Happy New Year!

Lounging in the Wallaby at the cusp of a new year

Happy New Year to all second lifers out there! May the coming months bring you joy, and at the same time, may you yourself actively spread happiness to those around you.

The turn of the year for me is not only a time to look forward to the coming year, but also a time to reflect on what's come to pass.

For our second life stores it has been a busy one.

Timeless Treasures came into being earlier in the year, along with all the cool products that were created for it. In the meantime, Lemur Sensors continued to upgrade the rental box system, adding new features (such as daily rentals),that has made it into one of the more advanced offerings out there, while at the same time re-releasing the personal monitors to catch cheating partners. Finally, the Depraved Monkey released the Tusk sex toy, as well as the Angel Hunt game and the new BDSM Pussy.

All in all, we're pretty satisfied with how things went during the year. We even opened our first inworld store, although to be honest more could probably be done to make it more attractive to customers.

Going forward, our first priority is to get the Zombie Hunt out the door, followed by upgrades to the BDSM Pussy.

So, here's looking forward to all the good things to come in the new year. May your days be merry and your nights always kinky.

Talking Cats and other Things

I'm happy to say some of the Timeless Treasures items have started to sell better than before. Not sure whether it's because of the holiday season or not, but the Talking Anime Cat has been popular lately.

The store was started as a group effort, but due to complications which I now can't even remember I ended up taking it over, though it didn't seem to jibe well with the Depraved Monkey or even the Lemur offerings.

The BDSM Pussy too has started to sell, though not on par with the cheaper basic model. As I said before though, all upgrades going forward will be on this model and not the basic one.

Hmmm, what else....well, I haven't started on the Zombie Hunt, but mainly because my RL has become quite busy due to some projects. I hope to start on it come the turn of the new year.

Geeky Meme

Ah yes, another meme from Singh....let's make this fast.

1. What do you consider yourself to be? Geek? Nerd? Dork? None of the above? All of the above?

Geek?

2. What was the first computer you ever owned? 

Apple in the early 1980s. Programmed on it too. Now I'm a windows/android guy.

3. When and how did you first get on the internet?

I was in graduate school, and they gave us access to email and internet. At the time, the main draw was to look for sex pics...oh wait...nothing has changed.

4. Which geek fandom do you subscribe to?

I used to read Star Trek when I was a kid, and I like the concept of Jedi because it was derived from philosophies that I subscribe to...

5. Star Trek or Star Wars?

I like both for different reasons.

6. How Geeky Are You? 

84%, I guess I guessed right ;-)

A celebration of the launch of Seychelles Isles

The beautiful Lacy Muircastle invited me to attend a celebration of the launch of Seychelles Isles, which was held on November 3 to introduce the new Estate to Second Life participants.

The celebrations were held at the Golden Gate Yacht Club SL at Seychelles Isles, and I spent the time dancing with Lacy, who was quite cute in some striped sailor outfit.

Below are some pics of this beautifully landscaped estate and the Yacht Club. Enjoy x

Delicious chocolate market segment

Yummy

When we first came into SL, one of our neighbors was an avatar that was decidedly african in features. She was a nice girl who introduced us to our first SL prim babies.

Since that time I don't believe I've ever met any other avatar that was female and black, though there are certainly a lot of  brownish avatars running around the sims, and quite a number of black male avatars as well.

SL is a curious place because in the end anyone can tailor their appearance to be whatever they would like it to be. Since blacks make up 12% of the population in the USA, shouldn't at least 12% of the female avis I see be black (though perhaps diluted by avis from other countries with less african populations)?

Then I found an article that talked about a chocolata avi, and I thought it did justice to showing the beauty of african females, and that was a pretty refreshing change, especially in a virtual world where it turns out racism can still exist.

This got me thinking about whether there are any products that could be targeted specifically to this market, although in the end I decided pretty much all the products I offered (including the pussy items) were all inclusive of all types of human forms (the pussy color and texture can be altered using the EDIT function of viewers).

I like the label "delicious chocolate" though, and I like focusing on a market segment that normally people don't seem to care about, so who knows, maybe we'll figure out a way to use this for some targeted market items, which would be a first from the Depraved Monkey or Timeless Treasures.

UPDATED: After passing it through a couple of people of African descent and finding out such a moniker is borderline at best, it looks like I will skip on the name. Some people found it objectionable enough that i even got booted out of a group by the admin. Oh well. In my defense, I was using it as a term of appreciation and nothing else and was sincerely trying to make sure it wasn't offensive. Lesson learned, case closed.

