For a limited time only, you can save big on a Premium Membership. Upgrade before August 23 and enjoy 50% off the normal monthly membership cost!*

New Perk: Live Chat with the Linden Lab Concierge Support Team

Premium Members are entitled to many benefits, including a weekly stipend of L$300, a private Linden Home, the ability to join more groups and view more missed IMs, exclusive free gifts and experiences, and more.

Starting today, Premium Members can now receive support by live chatting directly with the Linden Lab Concierge Support team. This is the same team of Lindens that Estate owners speak to when they need help, and now all Premium Members have access to this level of support.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of going Premium and upgrade your account today to take advantage of this great deal.

*TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR 50% DISCOUNT This limited-time discount offer is available only for purchases of memberships on the Monthly billing plan. Discount will be applied to the first monthly billing cycle only, and all future charges will be at the regular Premium price ($9.95 USD, excluding VAT where applicable). Sign-up bonus will be paid upon 45 consecutive days of membership. To qualify, Second Life members must have an active Basic account or create a new Second Life account. Discount offer begins on Monday the 17th of August at 8:00 am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and expires on Monday the 24th of August 2015 at 8:00 am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).

The Second Life community mourns the passing of friend, colleague, and mentor - Lumiere Noir.

For information about his contributions and legacy in Second Life, take a moment to read these insightful reflections from other members of the Second Life community who have been impacted by Lumiere's work, as well as the comments and memories being shared on his profile.

Ciaran Laval

Inara Pey

New World Notes

Daniel Voyager

Visit the The Ivory Tower Libeary of Primitives - Lumiere's long standing Creator resource where Residents are paying their respects.

Ivory Tower Library of Primitives

This self-guided, self-paced, comprehensive building tutorial also includes a weapons testing area and safe sandboxes where you can try out your newly-acquired skills.

Visit in Second Life

How well do you get to know the people that you meet in Second Life? If you’re Tom Boellstorff - probably a great deal more than most! As a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California: Irvine and digital ethnographer inworld, Tom has spent much of his 12 years in Second Life getting to know the people he’s encountered.

In this episode of the Drax Files, Tom discusses avatar identity, the use of virtual worlds for gameplay and self exploration, and why referring to offline life as ‘real life’ poses a problem when studying technology like Second Life.

Want to see more personal Second Life stories? Find all the previous episodes of The Drax Files: World Makers at Draxtor’s Website, at the links below, or subscribe to our YouTube channel:

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 1: Kriss Lehmann
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 2: Jo Yardley
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 3: Eshi Otawara
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 4: Fantasy Faire / RFL
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 5: Engrama

Honoring the people and the places in Second Life is one of the things the Second Life Destination Guide strives to do. You may discover someone or some place that you’d otherwise not find. So do yourself a favor and be sure to log in and find a new place and make new friends.

Love, Henry

Inspired by a new real life discovery, what if Henry VIII had canceled Anne Boleyn's execution? In this "new" love story from LEA artist Tahiti Rae, you can take the path almost taken.

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New Tokyo - Japanese Cyber City

New Tokyo is set in a near future Japanese Cyber City. Here you'll find fabulous neo lights signs as far up as the eye can see and numerous skyscrapers offering many apartments. There is plenty to do here as you explore arcades, cinemas, a run down junk yard, bowling alley and more. There's also a night club hosting regular events and ample shops to spend your hard earned L$'s on.

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Transylvania - Vampire Empire Turns 11

Give in to your dark side and enjoy a week of Gothic-themed events as part of Transylvania’s eleventh birthday celebration. Transylvania is now one of the oldest communities in SL and features a thriving social scene where everyone is welcome. With live music, DJ’s, stage performances, a gothic formal ball and red carpet parties, there is plenty to see. Runs August 7th to August 13th.

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1700's Pirates and Navy

Pirates Destiny is a nine-sim sailing estate, all connected by water. Pirates, Navy, natives, aristocrats and mermaids are part of this world and roleplay is unlimited. A forest level connects all nine sims, making it perfect for riding horses.

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Art Auction in Memory of Kylie Jaxxon

Participate in an auction in honor of late Second Life resident Kylie Jaxxon (The Trace). Bid on great art to help raise funds for the American Cancer Society through August 10.

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The Lexi Project Fundraiser Party

Join the fun as The Lexi Project fundraiser event continues with a two-day live music event, held Aug. 7-8. This event features several top SL deejays and a live performance from Bad Ampitude. More info at thelexiproject.wordpress.com.

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Edgar Allan Poe's House of Usher

The Edgar Allan Poe House of Usher is the newest literary simulation by Literature Alive! Set your sky to midnight, and enter the creepy house to learn about 7 of Poe's famous tales! Search for 10 treasure chests, answer trivia, and win prizes...if you dare.

