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Virtual Television hits SL – and it’s Australian

March 12, 2007 by 5 Comments

Today we received a press release touting the launch of SLCN – Second Life Cable Network. The founder and technical dorector of SLCN is Australian Gary Wisniewski.

“What is really exciting about the broadcast is that it will be streamed onto the web live at the same time as the event is taking place in-world. This means that for the very first time, people can view in-world events without needing to be there themselves”, says Wisniewski.

The first SLCN telecast will be this Wednesday, March 15th at 7pm (SL Time), when SLCN presents it’s first live telecast. The broadcast will be live from the Hoe Down Under – Texas’ Aussie Music BBQ where Australian bands and performers will stage a virtual concert, sponsored by AUSTRADE’s Australian Music Office in Los Angeles, as an adjunct to the real Australian Music BBQ in Austin Texas as part of the SXSW Music and Media Conference 2007.

The SLCN broadcast will be filming the performances, interviews and surrounding activities on the day and can be viewed on various screens around Second Life as well as onto the SLCN website (not live at time of writing).

Wisniewski claims the system also overcomes the issue of maximum avatars in one sim – once events get really popular there is the ability to spill over crowds into other sims where they can at least watch a multi-camera shoot of the live entertainment.

Filed Under: Australian News, Business, Virtual Worlds

ABC Island Launch – 19th March

March 8, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Direct from ABC representative Abi Goldflake:

“ABC Island will open its doors to the public on Monday 19 March. The opening event is a screening of the new Four Corners program about Second Life: Monday 19 March at 8.30pm AEST or 1.30am SL time Sunday night/Mon morning.

Arrive early if you want to catch a seat as, like all islands, there is only space for 40-50 avatars at once. If the island is full, you can also watch the 4 Corners program live and check out extended interviews via the broadband edition at www.abc.net.au/4corners.

If you would like a sneak peek at the island before, join the ABC Friends group and you’ll be invited to the pre-launch party!”

In the next couple of weeks SLOz will cover the launch and provide a detailed run-down of what ABC Island will offer.

Filed Under: Australian News, Virtual Worlds

Logan Linden Interview – Part 3

February 28, 2007 by Leave a Comment

We continue our interview with Logan Linden. Part 1 is here. and Part 2 is here.

Lowell:If there were no technological barriers, what SL feature would you like to introduce tomorrow?

Chris: What I’d like to introduce the community will be finding out about in the not too distant future.. so I best not comment on it (laughs). (This is likely to have been the voice integration announcement made this week – Ed.)

Lowell: If you had to show a new user around SL, what would be three essential spots to see after Orientation Island?

Chris: That’s a good question. When I do show people around I show them to areas that I don’t go to when I’m not showing people around. I try to show them areas that give a quick overview of the possibilities. I really enjoy the Lost Gardens of Apollo, if you can get on that island during peak times because it’s always packed full of people. It’s beautiful and when you show people that it blows them away.

Then I usually take them to one of the educational areas because that’s an exciting area in Second Life. I usually go to the Space Flight Museum, I’ll fly around there and show people the globe that’s there, play the movie on there, that always excites people. Will I always get excited anyway (laughs). The reach that the education side of Second Life has is just incredible.

And then, I like to go and search for a live event and go through the whole ‘the performer there is a live performer’, they’re streaming the music up and we’re engaged with a performance with people from all over the world. There, we’ll see someone at the performance and if the person I’m showing likes something they’re wearing we’ll go up and speak to that person, ask them where they bought it then I’ll show them the shopping side. By that stage, if that haven’t seen Second Life before they’ll take some time to have a go themselves.

Lowell: Speaking of live events, I know there’s a large Australian one happening in March involving You Am I, Beasts of Bourbon, Youth Group and more.

Chris: That’s great! I’m all about Australia getting more heavily into Second Life. I’ve told a lot of people here that Australia’s going to be moving up the ranks.

Lowell: What excites you most about the next year or so with Second Life and Linden Lab?

Chris: The Open Source area was obviously a big announcement for us and I’m excited to see what comes out of that. Making predictions on what will come out of it – I wouldn’t have a clue. We’re at a point where we putting in a lot of capabilities for other people to be able to build up their own communities in Second Life. And not from the viewpoint of having to register through us and go through our Orientation Island, but being able to register people off their own websites, take people through their own Orientation Island. That, I’m really excited about. For someone to be able to build up their own community and have full control over how they educate their community.

Lowell: Is that on offer now?

Chris: It is on offer now but we’ll be enhancing that a lot in the near future.

Lowell: What are the biggest challenges in the next year for you and for Second Life?

Chris: We want to be able to keep all the community happy and we’re doing everything we can to do that. We’re going through a massive growth period and growing a company is a big challenge.

