AVESS which is the Amputee Virtual Environment Support Space will be launching to help the amputees in the United States Army. The project is a partnership with Virtual Ability Inc. Funding is provided by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. The project will use the Second Life Enterprise Platform.

President of Virtual Ability, Inc Alice Krueger said “For individuals with disabilities, virtual worlds are a powerful way to connect with others, to access peer support, and to participate in activities that might not otherwise be possible”.

It seems like we just finished Burning Life 2009 and Halloween in Second Life but already it is time for Winterfest.

This means snowball fights, snowman building contests, ice skating, and Christmas decorations. And of course the Winterfest Spotlight is taking submissions. The deadline for sellers of virtual items is November 11, 2009 at 12:00 pm PST.

What are your plans for a Second Life Christmas?

The below video is a mixed reality bike chase. The rider is located in Second Life on a virtual bike but it is put on top of footage of Paris.

It is waay too long at 8 minutes but check it out below.

Machinima: Mixed Reality Bike Chase

Below is a two part high definition video tutorial on creating Second Life sculpted prims using 3d Studio Max and the prim composer plugin. The two videos are ten minutes long each for a total of 20 minutes.

Check it out below.

Video HD Tutorial: Creating Second Life Sculpted Prims With 3d Studio Max & Prim Composer: Pat 1:

HD Video Tutorial Part 2: Creating Second Life Sculpted Prims With 3d Studio Max

The below high definition video is a tutorial of using communication in the virtual world of Second Life. Local chat and other communication methods in Second Life are covered.

The video is about 4.5 minutes long. Check it out below.

Second Life HD Local Chat Video Tutorial:

Linden Lab released the 3rd quarter virtual economy statistics. Highlights include a 54% increase in total transactions, and an increase of 27% in voice usage. Total user hours and peak concurrency was down. Linden Lab attributed this to a crackdown on bot usage. Trading volume on the LindeX was flat.

New aquisition Xstreet SL reached an all time high gross sale of $1.6 million USD which is a 13% increase.

Median concurrent users is down from 61,000 to 54,000 but a high point of 77,367 was reached.

International usage of Second Life continues to increase with the United States of America now accounting for only 37% of user transactions and 41% of user hours.

Stability and downtime have been holding steady.

Read more here.

There is a huge benefit to virtual meetings and 3d training. But even I was surprised to learn that the secure Second Life Enterprise version costs an astonishing $55,000. Of course this does include the hardware (two 1RU rack-mount servers) but the price seemed a bit of a shock given it can be obtained at a much lower cost in Second Life or even in OpenSim.

The Second Life Enterprise version was tested by 14 companies along with the Second Life Work Marketplace which is an app store. The Enterprise version should be available for sale in March with beta testing continuing till then.

Here is a list of some of the features included:

Second Life Enterprise Features:

1. Two 1RU Rack-Mount Servers

2. Secure behind firewall

3. 3d modeling tools

4. 3d Browser client

5. 7 Virtual regions including conference centers, auditorium, sandbox areas, etc

6. Set of Business avatars

7. Import from main Second Life environment

8. Use real life names

9. Support up to 8 regions and 800 concurrent users

Read the press release here

Bettina Tizzy is shutting down the Not Possible in Real Life blog after almost 3 years (the Not Possible IRL blog was started on July 4, 2007). This blog covered Second Life and other 3d virtual worlds and focused mainly on art, fashion, architecuture and content in the virtual world.

Goodbye to the NPIRL blog and Bettina Tizzy. Good thing SecondLifeUpdate.com is here to stay.

Read her farewell post here.

Some people just know how to say goodbye in style. The below video was created by LuBu Jinx in the virtual world of Second Life.

The high definition video is about 5 minutes long. Check it out below.

HD Video: Some People Just Know How to Say Goodbye in Style:

Griefers can certainly be bothersome and tarnish the fun. But if you know how to deal with different griefer attacks you can easily deal with and ignore them.

The below video tutorials show different ways to combat griefer attacks in Second Life. You may also want to check out the Core Strength Anti-Griefing Tool.

Video: How to Combat Push Griefing Attacks in Second Life:

Get out of a Griefer Cage Video:

Get out of a Griefer Cage Video:

Muting a Griefer in Second Life Video Tutorial:

Cleaning Up Objects from a Griefer:

Video: Mute Griefing Objects in Second Life:

Modifying Land Settings to Fight a Griefer

Trapped in a Griefer Box

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Submitting an Abuse Report on a Griefer

Below is a video trailer for the Machinima Expo 2009. The Machinima Expo takes place on November 22, 2009. A five person jury reviewed 153 films and selected 17 finalists. There will be 1 jury grand prize, 4 other jury prizes, and 1 Asian jury prize.

Watch the trailer below.

Machinima Expo 2009 Trailer:

View the finalists here

The below video of Naruto online games was filmed in the free Teen Second Life. It features the Naruto Nipou HUD and was filmed at the Hidden Tree Village virtual sim in Teen Second Life. There are very few ways to play free naruto online games. This online Naruto rpg is pretty cool.

It includes a large selection of Jutsu animations. The video was created by Zyth Hax.

The video is about 2.5 minutes long. Check it out below.

Naruto Online Games: Nipou HUD RPG in Free Teen Second Life Video:

The onlly thing that comes to mind after watching this machinima is WTF. It was created in the virtual world of Second Life for the Burning Life 2009 festival.

It is titled the Tower and the Quest and to say that it is strange is an understatement.

Check it out below.

The Tower and the Quest: WTF Machinima

The below is a video tutorial on how to mute a griefer in Second Life.