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That’s it for this edition of Destination Guide Highlights. If you think your spot should be added to the Destination Guide, drop us a note using the Destination Guide suggestion form. Share Second Life pics to the Official Second Life Flickr page.

The Destination Guide returns with more spectacular spots for you to peruse for your pleasure. There’s no shortage of amazing builds and events happening right now in Second Life — and we’re happy to present you with just a sampling of goodies fresh on the Grid. From a mysterious, dino-infested place where the past, present and future collide, to painstakingly detailed historic builds, you’re in for some serious virtual time travel. See you inworld!

PaleoQuest

Play PaleoQuest, Second Life’s new dinosaur adventure, for fun and prizes! Collect ancient artifacts, rocks, and more as you explore the island - then redeem them for gifts and even Linden Dollars!

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1867 The Virtual Pfaffenthal

Travel back to the year 1867 and visit an expansive virtual replica of Pfaffenthal in Luxembourg City. This project is part of an exhibition at the Luxembourg City History Museum, but you can also explore from home in Second Life.

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Seasons of Life

Seasons of Life represents a person's life cycle combined with the scientific seasons of the Earth. This exhibition is by Johannes1977 Resident and is located on LEA4.

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The Egg

Visit The Egg, a new beautiful LEA installation by Livio Korobase. Of course, since there is an egg – there are also chickens. There’s a lot to see and play with here, but we recommend you ride the paper airplane.

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Aphrodite Summer Market

The Aphrodite Summer Market has summer living rooms and furniture, beach wares, new camping and summer BBQ and so much more!

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London City's 6th Birthday

London City celebrates its 6th birthday! Throughout August enjoy live events, weekend concerts, fun fair, vintage memorabilia hunt and themed collectibles from six years in Second Life. Details at mainlandlondon.blogspot.co.uk

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Magellan Linden put the moles to work building a theme park on the latest hunk of land discovered in Second Life… but something’s gone horribly wrong!

Uncover the mystery of a menacing plan and explore six exciting regions teeming with dinosaurs and valuable collectibles in PaleoQuest. The evil Dr. Talpa has mangled space and time - colliding past, present, and future into a single point in time - which happens to be at the PaleoQuest Theme Park. Are you the dashing hero the world needs to stop Dr. Talpa from taking over? The rewards are great - but so is the risk! Dare the treacherous obstacles that lay in waiting,  and uncover a wealth of hidden tools and items that will aid you in your quest for fame and adventure. Fortune may await those with bravery and determination - you can redeem your findings for prizes and Linden Dollars!*

You’re Really Going to Dig This!

Each zone of the park contains its own challenges and collectibles. Finish one in order to unlock the next.Track your status on your HUD as you complete main quests. It won’t be easy! Each turn could hold unknown threats like quicksand, falling rocks, flesh-eating plants, or dangerous dinosaurs. Oh, did we forget to mention those? Try to avoid any and all of these risks - as an encounter could mean losing your collectibles.

Think you’re ready to take on PaleoQuest? Just take your ticket to the entrance and leave your fear at the gate!

PaleoQuest

Play PaleoQuest, Second Life’s new dinosaur adventure, for fun and prizes! Collect ancient artifacts, rocks, and more as you explore the island - then redeem them for gifts and even Linden Dollars!

Visit in Second Life

A full tutorial video on how to play PaleoQuest is available

*Provided on a commercially reasonable, “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties or conditions of any kind. Linden Lab does not ensure continuous or error-free access, use or availability of any content, prize, reward, feature, gameplay or server and may change, modify, disable, suspend, or remove any such content, prize, reward, feature, gameplay, or server at its sole discretion.

One of the greatest things about Second Life is its community! From banding together to help a fellow Resident in need, to building incredible experiences, events, and more — this community is an incredible reminder about how amazing each of us has the potential to be. That is just one of the reasons we love presenting the Second Life Destination Guide Highlights each week. Stay tuned to our social media channels for more Residents-helping-Residents events opening this weekend.

Show your support and log inworld to see all the wonderful things happening, but take some extra time to stop by a few of these high points going on right now in Second Life!

The Lexi Project

Explore top designs and shop for a good cause on July 26 at The Lexi Project, a charity event dedicated to helping one of SL's designers, Lexi Zelin, in her fight against cancer. All items proceeds will be donated directly to Lexi to help offset the cost of her medical bills and assist with her families needs during this time.

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Beowulf & King Arthur's Court @ Camelot

Beowulf & King Arthur's Court @ Camelot is the newest build of Literature Alive! This free interactive build hosts Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Lady of Shallot and the Knights of the Round Table. Residents can take the "Knights Quiz" to determine if they are worthy of the role! Residents can also visit the Grand Hall and learn of the trials of Beowulf, the mighty hero, and win treasures for trivia!

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Okinawa Summer Festival 2015

Explore 40 shops and join the fun at the Okinawa Summer Festival, held through August 24.

