MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which kicked off in June 2011 is heading towards its finale! 83 entries (all listed below, and all linked on AViewTV) have come in from around the world, including Mexico, USA, England, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Spain, India, Greece, South Africa, Germany, Venezuela, Poland, France, Australia, Portugal, Sweden & Argentina!
UWA would like to acknowledge the amazing efforts of the co-host of this event, LaPiscean Liberty (AViewTV) who is also a sponsor, alongside OPEN THIS END (directed by Cristina García-Lasuén (RL) / Aino Baar (SL) International Curator, Art Writer, Founder & CEO of the group), who have sponsored the UWA Machinima events since MachinimUWA III (Click Here for Cisko Vandeverre's Show Reel of MachinimUWA III Winners). Special mention also to Taralyn Gravois and FreeWee Ling.
More than L$350,000 will be distributed to Machinima Winners at the winners announcements from 6am SLT, Sunday 11th December. This will be held in conjunction with the winners announcements of the Grand Finale of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT CEREMONY 6AM SLT SUNDAY 11th DECEMBER
A special event will be held to announce the outcomes of the challenge:
Time & Date: 6am SLT Sunday, 11th December
Location: UWA - BOSL Grand Amphitheatre (Entrance 1, Entrance 2)
Show Kicks Off With THE PHOENIX EMBERS SHOWCATS with 'Gothica'
L$350,000 PRIZE POOL (Sponsored by Open This End, AView TV & UWA)
1st Prize - L$60,000
2nd Prize - L$40,000
3rd Prize - L$30,000
7 Special Awards - L$20,000@
Open This End Awards of Excellence - L$60,000 Prize Pool
Prizes for Audience Members - L$20,000
L$20,000 AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION EVENT
Win a Share of L$20,000, A Spot on the Official Jury for MachinimUWA V & Special RL Package
Deadline: Midnight SLT 30th November 2011
L$20,000 has been set aside for viewers who take part in a special participation event. We are asking everyone to watch the submissions and give us your TOP 10 machinima, in order of your preference (email jayjayaustralia@hotmail.com OR list them on a notecard to Jayjay Zifanwe - please put your name on the title of the notecard with the words MachinimUWA IV Audience Event).
The 3 participants whose order comes closest to the final order decided by the judging panel (as below), will win for themselves L$10,000, L$6,000 and L$4,000 each. The first prize winner will also be invited to be on the panel for MachinimUWA V and ALL 3 will receive in the mail a special pack that includes a copy of the book, '100 Treasures of UWA' which was produced for UWA's Centenary.
MACHINIMUWA IV: ART OF THE ARTISTS (83 entries)
(In reverse Klingon alphabetical order)
JUDGING PANELProfessor Ted Snell (RL) - Director, Cultural Precinct, The University of Western Australia
Rhett Linden (SL) - Vice President, Experience Design, Linden Labs
Yesikita Coppola (SL) - Official Machinimatographer for UWA 2011
FreeWee Ling (SL) - Curator, UWA 3D Open Art Challenge
Cisko Vandeverre(SL) - Winner of the Original MachinimUWA
Laurina Hawks (SL) - Winner of MachinimUWA II
Wagner James Au (RL) / Hamlet Au (SL) - Editor in Chief of New World Notes
Nazz Lane (SL) - Journalist and Author
Rowan Derryth (SL) - Art & Design Historian; Writer for Prim Perfect Publications
Dr. Phylis Johnson (RL) - Media Professor, Southern Illinois University, Author - Machinima: Aesthetics and Practice (a.k.a, Sonicity Fitzroy, SL Virtual Journalist)
Mal Burns (SL), Metaverse News Aggregator and Broadcaster
Dousa Dragonash (SL) - COO Metaverse Television
Phaylen Fairchild (SL) - Award Winning Writer, Director, Comedian
Chestnut Rau (SL) - Journalist
Thirza Ember (SL) - Art Blog Writer
Pia Klaar (SL) - Machinimatographer and Winner of MachinimUWA III Viewer Event
Editorial Clarity (SL) - Metaverse Journalist and Senior Writer, BOSL Blog & BOSL Magazine
Flimsey Freenote - CEO of Metamix TV (Mixed Reality Television)
