a beach hut, an animated rock and more… We hope you like to wander around, ‘cos it’s fun and should be enjoyed as such.
– Dido Haas describing Birds and Blue
Nitroglobus: Birds & Blue
The result is a setting that might be said to be much needed in the current times: big enough to have a wander around and enjoy the sounds and the setting; small enough to suit those who would rather just sit and admire the art and let the sounds wash over them and escape daily worries.
Tinted blue for the theme, Dido’s images further offer a means to relax and forget the worries of the world. Offering wide-open views, oft with coastlines and water, each piece sits as a window through which we can escape, perhaps to join Dido as she appears in many of the pictures, and share in her exploration.
When visiting, make sure you make your way up to the high beach house, where two of Dido’s black-and-white self-portraits offer s contract to the blue tones below.
Nitroglobus: Birds & Blue
A different kind of exhibition for Nitroglobus, but one that is nevertheless richly attractive.
April 2nd, 2020 saw the first full release of the viewer 1.x style Singularity viewer in almost four years with the arrival of version 1.8.9.8338. The last formal release of the viewer had been in June 2016, with the release of version 1.8.7 – although there have been many, many, “nightly” builds of the viewer made available in the interim to help keep Singularity users up-to-date with viewer changes.
As I don’t tend to report on “beta” or “nightly” builds of viewers unless they contain something absolutely vital to users – were I to try, it’s not unreasonable to say there would be times when I’d be writing nothing other than articles on viewers and clients – this release means there is potentially a lot for me to cover – the to possibly drown you in an ocean of text! To avoid this, please excuse me if I just touch on the core aspects of the update and point you towards the official release notes for a full list of updates.
In Brief
Linden Lab Derived Updates
Given the length of time that has elapsed between the last formal release and 1.8.9, the latter rolls-up a lot of significant releases from the Labs. As a summary, these comprise:
Experiences (World → Experiences from the menu bar).
Viewer Managed Marketplace. Actually released prior to the previous full release of Singularity, the Viewer Managed Marketplace (VMM) functionality didn’t make it into the 1.8.6 or 1.8.7 releases, and so arrives for the first time now.
The Marketplace Listings Panel can be accessed via either World → Marketplace Listings in the menu bar, or by activating the Marketplace Listings toolbar button (View → Change Toolbar Buttons → check Marketplace Listings).
Singularity also allows the listing ID for any Marketplace listing (active or inactive) to be obtained by right clicking on the associated folder in the the Marketplace Listings panel and selecting Copy Listing ID.
In support of VMM, Singularity also provides a Marketplace button (View → Change Toolbar Buttons → check Marketplace). Note that this will open the Marketplace in the viewer’s internal browser, regardless of whether links are set to open in an external browser.
Singularity 1.8.9 also features the all-singing, all dancing LL viewer splash screen with tweaks
Singularity Updates
This is actually a huge list of new additions, improvements, updates and fixes. So big, in fact that trying to run through them here would give rise to a novel, rather than a review, as noted. So again, please refer to the official release notes for a complete breakdown.
Availability
At the time of writing, Singularity 1.8.9 had been released in 32-bit and 64-bit flavours for Windows; 64-bit Linux and promised an “emergency” version for OS X that is described as possibly “buggy” and “available soon”. As the download page on the Singu website still listed 1.8.6 as the last formal release for OS X, Mac users interested in Singularity are advised to watch the Singularity website for updates.
Feedback
The Post-Processed Effects (PPE) panel (View → Change Toolbar → Post-Processed Effects) has some interesting real-time graphics processing options.
I’ve not had much time using Singularity 1.8.9, my total hours possibly amount to little more than an afternoon of fiddling. As such this feedback is perhaps a little more subjective in approach than might otherwise be the case.
All of the Linden-derived updates appear to work as expected, and the Singu-developed updates are certainly extensive and I have no significant issues with those I got to play with.
When it comes to rendering, where you’re looking, how far you can see, what is occluding your view, what to have cached, etc., all has a part to play in what the viewer renders, how fast it can do so and what your overall fps is. In an attempt at rudimentary “like-for-like” testing (e.g. same region, same location, same directions of view, roughly the same number of avatars, same graphics settings, etc), I found Singularly perhaps a little faster in rendering content than either the SL viewer or Firestorm, with average fps reporting pretty much on a par with, or very slightly higher than, those two viewers once rnedering had settled down for any given direction.