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SOS Kinderdorf Griechenland

Experience live music and contribute to a good cause in this multi-day German language charity event, held through Aug. 3. Unter diesem Motto veranstaltet das SL - Planetarium und die Freie Bibliothek PEGASUS ein Benefiz - Event. buktomblog.blogspot.de/2015/07/sos-kinderdorf-griechenland-das-event.html

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Le Quartier Francais

This beautiful French-inspired sim is decorated with taste and harmony for all the photography lovers, shoppers and fashionistas. Explore beyond all the little details and discover the hidden details in this magnificent shopping environment.

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BamBoo Beach

Come enjoy the beach and nature in this tropical setting, which features occasional beach dance parties,campfires under the stars, romantic spots, amazing dance areas and more.

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Don’t forget to post your Second Life pics to the Official Second Life Flickr page.

That’s it for this edition of Destination Guide Highlights. If you’d like to be considered for the Destination Guide, be sure to hit us up via the Destination Guide suggestion form.

Still trying to get into Hair Fair 2015? Fret not — your good friends over at the Second Life Destination Guide have got your back. Stop by the Relay for Life of Second Life event this weekend and support a great cause! Find out more about their fundraising efforts and events at their website.

That’s not the only thing going on in Second Life right now — so here’s a handful of experiences you should get to when you next log in.

Relay For Life of Second Life

Relay For Life of Second Life's relay weekend runs from July 18th through the 19th. Come join the largest event in Second Life and raise money for cancer research. Full schedule at relayforlifeofsecondlife.org/event-day

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Kustom9

Explore the exclusive creations of 66 designers in the latest round of Kustom9, a recurring fashion/design event in Second Life.

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Wayward Carnival

You are invited to the the Wayward Carnival featuring over 50 of the most renown designers, builders, and creators in all of Second Life! The Wayward Carnival, held through July 30, spotlights all the designer exclusives as well as a working carnival!

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Tristan und Isolde

Giovanna Cerise was inspired by "Tristan and Isolde," the drama of love par excellence, to create this installation. A lunar atmosphere and romantic environment welcomes you to the soundtrack music of Richard Wagner.

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LICK

The McFly Project - Step into the past and explore the world that once was and find your way in to the future. Just be careful to watch your step along the way.

Visit in Second Life

Don’t forget to post your Second Life pics to the Official Second Life Flickr page.

There are just a few days left to enter our snapshot contest. You could win L$10,000 by snapping pics of your free SL12B commemorative avatar. Grab an avatar off the Marketplace for exactly L$0!

That’s it for this edition of Destination Guide Highlights. If you think your spot should be added to the Destination Guide, be sure to hit us up via the Destination Guide suggestion form.

As part of Second Life’s 12th birthday celebrations, Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg (aka Ebbe Linden in SL) sat down inworld with Saffia Widdershins and Jo Yardley for a "Meet the Lindens" interview. You can watch the video below, and Inara Pey has written up a transcript you can read here.

You can

The interview ended with some audience Q&A, but there wasn’t time to get to all of the audience questions, and of course not everyone was able to watch the interview live in the auditorium and ask their questions.

So, today we’re opening up a new Forum thread to address some of the questions we didn’t get to and to give everyone an opportunity to ask their own. We’ll answer some of the frequently-asked questions we spotted in local chat at the "Meet the Lindens" interview at the top of the thread, but feel free to add your own questions to the forum thread and Ebbe and other Lindens will endeavor to answer as many as we can. Join us in the Forums, here.

Mark your calendars and set your DVRs: an upcoming episode of the popular daytime talk show, Dr. Phil will feature Second Life and some comments from Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg (Ebbe Linden in SL). The episode is slated to air on Tuesday, July 14, and you can find your local listings through the Dr. Phil website.

Be sure to catch the very beginning of the show - you won’t want to miss Dr. Phil controlling his avatar live on what’s very likely the largest monitor Second Life has ever run on (40 feet wide!).

The episode is focused on helping a young man who is sadly struggling with a number of problems, including an addiction to playing an online game. He’s not a Second Life user, nor is Second Life presented on the show as a negative experience. Instead, it’s shown as an example of how far digital experiences have come from the days of Pac-Man and Pong, and Ebbe briefly speaks with Dr. Phil about some of the incredibly positive ways Second Life is being used by people around the world - from education to entrepreneurship, creative self-expression, and more.

In addition to a number of Lindens who helped make it possible for Second Life to be included in the program, we’d like to give special thanks to Naughty Mole, Abnor Mole, Ancient Mole, Bat Mole, and Draxtor Despres for their help in creating Dr. Phil’s avatar and filming some inworld footage showing his explorations of Second Life.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — it’s time for Hair Fair! With proceeds going to Wigs for Kids, and multiple regions of fresh hairstyles from just about every hair designer under the sun — you are not going to want to miss it. Technically it doesn’t start until Saturday, but you’re going to want to bookmark it and start saving some Lindens.