Android Client Viewer for Second Life

I talked to the lovely Tinka last week. We hadn't seen each other in SL for quite some time due to differences in our timezones, so I've always relished meeting her, even if by chance, and even though she was only present via her iphone (as was the case this time).

Although I could TP her and IM her, she said she could not see me via her phone, and most features in RLV also did not work.

This made me interested in finding out what the app was for droid phones since I use a Google Nexus 4  smartphone (and yes, I think iphones are for girls, to all those guys who still use it).

After some google searching, it turns out the best app is called Lumiya, and you can get it in the Google Play store for $2.95.

Take a look at the screenshot below. Obviously, the Lumiya app is light years better than the one for iphones.

Saying that, there seems to be reports that the roll out of server side baking has created problems for the client app, though only a few reviewers report this. Overall it gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars in the Google Play store.

I might get it anyways, just to get a first hand view of this app. Stay tuned.

BDSM Pussy added to the Marketplace

The new BDSM Pussy has been added to the marketplace. You can view it here.

As I mentioned before, going forward all development of the pussy will be done on this item. The old basic DM Pussy will be kept as a legacy product.

New features of the BDSM Pussy

Open Collar is the prime submission collar used in Second Life. It is incredibly fully featured and comes with various single and couple animations and poses, as well as features that enable ownership, leashing, and control of the wearer using RLV.

As the main feature in the new BDSM Pussy, I was hoping to incorporate the open collar scripts directly into the DM Pussy in order to have it fully integrated, but was stymied by the fact I have to keep all the items from open collar full perm.

This would expose my own work, so I changed course and now I simply created a communication path between the open collar item and the DM Pussy.

So, what are the new features of this BDSM Pussy over and above the old DM Pussy?

1. I added DM Face Control to the Pussy. A user can now completely control their facial expressions via the DM Pussy Menu. No more slack jawed robotic expression in your avatar while you're engaged in exciting play. As you can see from the screenshots below of the DM Face dialog menus, you will have quite a selection to choose from using this new feature.

DM Face Menu

More choices from DM Face

2. I integrated open collar with the BDSM Pussy such that the open collar menu can be opened from the main menu of the Pussy via the "BDSM Menu" button.

In addition, some actions in the open collar will affect and excite the BDSM Pussy. For example, an owner yanking on the leash of a sub wearing the pussy will cause the excitement level of the pussy to increase. Enough yanks and you will cause the sub to orgasm if the Auto-Cum feature is toggled on.

Main Menu of Open Collar

 3. Users can now customize the chat when an external DM Toy such as a DM Dildo or the new DM Open Collar induces excitement in the BDSM Pussy.

4. Re-arrange buttons in Menus of the BDSM Pussy so it's more logical. Moved all administrative and Misc buttons into a SETTINGS option.

I expect to have this ready for sale by next week at the most and going forward, I believe all work will now center on this BDSM Pussy and I will let the vanilla pussy languish in terms of new features and development.

Main Menu of BDSM Pussy

BDSM Pussy Gets a Ring

Restarted work on the BDSM Pussy.

I'll be integrating open collar functionality into it so the pussy can be used as a submissive "collar". As a first step, I carefully inserted a gold ring into the item. No prize to the wit who can guess what function the ring will perform.

Journey to Seychelles Isles

I am a reader of many SL sailing blogs, and it was with some eagerness that I devoured a report that a new region for exploration in the Blake Seas had opened up across from the coast of Northeast Nautilus.

This new region was once called Irish Estates but had been recently renamed Seychelles Isles, which is probably more appropriate given that the preponderance of islands I saw in the area were gaudily draped in tropical plants and white sandy beaches.

From Spy Glass to Dizadare, then northwards

And so it was with some excitement that I rezzed the Wallaby in Spy Glass and started sailing north, swinging past several smaller islands as I enjoyed the warm sea breeze and the gentle swells that gave way to my passage.

Dizadare and the Ramshackle Shack

One of the more interesting little islands that I passed was Dizadare, which rose like a towering sentinel above the turquoise waters, a ramshackle shack sprouting from its top and glowering down at me as I hurried past.

Trip route within the Seychelles (in yellow)

The Seychelles Isles themselves sat like a three-pronged key that plugged into the wider mainland seas via three gateways (see red arrows in image above).

Anse Etoile Isle

I resolved to enter the region via the middle gateway after peering into the distance and seeing the towering peaks of Anse Etoile Isle.

Anse Etoile Isle

As I turned into the gateway I gazed in wonder at the cascades of waterfalls that greeted me on the other side of the mountainous chains....

Port Victoria Isle

...and farther in gaped at the large sprawling estates that blanketed the scattered islands making up the region.

Au Cap Isle

Many of the homes stood in isolated splendor, protected by stony cliffs that hid their owners from prying eyes, but many others existed side by side along the banks of the many beautiful waterways that carved their way into the larger land masses, providing calm twisting paths for intrepid sailors.

Mont Fleuri Isle

Just as the forbidding cliffs of Anse Etoile Isle guard the middle passageway into the Seychelles Isles, the southern gateway boasts an imposing monolithic structure that could only be described as a mansion on steroids, which I passed as I once again entered the Nautilus seas (see trip route in yellow above).

Baie SainteAnne Isle

I headed north and entered The Seychelles again via its northern gates at Baie SainteAnne Isle, marveling at the large estates around me as I carefully traversed the winding blue "road".

Beau Vallon Isle

The tranquil beauty and magnificent estates made for quite an enjoyable trip, but after a couple of hours wandering around the sims I regrettably had to make my way back to the main seas, though I made a vow to return soon and complete my journey into the deepest heart of the Seychelle Isles.

Bel Air Isle

I kneel, supplicant before you...

I kneel, supplicant before you
my will
offered up in quiet acquiescence
awaiting your approval
or reproach
the fine line between pleasure and pain
becomes ever sweeter with your control
with every touch, kiss, word
smoldering embers are kindled
tormenting desires awakened
I quiver
captured by heat and hunger
bend me to your will
My Lord
show me what you most desire
my purpose but to serve
through your dominion I find myself
You, the Master of many
my only

- by Emilith

The Wallaby Sails Again

I haven't had a chance to sail the Wallaby in several months, but I took some time today to chart a course from Spyglass to Sirens Isles in the Blake Seas.

While nearing Sirens Isle, I was suddenly accompanied by a mermaid, who swam deftly by the side of the Wallaby and raced me to the islands, where I anchored and we chatted for some time.

Look for more trip reports from the Blake Seas in the coming months ahead.

The Walking Dead?

Mr. Zombie after his meeting with my friend Mr. Mossberg

What's green, stinky, and oozing blood and gore? Just when everyone's favorite zombie show is debuting its fourth season in just two weeks, look what I found lumbering around. Something tells me we're going to meet a lot more like him in the weeks and months to come ;-)

The Evolution of a Second Life Avatar

June 2011

I decided it would be interesting to document the evolution of my main avatar.

I've kept the same main ever since I entered second life in May of 2011, but the avatar itself has evolved slowly over the years, adding new hairstyles and outfits and skins, though I noticed as a guy I tended to wear the same outfits and hair for very very long periods of time (which must have bored the hell out of my friends, but that's another story).

I can't remember now which noobie default avi I chose when creating the account, but the same day that I entered I bought the avatar that would stick with me for the duration. Avatar Alfonso by Lilunai Laurasia, which I got for 115 L (yes yes I know I'm cheap) and which unfortunately has been retired and is not available from the Marketplace today.

June 2011

I run around SL in the default outfit of this avatar for probably the first month or so, which incredibly enough did not embarrass me at the time. Perhaps being a tattooed red-jacketed macho guy in torn red pants was far enough removed from my RL that the novelty took some time to wear off.

Nevertheless, by mid-2011 MK was starting to go around in less tattered outfits.

August 2011

I discovered in myself, alarmingly enough, a love for mixing and matching pants and jackets and vests and other paraphernalia from separately bought outfits in order to create a unique ensemble.

November 2011

MK's daily outfits became progressively darker and more flamboyant as 2012 progressed, and the normal glasses were permanently replaced by dark lenses which MK almost never removes, whether night or day (yes, I am a child of the 1980s). I also darkened MK's skin further to match my coloring in RL.

April 2012

In December 2012, after a hiatus of a couple months, MK changed again, with a new hair and shape, though the outfits tended to remain similar to the earlier part of the year

December 2013

This new hair and shape continued throughout the rest of 2013, though the avatar added a larger wardrobe as the months passed.

March 2013

This included new mesh jackets and pants, though the pace of change as always was almost glacial compared to the rapid staccato changes made by many females here in SL.

May 2013

In the end, I'm sure MK will continue to slowly evolve over time as I experiment with newer fashions or discover new skins and shapes that I like. He is definitely a work in progress, one which I've grown to love over the years.

Introducing the DM Angel Hunt

 The new DM Angel Hunt takes Capture Roleplay (CARP) to a whole new level.

No need for laggy CARP sims full of jerks, stalkers and griefers. Now you can host your own CARP parties. Great for your sim, or for parties, or even just for couples who like to spice up their relationship.

The DM Angel Hunt allows people to designate a Prey, with all the other participants being Hunters, and set a time limit for a Hunt, in which the Hunters use tranquilizer guns to try to score points off the fleeing Prey.

Each time the Prey is hit, her health status goes down and once it reaches zero the Prey falls asleep.

The system keeps tracks of the scores, and the Hunter who accumulates the most scores after the game gets to keep the Prey, who automatically is "leashed" to the movements of the winner.

• beautifully carved ANGEL STATUE functions as the game controller and will also function as decoration in your estate or home yard.
• SCORING SYSTEM keeps track and displays the scores of Hunters.
• PREY ICON above head of Prey shows status of the Prey at all times
• PREY HEALTH is affected by hits and once health reaches 0% the Prey will fall asleep.
• TRANQUILIZER DART GUN used by hunters has adjustable dart speed
• the LENGTH OF HUNTS can be adjusted through chat command
• the WINNING PLAYER gets to "keep" the Prey. The Prey automatically follows the winning Hunter once the game is finished.
• ANIMATED ANGEL STATUE moves sword to show status of game play and flaps wings during active hunts
• MULTIPLE players can participate as Hunters

Click for listing in Marketplace here.

View demo statue here.

A trip to the Yoshiwara Inari Shrine

I visited a Yoshiwara-based sim a few days back. For those not in the know, Yoshiwara was a famous red-light district in Japan in the 17th century.

I didn't go there to stare at the Geishas who walked around and engaged in intricate rituals. Instead, I wanted to visit an Inari Shrine located smack dab in the middle of this fleshy den of moral degradation (just joking!)

Inari is the Shinto goddess of rice and prosperity, and is primarily associated with agriculture, protecting rice fields and giving the farmers an abundant harvest every year.

I took some time to pay my respects, voicing my hope that the Goddess would wish me well on some agricultural-related projects I am involved with in the RL world.

Here is the SLURL for the shrine:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Milarepa/183/143/44

Free DM Doggie gift in Depraved Monkey Store

This is the first FREE gift offered by Depraved Monkey, and it's a cool one.

The DM Doggie toy allows wearers to animate their avatar with a variety of doggie poses and animations, some with facial expressions, including a begging pose, a licking feet animation, a peeing pose, a dog walking animation, and more.

Have your subbie wear the toy and lead him or her around on a leash, it's quite fun ;-)

You can get it free by going to the new Depraved Monkey inworld store here:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ethmia/247/237/1501

The gift giver is to the left of the door. If you already are a member of the DM group (Monkey Elephant Enterprises), just activate that group and click on the box and the gift will be given to you.

If you are not yet a member, the box will chat a JOIN URL which you can click in local chat (type CTRL-H to see chat history) to join the group for free.

Enjoy!

New Inworld Depraved Monkey Store

Tinka and I in front of our new Depraved Monkey Store.

We finally took the jump into running an inworld store, locating it in the GreyMyst shopping mall.

The SLURL to the store is:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Greymyst%20Estates/161/94/36

Visitors to the store will find running demos of the Plumber's Pleasure, Santa's Revenge, Tusk Rituals, Fuck the Drunk Futon, and the newest not-for-sale yet DM Angel Hunt on the first floor, as well as buy posters for the smaller items in the DM inventory such as the DM Whip, DM Vibrators, and the like.

Moving to the second floor, they'll find three naughty elf and teddy bear toys from Serena's You're the One, including the naughty spanking Lecherous Leprechaun and the Master Teddy Bear.

In order to buy any item, visitors can simply right click on the relevant poster behind the demos and click BUY. A folder will appear in their inventory.

I'll be setting up the store as the landing point for people to get free gifts and join the old Monkey Elephant Group (MEG) as well.