Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
SLCC 2009: Odd Ball Party
Today Tuna oddfellow did one of his famous Odd Ball events... partying inworld and at the SLCC. Here are some photos of the inworld event:
Friday, August 14, 2009
Linden Lab announces the end of piracy inside SL
There comes good news, I hope, for SL. Below is a clipping of the Linden Lab recently post on the measures taken to end the piracy in SL. Touch here to read the original post
Improvements to Our Intellectual Property Complaint Process
In the past year, we've committed additional staff and resources to our intellectual property complaint process, which many Residents know as our DMCA process (meaning the Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
The complaint process facilitates cooperation between Linden Lab and intellectual property owners. If owners identify particular uses of their content that they believe to infringe, they may send us a notification requesting removal of the uses.
In cases of severe or repeat infringement, we terminate the accounts of the infringer.
In response to Resident feedback about the time and effort involved in submitting notifications to us, we've been developing an improved process. In the not-too-distant future, intellectual property owners will be able to submit complaints to us electronically through an online form. The form will make it easier for intellectual property owners to submit complaints, and it will help us expedite their processing.
With the online form, intellectual property owners will be able to request that we search for and remove all copies of an identified item created by a particular Resident. Resident content creators have asked us for this capability, and we are working hard at developing tools to provide it. This is one of the most technologically complicated tasks we've ever undertaken because the tools must identify the content at issue in the complaint, search for instances of it inworld and in inventories, notify those with copies of it of the intellectual property complaint submitted, remove or disable access to those instances, and in the event of a copyright counter-notification, restore access to the content specified in the counter-notification.
We're excited about the progress made so far, and we're dedicated to making these tools a success, but as always with cutting-edge technologies, there's no guarantee that these tools will work for all situations or complaints. However, we are committed to developing sustainable and scalable solutions that empower content creators to better protect their intellectual property.
We expect to launch our improved intellectual property complaint process and tools later this year. As we get closer to launch, we will have additional information for you. We welcome your feedback and thoughts in the forums, which we will be reviewing and responding to as we can.
New Features for Content Licensing
As we move towards a future where virtual worlds are interoperable, Second Life needs new features to help Resident content creators better indicate how they allow their content to be used.
Second Life has technological restrictions known as the “permissions system” that can be set to impose certain limits on how content can be used within Second Life. However, the permissions system was never intended for and does not grant any legal permission to use content outside of Second Life. Furthermore, content creators may want more flexibility to allow their content to be used in ways that the permissions system does not readily accommodate, for example, the ability to permit non-commercial distribution but prohibit resale. To better indicate their legal permissions, some Residents currently post license terms in their inworld stores or in notecards distributed with their content.
As we develop our stand-alone, behind-the-firewall Second Life solution, we're aware of the opportunity it presents for talented and entrepreneurial content creators to reach more customers in a broad inter-connected 3D marketplace. To help facilitate this marketplace, we are developing the ability to attach “sticky licenses” to content sold to enterprise customers running a stand-alone version of Second Life. Content with these “sticky licenses” will have additional metadata such that the license information can “stick” to the content as it is distributed to the enterprise customer's server, and users of the server solution can review the license terms through the Second Life viewer.
Expect further announcements from us on our marketplace plans later this year. In the meanwhile, please comment in the forums on the licensing terms you'd like to see as well as any other thoughts you have.
Standard Industry Practices for Copying Tools
The flip side of indicating how content can be used is respecting the terms that have been indicated in licenses and under intellectual property law. This is where copying tools come into play. Recently Residents have asked us for our thoughts on tools that facilitate the copying of content from the Second Life virtual world. We believe that standard industry practices must be developed for copying tools to protect against intellectual property infringement.
As we've said before, copying tools do have legitimate uses. For example, intellectual property owners may wish to back up their own content or copy it from our hosted Second Life virtual world to a stand-alone, behind-the-firewall Second Life solution. However, copying tools can also facilitate infringement, and the devil is in the details.
To those developing copying tools, we urge the simultaneous development of standard industry practices that protect against intellectual property infringement. For example, consider the following standard practices for tools copying content from Second Life:
1. Check that the user of the tool is the Second Life “creator” of the content;
2. Do not facilitate the export of an entire Second Life inventory; and
3. Preserve the Second Life “creator” name and information that the content was originally created in the Second Life virtual world.
As we've discussed above, the Second Life “permissions system” does not grant any legal permission to use content outside of Second Life. Even content that is “full permissions” may only be used within Second Life absent a specific license agreement from the intellectual property owner(s) authorizing the content's use outside of Second Life. Thus, a check that the user is the Second Life “creator” of the content helps protect intellectual property because the “creator” is potentially the intellectual property owner of the content, while a user who is merely the Second Life “owner” of the content is not likely to have permission to use the content outside of Second Life.
A check against exporting an entire Second Life inventory helps protect intellectual property because most of us are not the intellectual property owners of all content in our inventory, but rather simply the Second Life “owners” of that content, meaning we only have permission to use it within Second Life.