Now you’re going to need some distractions while you wait for Hair Fair to open — and we’ve got a ton of amazing events taking place all over the grid. Music, art, summer hunts, and sweet shopping — it’s all here for you to enjoy— courtesy of the Second Life Destination Guide.

Hair Fair 2015

EVENT OPENS JULY 11. This is the 10th Annual Hair Fair, and all items sold at Hair Fair donate a minimum percentage of 15% to Wigs for Kids. Hairstyles are created new and exclusive for the duration of the event, with a minimum of three styles per store. You'll find both styles for both men and women across all four sims. For more information, visit hairfair.wordpress.com

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Indie Teepee

Indie Teepee is a festival inspired by the music festival trend that is ubiquitous in the real world. The event features three stages of music, dance performance, drive-in machinima screenings, art, shopping, roller derby, wrestling and poetry reading. The festival kicks off with two days of music on the 10th and 11th of July. Closing party with music on the 24th of July!

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Pandora Box: 004- Del Mar Dream

Welcome to Del Mar, which is Pandora Box of Dream's fourth dream. Explore this lost paradise lagoon in middle of the Pacific, hugged by the rolling waves and hidden from the ships on the open seas. Del Mar is a dream experience, fully immersive, offering you a wholesome experience above and beneath the water surface. Far from the busy cities and harsh reality, Del Mar has plenty to offer.

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The University of the Arts

The University of The Arts is a place to share knowledge related to theatrical dance shows in Second Life. Areas of study will include choreography, set building, particles, philosophy, marketing, and other key aspects of dance.

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Dreamers by Cica Ghost

In a surreal world canopied by a magical sky, sixteen figures look upward to dream, and eight eagerly share their visions with visiting explorers.

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Slaughter Creek Manor

It's back and better than ever! Everything disturbed and creepy, but don't go in alone! Always take a friend. The Mad Doctor is in and he's lying in wait for a lone traveler to stop by...Come and spend time and hangout with friends, play hide and seek in the dark rooms if you dare!!

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Candy Fair 2015

Visit the third annual Candy Fair, where you'll journey through the Chocolate Factory stepping into rooms filled with all the candy you can imagine! Event ends July 17th.

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The Beached Bunny Hunt 5

The Beached Bunny has gotten himself into a real mess.Too many peeps for Easter and now his fat behind is wedged in the sand and he can't get out! To help him escape his sandy trap, and prevent a bad sunburn, find the beach pails at 67 stores all over SL to help dig him out.

Visit in Second Life

Take lots and lots of pics of your adventures inworld and post them to the Official Second Life Flickr page.

Speaking of pics — don’t forget about our snapshot contest. You could win L$10,000 by snapping pics of your free SL12B commemorative avatar. Grab an avatar off the Marketplace for exactly L$0!

That’s it for this edition of Destination Guide Highlights. If you think your spot should b

The Notifications Project Viewer is an improvement for sorting your notifications. This new feature is based on your feedback: a notifications floater with four tabs sorting your incoming notifications into System, Transactions, Invitations, and Groups and allowing better interaction with them as well.  Those who deal with high volumes of money transactions, group notices, group invites, or inventory transfers now have a better way to review their messages and identify which notices need immediate attention.

If you’re a merchant who pays close attention to your daily sales or someone who is active among your private groups, a better way to sort your incoming messages is now a reality.  We welcome your feedback and bug reports here.

Try the Notifications Project Viewer today!

It’s easy to beat the heat with some cool spots courtesy of the Second Life Destination Guide.

If you like to celebrate, there’s bound to be a party here for you — but if exploring is more your style — we’ve got that covered too.

Grab a snack, log in, and take a tour of these must-see events and regions.

Distrito Distinto

Eleven Second Life artists have created rooms that are each inspired by a song in this special exhibition. Experience this traveling artistic festival of music and images. Open until Aug. 13.

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Stars & Stripes Forever

Start out your 4th of the July celebrations with at least four hours of live music and lots of surprises! The live shows start at 10 a.m. (Pacific) with the amazing artists from across the grid including Amforte Clarity, Anek Fuch, Maximillion Kleene and Seth Regan.

Visit in Second Life

London City Fringe Festival

Through July, experience top acts appearing at London City Fringe. With concerts each weekend in the outdoor amphitheatre and souvenirs to collect from each show, don't miss it. For details visit mainlandlondon.blogspot.co.uk

Visit in Second Life

Pacifique Underwater World

Swim and explore this beautiful underworld decorated by award-winning creator Eclair Martinek. Don't miss this good-sized water world, where you can ride a seahorse, do some Mermaid dances and much more.

Visit in Second Life

Bouzouki

Experience the Greek music and festivities at Bouzouki.