Lowell: One last question – what do you miss most about not living in Australia at present?

Chris: Probably the weather. I’m in California but the weather isn’t as good as Australia (laughs). As much as we’ve seen the movies and watched Baywatch, we’ve definitely got better beaches in Australia!

Filed Under: Australian News, Profile, Virtual Worlds

Private Eyes

February 19, 2007 by Leave a Comment

New World Notes discussed in-world detectives way back in 2005. With the burgeoning growth of users and subsequent increase in relationships, I’ve not noticed any great increase in surveillance businesses, let alone an Australian one. With the recent changes in the SL search functionality, finding someone is just a little harder although the standard search would be an unlikely standard approach for someone undertaking surveillance work.

If you’re an Australian business setting up in surveillance we’d be interested to hear from you. But maybe we won’t…

Filed Under: Business

RMIT Island Under Construction

February 7, 2007 by Leave a Comment

RMIT University, Melbourne have embarked on a construction project in SL that allows people to drop in and view their progress from a lookout area that affords a view across their island.

The contruction zone of RMIT Island is off limits to people apart from a small square atop a hill. From there visitors can see how things are going or relax in a deckchair watching some old 1930s style cartoons.

This quirky little piece of interest is probably a result of the makeup of the team that is putting the RMIT sim together. A mix of students from the faculties of:

School of Architecture and Design
School of Creative Media
School of Property, Construction and Project Management

The in-world contact is John Guffey and no doubt he will be able to answer further questions but I think the ability to drop in and watch progress may be even more revealing than a straight up Q & A from him.

With the growing number of universities from Australia embarking upon, dare I say it, “campuses”, in SL, and already conducting lessons in-world, education is about to embark upon an incredibly transformational journey.

Filed Under: Education

Celebrities in Second Life – why?

February 5, 2007 by 4 Comments

With the growing focus on Second Life, the issue of celebrity is starting to rear its head more often. And like real-life, celebrity is a fascinating and complex issue. Some people admire the achievements of some who become ‘famous’. Others enjoy celebrity-watching as a blood sport and some find it all pointless. Whatever the perspective, celebrity is a reality in SL.

The first type of celebrity in SL is the real-world replica. Adopted Australian Ben Folds performed in October 2005, with Suzanne Vega one of the first ‘big names’ in-world, with Duran Duran the first well-known band. Actors, politicians and other well-known individuals have also made the jump and the momentum is only going to grow.

The second type of celebrity is the ‘home-grown in SL’ type. Anshe Chung is an obvious example, some of the Linden staff are others. Being instantly accessible in-world via IM or groups makes managing the attention a very interesting proposition. With either type of SL celebrity, the question is – why? Why does it look like an ‘elite’ is going to develop in SL – is it just a sociological reality that can’t be avoided?

Filed Under: Op-ed, Virtual Worlds

Parody of SL as Virtual Utopia

January 14, 2007 by Leave a Comment

This video made by an SL user provides for some excellent parody of the benefits of using SL. Well worth a look but be warned it does contain potentially offensive content, so not work or child safe.

Filed Under: Op-ed, Virtual Worlds

Beach party!

January 3, 2007 by Leave a Comment

In the words of owner Shai Khalifa (from the ACT):

“5 O’Clock Somewhere is a beach and we love to see anyone there who wants to chill out and have a cruisy time. Great for chilling and catching up on the dreaded IMs, low lag beach that comes alive at the drop of a hat with instant parties for no other reason than we can.

There’s a back-beach lagoon to laze in, a cave pool to have a swim or rendesvous in, shops (well 1 at the moment – looking for vendors at the moment) and hidden cuddle spots.

Offshore on the islands is a great Surf beach with Heather Goodliff waves and boards for sale – and a nude beach island – and a great waterfall off a volcano – with a grotto beneath.

And under the volcano is SL’s only underwater club – the Downunder dance and watch the fish swim on the reef and wreck beneath the floor.

So there’s lots to do. You can search on 5 O’Clock and find us.”


Filed Under: Profile, Virtual Worlds

Would Hoover Dam have been built today?

January 3, 2006 by 4 Comments

Watched a documentary on the construction of the Hoover Dam – the deaths that occurred due to heat, carbon monoxide poisoning etc were incredible. Would such a project happen today? Even with all the better technology, there’d still be high injury risks that would require GW Bush to pass legislation like Hoover did banning unions totally.

Ok – so maybe it could happen nowadays.

The statistic that impressed me the most – had they poured the concrete for the dam wall in one large pour, it would have taken 125 years for it to cool down. I’m impressed by stuff like that.

Filed Under: General rant

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