Finally, preserving the “creator” name in content copied from Second Life as well as information that Second Life was the virtual world in which the content was originally created helps ensure attribution for content creators. It also potentially helps them identify and take steps to remedy content improperly copied to other virtual worlds.
We don't profess to have all the answers, but we believe in the wisdom of the community to develop sensible standard practices. We also believe that ultimately licensing solutions must be developed to allow content creators to better indicate their intentions regarding use of their intellectual property outside of Second Life, and copying tools must work with these licensing solutions to help protect against intellectual property infringement.
We are paying close attention to the issues around copying of content from the Second Life world. The advent of copying tools that allow mass copying of content for use outside of Second Life is of great concern to Linden Lab, as it is to you. In the paragraphs above, we have recommended several actions that developers of these tools can take to protect against intellectual property infringement. It is very important that standard industry practices are developed and implemented in copying tools, and we are reaching out to copying tool developers to discuss this further.
Intellectual property infringement is a serious matter, and we trust that those developing copying tools will view it that way. The penalties for copyright infringement under U.S. law include damages in amounts up to $30,000.00 USD per work and in cases of willful infringement up to $150,000.00 USD per work.
While we hope that cooler heads will prevail, and that copying tool developers will work in conjunction with the community on sensible industry standards for intellectual property protection, we will also act as necessary to protect the Second Life virtual world that our community has worked so hard to create. We will take a range of actions depending on the specific threat to our world or community. As we have said in the past, the use of CopyBot or similar copying tools to infringe others' intellectual property is a violation of our Terms of Service and may result in suspension or banning of infringers' Second Life accounts, including any alternate accounts. In the face of greater threats, our actions will be bolder. If we face a situation in which users or developers of copying tools are engaged in or inducing wide-spread infringement, we reserve our right to pursue necessary means to stop this activity, including technological blocking measures as well as legal action to protect against unauthorized use of Second Life.
Let's take proactive steps now and develop appropriate practices to avoid any situation like those described above. We encourage you to weigh in on this subject in the forums and propose standard practices and solutions for copying tools. We are looking for thoughtful ways to balance the tools' usefulness for intellectual property owners against the potentially bad purposes that they may be put to. We will be listening, watching, and reaching out to members of the community.
A Content Seller Program for Better Content Purchasing Experiences
As our community grows, Second Life needs a content seller program to help the community trade content safely and trust one another. By “content seller program,” we mean a program that sellers may participate in if they meet certain eligibility standards intended to show a level of trustworthiness and quality of content. For example, we currently offer the Gold Solution Provider Program for Solution Providers with a demonstrated track record of successful Second Life projects and client satisfaction.
At some point we will offer a program specific to content sellers with criteria devised to indicate a level of aptitude in Second Life content transactions. Sellers' participation in the program will then be publicly indicated to potential buyers.
A seller program benefits both content buyers and sellers alike because it helps provide greater transparency in the content purchasing experience. Many Resident content sellers have built successful brands and reputations within Second Life, but this may not be readily apparent to buyers when they are shopping for or purchasing content. Giving buyers more information about sellers not only helps protect buyers against the inadvertent purchase of potentially infringing content, it helps keep Second Life a safe, well-lit place to trade in virtual content. By encouraging open, honest, and accountable content transactions, a seller program helps attract more content buyers and consequently helps create more opportunities for content sellers.
We are starting the process of planning a content seller program, and we would like your input on possible program criteria. At a minimum, participation in the program will require that the selling Resident:
1. have identity and payment information on file with Linden Lab;
2. be in good standing and not have been suspended for any violation of the Second Life Terms of Service;
3. meet a minimum threshold for content transactions; and
4. affirm that all necessary intellectual property rights and licenses have been obtained for all content that the Resident has for sale.
Join the discussion in the forums and tell us what other criteria you believe should be in a content seller program. We are in the early stages of planning such a program, and we would like your feedback on possible criteria in advance of our planning and implementation.
Improved Policies and Educational Outreach To Promote Awareness of Intellectual Property
We are committed to clarifying and updating our policies to promote awareness of intellectual property and protect against infringement. We believe that informative and educational policies often help people do the right thing.
We have provided general background information on the Second Life Wiki about intellectual property, including copyright, trademark, trade dress, and the celebrity right of publicity.
In the near future, we will be updating the Listing Guidelines for the Xstreet SL marketplace to help clarify permissible uses of brand names and branded items in listings. It has always been the firm policy of Second Life and the Xstreet SL marketplace that Residents may not infringe others' intellectual property. The goal of the updated Listing Guidelines is to provide clear guidance on listing practices that are not allowed because they can be misleading and can lead to intellectual property infringement. When we launch the updated Listing Guidelines, Residents will have thirty days to make any necessary adjustments to their listings and content to bring them into compliance. We will have more information for you on this shortly.
We will also be updating some of our existing “help” material on our policies to help clarify the significance of the permissions system and issues around copying content outside of Second Life. We expect that over time we will build a library of “help” material on intellectual property, including useful tips and resources and possibly a video tutorial from Torley Linden on the subject.