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Beyond Persuasion

Enjoy taking photos, meditation or just simply escaping the everyday grid at Beyond Persuasion. There are many places for dancing here, as well as shopping -- all with the feel of dark fantasy.

Visit in Second Life

Britannia Village Festival

Join us for a long weekend of British music, art and mayhem starting on July 3rd and ending on the 5th. Different DJs will spin themed sets based on different popular acts. There's also an art exhibition from Aroused! magazine in this fun event filled with music, dancing and freebies.

Visit in Second Life

While you’re out — don’t forget about our contest. You could win L$10,000 by snapping pics of your adventures while wearing the free SL12B commemorative avatar. Grab one off the Marketplace for exactly L$0!

Be sure to note that our Official Second Life Flickr page is a great place to share your pics.

If you’re looking to get your spot in the Destination Guide, be sure to hit us up via the Destination Guide suggestion form.

Experience Tools are a powerful new feature that make it possible for creators to build more seamless and immersive experiences. Experience-enabled scripts allow each user to opt-in to an entire multiple-script experience, rather than being interrupted by lots of dialog boxes from each individual scripted object. New capabilities for persistent key/value data storage are also shared across all scripts in an Experience, reducing the need for complex and time consuming object-to-object communication.

As of today, this exciting creative power is available to all Premium subscribers, and every Second Life user can enjoy participating in these seamless experiences with a new Viewer that makes it easy to manage all of your experience permissions.

This project has already helped bring a more immersive experience to The Cornfield, Linden Realms and other Second Life experiences you can find through our Portal Parks. Don’t forget to check out all the Resident-created experiences in our Destination Guide too!

Make sure you’ve updated to the latest Viewer or visit our download page to get it. This latest release allows you to manage all of your experiences whether you’re a creator or participant.

If you’re a Premium member and would like to begin creating with Experiences, check out this Knowledge Base article to get started. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Second Life can be a real jungle. There is so much to see, and lately you may have spotted some Raptors running wild and wondered where they came from. You can grab your own free copy of the SL12B commemorative avatar on the Marketplace.  We’re running a contest right now around this Raptor and you could win L$10,000 for taking it out on the grid. Find out more on the contest page. Part of the contest is to take your Raptor to interesting places in Second Life for snapshot, and where better to find some great spots than with the Second Life Destination Guide?

We have compiled a fresh list of a few of the newest spots that caught our eye this week. Go forth into the wilds of Second Life and have a good time!

Official SL12B Music Festival

Celebrate Second Life's twelfth birthday with a two-day concert event. Hear live performances from some of SL's top musicians June 26-27 in this special concert event.

Visit in Second Life

Mizu – A Rainy Story

"Mizu - A Rainy Story" is an interactive experience in Second Life unlike any other. Grab your HUD and take a seat in the theater and prepare to be transported to a horror story you won't soon forget. More info at hmizu-sl.blogspot.jp.

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Alpha Tribe

Explore Alpha Tribe, which revolves around the theme of "fool's gold." Several discoveries await, including a golden ship, clockwork creatures and more.

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Oz Nightclub

As you enter this unique high art deco nightclub of the late 1920’s and 30’s, you’ll find yourself stepping into another place and time. Oz is a place filled with romantic live entertainment and classical elegance. The live music ranges from jazz and swing of the period to pop.

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Summer's Hotter Than Hell Hunt

Summer's here! It's time to search across the grid to find items related to everything summer. The heat is on through July 20. Here's your first hint: "Oh, I just love camping out for great items!"

Visit in Second Life

Don’t forget our Official Second Life Flickr page is a great spot to share your pics.

Come enjoy great live music as some of Second Life’s best performers hit the virtual stage at the Ixtlan Stage (built by well-known Second Life creator Cube Republic) as part of the Second Life 12th Birthday celebrations.

Last month, we had a blast at an inworld showcase to audition performers at the Lavender Field. It was great to not only see the talent, but also the incredible support this community has for one another. Thank you to Brique Topaz - who heads up and operates the Lavender Field - home of the wonderful Feed a Smile initiative - who let us take over the field with hours of music. Selecting the final artists for this Official SL12B Music Fest was near impossible - a task made all the more difficult by the sheer volume of talented and exciting acts we saw. Thank you to everyone who came out to audition and those who just came to show their support. After much deliberation, we reached our final list of artists and are pleased that each and every one of them was able to come play the big show!

Over two days, we’ll feature an amazing line-up of those artists, across many genres of music, and we hope you will come join us. It’s all the fun of a music festival without the over exposure to the sun, the grueling sludge through the mud, or the long haul and long lines of those questionable public bathrooms. It’s a bring your own refreshments and get ready to dance your pixels off kind of event - check out who's playing, then grab your ride to the festival below.

Many thanks to Doctor Gascoigne and his team of volunteers for helping finalize the details with all our performers!

Friday June 26th, 2015

Saturday June 27th, 2015

Official SL12B Music Festival

Celebrate Second Life's twelfth birthday with a two-day concert event. Hear live performances from some of SL's top musicians June 26-27 in this special concert event.

Visit in Second Life

The Second Life Destination Guide is back with a handful of places of interest for you to explore and enjoy. We get tons of great submissions each week, so selecting a few to bring directly to you in this highlights blog is no small feat any time of the year, but with Second Life’s 12th Birthday coming up around the corner — there’s even more great stuff on the horizon. If you’re planning an SL12B celebration and want it featured in the Destination Guide, drop us a line at the Second Life Destination Guide suggestion form or email us at editor@lindenlab.com.

Now — on to this week’s treats.

Official SL12B Music Festival

Celebrate Second Life's twelfth birthday with a two-day concert event. Hear live performances from some of SL's top musicians June 26-27 in this special concert event.

Visit in Second Life

Flux Sur Mer

Flux Sur Mer is French countryside embracing the old charms and the slow rhythms of country life. Surrounded by small quaint shops, flea markets, old cottages and even ‘vide grenier’. She sits on the shores of a deep estuary where the river meets the ocean, surrounded by opulence of trees and nature.

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Crestwick Island

Crestwick Island is a small working class town situated in the middle of a beautiful bay. The streets are lined with a cafe, art gallery, businesses and shops. Downtown is surrounded by parks, marsh land and other surprises including a giant hill that supports an abandoned scientific research center which overlooks the town.

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Lost Letters @ Dandelion Daydreams Factory

Long ago in an ancient Lib_ary …Your quest begins at the landing, where a man gives you a scroll ...The scroll reads: "… a ma_ caught a mou_ _ _ and _tories got mi_ed up due missin_ letters _nd _ _ _ _ _ !" And once again the makers of the Dandelion Daydreams Factory ask you: "Are you brave enough?"

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Canterbury Tales Virtual Pilgrimage

The Canterbury Tales Virtual Pilgrimage is a non-profit educational build of Literature Alive! Residents can learn about the life and times of Geoffrey Chaucer while "doing" the pilgrimage. Treasure chests with free prizes await for those that want to challenge themselves with CT trivia!

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Albert Hall

Visit this homage to the real Albert Hall in the heart of London. Here you'll find occasional exhibitions from guest artists from around Second Life!

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The Boys of Summer

The Boys of Summer is a full sim fashion fair featuring exclusive releases from some of the grids hottest brands! Each participating brand will bring at least one new, exclusive item - all designed for the men of SL. Event ends June 30.

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LTD - The Event

LTD - The Event is now open through June 24. This bi-monthly home and garden event is dedicated to the top-quality designers of Second Life who "Love to Decorate"! More at lovetodecoratesl.com.

Visit in Second Life

Don’t forget our Official Second Life Flickr page is a great spot to share your pictorial memoirs of your adventures— so please do!

Imagine yourself in a jungle on a remote island brimming with possible adventures and spectacular flora and fauna to explore. Now, imagine that remote island jungle is what we’ve come to call the Second Life grid, and imagine that you are … a Velociraptor! Sounds a little bit like a pretty weird but cool dream, right?

Well you no longer have to imagine the dream - you can live it with the Second Life 12th Anniversary commemorative avatar! Pick up your free avatar at Hairy Hippo Fun Land or off the Marketplace before this raptor becomes extinct at the end of July!

Celebrate SL12B in Ferocious Style for a Chance to Win L$10,000

Now that you’ve got your raptor - it’s time to take ‘em for a test drive. Share snapshots of your raptor avatar celebrating SL12B to the Second Life 12th Anniversary Snapshot Contest from now until July 20th, and you could win 1 of 4 incredible prizes - L$10,000 , L$5,000, L$3,000, or L$1,000!

Be creative! This limited-edition raptor has the entirety of the grid to seek out a picture-perfect spot to take a winning snapshot - but a good place to start is the SL12B Destination Guide category.

Read the full rules and contest details on the contest page.

We’ve been having a lot of fun with no end in sight to the good times - but you can’t turn 12 without a little pride and reflection. Second Life has been going strong for a dozen wonderful years and there’s a ton of things happening to celebrate. You’ll see more to come here in the Featured News Blog - but we wanted to stop and ask - “What is the meaning of Second Life?” To you - that is! This question may sound daunting - but the truth is, tapping into what makes “SL” so special to us as individuals and communities is a really amazing exercise in retrospection and self-discovery. This is your world - so what does it mean to you?

