It's Christmas!

Have a Happy Christmas!

Our sincere thanks to everyone who supports London City and for  making it what it is.  It would be impossible without you!

To our friends, the large, extraordinary, dedicated, loyal and skilled team, we offer our deepest gratitude for all that you do;  for smiling in the face of adversity, for offering encouragement and insight and for some of the most innovative ideas on the grid.  

We are so proud of this spectacular crew, the envy of the virtual world. Thank you for making it a pleasure to logon to London!

To the merchants and sponsors, our thanks for your business and your faith in this estate to sell your product and for investing your time and money in London City.

And to the visitors and members that form the London City community,  thank you for making London City the single most popular destination in all of Second Life; always busy, with something always happening. You are at the heart of everything that goes on here.

Substation, Madame Lala's and Worlds End Pub are open through the holidays, but please keep an eye on Group Notices as some times and schedules may vary.

Some of our team are having family time on 24th, 25th and 26th of December, but should you need assistance during these few days, please use the Support option on this blog and we'll respond in a timely fashion to your enquiry.

Have a great time wherever you are and whatever you are doing.   Drop by London City throughout the holidays, the city never sleeps.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Let there be light ..

It is the shortest day, the Winter Solstice... but it is going to get brighter from tomorrow.

We can all enjoy some more daylight time starting this week, thanks to Civil Twilight.

Civil twilight is a scientific term, defined as “the period after sunset or before sunrise ending or beginning when the sun is about 6 degrees below the horizon and during which on clear days there is enough light for ordinary outdoor occupations.”

And from 23rd December, it starts getting lighter at night, by just a minute at first, and by up to 2 minutes a day in January. 

This may not sound much, but by the end of January sunset will be 5.23pm, a full 43 minutes more, and at 6.13pm in February.

Christmas begins..

Some pictures from the legendary Demis Roussos on Ice concert, last night in London City.

Genesis Viewer Release #2

There is a new Genesis Viewer Release.

Version 1.2.594

This release is primarily to address the Chromium updates that bring the viewer in parity with Second Life Viewer's media abilities for shared streamed content, in particular, the rise in the popularity of HiVid TV.

HiVid TV media is now supported. 

We added a cache system for Contact Sets to make them respond faster.

The Active Speaker list can now be paused, reactivated and refreshed.

The GenxProfileFloater is a new experimental profile floater that you can opt in and out of by enabling it in Debug.  When fully implemented it will become an option in Preferences, but already, you can upload a profile picture without incurring any upload fees.

Added some hover text help for some ambiguous settings in Preferences.

Added an additional 7 skins for the User Interface. You now have a choice of 11. Check out 'Second Love' if you like extra colourful, or  'Snow White', if you want a Wintery theme.

Developers and Support team can now be identified by "Genesis Viewer Team" appearing in their profile.

The Script editor now uses a mono space font.

A group invitation is offered (once) to the account logging in on the first session of a new install.

Download (or read the release notes) from https://genesisviewer.org

Glen Campbell Country Christmas on Saturday

Glen Campbell's Country Christmas.
Saturday 12pm SL (8pm UK)

Glen will be singing his most famous songs and some carols to get you in the mood for the big day.

Campbell's career spans over 50 years.  Not only is he a famous soup, he is perhaps one of the best known Country singers of all time, with hits, Gentle On My Mind, Galveston, Wichita Lineman, By The Time I Get to Phoenix and Rhinestone Cowboy.

FREE Profile picture uploads in Genesis Viewer's Alternative Profile floater

You can now upload your profile pictures for free on Genesis Viewer 1.23 build 583

https://genesisviewer.org

Santa's Grotty returns!

 

Would you sit on this man's lap?

The adorable, slightly randy, alcoholic gentleman who has played Santa for us for many years, has been released from the Betty Ford clinic and returned once again, a bit worse for wear, to spread Christmas cheer to visitors of London City.

Our very own Chris Kringle has been hard at it and is ready to slip you a big surprise if you sit on his lap and tell him about all the naughty and nice things you have done this year.   Santa will invite you to have a rummage in his sack and pull out something big, spectacular and impressive!

You can't really miss his grotto as its peppered with gin bottles and discarded mince pies

Visit Santa's Grotty here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/83/189/23

Free Exclusive Christmas Outfits, at Freebie Megastore

The lovely people at 'No Shot', have brightened up our Christmas again with these festive freebies.

'No Shot' clothing has created some free 'his' and 'hers' Christmas outfits, exclusive to London City's Freebie Megastore.  These outfits are for a multitude of mesh bodies, including BoM and classic, with alpha layers.

Freebie Megastore:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/108/212/24

No Shot Mainstore:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City%20South/142/172/24

Other Free 'No Shot', Christmas outfits are also available in the store.

London City Christmas begins

With Christmas Shows every week and events every day.  We hope you will come spend some holiday time with us in London City.

Christmas Party in London City

If you wish it could be Christmas every day, then come and party in London City. Through December, there are daily seasonal parties in all the venues and a concert show on Saturdays! Collect free Christmas clothing and accessories. Enjoy a virtual Christmas dinner on the big day itself and dance on through to the biggest bash of all, on New Year's Eve. For a full list of holiday activities in London City, check mainlandlondon.blogspot.com

Visit in Second Life

World Aids Day

Activists the world over put a spotlight on the AIDS virus on this day.

AIDS has killed 35 million people since the start of the pandemic. Every year, 2 million people acquire the virus, and the U.N. estimates that more than 1 million people die from the virus annually.

A lot has happened since the first World AIDS Day in 1988. Countries in which the topic was once taboo now offer testing and treatment. Mothers with HIV can have healthy babies and live to raise them. Drugs can keep the virus from spreading. More than 18 million people are on lifesaving anti-retroviral drugs that keep HIV in check. And now, scientists are talking about vaccines and a cure.

