SECOND LIFE IMMITATES REAL LIFE MOVIE!!

I came across this machinima that is in a long list of the ever increasing examples of how Second Life is Life imitating Art imitating Life imitating Art.

' Dinner for One' is an original theatre sketch written by British author Lauri Wylie . Amazingly, this was written in 1920 and maintains its comedic value. In 1963 a German television station recorded a performance of this comedy sketch which became not only well-loved and oft watched but also became somewhat of a cult piece in various parts of Europe. The first video clip is created by Wichtel-Film Productions, courtesy of Megan Merlin, a machinimist in Second Life. The likeness to the real television clip is uncanny. I suggest watching Megan's version and then the original television version.Grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy!

TRIBE VALENTINES EVENT

Calling all lovers and romantics.
14th of February is the date for all romantics to express their love for their wives girlfriends or significant others...or a time for sending annonymous messages of adoration to sometimes unsuspecting victims!

Whatever it is for you, we would LOVE you to share some of it with us and come over to our Valentines Dance @ Couger Caye - 2pm.

Dress up in your ball gowns and tuxedos and arm in arm sashay over to our Romatic Dance and Music evening.
We have the wonderful Amforte Clarity to set the mood and then we have a DJ to carry on the romance.

So, don those glad rags, dab a little of your most alluring parfum and we will to see you here!!!

In the meantime, here are a few Valentines related facts.

During Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St. Valentine's Day to have a dream of their future husband.

In the middle Ages, people believed that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse.

Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, on the Valentine's Day, 1876.

The Taj Mahal at Agra, India is perhaps the most splendid gift of love. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beautiful wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Work on the Taj began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years. It took the labor of 20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia.

110 million roses, the majority red, will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period.

15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.

Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members

The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.

McDONALDS OR BURGER KING? VIRTUAL OR REAL?

Whether you believe that the offerings of both of these companies does not constitute real food or you cannot pass one without drooling, one point that cannot be escaped is that they have outlets all over the place including SL!!

But which one is best? Is it the Flame Grilled Burger King beef or the Dill Pickle of McDonalds that floats your boat?
The fries are very different and for some Burgers the buns are very different. There is the Onion rings, the salad....oh and that VERY weird and seemingly out of place Filet O Fish. The Breakfast menus are very different, and then there is the shakes!! Getting Hungry Yet??
What about the wraps, or the Aberdeen Angus beef?? Well for me, it would have to be The Whopper from Burger King with Fries from Mcdonalds, Onion Rings and drink from Burger King (I can feel the pounds piling on) and lets wrap it up with a cream egg McFlurry!! Oh' and at this moment I am feeling a little hungry so I may have to just Go Large!!!
And just to give an idea of the nutritional value of these Gods of The Fast Food Burger lets compare their Flagship Burger:

McDonald’s

Big Mac

• Calories: 560 Calories from Fat: 270 (48%)
• Protein: 25 grams
• Cholesterol: 80 mg
• Sodium: 1,010 mg
• Total Carbs: 47 grams
• Sugar: 25 grams
• Total Fat: 30 grams
• Saturated Fat: 10 grams
• Trans Fat: 1.5 grams

BURGER KING

Whopper with Cheese

• Calories: 760 Calories from Fat: 420 (55%)
• Protein: 33 grams
• Cholesterol: 15 mg
• Sodium: 1,450 mg
• Total Carbs: 52 grams
• Sugar: 11 grams
• Total Fat: 47 grams
• Saturated Fat: 16 grams
• Trans Fat: 1.5 grams

The Whopper is the bigger burger by weight but also contains as a % more fat. Both however are not the recommended staple for those seeking to shed the pounds! However I am led to believe that the Restaurants in SL are serving Big Macs and Whoppers with 0% fat!!!
So, are you a fan or would you ban? Let us know who and what is your favourite, if you have one at all!!?


To finish, here are a few interesting facts about these fast food giants.

Burger King was started in 1954 in miami Florida.

In India the "Big Mac" is changed into the "Maharaja Mac", a mutton burger in deference to religious injunctions against the consumption of beef and pork.

In a bizarre case, Muslims thought that the wrapper of a new ice cream treat sold in the UK looked like the Muslim word for God when rotated sideways . Burger King redesigned the wrapper.

