It’s heartbreaking and sad news to report that Dirk Talamasca passed away in real life on Sunday 30th March 2014. Dirk was a developer of virtual worlds, mentor, grid evangelist and good friend. On Dirk Talamasca’s official Facebook page his brother Charlie posted this…
This is Brother Charlie. Dirk is gone. I want everyone to know how much it has meant to us in having your love and support through all of this. May God Bless You All.
My condolences go to family and all his friends at this sad time. Dirk was one of my friends in Second Life and I first met him back in February 2009. Dirk was a lovely friend who really believed in Second Life. The grid has lost great talent and knowledge.
A new video has been uploaded this week showing new beta testing of the Oculus Rift Second Life Beta viewer filmed by Marc Weerts. The video runs for 12 minutes and 20 seconds showing the user interface. The video is a nice overview of the Oculus Rift Second Life Beta viewer.
I’m beta testing the new viewer for Second Life, by Linden Labs, which will support the Oculus Rift natively. Really exciting, to be able to actually walk around in the virtual world and feel like you are really there. They also did a good job of incorporating the UI.
Marc mentions on Facebook that it’s really cool to walk around SL with the Rift. Marc says he can’t wait for the DK2 version and what LL will do in future versions of the viewer.
It’s very exciting to see new video coverage of the Oculus Rift Second Life Beta viewer and hopefully there will be new videos soon. For the latest news, visit the Oculus Rift and Second Life Facebook page to stay updated. So far there have been 705 likes for the page and hopefully interest will grow over the coming months.
Listen to the latest edition show #12 of the drax files radio hour hosted by Draxtor Despres and Jo Yardley. This week the radio hour show is about the proprietary metaverse.
This week show #12 covers the recent deal between Facebook and the Oculus Rift VR company. Maria Korolov gives out good advice on open source worlds and leadership in digital platforms. The hour is filled with interesting discussions and in-depth coverage on the biggest stories this week.
Please spread the word about the weekly drax files radio hour and Drax files monthly series.
At 12pm SLT today the BURN2 Burnal Equinox 2014 event opened at the Burning Man- Deep Hole sim in Second Life. The event runs from today through to Sunday evening. This year the theme is Hotter Than Air and the layout has been completely revamped.
There is a special express balloon ride you can hop on at the welcome area to travel to the new center camp bridge high in the sky. There are free goodies, friendly greeters, fire, live performances and much more. It’s more toxic than ever before and bigger than previous years.
Welcome to the Burnal Equinox 2014
The Toxic Welcome Area
You will be greeted at the welcome area landing point
Select/rez a balloon to ride up to the new center camp bridge high in the sky
Burnal Equinox 2014 welcome area landing point
The new sky Center Camp
Fly up to sky level
Expect great views up here and experience the new center camp
The new center camp in the sky
Dance the night away at center camp
Live performance acts throughout the weekend here!
It’s one of the best layouts so far for the BURN2 Equinox event and it’s like a great adventure tour from ground level to sky level. Come and visit this weekend! 🙂
VWBPE Conference 2014 starts in two weeks time (9th – 12th April 2014) and it’s going to be a great conference this year. There will be many well known featured speakers such as Ebbe Altberg, Philip Rosedale, Maria Korolov and Andrew Hughes with many others. Check out the new VWBPE 2014 Calendar for the full schedule.
The VWBPE 2014 team are calling out for volunteers to sign up and be part of it. You can sign up at: http://vwbpe.org/conference/call-for-volunteers. “Second to None Volunteers have always provided an outstanding level of support to conference participants and presenters”. Volunteers are needed in Second Life and OSGrid this year. Sign up today!
After months of silence the Pixie Viewer team posted a new blog post on 14th March called Happy 1st Birthday #PIXIEVIEWER. It’s been one year since the first initial launch of the pixie viewer and good progress has been made since December 2013.
New Updates
More than 12, 700 Pixie Viewer visitors within the last year
Pixie Viewer is used in 12 commercial projects (not public yet)
Apparently there will be further announcements soon on the blog. Exciting times ahead hopefully and I think the pixie viewer has great potential in the coming years.
The BURN2 Planning team today have released a new press release for the upcoming BURN2 Burnal Equinox 2014 starting at 12pm SLT on Friday 28th March 2014. The event runs until 10pm SLT on Sunday 30th March 2014. The theme for this year is Hotter Than Air and lastly BURN2 is a resident supported event (as of 2010).
Click the press release pdf below for full details
East River Community announced on Thursday 20th March that the first ever SL Winter Games are being postponed until December 2014. The delay is due to extenuating circumstances and the decision was made to move it back to the end of 2014. The SL Winter Games were due to take place in mid-March 2014.
As much as it pains me to have to say, the Winter Games are being postponed until December of this year. Initially, they had been postponed one week, due to some extenuating circumstances, but after much deliberation, they’ve been moved back to December. To be completely honest, I might have been too ambitious, with my initial date of mid-March. This being my first major event, I might have tried to rush things a bit. But I must say, people have really rallied around this concept, and we have got some really special things to show you for the Games.
It’s not known in terms of dates when the SL Winter Games will take place during December 2014 so we will have to wait for now. The positive side is that the sims are ready and the builders have done a great job at creating the SL Winter Games venues.
InWorldz is currently celebrating 5 years over at the IW5 regions. The InWorldz 5th birthday celebrations started on Sunday 16th March and will end on Wednesday 2nd April 2014. If you have an InWorldz account, log in, visit all the 34 IW5 regions and attend the exciting events. This is a great time to meet new people, explore newly created builds, have fun and party!
Historical: 31st March 2009 was the official opening day for InWorldz.
Historical: I signed up to InWorldz on 2nd September 2010
Check out the big range of IW5 birthday events happening on a daily basis to celebrate this special occasion. IW5 events range from live dj music events, cake contests, parades, awards and much more. Please spread the word about InWorldz 5th Birthday!
Wednesday, March 19
12:00 noon Ultraviolet Alter Live @ Main Stage – Sim 9
2:00 pm DJ Aryon Dagger @ Tinyville -1 IW5 Sim 27
4:00pm RichardScott Barcelos Live @ Main Stage – Sim 9
6:00pm NP – Elven RP Class @ Light RP Sim 19
Thursday, March 20
12:00pm DJ Mortus Eclipse – Dark Gypsy Dive a@ IW5 -Gypsies -Sim 21
2:00pm DJ Smythe Balazic Jazz- @ Main Stage – Sim 9
6:00pm NP – Spring Solstice RP Event @ Light RP Sim 19
6:00 PM Burlesque Show – DJ Chopper Gurbux – Adult Sim 21
Friday, March 21
12:00pm Storytelling with Yichard @ Light RP Sim 19
1:00pm NP-ClassThe Mage Character (and magic) – Ansara @ LIght RP Sim 19
2:00pm DJ G Winz Gerrard/Rhiannon Hosting – World Music Party @ Sim 9 Main Stage
4:00pm DJ Cataplexia Numbers- Songs from The Wood @ Dresmacape2, Sim 10b
6:00pm DJ Chopper Gurbux @ Main Stage – Sim 9
Saturday, March 22
10:00am DJ Ferdy – Ferdynand Straaf – @ Gypsy 1-Sim 21
10:00 am Intro To Unity Weapons & Damage- Fenn MecMoragh @ Light RP Sim 19
12:00pm InStylez Fashion Show – DJ Cataplexia Numbers @ Fashion Sim 7
2:00pm DJ G-Winz – Electroswing @ Dreamscape 2 from 2-4pm- IW5 Sim 10b
4:00pm NP Hobbit Country Tea – DJ BigRed Coyote @ Light RP sim 19
6:00pm NP Defining Elves (Jaekob Faolan) @ Light RP Sim 19
!Sunday, March 23
InWorldz Boat Day
10:00am Tinies Racing – Submarines @ Sim 22 Tinies Race Start Point
11:00am Tinies Speedboat Racing @ Sim 22 Tinies Race Start Point
12:00pm Speedboat Racing @ Sim 12 Boat Race Star Point
1:00pm Sailboat Racing @ Sim 12 Boat Race Star Point
3:00pm Tall Ships parade @ Sim 22 Tinies Race Start Point
6:30pm Battle Demonstration by Taffy Riddler & Bridget Jennings @ Sim 14 Dock
Monday, March 24
10:00am NP -Roleplay Class with Jaekob Faolan @ Sim 19 light RP
2:00pm DJ Tony Foxx @ Main Stage – @ Sim 9 Main Stage
4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Ganjo Mokeev Live @ Tinyville 1 Sim 27
5:30-7:30 DJ Cataplexia Numbers Fantasy Tavern Dance @ Light RP sim 20, Tavern
Tuesday, March 25
10:00am Russel Eponym Live @ Dreamscape 2
12:00pm DJ Mortus Eclipse – Dark Gypsy Dive at IW5 -Gypsies -Sim 21
6:00 PM Burlesque Show – DJ Chopper Gurbux – Adult Sim 21
6:00pm NP – Roleplay class with Jaekob Faolan @ Light RP Sim 19
6:30pm NP – Elven Drum Circle @ Light RP Sim 19
Wednesday, March 26
12:00pm DJ Ferdy – Ferdynand Straaf – @ Gypsies 1 -Sim 21
6:00 pm Hunter Montgomery Live – @ Dreamscape 2 – IW5 sim 10b
6:00pm NP – Elven RP Class @ Light RP Sim 19
Thursday, March 27
12:00 noon DJ Mortus Eclipse – Dark Gypsy Dive at IW5 Gypsies -Sim 21
3:00pm New York Modeling Agency Fashion show DJ BigTex Cuddahiy@ Fashion Sim 7
6:30pm NP – Bardic Night @ Light RP sim 20, Tavern
7:00pm MrMikie String Live Fleure host @ Main Stage – Sim 9
Friday, March 28
10:00 am Russell Eponym Live @ Dreamscape 2 Sim 10b…….tentative
12:00pm Storytelling with Yichard @ Light RP Sim 19
1:30pm Moon Spark – Live performer – @ Main Stage – Sim 9
3:00pm DJ Clint Westwood @ Main Stage – Sim 9
5:00pm Cosmic Haystack Live Performance @ Main Stage – Sim 9
6:00pm DJ FANG – Raglan Tree @ Tinyville 1 – Sim 27
Saturday, March 29
11:00am IW5 Birthday – Cake Contest @ Sim 2- Smaller Builds Contests Sim
1:00pm IW5 Birthday – Crazy Hat Contest @ Sim 2- Smaller Builds Contests Sim
2:00pm DJ Rhiannon McKenna – History of the Blues – host Gerrard @ Main Stage – Sim 9
6:00pm NP – Class -What is a druid? (Jaekob Faolan) @ Light RP Sim 19
Sunday, March 30
11:00 am Burlesque Show – DJ Chopper Gurbux – Adult Sim 21
12:00pm Jewel & Co Fashion Show DJ Landau Shippe @ Sim 7 Fashion
2:00pm DJ Clint Westwood @ Main Stage – Sim 9
4:00 p.m. DJ Aryon Dagger @ Tinyville 1-IW5 Sim 27
Monday, March 31
2:00pm Ilianor Illois – Live @ -Gypsy 1 -IW5 Sim 21
5:00pm Jean Munroe Live – host Five Galli @ Main Stage – Sim 9
6:00pm DJ Astoria Luminos – Celtic & Fantasy @ Dreamscape 2- IW5 Sim 10b
Tuesday, April 1
10:00am IW5 Parade of Fools – DJ Strummer Skytower @ Main Stage – Sim 9
12:00pm -1 PM Gypsies of IW – April Fool party DJ Astoria -Gypsies -Sim 21
1:00pm – 3:pm DJ Ferdy – Ferdynand Straaf – @ Gypsies -Sim 21
6:30pm NP – Elven Drum Circle @ Light RP Sim 19
Wednesday, April 2
11:00am Awards Presentations, DJ Cataplexia Numbers & Tribute Bands – Solos @ Sim 1 Awards Stage
CLOSING PARTY
4:00 pm DJ Mike Chase @ Main Stage – Sim 9
6:00 pm DJ Astoria Luminos @ Main Stage – Sim 9
Today my blog reached the 300, 000 blog hits record which i’m happy to announce today. Thank you all for the visiting my blog over the years. This is a great achievement today I think and I hope that more blog records will be reached in the coming years.
Views and Comments since 2007
My blog views has increased in the past few years as the graph shows below. Thanks so much for visiting! 🙂
Blog views since 2011
The plan now is to continue writing blog posts about Second Life and OpenSim for many more years to come sharing different aspects of the metaverse. I’ve now published 1, 894 blog posts so far and I’m looking forward to reaching the 2, 000 blog posts mark very soon. Woooot!!
Daniel Voyager 