Whether you just got started, have been onboard for the full dozen years, or fall somewhere in between - we’d love to see a glimpse of your story in the “What Second Life Means to Me” video project. You don’t have to be a master of machinima to participate. You can use something like Camtasia or Fraps to make some great stuff relatively quickly, and both have free or trial versions. Or, you can film yourself talking directly to your web or digital camera and telling your story. This doesn’t have to be a strictly inworld project - because we understand that Second Life impacts our offline lives as well.

From a few seconds to a few minutes - just kick it off with this - “In Second Life, my name is …” and share your story from there! Once you have something set - share it! Upload it to YouTube and embed it on this forum thread. Together, we’ll watch the thread for new stories over the coming weeks - it should be awesome. If you prefer to express yourself in writing - share what Second Life means to you with a reply to the thread.

Here are some videos - from both Lindens and Residents alike - that might help springboard your inspiration.

Lindens

Xiola Linden

Torley Linden

 Patch Linden

Residents

Strawberry Singh

Draxtor Despres

Kaya Angel

Gentle Heron

There’s so many things that Second Life means to each of us - and we can’t wait to hear what you have to share about your journey here so far.

In 2013, we introduced a pilot program for Authorized Linden Dollar (L$) Resellers. This pilot program was designed to give Second Life Residents additional options for purchasing Linden Dollars, particularly for those based outside the US.

Since then, we have expanded the payment options for Second Life users, and today, you can easily purchase L$ in more countries than ever before, using a credit card, PayPal, or Skrill, which supports a wide range of payment methods. We’ve found that these options support the vast majority of Second Life users, and we have therefore made the business decision to close the Authorized Linden Dollar Reseller pilot program.

We are contacting program participants directly to detail the next steps for them, and they will have approximately six weeks to sell off their L$ inventory.

As of August 1, 2015, the Authorized L$ Reseller pilot program will be closed, and the LindeX will be the only authorized place to purchase L$.

How to Buy L$

If you’re used to using an Authorized L$ Reseller, you will still have many options for purchasing L$ as of August 1, 2015. If you put payment info on file for your Second Life account, you can purchase L$ in the Viewer with the “Buy L$” button. If you’ve never done it before, check out this quick

Among the options for payment information you can put on file in your account are:

Credit Card:
Using your credit card, you can purchase L$ on the LindeX using multiple currencies, including  EUR, GBP, JPY, and AUD.

PayPal:
PayPal can be connected directly to a bank account in more than 193 countries and regions.

Skrill:
Skrill supports a wide variety of payment methods. To start using Skrill for Second Life, just login at SecondLife.com, click “Billing Information” under “Account,” and then select “Add a Skrill Account.”

Sizzling Summertime Deal on Premium Membership

There couldn’t be a hotter time to upgrade to a Premium Second Life membership than right now! Get all the perks for half the price* - weekly stipends of L$300, a L$1000 sign-up bonus, the ability to join more groups, exclusive Premium only sandboxes, free gifts, and more! You can learn more about Premium membership and upgrade your account here. This promotion ends June 29th at 8:00 AM SLT - so act now!

Fun in the Sun with a Premium Beach Set Gift

Once you upgrade to Premium membership, make a stop at one of the Premium only sandbox kiosks to collect your limited-edition Second Life Beach Set. This free gift has everything you’ll need to throw a groovy beach blanket bash, and is available to existing and new Premium members - but only for a limited time!

If you act now - you can unlock early access to the upcoming Second Life 12th Anniversary avatar. Yes - as a Premium member - you can drop by the jungle and grab this limited edition avatar. While the Premium discount runs until June 29th, the avatar is only available until MIDNIGHT SLT tonight!

Dive on in to these deals - the water is perfect!

TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR 50% DISCOUNT- This limited-time discount offer is available only for purchases of memberships on the Quarterly billing plan. Discount will be applied to the first quarterly billing cycle only, and all future charges will be at the regular Premium price ($22.50 USD, excluding VAT where applicable). Sign-up bonus will be paid upon 45 consecutive days of membership. To qualify, Second Life members must have an active Basic account or create a new Second Life account. Discount offer begins on Friday the 12th of June 2015 at 08:00 am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and expires on Monday the 29th of June 2015 at 08:00 am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).

Her eye-catching

While it may sound cliche that a fashion designer would hail from one of the world's most known fashion hubs, Maylee Oh isn’t influenced so much by Fashion Week as she is by her own day to day experiences and the personal expressions of the people and the city around her. “It’s all about creativity, no matter where we are!” she states. And that is true both inside and outside of Second Life.

For more on her creative process and to hear her philosophy on sharing knowledge and collaborating with other creative people, tune in to the

Want to see more personal Second Life stories? Find all the previous episodes of The Drax Files: World Makers at Draxtor’s Website, at the links below, or subscribe to our YouTube channel:

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 1: Kriss Lehmann
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 2: Jo Yardley
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 3: Eshi Otawara
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 4: Fantasy Faire / RFL
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 5: Engrama

Second Life’s 12th birthday is fast approaching and we’re kicking things off with a special treat for Premium members. There will be more fun for all members to enjoy throughout the month - so stay tuned to this blog for the details as we all celebrate a dozen years of Second Life.