What I did notice with respect to 1.8.9, both in comparison to Firestorm and singularity 1.8.7, and when again, using the dame Windlight presets is that 1.8.9 produces a much more natural rendering result on my system – gamma, haze, tone, etc., – than I’ve noted with either Firestorm or the SL viewer when using the “default” settings.
For those who like a v1-style UI coupled with something of a more “power user” range of options, Singularity 1.8.9 is liable to be just the ticket. Hopefully the huge amount of effort put into this release will mean that in future, the viewer will be better able to keep pace with changes coming out of the Lab. Kudos to all involved in getting it back up to speed.
April is upon us, and with it comes a variety of events across Second Life, including Idle Rogue’s Le Cirque de Nuit. Now something of an annual tradition – the first presentation having been in 2014 – this hour-long programme features award-winning animated dance performances based around Erin Morgenstern’s novel, The Night Circus.
So you think you have seen Idle Rogue Productions annual steampunk circus in black and white, “Le Cirque de la Nuit”? Think again! No two editions of “Cirque” are exactly alike, and reservations for this year’s open Monday, April 6th at Noon for the limited six performances. Advanced Reservations are required.
– From the Idle Rogue press release for 2020’s Le Cirque de Nuit.
One of Idle Rogue’s most popular productions, Le Cirque de Nuit will for 2020 offer two rounds of shows over the weekends of Friday, April 10th through Sunday, April 12th and Friday, April 17th through Sunday, April 19th, with individual performances as follows (all times SLT):
Friday, April 10th, 22:00.
Saturday, April 11th, 19:00.
Sunday, April 12th, 15:00.
Friday, April 17th, 22:00.
Saturday, April 18th, 15:00.
Sunday, April 19th, 17:00.
Given their popularity, seats for all performances must be booked in advance. Reservations can be made by contacting Saturday Melody in-world on or after 15:00 SLT on Monday, April 6th. All seats per show will be offered first cone, first serve.
Bloggers wishing to preview the show should contact chryblnd Scribe in-world for information on the Preview performance that is planned for Wednesday, April 8th (time tba at the time this article was written).
Le Cirque de la Nuit: Dax Dover. Credit: Idle Rogue
Directed by Blaze DeVivre,the show might be described as “a steampunk circus in black and white”. It uses Morgenstern’s novel as a background to present stories of magic, circus and illusion as dance entertainment within an environment created by Gloriana Maertens.
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazement. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
– Cover copy of The Night Circus
This year, the show features an introductory act, narrated by the storytellers of Seanchai Library, with all of the acts interspersed by displays of colourful fantastical art installations, including pieces by Bryn Oh, Cica Ghost, and equestrian designer H0ney Heart.
Note that should you book seats for a performance, guests attending the show are requested to:
Arrive no later than an hour prior to the stated start time of a performance. Music will be provided for entertainment.
Use an up-to-date viewer, with Advanced Lighting enabled so that the full effect of ambient and projected lighting can be seen.
Keep their complexity level low, and minimise their script load (including by removing HUDs ad well as worn scripted attachments) for the benefit of all the audience and the performers.
Le Cirque de la Nuit: Meegan Danitz. Credit: Idle Rogue
Further information can be obtained via e-mail to idlerogue-at-gmail.com.
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates for the week ending Sunday, April 5th
This summary is generally 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.
Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.
Official LL Viewers
Current Release version version 6.3.8.538264, dated March 12, promoted March 18th. Formerly the Premium RC viewer – No Change.
Starship SN3 tank section sits as a crumpled mess after the pressurisation test failure. Credit: SpaceX
I’ve covered the development and plans SpaceX have for their mighty Starship vehicle – designed to be capable of lifting up to 100 tonnes of cargo, or 100 people to the Moon or Mars – and its equally massive reusable booster on numerous occasions. For the last 12+ months, the company has been engaged in fabricating a series of prototype / test versions of the Starship vehicle, some of which are (or were) intended for actual flight testing. But it has been far from plain sailing for the company.
The first vehicle in the series, called simply “Starship Mark 1”, and built at the company’s Boca Chica test facilities in southern Texas, underwent a series of tank pressurisation tests that were initially positive, at least up until a full pressure test – mimicking the pressure the vehicle’s tanks would be under when fully fuelled and awaiting launch – on November 20th, 2019. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk anticipated this test might end in failure – and it did, the fuel tank bulkheads suffering a catastrophic failure.
