Crazy avatar designs?

Well, there are plenty. As you know. But yesterday I ran into an avatar that really must have been inspired by the movie Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. This is really a killer rabbit !! If you see it ... RUN !!!

Or ... I talked to him and he's really a nice bunny, deep deep inside. Feel free to stay and pay him a compliment. :-)

Showing some skin

It was the last day of the first week of the Givenchi Skin Expo, and IC-Skins’ penultimate performance at the Givenchi sim. A runway fashion show, with beautiful models walking nakedly up and down the runway, showing off the breathtaking new skins on offer from this talented designer. All around are the style savvy slers, and of course a newspaper reporter with his finger on the pulse, covering the whole shebang. But I never expected to be covering it FROM the runway, dressed in only a thong, with everyone looking up at me.



The reason for my predicament? The designer and force behind IC-Skins, Ina Centaur, who I've known for some time in SL, contacted me half an hour before the show, as one of her models had let her down, and wondered if I'd be so kind as to take off all my clothes, put on one of her skins, and strut my stuff for the viewing public. Never wanting to leave a friend in need, and being in possession of absolutely no shame, I headed on down. I did manage to convince Ina that the sight of my wearing a thong, rather than showing off every part of my manly form, might distract less from the skin I was wearing. After all, the skins do deserve attention. Ina has managed to create skins that take avatar photo realism to a whole new level, and while they may not be what everyone wants to wear, with the desire for a more fantastical look in SL than RL, the skins are truly breathtaking, and will be sure to raise the bar in skin design throughout SL. Just one look at the celebrity skin in the line, a certain Matt Damon (see below), is as near to a perfect digital representation of the person in question as I could imagine. And the non celebrity skins, like the one I was wearing, "Ikem", (Described as "a pianist who dreams with his music. He has soft eyes, and thick emotional eyebrows; he looks almost Eurasian" and as with the other male skins in the line has "pronounced collarbones, hairy armpits, innee bellybutton, round behind, and an explicit tan line.") also carry a breath of reality, with worn hands, rosy faces, freckles, and even the odd minor blemish, just like us rl folk.

Apparently someone was filming the entire event, and the movie will be posted on Ina's website, http://www.inacentaur.com/ as soon as it, and the site are ready, so keep an eye out for a chance to see me showing some skin for all to see. Just not mine. ;)

(Thank you to Santanna Surya for assisting me with her photography skills while I was trying to make it up and down the runway)

Tangle The Gadgetman

Name: HPC Teleport system

Made by: Thomas Conover

Cost: 790L$ (Free demo available)

There are a lot of teleport systems in Second Life, from freebies all the way up to expensive server based solutions for commercial operations. Some are easy to set up, and adjust or add too, others almost impossible without a degree in astral navigation.
Recently there have appeared a number of systems all having ease of set up as their main claim to your linden. Thomas Conover has added such a system to his extensive range of excellent SL gadgets.
Its is called the HPC system, and if you can rez and rename objects in SL you can use this it really is that simple.
It consists of a copyable 2 prim teleport pad which you rez where you want your destinations. Rename each pads object name to something easy to remember (home, garden, skybox etc) and err thats it. You have a basic fully functional teleport network. No juggling vectors, editing notecards or anything else. It just works.
If you decide you want your Home telepad somewhere else just move it. It updates itself.
Of course things CAN get more interesting. If you click and hold your mouse for a few seconds on a pad you get an admin menu, where you can make individual pads group access, or access list (each pad can get its own list) even one way or invisible. Need more than one telepad with the same access list or config ? No problem - edit as needed and take a copy back to inventory to rez where required.
You can also change the teleport effect a user experiences - 2 are built in, a simple light beam or a cool hovering ufo which sticks a round for a few seconds when you land! You can also copy/mod your own custom effects.
Theres more - each pad can scan for people and record how often it is used. A plugin module included in the package rezzes a 3D 'holographic' real time display of your network so you can see at a glance your layout, whos around it and what each pads settings are.
One thing it currently isnt usable for is 'pay to teleport' requirements, howeevr as the whole system can be updated using a special update drone without interefering with your existing pads I am sure Thomas would consider adding this if asked.
Overall I have never before used such an easy, comprehensive teleport system. It can cover a whole sim, and I have had it running all the way from ground level to over 700M. It also seems to be able to move though (around?) parcel banlines.