Splish Splash - it’s a Tiki Beach Bash!
Premium members - this one is just for you, so be sure to save the date! We’ve lit the tiki torches and brushed up on our fruity drink-mixing skills to host a casual gathering with the added bonus of early access to our Official Second Life 12th Birthday commemorative avatar.

That’s right - come to the SL12B Premium Meetup on Thursday June 11th from 10:30 to 11:30 AM SLT, hang out with us, and be one of the first to glimpse and grab the celebratory 12th anniversary avatar. The nature of this particular avatar required us to select a remote island for our gathering as well as implement a strict quarantine on the subject, so you’re going to have to drop by our tropical jungle destination to find out what it is.

While we hope you can make it to the meetup, we understand that schedules, timezones, and such make it impossible for everyone to make every meetup. With this in mind, the avatar kiosk will be available until midnight SLT on June 12th for you to stop by and pick up your prerelease avatar. That means, even if you can’t come to the Tiki party, you can still get early access to the avatar.

So, get ready to slip into your flip flops and gigantic floppy hat and join us for some fun in the sun at this Premium exclusive inworld meetup - honest to goodness, it should be the ginchiest!

SL12B Premium Meetup

Join the party! You're invited to a Tiki Beach Bash, just for Premium members! Join us inworld from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (SLT) on Thursday, June 11. You'll get early access to a free SL12B avatar, too! Be sure to claim it before 11:59 p.m. on the 12th or you’ll have to wait until it’s available for everyone.

Visit in Second Life

The Second Life Destination Guide is there for you 24/7 — offering a wealth of places to embark upon your inworldly adventures. Once a week, do shine the spotlight on a handful of hot spots for you to add to your list of must-visit regions. Here’s a fistful of spots for you to check out.

The 1920s Berlin Project - Sixth Anniversary Celeb

The 1920s Berlin Project celebrates its sixth year in Second Life with several events and parties, held May 29 through June 3. There's even a beauty pageant! Who will be Miss Berlin 1929?

Visit in Second Life

SaNaRae

SaNaRae is a dreamy region where people can relax and meet new friends. Dance your night away in the KPop club or just browse from many exceptional shops. If you are feeling adventurous, SaNaRae harbors glistening heaven as well as horrifying hell.

Visit in Second Life

Demolition Derby

It's time to bash, smash and crash at the Demolition Derby! Hop into any of the moving vehicles and then compete against your friends or play alone.

Visit in Second Life

Amplituhedron

Misprint Thursday has created a curious and mysterious artist build at LEA 25. Visit each of the seven locations on the sim and grab the goodies as you go!

Visit in Second Life

Vivaldi

Vivaldi is a beautiful scenic sim with different areas to explore. There are places to cuddle with your sweetheart, play a game of Greedy in the lighthouse or snap pictures!

Visit in Second Life

Platform Snow

Discover a new place to ski alone or with a partner. Here you'll also find cabanas to relax in amidst all the fallen snow.

Visit in Second Life

Our featured Pic of the Day shots are selected from the group pool at our Official Second Life Flickr — so why not upload your pictorial Second Life adventures there?

We know that there are a lot of great spots in Second Life that may not be in the Destination Guide — so if your creation needs to be in there, drop us a line at the Second Life Destination Guide suggestion form.

Now settle in and come join us inworld!

Today we’re thrilled to be rolling out another perk for Premium members: now you can be a member of 60 groups! Groups have been a consistently popular feature among the Residents of Second Life. It may not be obvious, but group membership can have an impact on the performance of a number of systems. That's why in Second Life's early days, Residents could only join a maximum of 10 groups. Over the years, we've made improvements that enabled us to raise the group limit to a maximum of 42, but we know that for some power users, even that isn't quite enough, and today we're happy to raise the bar for Premium subscribers.  We must make sure that the recent gains in group performance are not jeopardized, so for now the new limit is a pilot program. If there are no problems, we will look forward to raising the limit further (stay tuned!).

Premium members can immediately take advantage of the new limit. Downgrading from Premium membership will not remove you from any of your groups, but it will mean that you cannot join any new groups until you remove yourself from enough groups to get below the Basic account limit, which remains at 42.

There are many reasons to maintain a Premium membership in Second Life, and we hope this increased group membership limit makes Premium subscriptions even more attractive. We’ll be adding even more benefits and features for Premium members throughout the year.

Learn more about Premium membership and upgrade your account today. You can pay for your subscription monthly, quarterly, or annually - and the annual plan in particular is a great value. In addition to a total savings of more than $47 compared to a monthly subscription, the value of the weekly L$ stipend means the membership nearly pays for itself!