show #69: the young person’s guide to svvr 2015

the drax files radio hour

show #69

two days of goggle madness in san jose: the vrexpo on 40k square meters at the san jose convention center wrapped tuesday night.

drax & assistant were there for one day & got a good sense of the state of vr in 2015:

if you have the time, read on please:

– our new sponsor dutchie

dutchie’s stuff in sl is just awesome

– ben lang from roadtovr moderates an interesting panel on consumer vr:

– valve’s basestation for positional tracking = the lighthouse!

little drax interviews kite & lightning founder ikrima because he looks like his dad’s avatar

– fove eyetracking headset = great start on kickstarter

non sequitur = cybermind ad = the best pitch for exiting rl

– my fave: nonny’s company emblematic group makes a trayvon martin experience

nonny and partner at their booth

– xxarray captures you in 3d and puts you into a…

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show #68: minecraft in the classroom = better than sl?

New Drax Files Radio Hour episode with an interview with Hamlet Au regarding the Atlas Obscura article and a wonderful story about using Minecraft in schools, not to be missed!

the drax files radio hour

show #68

dear listeners, if you want to go straight to german high school teacher mirek hancl explaining how he uses minecraft to engage 6th to 12th graders, skip to 35:00 in the show.

for those who want to know everything about the recent drama regarding second life journalism – please listen straight from the top:

after your listening pleasure = read on for context as per usual?

– the atlas obscura article that started it all

atlas obscura on sl

– hamlet’s post in response & honour mcmillan’s rebuttal of the response

cica ghost’s balloons – art without deviant sex [by ziki quesit] – d/l unedited 30 min convo with hamlet [if you have the time & don’t trust us!]

– last week’s show also had to do with journalism…just saying…

– our musical guest slimmie

slimmie formerly slim warrior

– mirek hancl teaches minecraft [he appears in “virtualize it!” from…

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Next chapter of Ole Etzel’s Berlin film series premiered

A new video made by Ole Etzel, recorded in my 1920s Berlin Project!

The 1920s Berlin Project

Well known machinima maker Ole Etzel has finished chapter two of his film series ‘Ein Deutsche Geschichte’ (A German tale).
It tells the story of a simple Berlin family during the last century. From the first world war to the Weimar Republic, through the dark years into the cold war.

It was shot in our 1920s Berlin Project sim and features many residents of our community.

We’re very proud to have been able to help Herr Etzel with his project and with its result.

The film was premiered today at our Babylon cinema on Unter den Linden, we thank Fraulein McMahon for her hospitality and work as manager.

We look forward to the next chapter of the series even though we foresee dark clouds ahead for the family.

Both chapters can be seen in our Babylon cinema in The 1920s Berlin Project for the next couple of days, or online.

Enjoy…

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The 1929s May Day Riots are coming to Second Life

It is that time again, things are going to get violent in Berlin.

The 1920s Berlin Project

During the first days of May we will be re-enacting an infamous riot that took place in RL Berlin 1929.

In this blog post you will find information about what is going to happen in our sim and the historical background to the real riots.
The 1929 Berlin riots in our Sim

We will try and recreate the real 1929 riots as realistically as we can with the limited options SL offers us.
Our sim is not like the Wild West, we are not a combat sim, so please make sure you know the projects rules and understand them before you take part in the madness of May 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

On May 1st at around 2PM SLT German Communists and sympathizers will gather outside the KPD HQ in the narrow Mieze Gasse, a side street of Friedrichstrasse.
There are rumours that the mayor has given permission for the march…

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show #64: pathfinder

The latest Drax Files Radio Hour episode;

the drax files radio hour

show #64

john “pathfinder” lester formerly linden was creating communities for people with disabilities at harvard medical school when 3d persistent virtual worlds and vr headsets were still a dream and/or simply way to expensive to ever get into the hands of the average user.

in the early days at the lab he was instrumental in explaining a concept that was [and is] quite esoteric for many stakeholders in education and the medical field.

times have changed but pathfinder is still focusing on the secret sauce of virtual worlds: the people whose dreams we are allowed to step into.

listen and be inspired:

more for your reading pleasure below:

– john “pathfinder” lester, formerly of linden lab:

rezzing a cube at SIGGRAPH ’06

– originator of brain talk communities:

– facilitator for marvelous projects at ll such as the adventures of wilde cunningham

[profile from cbs news 2008 >>> http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/new-life-in-cyberspace/ ]

–…

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show #61: ranting with niran

New Drax Files Radio Hour episode!

the drax files radio hour

show #61

everyone can create an sl viewer and niran actually did it: a young self-taught german furry and tinkerer sprung into action indeed.

so behold, because today: the man behind black dragon!

want to read? below please:

– ready player oneto be directed by steven spielberg

Aech’s Chatroom in SL [pic by Austin Tate] – but when checked today = no more ready player one reference in sl….

aech’s chat room in sl is no more

– 360-degree videos on youtube

– facebook is going the same route [and beyond?]

– what if sl go would be a premium feature? [sl go pro???]

sl official and sl fs go

– fun at the magic leap office:

– age of starlight coming this summer [perhaps magic leap premiere?]

– ciaran laval on improbable

another ex-linden at the competition [improbable in this case] – my high fidelity world is up…

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show #60: oz + ebbe = full steam ahead

A new Draxfiles radio hour episode;

the drax files radio hour

show #60

today on the show = linden ceo ebbe altberg reveals next gen vw secrets & director of sl engineering oz linden [at 35:25] confidently addresses educators at vwbpe.

exciting times:

detailed reading linkage below as per usual:

– daniel voyager summarizes the main points of ebbe linden’s keynote

ebbe in suit at vwbpe

– inara pey transcribes ebbe’s speech [how does she do it?]

half rezzed sl 2015..

– marxent labs has the holodeck [trademarked?]

– apple might bring style to ar wearables

– new ctrlaltstudio viewer [with oculus support] out now!

– conceptual artist or troll? you be the judge!

is this really NEW media?

– hitbox vs twitch = where do you stand?

drax on hitbox

– birth and vr = yes it is for real!

– no more linden $ on other grids

– our musical guest jordan reyne

jordan reyne

– our guest oz…

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show #58: beau hindman has seen it all!

the drax files radio hour

show #58

game journalist beau hindman has been in second life since 2004 and knows what he is talking about. that is why we have him, finally! also = gdc is full of head mounted displays and free render engines. good or bad or neutral news for sl/ll? you be the judge:

read, watch, listen:

– our new partner gorean whip radio

– gdc in sf wrapped but karl krantz from svvr will discuss the details next week

– the leading oculus killers from =

– gameface labs:

gameface labs ep1 head mounted console

– osvr:

osvr hmd

– htc & valve = htc vive:

– sony morpheus:

sony morpheus [pic by sony/bbc] – and apple? where are they?

apple patents [pic by apple insider] – on the content making side = things are now FREE:

– valve’s source2 is FREE & unity5 is FREE as…

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show #57: teaching in sl = dancing with the power points?

the drax files radio hour

show #57

today’s show title is [obviously!] a play on the [most common?] educational use of second life & yes, while we are painting with a broad brush again, let us be honest – have you not been invited to a dance party where folks ran through a power point at the same time? jo and i sure have!

anyways: enjoy an hour of nuance on the subject and feed on the great insight from prisilla “silly” avro, passionate elementary school teacher & virtual model, who embraces technology in education as long as it is not used to “drill & kill”:

now read onward for even more parsing of the issue:

– drax is now obsessed with charlie brooker [and has a playlist of “the black mirror” on youtube]

thank you for coming to my rez day party [thx to berry for taking pics]

pokute burt’s rez day card

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Happy Rez Day Ebbe!

Tags

ebbe linden, rezday

Today is Ebbe Linden’s 1st rez day and what a year it has been.

He opened up the Linden Lab doors to let the Lindens back out into the world and opened up the windows for us to look inside the “Lab” a bit more.
I still think they should wear white coats and have a few flasks, bunsen burners and glass pipes filled with bubbling goo before they can call it a lab.

He himself has been running around Second Life quite a bit and has generally made a good impression amongst Second Life residents but also in the RL media.

He has been very active but in some ways he is still a bit of a noob…

His avatar isn’t that interesting, it doesn’t show all the things possible with avatars these days, I’m not sure he’s changed his hair or even clothes in months!
Then again… neither have I.
Yes, I know, its his birthday, I could send him a nice, oh I don’t know, 1920s suit or something… but I’m Dutch and we cloggies don’t like spending money.
We got a nice mesh freebie waiting for him in Berlin though.

And his profile?

Well Ebbe, it is still a bit empty, you really should fill it up with groups (like 1920s Berlin of course), favourites, semi philosophical quotes and poetry to appear intelligent,  some naughty picture, something vague yet funny about your real life, a rude or witty quote from some chat you had ages ago and of course a disclaimer about people sharing chat outside SL even though its not in the ToS.

Anyway, congratulations Herr Linden, lets hope the next year is going to be as interesting and fun as the first year!