A Couple Marries on SL!

A distant couple ties the knot on Second Life http://bit.ly/aMKuiG /via abc7.com

SL Economy Still Going Strong

As other virtual worlds recede, Second Life Economy Hits New All-Time High in Q1 2010 http://bit.ly/cEFnO0

Celebrate Earth Day In SL

Celebrate Earth Day by visiting the offices of real life environmental organizations in Second Life http://cot.ag/9Y5M9F

SLTweets & TwitterFriends

The sltweets.com website provides a metaverse to real life gateway. It allows an avatar to send and receive tweets, notes, geo tags, search, auto-mapping and research. By using the Sltweets HUD, you can connect to other Twitter users, and if they have SMS updates enabled, your connection can even reach another's cell phone or PDA! Read more about it here: http://www.sltweets.com/

And speaking of Twitter.. there is now an awesome way of getting more followers added to your Twitter account without causing any problems or requiring you to add anyone in return. The service is provided by twitterfriends.org and uses an ingenious method of helping make new Twitter friends. Sign up today and learn how to get some free credits on their website here: http://twitterfriends.org/?i=java_king

Little Fluffy Clouds

Linden Lab has purchased graphics technology from Boston-based Windward Mark Interactive including Windlight, an “advanced atmospheric rendering technology,” and Nimble, “a realistic 3D cloud simulator.” WindLight “simulates the ways that sunlight is scattered by the atmosphere under different climatic conditions, such as fog or haze”. Torley Linden says: "Long story short: killer skies and kickass environments!"

Age and Identity Verification System

From blog.secondlife.com: We will shortly begin beta testing an age and identity verification system, which will allow Residents to provide a one-time proof of identity (such as a driver’s license, passport or ID card) and have that identity verified in a matter of moments.

Second Life has always been restricted to those over 18. All Residents personally assert their age on registration. When we receive reports of underage Residents in Second Life, we close their account until they provide us with proof of age. This system works well, but as the community grows and the attractions of Second Life become more widely known, we’ve decided to add an additional layer of protection.

SL4B - Second Life's 4th Birthday

This year on June 23rd, we celebrate Second Life's 4th Birthday - 4 years since Second Life was opened to the public. There will be nine SL4B sims within the game which will cover some of the history of Second Life. Search for "SL4B" within Second Life to visit this event.

Removal of Ratings

by Jeska Linden:
Later today, we plan to release a new version of the Beta Test Grid, where you may notice a different version of the profile which completely removes ratings. As Second Life has grown, the ratings system has become less and less useful. During our investigation into ways to help reduce database load, we found that the database resources required to maintain the ratings system were far greater than its utility and popularity. We are currently working on adding features that will allow Residents more flexibility in bringing their real and online identities into Second Life.

We’re excited to see that several Residents, seeing opportunities for better solutions, have already created in-world ratings/reputation/social systems which you may want to explore. More info can be found HERE

Info Island Library

The Second Life Library is full of helpful resources; including books, programs, exhibits and events to inform and educate you on multiple topics related to this virtual world. There is also a staff of friendly volunteers to help answer questions for the Second Life community. You may visit this benevolent place HERE

Historical Museum

Did you know the official Second Life mascot is a hippo? Find out more about this and other fun facts from the displays located at the Historical Museum. Study the trivia there and impress your friends in the virtual world! The location may be visited HERE

Voice Feature Being Added

Second Life CEO Philip Rosedale announced in a recent Secondcast podcast that a voice feature will be coming to SL by June. This new feature will be optional and can be enabled or disabled by each landowner.

Linden Lab Eliminates First Land Program

Linden Lab has ended the real estate program known as “first land,” which allowed new premium users to buy property for L$1 per meter.

“Increasingly we have found that these cheap L$1 per meter parcels were not benefitting those people as intended. Because of the low price, they were being immediately sold, or bought via alts, purely for profit,” Jack Linden said in a blog post. “We have discussed many methods to ensure that First Land is used as intended but have decided that there is no way to do this without significantly impacting on resident freedoms.”