Sections of the Starship SN3 unveiled on March 26th, 2020. Note the black cylinders of the deployable landing legs on the section on the right. Credit: SpaceX
A second prototype, Starship SN1, had a series of refinements built into the tank bulkheads and was subjected to a similar test on February 28th, 2020. This time, the bulkheads survived, but a failure occurred with a “thrust puck” at the base of the tank that takes the load from the vehicle’s Raptor engines, again resulting in the loss of the vehicle. As a result, the third prototype, SN2 was modified and then stripped back just to its tanks so that a further test of the “thrust puck” weld on March 3rd – which it passed successfully.
The adjustments were then made to the next prototype: SN3, a vehicle intended to start flight tests. The sections of SN3 were revealed on March 26th, 2020, after which the main tank section was moved to a test stand where it would also undergo a series of pressurisation tests, culminating a full pressurisation using liquid nitrogen to simulate a fuel load at typical launch temperatures. This took place on April 2nd (CST) / April 3rd (UK / CET), and once again ended in failure and the loss of the tank section.
Video recorded by NASASpaceflight.com (not an official NASA site) shows the tank under pressure and venting gas (as expected) before the upper portion initially buckles before completely collapsing.
Immediately following the test, Musk indicated via Twitter the the loss of the section may have been a result of the test being incorrectly configured, rather than a failure with the vehicle itself – although analysis of the data is continuing.
A significant difference between the SN3 vehicle and the prototypes that came before it was the inclusion of deployable landing legs, included in the vehicle to allow it to undertake the system’s first, low-altitude “hops”. SpaceX had already applied to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for permission to complete a static fire of the vehicle’s raptor engine – a required precursor for any test flights – and the FAA had in turn issued a notification to airmen to remain clear of the airspace around the Boca Chica test area between April 6th to 8th, a move consistent with an engine static fire test, which the failed pressurisation test was in turn something of a precursor.
Artist impressions of Starship. On the left, the crewed and cargo variants, on the right a typical large payload deployment. Credit: SpaceX Starship User Guide
It’s not clear how the incident with SN3 affects Starship testing; a further test vehicle, Starship SN4 is under construction specifically to complete higher-altitude flight tests before SN5 undertakes flights in excess of 20km altitude. Whether this SN4 will now be used for the low altitude hops and SN5 and SN6 for the higher flights, or the range of flights for SN4 is extended to cover both low and intermediate altitude tests remains to be seen. All the company has indicated is that the failures encountered so far shouldn’t deflect them too much in their aspirational goals of a lunar vicinity flight in 2022 and a Mars flight in 2024. In respect of these, in March 2020, SpaceX issued payload and crew guidelines for customer wishing to launch cargoes to orbit – a further option for the Starship / Super Heavy booster combination being cargo flights and payload deployments, replacing the company’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters.
James Web Unfurls its Telescope for the First Time
NASA’s next great observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, has fully deployed its primary mirror under test conditions for the first time, marking another milestone on its journey to space.
The giant mirror, 6.5 metres across, is so large, it must be folded and stowed during launch, requiring it to be carefully deployed while on-route to its final L2 halo orbit beyond the Moon – which will take it around 14 days to initially reach, and another 14 to settle into.
Prior to the SARS-CoV-2 situation caused NASA to suspend work on the telescope, it was hooked-up to a gravity / mass compensating rig – needed to support the weight of the two deployable “sides” of the mirror as well as the mass of the central section – allowing the mirror’s deployment motors to be spun up and the entire mirror assembly put through its actual deployment routine.
JWST deployment. Credit: NASA
The test was one of the final large-scale crucial test of JWST’s key systems. Integration testing of the telescope’s systems and those of it’s “bus” that includes the sun shield were completed in early 2019, while a test deployment of the complex and delicate sun shield “sandwich” – vital to keeping the telescope cool and allowing it to “see” in the glare of the sun – was successfully in October 2019.
Even so, the project has several more hurdles to clear before its actual launch date can be confirmed without risk of further significant delays, and such confirmation will not be given until after the coronavirus situation is no longer impacting the project, and a further review of its overall status completed.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 