McDonald's restaurants will buy 54,000,000 pounds of fresh apples this year. Two years ago, McDonald's purchased 0 pounds of apples. This is attributed to the shift to more healthy menu options.

Burger King has given a lifetime supply of free hamburgers to at least 11 celebrities, including Jay Leno, British actor Hugh Laurie, and singer Jennifer Hudson.

Sälen in Sweden opened the first SKI-THROUGH McDonald's in the world.

Burger King uses approximately 500,000 pounds of bacon every month in its restaurants.

DEEDING TV's and CHECKING PRIMS

Click on picture to enlarge

How to Deed a TV:

1. Place the TV where you want it
2. Right click on your TV and go to EDIT
3. Set the group to TRIBE
4. Tick the ‘share with group’ box
5. Click the highlighted DEED button.
6. Your TV should now be Group Owned

Your TV is ready to play!

A few suggestions if your TV is NOT working:

* Do you have Quicktime installed? All TV’s in SL work with Quicktime.

* Check your preferences ! At the top of your Screen, go to EDIT, then PREFERENCES. Go to AUDIO & VIDEO and make sure to check that your volume is turned up on your MEDIA. Also, under Streaming Preferences, make sure you have the box ticked that says: Play streaming media when available.

*One last thing to check!! Right click on the land. Go to ABOUT LAND and then to the MEDIA TAB. You will need the following fields filled in:
Media Type: That should be Movie or Web Content
Media URL : that will be the URL of either the web content or the movie
Texture: that should be the same texture that is on your TV screen


How to check how many prims are on your land:


Click on picture to enlarge

To check the prims on your land:
( I will use the above image as my example)

1. Go to the top of your screen and click on WORLD
2. Go to ABOUT LAND
3. Go to OBJECTS and you will see:

Primitives parcel supports : 1487
Primitives on parcel: 827

That means that this person has used 827 of their allowed 1487 prims so they have 660 prims left to use. This is a quick and easy way to keep tabs on how many prims are on your land.

We hope this helps make your Second Life just a tad easier and as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to IM any of the Tribe Team members!

OH THE PLACES WE GO!!!!

Feeling the need for a bit of R & R , I decided to slap on my compass and go exploring in the vast land we call Second Life. As always, I was looking for something different, out of the ordinary and something that would well...knock my socks off! Come with me on my journey as I explore 2 sims: Japan Kanto and Japan Chubu . Click on the names of the islands for a SLURL!

Japan Kanto is designed to look and feel like a classic Japanese market . The market is filled with some amazing Japanese furniture, art, buildings and more, all very detailed and high quality. The market borders the edges of a Zen garden, which is not only beautiful to look at but has some areas within for meditation and quiet reflection. In all honesty, I loved the garden more than the actual shopping! After all, I was looking for R & R!! One of the most quaint areas I came across was a tent that housed a 'magic lantern' that showed slides of real life Japan. Take a minute to relax and enjoy the slide show. I love how this is a mix of SL's creativity and RL pictures! Leave yourself plenty of time to browse through the market and try out some of the more interesting things...they have rickshaws!!!

The Japan Chuba sim houses a re-creation of one Japan's most historic castles: Matsumoto Castle. Not only is the castle impressive in its likeness to the REAL castle but the grounds of this island make you feel as if you have been dropped right into the heart of this gorgeous region of Japan. Certainly have a wander through the castle and on the grounds but also fly over the island so you can absorb, in full , its grace and beauty. This sim is part of a group of Asian themed sims, all easy to traverse and explore with each offering something unique and special.

As always, breathe deep and ENJOY!!!

NEW TRIBE ISLANDS EVOKE PANDORA

Having spoken to quite a few people recently about the film "Avatar" it would seem that so many have been inspired by James Camerons work. No more so than the amazing content creators within SL.

So far I have seen some excellent Na'vi skins,Na'vi Skybox and some of the weapons ( bows and arrows etc) used in the film.

Having seen this incredible film, which really does set the benchmark for CGI in movies, I have to say I myself was inspired. So, when Tribe was approached by someone looking for a Pandora style sim...we did not need asking twice.

We had no intentions of copying directly from Pandora and we also felt that there was some "feel" of Hawaii in the film also, so we set out to achieve something that pulled from both of these and that would work in SL for a residential sim.
Well...here it is.....our very own piece of Eden and our latest theme. This will add to our current Tropical & Lakeland Themes. It is currently still "under construction" but should be complete for resident occupation over the next week to ten days. It is great fun to create and using a lot of Lilith and Dolly Hearts excellent plants, palms etc (Heart Botanicals) we think we have achieved what we set out to do.

For more information about availability and pricing contact Alexxa Despres.

TRIBE ISLAND SHOWCASE

It's that time AGAIN. Another Islands Showcase!!
Taking pictures of the gorgeous resident homes around the Tribe Islands is a total pleasure. There are so many fantastic parcels showing off our residents remarkable creativity!!! Thank You.

This time we have a very varied selection. From Pandora to Prairie Farm from Hawaii to Hobbit, it's all here and lots in between. I hope you enjoy this selection. Have a peek........it may be YOUR home!!! JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE











If you would like to become a Tribe Native or find out more about land with Tribe please contact one of the team inworld or via a comment !!

The New 'GO' Feature!

There is a new feature in Second Life SEARCH that I think is very useful in finding...well...what you're looking for!! Most people in Second Life use SEARCH to find what they are looking for. So for instance, if you want to find grunge clothing:

• Go to the bottom of your SL screen and click 'SEARCH'.
• Then go to the ALL tab and type in the word 'grunge' into the field next to the word 'Find'.
• Click the word SEARCH (found underneath the 'Find' field)
• Click on the name of the store you are interested in.

For this example, I have used Tribe Wear. If you look closely, you will see a 'GO' link next to the listed items and when in world if you click on that 'GO' link, you will be taken right to the item you are seeking ( Please click on the picture to enlarge and you can see an example of the 'GO' link ).

How many times are you looking for one specific object and you just do NOT have the time to wander around the whole store to find that one item? THIS 'go' link saves you time and trouble by taking you directly to it. I am happy to report that out of the 5 times I tried this feature, I landed RIGHT by the item I had searched for. I do encourage you to give it a go and see if it makes your Second Life just a tad easier. After all, think of all the time you will be saving! You can shop twice as much in half the time!! Let me know how it goes...and if you find it as easy to work with as I did!

When we set about designing and setting up our Sims at Tribe we have to take a lot of things into mind. One of the things we take into consideration is the fact that peoples' prim requirements can change.
Not just because they want to have more furniture or want to upgrade to a prim hungry but stunning beach house but also for temporary use when you throw an event at your parcel, like a birthday party, wedding etc.

To this end each Island Sim (excluding Homesteads) has an allocation of prims set aside so that they can be added to your allowance either temporarily or permanently if needed. The allocation per sim usually numbers between 100 - 1400 prims, depending on the sim. Some of you are aware that this is available and have made use already.

It should be pointed out at this point, that once the prims are all allocated there will be none available until some are freed up.

For temporary allocation, for an event etc there is no charge for the prims, just give Alexxa, Blu or Magnus a yell.

For a more permanent allocation, there is a cost per prim. Again give one of the team a shout and they can let you know price and availability.

So if you need some extra prims for your plot either temporarily or more permanently just ask!!

Here is a list of Prims that are available per Sim:

Breeze Caye 154 - Cape Jaffa 852 - Cape Shore 1426 - Coco Caye 197 Coral Caye 470 - Eagle Caye 156 - Echo Beach 257 - Emerald Caye 286 South Caye 278 - West Caye 514

All other sims have no prims available currently. All prims allocated on a first come first served basis.

Contact Alexxa Despres, Blu Jupiter or Magnus Wakowski for info or if you have any questions :)

"BYE BYE AVATAR" - FACEBOOK KICK OUT AVATARS

A lot of residents have been setting up Facebook accounts using their Second Life avatar names. This was even actively encouraged by Linden Lab.

But the use of fake names, avatar or otherwise is not allowed and has always been a part of Facebooks TOS:

Registration and Account Security

Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account

It would seem that Facebook are now actively enforcing their TOS in regards to fake names particularly avatar names and closing accounts that break their TOS. Some users of FB have reported that they have logged on to find their friends list has been reduced by over 100 names because of the enforcement.

There has been an outcry to this "avatar genocide" and some have even set up Facebook groups to organise people in protest.

Avatars & Humans United: Petition for Avatar Identities on Facebook

Linden Lab are talking about greater integration of social networking sites such as Facebook etc into the Second Life viewer. In Facebooks case this will only be easily achieved if individuals break the FB TOS and use their SL avatar name or they divulge their RL names and as a consequence their FB page. An interesting dilemma. Of course there is another alternative and that is not using FB in connection with SL at all. This would make any integration of FB into SL would be a waste of time.

There will be a lot of avatars being evicted from their Facebook homes over the coming weeks.

For those that have had their accounts removed the link below gives you more info from Facebook:

Facebook Help/ Account Disabled

In Tribute to Miep Gies

I have always had a fascination with people who do extraordinary deeds and yet who are insistent on their ordinariness. Miep Gies died today at the age of 100 . She was one of a group of Dutch people who hid not only Anne Frank and her family but another family of four during World War II. She never saw herself as a herione , instead in her own words she described herself in the following way:

"There is nothing special about me. I have never wanted special attention. I was only willing to do what was asked of me and what seemed necessary at the time."

In tribute to Miep Gies for her acts of courage , her extraordinary sense of humility and her to exceptional display of human kindness.

For a 'visit' to the Anne Frank house, click HERE

A NEW BUZZ - AUGMENTED REALITY

Augmented Reality should have been the buzz phrase of 2009. But such was the noise of Twitter, Facebook et al it pretty much got drowned out. However keep an eye out for it in 2010.

But what is it?

Well, Wiki tells us "Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery - creating a mixed reality.

So, putting it simply, it is a mix of the real and the reality. How does it work? A picture paints a thousand words, so here are a few examples of Augmented Reality at work.




As you can see, a lot of the multinationals are already using this technology in quite an advanced way. Will it make our lives very different, especially how we view the world around us. Will it even make an appearance in Second Life?
It is all a case of "watch this space". This is just the beginning. Expect to find more and more AR in a store near you SOON!

ARCTIC BRITAIN!!

When I saw this photo I was so blown away I just had to share. Now I know that more than just the UK is gripped in a pretty biting winter, but I have never seen the like of this pic in my life. Thanks to NASA for this image which shows the extent of the winter snow and freezing temperatures on Island UK. Funny enough, there is a clear patch along the south coast which is where I live!!! But we did have a little snow so I don't feel deprived. I wonder what all of you are experiencing, I bet there are quite a few baking in the sun!!

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
(pic from BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8447023.stm)

OH THE PLACES WE GO!!!!!

For the VERY first ' Oh The Places You Go" for 2010, I went to a sim that was recommended by a friend. The sim is patterned after a town in Cuba with the distinct flavor of the Amercican Southwest woven into this island's tapestry. When I arrived, my first inclination was to wander around and find a nice place for a siesta. Fortunately for me, I happened upon a quaint little cafe that served sangria and chips (yes, really! )

Emvee Cuba is a great place to wander around and just soak up the atmosphere and admire the architecture. I was in awe of the builds not only for their authenticity but also for their rich textures and vibrant colors. Lots of different poses (disguised as small cameras) dot the landscsape so take advantage as they make for some great photo ops! There are also some shops scattered about as well as a gorgeous old church , which I have to confess, I found breathtaking! Picture postcard perfect, Cuba Emvee is a lovely place to visit so put on your bermuda shorts, grab a friend and away you go...to Cuba Emvee!

Click HERE for SLURL!

2010 PREDICTIONS

Just for a bit of fun I have put together a list of 10 SL Linked Predictions for 2010. It would be great to hear what you think and what your own predictions are !! Happy 2010!!

1. Mesh Imports will become possible from the likes of Blender, 3DS Max and MAYA.

2. Blue Mars will become a viable competitor to Second life

3. Philip Linden will launch a BETA version of "LOVE MACHINE"



4. Linden Lab will be bought out

5. Super Sim - A sim will be made available that is much larger than the current size

6. 100000 resident concurrency will be achieved

7. Teen Grid will disappear and age limit for Main Grid will lower, possibly to 13
8. HTML and Flash will be able to be placed on a prim

9. Integration of Facebook & Twitter into the Client

10. Texture Painting for Terrain will be made possible

Some I think are probably more wishes than predictions, but it will be amusing to see what occurs over the next twelve months!!