Persia Bravin (SL) - Journalist, SL Media Producer and TV host
K. DaVette See (RL)//Suzy Q. Yue (SL), film diretcor, CEO Running Lady Studios
Madeline Bates (RL) - Program Manager (Film), Perth International Arts Festival, UWA
Naya Pinazo - Open This End Group Leader for SL and Facebook
Jay Jay Jegathesan (RL) / Jayjay Zifanwe (SL) - Manager School of Physics/ Lead of UWA Virtual World Projects
Local Bitmaps 2.0
Local Bitmap Browser ✔
Chat Range ring ✔
Pie Menus ✔
Chat panel instead of floater (or switchable)
Autohide Chat ✔
Hide Lookat
Streaming Music Info ✔
Neck & AV Center Attachments ✔
Microsoft translation service ✔
Redo Graphics Panel ✔
Qarls Aligning tool ✔
Always on permissions ✔
Simple maths in Build floater ✔
Depth of Field underwater + Option ✔
Derender ✔
Proxy 5 Options ✔
Right click get UUID entry ✔
hidable Progressscreen
Skin Selection ✔
Redo toppanel to allow hiding favbar ✔
Merge SH-1427 causing light differences ✔
Allow floaters to move completly up to the topbar ✔
add Distance info to Nearby ✔
Reset FUI buttons Option ✔
Bring back the Sidebar!!! without breaking the FUI!
Implement new Snapshot System ✔
A big thanks to ALL clicked SECOND-LIE.BLOGSPOT.COM banners! "Just thought you'd like to know XXX sent you €54.00 EUR." http://second-lie.blogspot.com/
Miss Zoon swears the blood on her hands was there because she was 'just curious'...
Littlebird is not so sure with a cleaver to the chest...
Explore the crime scene and see who you think took the baby.
What most concerns us are your willings for your own virtual world: it has to be immediate, reliable, secure, high-quality, accessible and above all … unique.
We have created a series of “bundles” called “SuperNova” where all is working out of the box ! All pre-installed, all pre-configured, but you can still directly access to your SuperNova server, customize and share your own virtual world as you can do with a normal web page.
In seconds you can install your own virtual world based on OpenSim, or Aurora-Sim, managing it directly from your desktop, but still running on your SuperNova server we provide and without using your home connection or your desktop/laptop resources. Be ready to travel in all other virtual worlds with latest HyperGrid or IWC (Inter World Connector) technologies, starting from your own SuperNova grid !
Activating SuperNova on your grid, you are immediately accessible from many virtual worlds that use the same HyperGrid or IWC technology, but in a totally safe way: your stuff, your assets, your inventory and everything that belongs to your grid and to your avatar, are safe on your own SuperNova server.
So … even if OSGrid, Nova, Reaction grid, SpotOn3D or other grids are offline … you’re still safe and free to invite your friends to your personal SuperNova world.
Enjoy …
Frequently Asked Questions :
Q: Can i access OSGrid or Nova from my SuperNova region ?
A: Yes
Q: Can i use my OSGrid or Nova avatar in my SuperNova region ?
A: Yes
Q: Can i load/save my region or my inventory oar/iar files in my SuperNova region ?
A: Yes
Q: If OSGrid or Nova are down, can i still use my SuperNova region/avatar ?
A: Yes
Q: Can i manage directly my Aurora/Opensim console ?
A. Yes, you have direct access to your SuperNova server.
Q: Everyone can visit my SuperNova region from other virtual worlds ?
A: Yes (if they have HyperGrid or IWC enabled like OSGrid and Nova)
The SL Capital Exchange has in the last 6 months proven to be a ferocious dividend generating investment modality. The capital value of my portfolio has slightly increased, but how about a cumulative L$126,202 (£300) in dividends into my account. It is proving to yield the best ROI of my entire portfolio of RL and SL investments.
To keep my feet on the ground, sometimes I get it wrong: I sold a stock off after reports of a loss last month; subsequently its share price shot up for reasons I had failed to fully anticipate. Can you guess which stock I am talking about?
Well, what the heck, others will gain from it and if we could look in the future we would all be sipping our cocktails in the Bahamas.
Overview
This tool for Windows XP/Vista emulates the keystrokes for adding avatar names to the Group Invitations dialog in Second Life. Regardless if you have 1 name or 50 names this tool lets you do it in one step.
It is designed to work alongside our Group Subscriber tool but ultimately it doesn’t matter where you get the names from, so long as they’re in a comma delimited list sitting on the Windows clipboard.
New in version 2.0 is the ability to obtain avatar names from your transactions spreadsheet downloaded from secondlife.com. It handles the grunt work for you by filtering out duplicates, refunded items, non-transactions and removing names who have previously received an invite. It even includes a new clipboard-monitoring Importer tool so you can supply a list of avatar names upfront to prevent them receiving another invite – for example the names of everyone already a member of your group.
Getting Started
Step 1: Start by obtaining a list of avatar names you wish to send group invites to and copy them to the clipboard. For this example we’re using the names listed by the Group Subscriber tool and copying them from the chat history.
Step 2: Run the Send Invites software and paste the list of names into the edit box.
Step 3: Open the group list by selecting “Edit” > “Groups” from the main menu in Second Life, then select the group from the list and press the “Info” button.
Step 4: Select the “Members & Roles” tab then ensure the “Members” tab is selected. Click the “Invite New Person” button.
Step 5: Click the “Open Person Chooser” button then ensure the cursor is placed where it says “Type part of the resident’s name”.
Note: Be careful not to do anything else inbetween step 5 and 6. This is because the Send Invites tool will automatically minimize, returning focus to Second Life.
Step 6: Press the “Start Macro” button.
Step 7: Wait a few seconds while the names are added to the Group Invitation dialog. You’ll hear a confirmation sound when its finished. Then click the Send Invitationsbutton.
Installation
This tool does not come with an installer. It simply consists of a zip file which you unzip to a folder of your choice and you double click the sendinvites.exe file to run the tool. If you’re not familar with the concept of “zip files” then it’s simply a collection of files conveniently packaged into a single file. Use an application like Winzip, Winrar (commercial) or 7-zip (free) on Windows to unpack it.
Note that you should place everything in a folder where the application always has write permissions. This is so the application can create a settings file in the same folder. A log file containing all avatar names will also be placed in the same folder if you enable this option.
You can optionally add this tool to your Start menu. To do this just drag the sendinvites.exe file into your Start menu. Upgrades
To upgrade to the latest version simply replace the sendinvites.exe file.
If you’re upgrading from 1.0 you may need to reapply any custom settings you made because the configuration file was altered slightly. Uninstall
This tool does not have an installer or uninstaller. Simply delete the folder which contains the macro tool and this will remove it 100% from your system. If you setup a Start menu shortcut then remember to delete that too. Autorun option
You can run this tool without having to deal with the dialog every time. By setting up a special Windows shortcut (details given below) you will effectively 1) Launch this tool, 2) Paste the avatar names, 3) Start the macro and 4) Close the tool afterwards, all automatically. This is my preferred way of working.
Here’s how to set it up (in Windows XP):
Step 1: Drag “SendInvites.exe” file from Windows Explorer into your Start menu.
Step 2: Locate the new entry in your Start menu. Right-click it and select “Properties” from the popup menu.
Step 3: Select the “Shortcut” tab. Where it says “Target” add the following text to the end of the line: ” autorun autoclose” (without quotes). For example, you would change:"D:\temp\SendInvites.exe"
to:"D:\temp\SendInvites.exe" autorun autoclose
Note: the extra parameters are outside the quotes.
Step 4: Select the “General” tab and give it a more descriptive name. Eg “Send Invites (Autorun)”. Click OK to save the changes. All finished, but read on…
I highly recommend using a keyboard application launcher called Launchy. This will save you from having to browse the Start menu everytime you want to run this tool. If you’re familar with QuickSilver on a Mac you’ll be right at home here. In a nutshell, to launch an application you activate Launchy (press alt+space), type the first few letters of the application name, and hit the Enter key. That’s it! Soon you’ll be launching any application from your Start menu in under a second. It’s a huge productivity boost. Launchy can be downloaded for free from launchy.net
Now, you should be good to go. To use your new setup you do the same first three steps as before. I.e. Use your Group Subscriber to show the list of avatar names, copy those avatar names to the clipboard, and open the Group Invitation dialog. The next step is to use launchy to run this application by pressing alt+space, followed by the first few letters of “Send Invites” (“Send” should be enough), and hit Enter. Sit back and watch while this tool loads, automatically grabs the names from the clipboard, and enters them one-by-one into the Group Invitation dialog. When it’s finished it’ll play a sound to let you know and automatically close itself. Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to buy Group Subscriber?
No, though it’s recommended because that’s what this tool was designed to work with. The only prerequisite is that there is a list of comma-separated avatar names sitting on the Windows clipboard. How they get there is up to you – you don’t necessarily have to use Group Subscriber to achieve this.
Where can I get Group Subscriber and what does it do?
This is a tool for sale at the Crystal Gadgets store in Second Life. It’s purpose is to allow visitors to easily join your group without having to hunt it down via search. Group Subscriber handles multiple groups, multiple admin, and notifies owner/admin of new group requests. It makes it much more convenient for visitors which means your group grows much quicker.
I have a problem with this tool, will you help?
I do not provide technical support for this application but feel free to send me questions and feedback and I’ll do my best time permitting.
Why provide this tool for free?
Although I’m a Windows developer, I’m not in the business of selling or supporting Windows software. It’s provided free and separately from Group Subscriber so that purchasing Group Subscriber is not a co-requiste to obtaining this application, and therefore you can not expect customer support for it. This is for reasons of time and logistics.
How many names can this tool handle in one go?
I have capped it at 100 names. It can technically handle thousands but that in itself would open this tool to abuse, hence the hard limit. This should be easily more than enough for legitimate use. If for some reason you have more than 100 names to add then just send them in batches of 100 names.
What other uses does this tool have?
You can also use it to move customers from one group to another. Maybe you want to change the group name for some reason (eg you renamed your business) and created a new group for this. Once you’ve obtained the names from the old group you can use this tool to send out invites to the new group in batches of 100. New in version 2.0 is the Importer tool which monitors the clipboard as you paste avatar names to it, presumably as you go through each member of the group and copy their name from their Profile page.
How do I obtain updates?
Visit the store in Second Life and click the download option on the vendor. Also be sure to join our Update group to be kept informed of updates to this tool along with new products as they’re released – Click the “Join Our Group” sign in the store. By default in v2.0 this tool will check for new versions when you launch it.
Is there a Mac/Linux version?
Afraid not. Also, VMWare, Parallels and CrossOver Mac do not work because while this tool is running in the virtual machine all the keystrokes only get applied to other applications running in that VM and has no effect on the host. Running Second Life in the VM too would have been ideal but even that doesn’t work, at least not with VMWare Fusion.
Will it work with Windows 2000 and Vista?
The tool was designed for Windows XP but has been verified as working on Vista. It should also work fine on 2000 but this hasnt been verified yet.
Will it work with Windows 95/98/Me?
Should do! Though I don’t think Second life itself is even compatible on those versions of Windows.
When I run the tool a blank name gets added to the invite list.
I think this is a bug that occasionally happens with the Group Invitation dialog. It will prevent you from sending the invites. If this happens please close the dialog and start afresh with a blank dialog. Alternatively you can manually delete the blank name from the list, but you may be missing one name from the list if you do it this way. UPDATE: I haven’t seen this issue for many months but leaving this info for completeness sake.
Why can’t I open the Excel spreadsheet?
This software supports the files downloaded from Second Life. But if you have trouble opening those files in other software this is likely because Second Life is currently using a very outdated file format. All versions of Excel and OpenOffice can open them, however other software like Apple Numbers only knows about BIFF8 format onwards (i.e. Excel ’97 onwards). To get around this just convert the file first using the free OpenOffice suite.
Sometimes it doesn’t work, why?
Adding names to the Group Invitation dialog in Second Life involves doing a search for each avatar name as they’re being added. If a sim is lagging then the search part can take longer than the macro allows and it tries to move on to the next name before the Second Life client is ready for it. To sidestep this issue just ensure that the sim is not lagging bad before you run the macro. You can check this by pressing Ctrl+Alt+1 and observe that the Time Dilation is close to 1.00. For example, a value of 0.50 or lower means the sim is performing badly at the time. Press Ctrl+Alt+1 again to remove the information. Alternatively you can tell the macro to allow a little more time for the search to be performed – Open the Send Invites tool and in Options change the “Search Delay” to a higher value.
History
Version 2.1
FIXED: Now works with Second Life 1.23. The Group Invitation dialog was redesigned so this tool has been adjusted accordingly.
NEW: The Options dialog now has a “Old Viewer” checkbox. If you’re still using Second Life 1.22 or older you must tick this option.
Version 2.0
NEW: Option to read transactions spreadsheets so you can send invites to recent customers.
NEW: Importer tool which monitors the clipboard and auto-pastes anything you copy there.
NEW: New sound alerts plus new options to customize the sound used.
NEW: Checks for software updates on launch.
Some minor tweaks to the UI and settings.
Version 1.1
Fix: Occasionally when attempting to cancel a running macro by bringing focus back to this app it carried on regardless.
Version 1.0
Initial Release.
'Theatre of War', by Giannis Piaggio, is a soulful rendition is Miso Susanowa's artwork of the same name, an award winning creation, part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!
Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.
Theatre Of War By Giannis Piaggio created for Machinimuwa IV
Art of the Artists
contest
L$10,000 AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION EVENT
Win a Share of L$10,000, A Spot on the Official Jury for MachinimUWA IV & Special RL Package from UWA which includes a 2012 RL only calendar which has accepted images from Second Life
Deadline: Midnight SLT 30th November
L$10,000 has been set aside for viewers who take part in a special participation event. We are asking everyone to watch the submissions and give us your TOP 10 machinima, in order of your preference (email jayjayaustralia@hotmail.com OR list them on a notecard to Jayjay Zifanwe - please put your name on the title of the notecard with the words MachinimUWA IV).
The 3 participants whose order comes closest to the final order decided by the judging panel, will win for themselves L$5,000, L$3,000 and L$2,000 each. The first prize winner will also be invited to be on the judging panel for MachinimUWA V (Mid-2012) and ALL 3 will receive in the mail a special pack that includes a 2012 RL only calendar which has accepted images from Second Life.
This is what the machinima challenge is about (all the machinima will be linked on the blog too)
http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/06/journey-continues-machinimuwa-iv-art-of.html
You should start watching now, but only submit a top 10 list after 10th November as thats the deadline for the machinima entries. In the interim..... as below is a list of entries so far:
Please note. This is different from the People's Choice Vote for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge:
http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/10/grand-finale-uwa-3d-open-art-challenge.html
MACHINIMUWA IV: ART OF THE ARTISTS
(In reverse Klingon alphabetical order)
CHIC AEON (Corvallis, Oregon, USA) - Shades of Gray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJFDg7kYQD4
NAKOTO EXONAR (Milan, Italy) - Inferno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JcUxDvw0Hc
GIANNIS PIAGGIO (Athens, Greece) - Theatre of War
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lFOE988Galc
BERT JEDBURGH (Mexico City, D.F., Mexico) - Treasure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6o36Z-lqfw&feature=youtu.be
HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - Yeah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiC2sYwDuJw&feature=player_embedded
Skip Oceanlane: Hello and welcome to another interview as part of Capital Exchange Corner. With me today is CEO Marishka Ixito of the Marix Group (MRG). Welcome :-)
Marishka Ixito: Thank you Skip, for offering me the opportunity to tell a bit more about my company. Let me start however with complimenting you on the phenomenal success of the exchange, which is a vey solid improvement to its previous incarnations, from what I can tell having read some about the history of financial institutions in SL
Skip Oceanlane: Thanks. It's truly been an amazing experience here so far since January when I took over. The success is because of people like you that have chosen to come aboard
Marishka Ixito: Ah well, I wouldn't want to take credit for the sucess myself, but it's been a very rewarding experience for me sofar.