It is about 2 minutes long and was created for the AECT presentation.

Check it out below.

Muting a Griefer in Second Life Video Tutorial:

Happy Virtual Halloween to everyone in Second Life and everywhere else. Make sure to check out these Second Life Halloween Videos and these virtual haunted houses.

If you are looking for a fun and scary virtual sim to visit and some cool Halloween events than take a look at the event calendar.

The below video is of a virtual sim in Second Life. It is a pirate sim known as the Storm Tossed Sea. It was created by Theresa Farelle in the virtual world of Second Life.

What will destroy the ship first? The waves from a storm or the huge tentacles of an octopus sea monster?

Teleport there now

The video is about 1.5 minutes long. Check it out below.

The Storm Tossed Sea Virtual Sim Video:

In the below video we see that Second Life does not yet work with Windows 7. The new operating system has launched and has become quite popular yet we have heard nothing yet from Linden Lab about when a version of the Second Life client compatible with Windows 7 will be released.

Check out the below high definition video demo.

Second Life Doesn’t Work With Windows 7 Video:

In the below video we see an example of some virtual baby games in which a 3d woman visits her doctor, gets a virtual ultrasound, takex part in a virtual lamaze class and then gives birth to a 3d child. It is a water birth in a fountain with plants and flowers. I would not recommend that in real life but since it is a virtual birth and a 3d pregnancy it does not really matter. The video is about 6 minutes long.

Check it out below.

Video: Virtual Baby Games of Pregnant Woman Gives Birth to 3d Child:

Check out the below Second Life Halloween videos. Please note that some images are adult themed with simulated violence or simulated death and may be disturbing. They are for adults only.

Second Life Halloween Music Video:

Exploring Second Life Halloween Themed Virtual Sims Video:

Happy Halloween Second Life Video:

And what exactly is a bumble bear you might ask? Well it is a bumble bee mixed with a bear.

The first two races of go carts and pogo sticks were nothing for the Second Life Children’s Group Race 2009. The ultimate challenge is navigating your Bumble Bear over the hurdles and through the obstacles.

Still confused? Maybe this picture will help:

No? Okay watch the below 3 minute video.

Video: The Great Bumble Bear Race:

We have written extensively about Burning Life 2009 in the virtual world of Second Life. In the below video we see the actual 3d burning man ignited.

The video is about 3 minutes long. It is pretty cool to see the large virtual figure burning and the celebrating all around it.

Check it out below.

3d Burning Man Video: Buring Life 2009 in SecondLife:

The below is a high definition video tour of a the virtual art gallery Atlantis. It can be found in the virtual world of Second Life.

The video is about 4 minutes long. Check it out below.

Teleport there now.

Second Life Atlantis Art Gallery:

We have written before about virtual soccer in Second Life. In the below video we see several different 3d soccer matches amongs several teams. The video is about 2 minutes long and was filmed in the virtual world of Second Life.

Check it out below.

Virtual Soccer in Second Life Video:

Halloween is quickly approaching and we have written a little bit about the Second Life Halloween Spotlight as well as some other special Halloween treats.

In the below video we take a spooky tour of a haunted house. The video is about 6 minutes long. Below that is another high definition video of a 3d Haunted House which is the Captains House from Le Boheme. Check it out below.

Virtual Haunted House Video in Second Life:

HD Video of another 3d Haunted House:

Happy Halloween Second Life! Below is a high definition Halloween video created in the virtual world of Second Life. I hope your virtual Halloween party is this much fun.

The costumes are amazing and of course the music is fitting with Michael Jackson’s Thriller. This party took place in Second Life at the Forest of Red Biding Hood. It was created by Mr. Kakashi Vita and Mrs. Shamira rives.

Teleport there now.

Check out the video below.

Happy Halloween Second Life: HD Video of Virtual Party:

Burning Man isn’t the only thing on fire in Second Life Burning Life 2009. In the below video we see about 10 minutes of a temple burning.

The video is about 10 minutes long. Burn baby burn. The virtual structure actually burns down to nothing. And then everyone dances.

Check it out below.

Burning Temple for Second Life Burning Life 2009:

The below video is pretty funny. It is a show called It’s Late. The host is Henry D. Sapp featuring Demetrious Tremor. In this episode Henry explores Burning Life and some of the different sights and locations.

He also does a little bit of shopping and upgrades his avatar.

The video is about 7 minutes long.

Check it out below.

Burning Life: It’s Late with Henry D. Sapp

Nokia and IBM are creating a virtual reality conference system in Second Life. The system uses cameras mounted on your head and incorporates actions and objects into Second Life. Charles Woodward from the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland is leading the project. Check out the below video demonstration of the Augmented Collaboration in Mixed Environments. The video is about two minutes and thirty seconds long.

Virtual Reality Conference System from IBM and Nokia:

Read more here.

So you want to create a 3d game? There are many expensive game development platforms out there and also some free virtual game development platforms. But why not use one of the easiest ones out there. The below 2 part video tutorial shows you how you can create a 3d game in the virtual World of Second Life using the Preso-Matic Game Kit. No programming is required. This is a very easy game development platform.

The videos are about 25 minutes long total. Check out part 1 and part 2 below.

Create 3d Game Tutorial Video: Part 1

Create Virtual Game Tutorial Video: Part 2

The below video is a particularly well done machinima addressing the simple question: What is Second Life? The video is about 3 minutes long and covers the basics on the virtual world of Second Life including some of the possibilities and a brief overview.

It was created by Lori Landay also known as L1 Aura Loire. Check it out below.

What is Second Life Video: