Open source Second Life add-ons still months away
Support for open source add-ons to Second Life that were first touted in January are still months away, according to Linden Lab, frustrating some open source efforts to improve the viewer software and the user experience.
Protecting real brand names in a virtual world
Fake Prada purses and knock-off Rolexes are usually sold on street corners, out of trenchcoats or the trunks of cars. But on Second Life, counterfeit goods can be found even in the swankiest malls and department stores.
The Price of Tying the Virtual Knot
Srv4u Conacher, 34, and Josi Nebestanka, 39, were recently married in a large, lavish ceremony. Nebestanka didn’t simply walk down the aisle; she floated down from the sky on a giant rose petal.
CORRECTED - Anshe Chung to open cross-platform financial exchange
Anshe Chung Studios said this weekend it plans to launch a cross-platform financial market and currency exchange that spans virtual worlds including Second Life and Entropia Universe by early next month.
Rosedale: Second Life economy probably more than just sex
Sexually explicit content and services probably don’t drive Second Life’s US$500 million virtual economy, but it’s difficult for anyone including Linden Lab to know for sure, Chief Executive Philip Rosedale said in an interview.
UK panel urges real-life treatment for virtual cash
Governments should apply real-world laws and regulations to virtual currencies in online worlds like Second Life to prevent potential money laundering, fraud and tax evasion, a report from a British advisory group said on Monday.
Business leaders press Linden Lab on Second Life glitches
Several hundred Second Life entrepreneurs and other residents have called for Linden Lab to deal with persistent technical faults before it rolls out new features, warning that “confidence is steadily being eroded” among the business community.
Artists struggle but don’t starve in Second Life
Making money isn’t any easier in Second Life than in real life, but in a world without hunger at least there aren’t any starving artists.
Linden Lab cracks down on Second Life casino ads
Linden Lab has banned classified ads and listings “that appear to relate to simulated casino activity,” amid increasing questions about the legality of virtual casinos and gambling in Second Life.
Offshore casino turns away U.S.-based avatars
PalmVegas.com bans U.S.-based avatars from its virtual casino to avoid breaking anti-gambling laws.
In legal limbo, Second Life poker rakes in profits
The Texas Hold’em poker craze has come to Second Life, but explosive growth may attract attention from law enforcement.
Amsterdam sold for US$50,000
The Amsterdam sims, a popular Second Life destination with canals, houseboats, and a sexually explicit red light district, sold on eBay for US$50,000 on Monday, one of the largest sales of a Second Life business by a private developer.
Hope Capital shares plunge amid Altman sell-off
Shaun Altman, the developer brought in through a merger to revive the World Stock Exchange last month, said on Monday he is stepping down from his day-to-day role and selling nearly one-third of his stake in its parent company.
Danish bank moves to offer trading in Second Life
Denmark’s Saxo Bank plans to offer Second Life residents the ability to manage their real-life financial portfolios from within the virtual world, and may eventually create a market to trade the Linden dollar against real-world currencies.
Linden lab eliminates subsidized “first land”
Linden Lab has ended a subsidized real estate program known as “first land,” which allowed new premium users to buy property for L$1 per meter.
CORRECTED: Top women’s apparel makers should raise prices: study
Well-known Second Life fashion retailers should consider raising their prices because consumers are willing to pay more for popular brands, according to a market research survey of the women’s clothing sector.
Hope Capital launches rival to Metaverse Stock Exchange
Australian entrepreneur Luke Connell — LukeConnell Vandeverre in Second Life — is set to unveil on Friday the World Stock Exchange, an automated trading floor that allows companies to sell shares to the public, taking on the established Metaverse Stock Exchange.
Details emerge on U.S. virtual world tax probe
A government economist has shed additional light on the U.S. congressional investigation into how tax law affects virtual economies.
Dutch bank ABN sets up branch in Second Life
AMSTERDAM, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Dutch bank ABN AMRO NV became the latest enterprise to tap into the growing popularity of Second Life, by opening a branch on Friday inside the Internet-based virtual world.
ABN AMRO, the Netherlands’ biggest bank, said it will create a virtual bank resembling ABN’s real-life outlets, offering financial advice.
ABN said it [...]
Anshe Chung battles ‘PR hype’ with some of her own
MENGJING, Second Life, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Real estate and development magnate Anshe Chung struck back against what she called “PR-vapor-hype” with a public relations barrage of her own on Tuesday, holding a press conference to discuss her recent claim that she has amassed US$1 million worth of assets in Second Life.