Skip Oceanlane: So tell everyone a little bit about Marix Group
Marishka Ixito: Right, well, I started in SL late February 2010, so I am indeed no older than my avatar in Second Life. Pretty soon I got interested in building, and built my first garden I think in April/May of last year, then built my first house pretty soon after that, and from the compliments I got on both, I figured I might have a shot at the rental market. And that's how it started, with just 3 rentals at first, in July last year. from just 3 to 103 as of today, not a bad result I think :)
Skip Oceanlane: When you say 103 rentals, do you mean sims, or just lots on a sim?
Skip Oceanlane: Like how many different rentals do you have on one sim
Marishka Ixito: 103 rental units, Marix Group owns property on several sims, but there's just two sims that are owned entirely
Marishka Ixito: Marix has rentals that vary a great deal in size, the smallest skyboxes are just 12x16 meters, so really small, the largest beach homes sit on 3072 sqm
Skip Oceanlane: How many sims does Marix Group have renters on
Marishka Ixito: 12
Marishka Ixito: most of those are mainland sims, that Marix Group just owns a part of
Skip Oceanlane: And how is the rental market going with all the recent turmoil in the land market?
Marishka Ixito: Well, I'm not sure turmoil is the right word, but it sure hasn't been dull. My feeling is that there's a distinction to be made between "the landmarket" and the market for rental homes. The landmarket as such is subdued, and has been for a long time now, as witnessed by the landmass statistics for the whole of SL. However, the market for rental homes, although very competitive, hasn't suffered the same fate I think.
Marishka Ixito: Of course, to be able to be succesful, adding value is the key.
Skip Oceanlane: So you're saying that land rentals are still going very strong?
Marishka Ixito: No, what I'm saying is that the market for empty parcels is a difficult one, much more so than the market for skyboxes or beach homes, both unfurnished and furnished.
Skip Oceanlane: Well since you paid a L$50,000 dividend a few days ago, things have to be going at least OK for you :-)
Marishka Ixito: I really can't complain, that is right. The result for October has surpassed my expectations.
Skip Oceanlane: I also read in your Company Info section (http://slcapex.com/symbol/MRG/profile) that you deal with investments
Skip Oceanlane: How much of the company value would you consider this division as opposed to rentals is?
Marishka Ixito: hmm, well, the rental business is by far the most important, as it generates a large part of the revenue, and because I still see plenty opportunity for growth there. However, the investments provide a nice way to diversify the company income, and serves to mitigate the risks for investors
Skip Oceanlane: Roughly how many MRG Lindens do you currently have invested at CapEx?
Skip Oceanlane: Eh, scratch that one
Marishka Ixito: close to 1 million L$
Marishka Ixito: that's the portfolio value mind you, not what MRG put into it
Skip Oceanlane: Wow, that's a significant amount. That should help generate good monthly dividends especially after you add in the rental profits
Marishka Ixito: exactly
Skip Oceanlane: I see that you still own a large portion of the MRG shares. Are you working on releasing more shares to the public, or do you plan to hold onto your current shares?
Marishka Ixito: hmm, that's a good question. I may sell some more shares if there is demand for them, to increase liquidity somewhat. However, this will be done in accordance with the CEO code of conduct that was published in the MRG forum. Meaning I will not sell any personal shares in the open market
Skip Oceanlane: So you will only sell using the new Person to Person (P2P) Transfer?
Marishka Ixito: That is right, awesome new feature by the way.
Marishka Ixito: More importantly though, traders will know that in the open market, they will never trade with the MRG CEO
Skip Oceanlane: What changes and/or improvements would you like to see at Capital Exchange?
Marishka Ixito: Well, I would have to say the emphasis in my view should be on ironing out that last few bugs in the software. Other than that, a Capex index is sorely missing at this point.