Improvements to Our Intellectual Property Complaint Process
In the past year, we've committed additional staff and resources to our intellectual property complaint process, which many Residents know as our DMCA process (meaning the Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
The complaint process facilitates cooperation between Linden Lab and intellectual property owners. If owners identify particular uses of their content that they believe to infringe, they may send us a notification requesting removal of the uses.
In cases of severe or repeat infringement, we terminate the accounts of the infringer.
In response to Resident feedback about the time and effort involved in submitting notifications to us, we've been developing an improved process. In the not-too-distant future, intellectual property owners will be able to submit complaints to us electronically through an online form. The form will make it easier for intellectual property owners to submit complaints, and it will help us expedite their processing.
With the online form, intellectual property owners will be able to request that we search for and remove all copies of an identified item created by a particular Resident. Resident content creators have asked us for this capability, and we are working hard at developing tools to provide it. This is one of the most technologically complicated tasks we've ever undertaken because the tools must identify the content at issue in the complaint, search for instances of it inworld and in inventories, notify those with copies of it of the intellectual property complaint submitted, remove or disable access to those instances, and in the event of a copyright counter-notification, restore access to the content specified in the counter-notification.
We're excited about the progress made so far, and we're dedicated to making these tools a success, but as always with cutting-edge technologies, there's no guarantee that these tools will work for all situations or complaints. However, we are committed to developing sustainable and scalable solutions that empower content creators to better protect their intellectual property.
We expect to launch our improved intellectual property complaint process and tools later this year. As we get closer to launch, we will have additional information for you. We welcome your feedback and thoughts in the forums, which we will be reviewing and responding to as we can.
New Features for Content Licensing
As we move towards a future where virtual worlds are interoperable, Second Life needs new features to help Resident content creators better indicate how they allow their content to be used.
Second Life has technological restrictions known as the “permissions system” that can be set to impose certain limits on how content can be used within Second Life. However, the permissions system was never intended for and does not grant any legal permission to use content outside of Second Life. Furthermore, content creators may want more flexibility to allow their content to be used in ways that the permissions system does not readily accommodate, for example, the ability to permit non-commercial distribution but prohibit resale. To better indicate their legal permissions, some Residents currently post license terms in their inworld stores or in notecards distributed with their content.
As we develop our stand-alone, behind-the-firewall Second Life solution, we're aware of the opportunity it presents for talented and entrepreneurial content creators to reach more customers in a broad inter-connected 3D marketplace. To help facilitate this marketplace, we are developing the ability to attach “sticky licenses” to content sold to enterprise customers running a stand-alone version of Second Life. Content with these “sticky licenses” will have additional metadata such that the license information can “stick” to the content as it is distributed to the enterprise customer's server, and users of the server solution can review the license terms through the Second Life viewer.
Expect further announcements from us on our marketplace plans later this year. In the meanwhile, please comment in the forums on the licensing terms you'd like to see as well as any other thoughts you have.
Standard Industry Practices for Copying Tools
The flip side of indicating how content can be used is respecting the terms that have been indicated in licenses and under intellectual property law. This is where copying tools come into play. Recently Residents have asked us for our thoughts on tools that facilitate the copying of content from the Second Life virtual world. We believe that standard industry practices must be developed for copying tools to protect against intellectual property infringement.
As we've said before, copying tools do have legitimate uses. For example, intellectual property owners may wish to back up their own content or copy it from our hosted Second Life virtual world to a stand-alone, behind-the-firewall Second Life solution. However, copying tools can also facilitate infringement, and the devil is in the details.
To those developing copying tools, we urge the simultaneous development of standard industry practices that protect against intellectual property infringement. For example, consider the following standard practices for tools copying content from Second Life:
1. Check that the user of the tool is the Second Life “creator” of the content;
2. Do not facilitate the export of an entire Second Life inventory; and
3. Preserve the Second Life “creator” name and information that the content was originally created in the Second Life virtual world.
As we've discussed above, the Second Life “permissions system” does not grant any legal permission to use content outside of Second Life. Even content that is “full permissions” may only be used within Second Life absent a specific license agreement from the intellectual property owner(s) authorizing the content's use outside of Second Life. Thus, a check that the user is the Second Life “creator” of the content helps protect intellectual property because the “creator” is potentially the intellectual property owner of the content, while a user who is merely the Second Life “owner” of the content is not likely to have permission to use the content outside of Second Life.
A check against exporting an entire Second Life inventory helps protect intellectual property because most of us are not the intellectual property owners of all content in our inventory, but rather simply the Second Life “owners” of that content, meaning we only have permission to use it within Second Life.
Finally, preserving the “creator” name in content copied from Second Life as well as information that Second Life was the virtual world in which the content was originally created helps ensure attribution for content creators. It also potentially helps them identify and take steps to remedy content improperly copied to other virtual worlds.
We don't profess to have all the answers, but we believe in the wisdom of the community to develop sensible standard practices. We also believe that ultimately licensing solutions must be developed to allow content creators to better indicate their intentions regarding use of their intellectual property outside of Second Life, and copying tools must work with these licensing solutions to help protect against intellectual property infringement.
We are paying close attention to the issues around copying of content from the Second Life world. The advent of copying tools that allow mass copying of content for use outside of Second Life is of great concern to Linden Lab, as it is to you. In the paragraphs above, we have recommended several actions that developers of these tools can take to protect against intellectual property infringement. It is very important that standard industry practices are developed and implemented in copying tools, and we are reaching out to copying tool developers to discuss this further.
Intellectual property infringement is a serious matter, and we trust that those developing copying tools will view it that way. The penalties for copyright infringement under U.S. law include damages in amounts up to $30,000.00 USD per work and in cases of willful infringement up to $150,000.00 USD per work.
While we hope that cooler heads will prevail, and that copying tool developers will work in conjunction with the community on sensible industry standards for intellectual property protection, we will also act as necessary to protect the Second Life virtual world that our community has worked so hard to create. We will take a range of actions depending on the specific threat to our world or community. As we have said in the past, the use of CopyBot or similar copying tools to infringe others' intellectual property is a violation of our Terms of Service and may result in suspension or banning of infringers' Second Life accounts, including any alternate accounts. In the face of greater threats, our actions will be bolder. If we face a situation in which users or developers of copying tools are engaged in or inducing wide-spread infringement, we reserve our right to pursue necessary means to stop this activity, including technological blocking measures as well as legal action to protect against unauthorized use of Second Life.
Let's take proactive steps now and develop appropriate practices to avoid any situation like those described above. We encourage you to weigh in on this subject in the forums and propose standard practices and solutions for copying tools. We are looking for thoughtful ways to balance the tools' usefulness for intellectual property owners against the potentially bad purposes that they may be put to. We will be listening, watching, and reaching out to members of the community.
A Content Seller Program for Better Content Purchasing Experiences
As our community grows, Second Life needs a content seller program to help the community trade content safely and trust one another. By “content seller program,” we mean a program that sellers may participate in if they meet certain eligibility standards intended to show a level of trustworthiness and quality of content. For example, we currently offer the Gold Solution Provider Program for Solution Providers with a demonstrated track record of successful Second Life projects and client satisfaction.
At some point we will offer a program specific to content sellers with criteria devised to indicate a level of aptitude in Second Life content transactions. Sellers' participation in the program will then be publicly indicated to potential buyers.
A seller program benefits both content buyers and sellers alike because it helps provide greater transparency in the content purchasing experience. Many Resident content sellers have built successful brands and reputations within Second Life, but this may not be readily apparent to buyers when they are shopping for or purchasing content. Giving buyers more information about sellers not only helps protect buyers against the inadvertent purchase of potentially infringing content, it helps keep Second Life a safe, well-lit place to trade in virtual content. By encouraging open, honest, and accountable content transactions, a seller program helps attract more content buyers and consequently helps create more opportunities for content sellers.
We are starting the process of planning a content seller program, and we would like your input on possible program criteria. At a minimum, participation in the program will require that the selling Resident:
1. have identity and payment information on file with Linden Lab;
2. be in good standing and not have been suspended for any violation of the Second Life Terms of Service;
3. meet a minimum threshold for content transactions; and
4. affirm that all necessary intellectual property rights and licenses have been obtained for all content that the Resident has for sale.
Join the discussion in the forums and tell us what other criteria you believe should be in a content seller program. We are in the early stages of planning such a program, and we would like your feedback on possible criteria in advance of our planning and implementation.
Improved Policies and Educational Outreach To Promote Awareness of Intellectual Property
We are committed to clarifying and updating our policies to promote awareness of intellectual property and protect against infringement. We believe that informative and educational policies often help people do the right thing.
We have provided general background information on the Second Life Wiki about intellectual property, including copyright, trademark, trade dress, and the celebrity right of publicity.
In the near future, we will be updating the Listing Guidelines for the Xstreet SL marketplace to help clarify permissible uses of brand names and branded items in listings. It has always been the firm policy of Second Life and the Xstreet SL marketplace that Residents may not infringe others' intellectual property. The goal of the updated Listing Guidelines is to provide clear guidance on listing practices that are not allowed because they can be misleading and can lead to intellectual property infringement. When we launch the updated Listing Guidelines, Residents will have thirty days to make any necessary adjustments to their listings and content to bring them into compliance. We will have more information for you on this shortly.
We will also be updating some of our existing “help” material on our policies to help clarify the significance of the permissions system and issues around copying content outside of Second Life. We expect that over time we will build a library of “help” material on intellectual property, including useful tips and resources and possibly a video tutorial from Torley Linden on the subject.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Second Life makes money while Twiter makes the noise
The article below was wrote by Victor Keegan and published at The Guardian .
Virtual worlds are getting a second life
We haven't heard much recently about so-called virtual worlds such as Second Life, in which you move around with your own avatar. Critics must be hoping they have disappeared up their own ether. Actually, they are booming. The consultancy kzero.co.uk reports that membership of virtual worlds grew by 39% in the second quarter of 2009 to an estimated 579 million. Not all these members are active but I can't think of anything, anywhere, that has grown so fast in the recession this side of Goldman Sachs bonuses.
There's another curious thing: Facebook and Twitter are lauded to the skies, but neither has found a way to make money – whereas virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft, Entropia Universe, Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin and Second Life are all profitable because their business models are based on the digital elixir of subscriptions and micropayments, a formula that other websites, including newspapers, would die for. Twitter makes the noise, Second Life makes the money.
If you think virtual worlds are a passing fad, look at the figures. Almost all of the 39% growth came from children. Girls used to grow up with their dolls; now they are growing up with their avatars. This goes largely unreported because the users don't read newspapers, but as Kzero reports, poptropica.com – aimed at five- to 10-year-olds – has 76 million registered users. If you move up to 10- to 15-year-olds, users rival the populations of countries – led by Habbo (135 million), Neopets (54 million), Star Dolls (34 million) and Club Penguin (28 million). It starts tailing off among 15- to 25-year-olds – apart from Poptropica (35 million) – but it underlines the likelihood that as youngsters get older they will be looking for more sophisticated outlets and for ways to link existing social networks such as Facebook or MySpace to more immersive virtual worlds. The telephone was a one-to-one experience; email linked friends and colleagues; Facebook extended this to friends of friends but virtual worlds offer – as Twitter does in a more constrained context – the opportunity to link with anyone on the planet sharing similar interests.
Second Life, once the posterboy of virtual worlds, is consolidating as it tries to make the experience easier and less crash-prone while moving adult content to a separate zone. Only a small fraction of its 19 million registered users are active, but it is still the creative laboratory of the genre. Corporations find it useful for holding international meetings or to recruit staff and educationalists are doing lots of interesting things including language teaching. But Second Life may not end up as the preferred platform as new business models take advantage of the rapidly improving technological developments elsewhere.
In order to get a more streamlined experience, most of the new virtual worlds don't allow users to make their own content. Twinity, which has just raised €4.5m in new funding, has a virtual version of Berlin and Singapore (with London still in the pipeline): you buy existing apartments or rent shops but can't build yourself. Bluemarsonline.com – still in testing mode – promises much better graphics and more realistic avatars at the expense of not allowing members (as opposed to developers) to create their own content.
One problem of virtual worlds is that you can't go from one to another. But evolver.com enables users to move creations across worlds and OpenSimulator lets you create a virtual world on the hard drive of your own computer, linking to other compatible ones, such as Second Life, if you choose. With technology moving so fast and a whole generation growing up for whom having an avatar is second nature, virtual worlds have nowhere to go but up. Only they won't be virtual worlds – just a part of normal life.
Virtual worlds are getting a second life
We haven't heard much recently about so-called virtual worlds such as Second Life, in which you move around with your own avatar. Critics must be hoping they have disappeared up their own ether. Actually, they are booming. The consultancy kzero.co.uk reports that membership of virtual worlds grew by 39% in the second quarter of 2009 to an estimated 579 million. Not all these members are active but I can't think of anything, anywhere, that has grown so fast in the recession this side of Goldman Sachs bonuses.
There's another curious thing: Facebook and Twitter are lauded to the skies, but neither has found a way to make money – whereas virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft, Entropia Universe, Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin and Second Life are all profitable because their business models are based on the digital elixir of subscriptions and micropayments, a formula that other websites, including newspapers, would die for. Twitter makes the noise, Second Life makes the money.
If you think virtual worlds are a passing fad, look at the figures. Almost all of the 39% growth came from children. Girls used to grow up with their dolls; now they are growing up with their avatars. This goes largely unreported because the users don't read newspapers, but as Kzero reports, poptropica.com – aimed at five- to 10-year-olds – has 76 million registered users. If you move up to 10- to 15-year-olds, users rival the populations of countries – led by Habbo (135 million), Neopets (54 million), Star Dolls (34 million) and Club Penguin (28 million). It starts tailing off among 15- to 25-year-olds – apart from Poptropica (35 million) – but it underlines the likelihood that as youngsters get older they will be looking for more sophisticated outlets and for ways to link existing social networks such as Facebook or MySpace to more immersive virtual worlds. The telephone was a one-to-one experience; email linked friends and colleagues; Facebook extended this to friends of friends but virtual worlds offer – as Twitter does in a more constrained context – the opportunity to link with anyone on the planet sharing similar interests.
Second Life, once the posterboy of virtual worlds, is consolidating as it tries to make the experience easier and less crash-prone while moving adult content to a separate zone. Only a small fraction of its 19 million registered users are active, but it is still the creative laboratory of the genre. Corporations find it useful for holding international meetings or to recruit staff and educationalists are doing lots of interesting things including language teaching. But Second Life may not end up as the preferred platform as new business models take advantage of the rapidly improving technological developments elsewhere.
In order to get a more streamlined experience, most of the new virtual worlds don't allow users to make their own content. Twinity, which has just raised €4.5m in new funding, has a virtual version of Berlin and Singapore (with London still in the pipeline): you buy existing apartments or rent shops but can't build yourself. Bluemarsonline.com – still in testing mode – promises much better graphics and more realistic avatars at the expense of not allowing members (as opposed to developers) to create their own content.
One problem of virtual worlds is that you can't go from one to another. But evolver.com enables users to move creations across worlds and OpenSimulator lets you create a virtual world on the hard drive of your own computer, linking to other compatible ones, such as Second Life, if you choose. With technology moving so fast and a whole generation growing up for whom having an avatar is second nature, virtual worlds have nowhere to go but up. Only they won't be virtual worlds – just a part of normal life.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Accessories trend for summer 2010 at Rio Fashion Week
By Anna Avalanche, Gisa Miles and Luiz Speedwell
Photography credit for Marcio Madeira-
This was our latest article publish at déjà vu Magazine. Touch here to read my new article
The accessories had outstanding emphasize at this latest spring and summer Rio Fashion Week show. They adorned women and gave even more value to feminine beauty, especially in summer, seeking delight and bold with colorful pieces. The trends for this 2010 summer, showed on stage, were the maximalist and flashy accessories. This might be a fever on this next Brazilian summer.
Designers, at Spring and Summer Rio Fashion, offer us big flashy jewels like necklaces, bracelets, earrings that perhaps called more attention than the clothes.
The beads necklaces from wood or audacious stones are long with many laps around the neck, with huge rocks or very big and glared sophisticated metal pieces.
The earrings appeared in very large rings or very long shape made from metal or stone. For the bracelets they are made from wood, gold metals or seeds.
The belts come to vogue in this warm season of 2010. The trend is a slim, thin and delicate colorful belt used as a decorative overlay.
For the maxi bags the tendency is something despoil and light. The average sizes bags had metallic straps or chains and the wallets and handbags come in a little bigger size very colorful with various textures and details. All bags showed at catwalk had some handicraft finishing.
The spotlight prominent accessory presented at the show was the hat and literally makes the women head. Independently on the style, beach or chic stylish, hats were displayed in diverse sizes, colors and forms and made from light, fine or noble fabrics in unusual design formats, with waves and movements that detach the colors, representing the season creativity.
The scarf’s are still in high for this next season. In a side light and casual style made from lighter fabrics such as, shred and embroider, mesh with fringes. Some designers showed also big and large animal’s format brooch pin giving an adventuress and paradisiacal perspective feeling.
We must not forget the shoes. Shoes, we all know, are among the major passions of women were also a trend. A high, pretty comfortable shoe gives women power and status and also let the lady more sensual.
Trend already saw in feet of celebrities and fashion shows worldwide, the main stakes of the catwalks at Fashion Rio shoes are nude shades, color-to-skin, which works much in favor of female elegance, simply because it lengthens the legs. The impression is that the feet are barefoot. The main advantage of the shoes more clear or color-to-skin is stretch the body of the woman, leaving them without cutting a higher profile. It will take and trend because not only creates a visually sophisticated, but displays a unique femininity.
The variety of style presented can satisfy all the preferences. The style came in various models and jumps like; Ankle boots, escarpins in soft colors, ballerina style shoes.
Choose a fine accessory, that will make you gleam independently form the clothe you are using, and have fun. We gave the best trends from this fashion show, is yours the hard choosing on what to wear.
If you liked these accessories you might find one next to you. But if you don’t maybe we can help you get one. Have fun!
This article has been sponsored by AA Trade Company, Cleary (128,128,0)
For more pictures and information see:
Portuguese blog
Flickr
Fallow me on twitter
Photography credit for Marcio Madeira-
This was our latest article publish at déjà vu Magazine. Touch here to read my new article
The accessories had outstanding emphasize at this latest spring and summer Rio Fashion Week show. They adorned women and gave even more value to feminine beauty, especially in summer, seeking delight and bold with colorful pieces. The trends for this 2010 summer, showed on stage, were the maximalist and flashy accessories. This might be a fever on this next Brazilian summer.
Designers, at Spring and Summer Rio Fashion, offer us big flashy jewels like necklaces, bracelets, earrings that perhaps called more attention than the clothes.
The beads necklaces from wood or audacious stones are long with many laps around the neck, with huge rocks or very big and glared sophisticated metal pieces.
The earrings appeared in very large rings or very long shape made from metal or stone. For the bracelets they are made from wood, gold metals or seeds.
The belts come to vogue in this warm season of 2010. The trend is a slim, thin and delicate colorful belt used as a decorative overlay.
For the maxi bags the tendency is something despoil and light. The average sizes bags had metallic straps or chains and the wallets and handbags come in a little bigger size very colorful with various textures and details. All bags showed at catwalk had some handicraft finishing.