Highly recommended.

Where to buy: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Titian/134/244/251 (or at one of the many commision vendors around SL!)

Tangle The Gadgetman

Ever Wonder ......

Ever wondered how a spaceship can be hidden in a box ?
Below the box that was floating in the sky !


Below here whats in the box :

Decorating Your Head

ARE THESE the spikiest and longest hair styles you've seen?

Show us your pics of some of the visions you've caught sight of. You never know, we might just have one of our famous hair suppliers give us a prize to give away!

Mysteries behind Mysti's mystitool Cont..........

Someone somewhat already gave it away few days ago [looks at Miralee]
but I got the "brilliant" (note the "" ) idea to review one of my gadgets I have 24/7 on me.
Main reason: I'm one happy client.
What gadget? Well, the Mystitool made by Mystical Cookie.

The looks are very: simple circles with the keyword of its function as a button,avatar scanner topside the HUD
(can tell you what avatars are in the area of 96m around you or 20m in sleep mode).
Upon purchase, you get:

- The implant: Which is by default worn on your right pec.
- Land Relay: Think object allows you to remotely control your sim.
- Settings backup: VERY usefull for when using an update. Rez and follow instructions.
- Sleeper: Blessing for lagging Sims.

One more thing: using some nifty trick, mystitool ALSO functions in no-script land!

Now up for the part youre most likely most interested in then
Functions/buttons/and whatnot:

EVERYBODY likes buttons, right?
Well, buckle up, Mystitool has a load of em, and you'll be in
for a good time with em.
3 (menu) PAGES, including 2 scrolling buttons per page. Making 10 buttons per page.
Total of 30!

PAGE 1:

Landmarks:
Allowing you to store your lm’s in the HUD
Rezzers:
A good section for those who are active in building and the like, with many functions including:
- Posing DLX: A heavens gift for clothing and armor developers.
This posting stand not only lets you use the default standing pose, but many, many more poses!
- AV follow: A sim guide's favorite, this rezzes a chair, like the table chairs, but follows any avatar on your command. Even yourself!
Rez multiple ones and let the visitors take a seat. Nobody will complain about visitors falling behind.
- Platform: This is very handy when you want to rez a platform really quick, right under your feet!
Privacy:
A Superb array of functions allowing you to scan within various ranges, in order to make sure your conversations remain private.
Favorites:
This works like the Landmark system, but lets you add one mark on a whim.
TP History:
Speaks for itself, records your latest teleports and allows you to return to them.
Non-Phys:
The famous non-physical vehicle. This nifty things is for sitting, and then lets your avatar look like its walking normally. Ideal versus orbiters, non-phys bullets and the likes. A very promising function.
Emote:
A global favorite, every decent SLer has an emote gadget somewhere in their inventory. This one packs out with two pages of 18 emotes!
Posing:
An unnecessary function, but handy when youre still in need of a quick posing stand. Its also implemented in the 'rezzers' section.
Movelock:
An improved version of the anti-push script. Good when in combat area's or the likes...

PAGE 2:

Land Cmds:
Using the given land relay object to control your sim, this button must be your 'hand of god'. (Be sure to DEED the object on group owned land.)
Functions include:
- Unsit: lets you unsit ANY avatar in your sim.
- Ban_Key: same as banning, but instead you ban their avatar Key.
- Music: Change the music, your in control now!
Offensive:
Admit it, you’ve all been WAITING for this one. Functions include:
- Trap: play god, trap another avatar without even needing the admin perms of the land.
- Drag: Same like trap, but its inivisible and allows you to drag the avatar around at will. Caging at a whole new level.
- Crush: Crushes the 'chosen' avatar on the ground.
AV Toys:
My favorite section. A big shock to others, especially in no-script land where they don't expect weird stuff to happen... Allows you to track ANY avatar in the sim, send a pop up menu to any avatar in range, SAY anything as any person OR object and using “Stand”, my personal favorite, find a victim, and immediately and PERFECTLY stand on their head. Able to think of anything funnier??
SL URL:
Gives you two different kinds of SLurl's AND a url of a picture of the area youre in.
URL catch:
This handy thing upon activation will popup all URL's said in the global chat.

PAGE 3: wow, almost there...

Flight:
The flight assistant.
Collide:
It detects all collisions, be it either avatar or (scripted) objects.
Handy to see, when RPing, if someone is using the allowed bullet version.
Idle set:
Did I buy that anti-idle orb for nothing?
Sleep:
A unique function. This forecast button reduces usage, lowering the lag and temporarily switches off unnecessary functions.

Mystical Cookie was kind enough to lend me the permission to review it,
but couldn't give side-comments of her own due to her lack of rest.
We at the paper wish her a good night sleep.

Oh yeah, Mysti's main shop is here:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blumfield/23/145/297

Win 10.000 lindens from Dea Mills

Second Life model gives SL "Newbies" and residents the opportunity to win $10,000 and a date with a model.
Model, Dea Mills has created a contest that offers newcomers to Second Life and residents a chance at winning $10,000 and a date!
If they prefer, the winner can give the date to a friend as a gift.
The contest ends 6 p.m. PDT, August 17.
Residents can enter by following instructions on the General tab in Mills profile.
Mills is available via IM most days and nights. "I always feel bad for new people to Second Life, because they often don't have money and we all know how terrible "newbie" clothing and hair looks. It's a catch 22; how do you look better without money, but how do you get enough money to really change your appearance, so you'll get hired for a decent job?
It takes forever doing the "camping" thing. One of my girlfriends and I were talking about that problem one night, and we said somebody should do something to help new people. Later that night, I came up with this contest to try to help," said Mills.
The contest will also assist Mills in assessing public opinion of her own skills as a fashion model; the only requirement of the contest is each contestant is asked to take a look around SL at existing models, then examine the portfolio of Mills. If contestants feel that Mills is of supermodel status, they simply say so with a couple of sentences.
All contestants are entered, and have an equal chance of winning, regardless of whether they prefer the work or Mills or not. Dea Mills photos are available upon request.
CONTACT: Dea Mills
Footnote "I've been asked why I included a date as a prize, and I've been accused of being haughty, arrogant, and stuck on myself for doing it" said SL model, Dea Mills.Mills offered the following explanation for her date offer. "Please understand I don't think I am a better person than anybody, and I am not haughty or stuck on myself. After much thought, I decided to include a date as a prize, because I get asked a lot. Also, I thought that if a newcomer to SL won, it might boost their spirits, since most Newbies get rejected by more established individuals."

'The Gadgetman' review

Name: Contester Board
Maker: Lava Inside
Cost: 200L$
Permissions: Mod/Transfer
Prims: 34
I love Gadgets, hence my title. However what I love most are gadgets which do what they set out to do with the minimum of fuss and unnecessary frills.
Club competitions are one of those things where a host just needs things to 'do it' and not make them remember loads of commands.
A recent device I found reduces one of the main activities in SL club life to lets say 3 button clicks. Its so simple even Tangle can host a competition without fouling up, wow !
Basically it covers just about all the bases for a club board, display name of competition and names of entrants, opening voting closes off entry to last minute chancers, easy click the name to vote, and auto payout of winners.
The fascia is texture mod'able and the package comes supplied with 9 premade textures to customise your look.
The maker also has a free box of around 17 extra textures at his store, and at least one of the popular aftermarket skin makers (Enchanted Realm Designs) have told me they intend to support it with the possibility of club personalised textures etc.

Drawbacks - a couple.
As is common with all 'letter rezzing' devices it can be quite slow to update. Not a fault of this particular board, but something all similar systems have in common.
Also the board as it stands cannot remove entrants who are no longer present at the venue. However a quick im to its maker (Lord Leafblower) and he assures me that :
"Lord Leafblower: v2 will indeed feature removal and gated voting controlled by the host. and will be supplied to existing owners for free."

To sum up a great piece of club equipment, that does exactly what it needs to do and no more, for a great price.
Once the entrant removal system is in place this will be a very desirable accessory to run Club events.
LM : http://slurl.com/secondlife/Payens/187/185/751

Tangletwigs "The Gadget Man"