Skip Oceanlane: I already developed the Capital Exchange Trading Index (CETI) - I'm just waiting to get it integrated into our website
Skip Oceanlane: It will measure the change in prices in relation to the IPO price
Marishka Ixito: I knew there was work ongoing, thought I'd give you the pass so you could score the goal :)
Skip Oceanlane: I'm still waiting to kick the ball ;-)
Skip Oceanlane: I have to wait for the goal to be constructed first LOL
Marishka Ixito: ah well, I am sure it will represent a significant improvement
Skip Oceanlane: I also would like to have charts and graphs integrated as well. The website is always going to be a work in progress
Marishka Ixito: as it should be, as long as there's no outages that's fine, but I think as far as stability of the website is concerned, nobody can have any complaints really
Skip Oceanlane: I spent extra money to upgrade the server when I took over in January, and it's proven to be a wise investment. It's been able to handle the thousands of new traders as well as the increased activity
Marishka Ixito: I'll come see you when I need someone with a crystal ball :)
Skip Oceanlane: If I had one of those, I'd be using it for the rl stock markets
Skip Oceanlane: What else can you tell potential investors about your stock, and why they should buy it?
Marishka Ixito: Well, to be honest I have been surprised by the interest in the MRG shares sofar, it has driven the shares up from the initial 0.80 L$ per share to 1.17 L$ as of today. People must have great confidence in the company. What I can say is that there's tremendous potential for growth. I will repeat though, that investors would be wise to avoid MRG if they're looking to make a quick buck. Expansion will put pressure on the profit developement temporarily
Skip Oceanlane: What are your dividend projections for the next 3-6 months?
Marishka Ixito: Now you're asking me to look in the crystal ball. Not sure it would be wise to do that. If the demand for the MRG rentals stays as good as it has been sofar though, a higher dividend can be anticipated eventually.
Skip Oceanlane: Not asking for you to fortell the future. Just asking if it's your goal to increase dividends, or hold them steady at where they are now
Skip Oceanlane: Some companies pay 100% of profit in dividends
Skip Oceanlane: others only pay a %
Skip Oceanlane: and others, like CAPX, try to maintain a particular level per share
Marishka Ixito: The intention is to offer a stable dividend that grows over time.
Skip Oceanlane: Sounds like a good policy :-)
Marishka Ixito: thank you Skip
Skip Oceanlane: Anything else you'd like to add?
Marishka Ixito: I think we've covered most. Maybe I could add that MRG will strive to offer investors a fair return on their investment, and that we look into the future confident that we can meet the challenge.
Skip Oceanlane: Well I'd like to thank you for answering my questions. If anyone reading this has any questions, please feel free to contact CEO Marishka Ixito in-world, or via e-mail at maris.dv@gmail.com
Today we have worked hard in the Garden.
"Strawberries for all", shouts Littlebird.
Admire what has grown in the space of our minds.
Rest with your humour...
It was only a matter of time, but Japanese developer, Fumi Iseki, and his team at Tokyo University have developed a way to stream real time animation from Microsoft’s Kinect to Second Life. In the Second Life Open Source developers group, he posted a link to the video demonstration:
“Hello everyone. We are developing the system of real time animation on SL with Kinect. Please see http://www.nsl.tuis.ac.jp/xoops/modules/x_movie/x_movie_view.php?cid=2&lid=33. Is this interesting?”
The answer is, “Hell yeah!” The video on the linked page shows a demo of a person using Kinect, which appears to stream in real time to a group of poseballs or attachments in Second Life. Previous Second Life-Kinect hacks have been very rudimentary, specific movements activating certain gestures or keystrokes (ie: instead of hitting Page Up to fly, you would raise your hands), but this seems to provide real time movement of the avatars that would appeal to the masses.
The demo shown is hacked locally through the viewer, meaning no one else would be able to see it, according to Fumi, “This is local Viewer only. For synchronize on network, modified of a server is required.”
Meaning for Second Life to take use of the Kinect, Linden Lab would have to release an update to the Second Life server code that would allow avatar animation to be streamed in real time. Presumably, a stream of animation data would be much like a stream of any other data, such as audio or video, and performance would be based on how much available bandwidth you have to receive or upload the stream of data.
Nevertheless, this opens up the door to a whole new world of possibilities for Third Party Viewers, Open Sim, and hopefully, Second Life.
If you are interested in this project you can follow its wiki which is still under construction at http://www.nsl.tuis.ac.jp/xoops/modules/xpwiki/?SLKinect.