The spotlight prominent accessory presented at the show was the hat and literally makes the women head. Independently on the style, beach or chic stylish, hats were displayed in diverse sizes, colors and forms and made from light, fine or noble fabrics in unusual design formats, with waves and movements that detach the colors, representing the season creativity.
The scarf’s are still in high for this next season. In a side light and casual style made from lighter fabrics such as, shred and embroider, mesh with fringes. Some designers showed also big and large animal’s format brooch pin giving an adventuress and paradisiacal perspective feeling.
We must not forget the shoes. Shoes, we all know, are among the major passions of women were also a trend. A high, pretty comfortable shoe gives women power and status and also let the lady more sensual.
Trend already saw in feet of celebrities and fashion shows worldwide, the main stakes of the catwalks at Fashion Rio shoes are nude shades, color-to-skin, which works much in favor of female elegance, simply because it lengthens the legs. The impression is that the feet are barefoot. The main advantage of the shoes more clear or color-to-skin is stretch the body of the woman, leaving them without cutting a higher profile. It will take and trend because not only creates a visually sophisticated, but displays a unique femininity.
The variety of style presented can satisfy all the preferences. The style came in various models and jumps like; Ankle boots, escarpins in soft colors, ballerina style shoes.
Choose a fine accessory, that will make you gleam independently form the clothe you are using, and have fun. We gave the best trends from this fashion show, is yours the hard choosing on what to wear.
If you liked these accessories you might find one next to you. But if you don’t maybe we can help you get one. Have fun!
This article has been sponsored by AA Trade Company, Cleary (128,128,0)
For more pictures and information see:
Portuguese blog
Flickr
Fallow me on twitter
Rio Fashion Week
By Anna Avalanche, Gisa Miles and Luiz Speedwell
Photography credit for Marcio Madeira-
This was our latest article publish at déjà vu Magazine. Touch here to read my new article
Like São Paulo Fashion Week (PFW), Rio fashion week is one of most important fashion events in South America, after all Rio de Janeiro is the world-wide capital of the fashion beach and of summer. The June Week from 7-13 was fashionable. There 41 catwalk shows showed how will be the spring-summer fashion design in Brazil.
Thinking in fashion is also thinking in the way of living life. You adapt your style to your daily demands, to your commitments, to your work and, on weekends, all we want is wear something more comfortable. The collections proposed by the Cariocas designers transmit the sensation that fashion is working for the state of mind that seeks freedom, rest and peace. In short; comfort and beauty are the Brazilian next summer trend.
In according with the 29 brands that were presented during Rio Fashion Week, the next season will focus on large shoulders, marked by low neckline or just Strapless. The waist is high in the women's collections, designed which begin just below the bust in skirts, pants and shorts.
The lengths are particularly short on female collections. Draped, folded and Spangle Sequins, coat productions or give details in a few pieces, others transparent - with emphasis to organza - create overlaps.
The swimwear is more behavior without tiny pieces, with presence of bikinis with wide straps, bands.
The colors vary from light tones of blue, beige, gray, pink and black and strong colors, with emphasis, on the pink, orange, lemon-and-green water. The prints also stroll between the light graphics to the explosion of colors in digital patchworks.
Here are ten trends for next summer and the designer catwalk shows in which they appeared.
Shoulders marked: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Melk Z-da, Salinas, Printing, Claudia Simões, Acquastudio, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Cantão, Giulia Borges, Juliana Jabour, Espaço Fashion;
Drapes and folded: Cavendish, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Alessa, Lenny, Giulia Borges, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia, Espaço Fashion, Redley;
Waist high: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Melk Z-da, Salinas, Printing, Claudia Simões, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Apoena, Cantão, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Coven, Alessa, Giulia Borges, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Redley;
Spangle Sequins: Maria Bonita Extra, Printing, Cantão, Carlos Tufvesson, Santa Ephigênia, Alessa
Short dresses: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Melk Z-da, Printing, Claudia Simões, Printing, Mara Mac, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Apoena, Cantão, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Santa Ephigênia, Alessa, Lenny, Giulia Borges, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Ausländer;
Strapless: Maria Bonita Extra, Melk Z-da, Salinas, Acquastudio, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Apoena, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Walter Rodrigues, Alessi, Lenny, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia;
Overalls and Short Overalls: Claudia Simoes, Mara Mac, Têca, TNG, Guangzhou, Victor Dzenk, St. Ephigênia, Alessi, Lenny, Giulia Borges, Juliana Jabour, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Redley
Swimwear well-behaved: Salinas, Claudia Simões, Mara Mac, make, TNG, Cantão, Luiza Bonadiman, Alessi, Lenny, Filhas de Gaia, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Ausländer;
Transparency as overlapping: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Acquastudio, Mara Mac, Graça Ottoni, Cantão, Victor Dzenk, Coven, Walter Rodrigues, Tessuti, Ausländer.
Form some fashion brands the hits of summer 2010 are:
Young and casual and bandage dress for Ausländer. A thousand knottings and overlappings for Espaço Fashion brand. Filhas de Gaia presented very short dresses for the sexy woman who is not ashamed to show her legs. Marked shoulder in Juliana Jabour design. Cavendish design had very feminine and delicate clothes with frill applied to the sleeves, collar, skirts and dresses.
If you liked these clothes you might find one next to you. But if you don’t maybe we can help you get one. But anyway just having a fashion idea on the Brazilian next summer trends may inspire you. Have fun!
This article has been sponsored by AA Trade Company, Cleary (128,128,0)
For more pictures and information see:
Portuguese blog
Flickr
Fallow me on twitter
Photography credit for Marcio Madeira-
This was our latest article publish at déjà vu Magazine. Touch here to read my new article
Like São Paulo Fashion Week (PFW), Rio fashion week is one of most important fashion events in South America, after all Rio de Janeiro is the world-wide capital of the fashion beach and of summer. The June Week from 7-13 was fashionable. There 41 catwalk shows showed how will be the spring-summer fashion design in Brazil.
Thinking in fashion is also thinking in the way of living life. You adapt your style to your daily demands, to your commitments, to your work and, on weekends, all we want is wear something more comfortable. The collections proposed by the Cariocas designers transmit the sensation that fashion is working for the state of mind that seeks freedom, rest and peace. In short; comfort and beauty are the Brazilian next summer trend.
In according with the 29 brands that were presented during Rio Fashion Week, the next season will focus on large shoulders, marked by low neckline or just Strapless. The waist is high in the women's collections, designed which begin just below the bust in skirts, pants and shorts.
The lengths are particularly short on female collections. Draped, folded and Spangle Sequins, coat productions or give details in a few pieces, others transparent - with emphasis to organza - create overlaps.
The swimwear is more behavior without tiny pieces, with presence of bikinis with wide straps, bands.
The colors vary from light tones of blue, beige, gray, pink and black and strong colors, with emphasis, on the pink, orange, lemon-and-green water. The prints also stroll between the light graphics to the explosion of colors in digital patchworks.
Here are ten trends for next summer and the designer catwalk shows in which they appeared.
Shoulders marked: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Melk Z-da, Salinas, Printing, Claudia Simões, Acquastudio, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Cantão, Giulia Borges, Juliana Jabour, Espaço Fashion;
Drapes and folded: Cavendish, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Alessa, Lenny, Giulia Borges, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia, Espaço Fashion, Redley;
Waist high: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Melk Z-da, Salinas, Printing, Claudia Simões, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Apoena, Cantão, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Coven, Alessa, Giulia Borges, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Redley;
Spangle Sequins: Maria Bonita Extra, Printing, Cantão, Carlos Tufvesson, Santa Ephigênia, Alessa
Short dresses: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Melk Z-da, Printing, Claudia Simões, Printing, Mara Mac, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Apoena, Cantão, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Santa Ephigênia, Alessa, Lenny, Giulia Borges, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Ausländer;
Strapless: Maria Bonita Extra, Melk Z-da, Salinas, Acquastudio, Têca, Graça Ottoni, TNG, Apoena, Carlos Tufvesson, Victor Dzenk, Walter Rodrigues, Alessi, Lenny, Tessuti, Juliana Jabour, Filhas de Gaia;
Overalls and Short Overalls: Claudia Simoes, Mara Mac, Têca, TNG, Guangzhou, Victor Dzenk, St. Ephigênia, Alessi, Lenny, Giulia Borges, Juliana Jabour, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Redley
Swimwear well-behaved: Salinas, Claudia Simões, Mara Mac, make, TNG, Cantão, Luiza Bonadiman, Alessi, Lenny, Filhas de Gaia, Totem, Espaço Fashion, Ausländer;
Transparency as overlapping: Maria Bonita Extra, Cavendish, Acquastudio, Mara Mac, Graça Ottoni, Cantão, Victor Dzenk, Coven, Walter Rodrigues, Tessuti, Ausländer.
Form some fashion brands the hits of summer 2010 are:
Young and casual and bandage dress for Ausländer. A thousand knottings and overlappings for Espaço Fashion brand. Filhas de Gaia presented very short dresses for the sexy woman who is not ashamed to show her legs. Marked shoulder in Juliana Jabour design. Cavendish design had very feminine and delicate clothes with frill applied to the sleeves, collar, skirts and dresses.
If you liked these clothes you might find one next to you. But if you don’t maybe we can help you get one. But anyway just having a fashion idea on the Brazilian next summer trends may inspire you. Have fun!
This article has been sponsored by AA Trade Company, Cleary (128,128,0)
For more pictures and information see:
Portuguese blog
Flickr
Fallow me on twitter
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The Body Politik - Press Event August 2009
The Body Politik is releasing new skins this month (August 2009). On top of that you will have the chance to add and preview all the available option on a web site and purchase it right on the spot.
I had the luck to get invited to the press event where the web page and skins were shown to some journalists (bloggers etc.)
The SLURL to the new shop is:
I had the luck to get invited to the press event where the web page and skins were shown to some journalists (bloggers etc.)
The SLURL to the new shop is:
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