A large-scale trial of a potential vaccine is underway in South Africa. The study will involve more than 5,400 sexually active men and women ages 18 to 35 in a number of areas around South Africa, a country where more than 1,000 people a day are infected with HIV. The trial will last for four years.

(source: VOA)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

And so it begins..  It's Christmas time in the city...

Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday is today at  11am (UK time) today, it will be 104 years since the end of World War I.

To commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.

A service will be held today in world at the Cenotaph in London City at 3am SL  (11am UK)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/72/137/23

Genesis Viewer Review by Inara Pey

Genesis Viewer launch party last weekend

Inara Pey, blog journalist for Living in a Modemworld, probably the most widely read independent Second Life blog, has reviewed the the first release of the Genesis Viewer.

Some highlights of the review include: 

"The Change Buttons floater does include a lot of options – far more than is the case with most other viewers, and it would appear a number have been included for those who are particularly keen on viewer performance – useful if you are running on older hardware / a poorer connection and find you need to tweak things. 

"Genesis viewer is building towards supporting all of the capabilities offered directly by Linden Lab as the “core” viewer  code base, and also folds into to the more popular options offered by TPVs.

..in the time I subjectively tested and used the viewer of the weekend, I will say that I found Genesis to be at least as performant as any v6/x viewer I routinely use."

We believe Inara's comments to be fair and we look forward to including all of the items mentioned in the review and a great many more over the coming weeks and months, whilst preserving the great performance of the Genesis Viewer.

Please read the full review here:   https://modemworld.me/2022/11/10/genesis-birth-of-a-new-v1-x-styled-viewer-for-second-life/

To download Genesis or to see video tutorials, please head to https://genesisviewer.org

 

How to change Toolbar buttons on Genesis Viewer

How to change the toolbar on Genesis Viewer

Genesis Viewer for Second Life. The launch party.

Video of the launch party for Genesis Viewer, last night in London City.   Thanks to all who came. it was an excellent night and we could not have wished for a better launch for Genesis Viewer.  We hope you enjoyed the experience!

Filmed whilst running Genesis Viewer, filming it, streaming the music, drawing in 50 avatars and launching fireworks.

Download Genesis here: https://genesisviewer.org

Genesis Viewer Release

The first full release of Genesis Viewer is now available from https://genesisviewer.org

Please read the Release notes to see which version is best for you.

We hope you enjoy this new viewer built especially with laptops in mind.

Genesis Viewer is part of Linden Lab's Third Party Viewer program:

https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Third_Party_Viewer_Directory

Saturday show and Genesis Viewer Launch Party

On Saturday it will be Guy Fawkes night (also known as Bonfire Night) in the UK, where copious amounts of  Chilli Con Carne will be consumed.

It is also the launch day for the new Genesis Viewer for Second Life, the blazingly fast 1.23 style viewer, brought up to date with all the bells and whistles.

https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Third_Party_Viewer_Directory/Genesis

Our show this week is "The Night of 100 Stars",  featuring all the bands from the late 70's and early 80's  who had disco hits, performed by Pan's People.

Pan's People was a British female dance troupe most commonly associated with the BBC chart show, Top of the Pops, until the mid-1970s.  They appeared on many other TV shows in the UK and elsewhere in Europe and performed in nightclub cabaret. Due to their weekly exposure on British television the group acquired a high profile. The 'classic' line-up which existed from 1972 to 1974 is still widely recognised today.

Join us for an unforgettable night of leggy dancers and top tunes and disco singers of yesteryear re-enacting their hits as of 2021.  Let's hope they can all still carry a tune! 

The Party begins at 12pm SL 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/100/100/23

November in London City

With the spooky season now over, our attention turns to the beginning of the next season and we all know what that is, but we're holding back on using the "C" word because many people get a little cross if it gets mentioned too soon!  

Join us through November for the festival of light!

London City Illuminations

Through November, you will love the spectacular program of entertainment and weekly concerts, set against the backdrop of London's most iconic Landmarks as they are brought to life in this celebration of animated luminosity. For details, see mainlandlondon.blogspot.co.uk

Visit in Second Life

Surviving the martians

It looks like we thwarted another invasion by those pesky Martians.  Earth is safe once more and in time for the Halloween party today at Substation from 11am SL time.

Genesis Viewer gets listed by Linden Lab as TPV.

Genesis Viewer becomes listed.

Download from https://genesisviewer.org

Linden Lab lists Genesis Viewer

*** Press Release ***

October 28, 2022

Back in May, we began work on a modern and up to date version of a 1.23 style viewer.  Our aim is to offer the user all of the latest tech you expect to find in an SL viewer, but with a lighter footprint and with laptop computers as a focus.

We are pleased to announce that Linden Lab, the creators of Second Life, have enrolled the Genesis Viewer into the Third Party Viewer Program, as displayed in their TPV directory.

Work will continue this weekend to get our primary official release onto our site and we very much hope that Genesis users will be able to come to our launch party on Saturday 5th November, in London City, which will be used to raise awareness of this new viewer.

Thank you to all our Beta Testers who have given such great, useful and informative feedback and for their faith in helping test this product ahead of it being listed.

It was important to us to get the infrastructure up to date, but upon 'official release', we will begin to concentrate on the many suggestions you have made for subsequent improvements.

From the Genesis Viewer website, you can download the viewer, read the release notes and change logs and also visit our YouTube channel to see Genesis in action.

Genesis website:  https://genesisviewer.org

 

Third Party Viewer entry: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Third_Party_Viewer_Directory/Genesis

SL, inSL and Second Life are trademarks of Linden Research Incorporated.

Spooky times ahead

Things that go bump in the night..  including War of The Worlds show on Halloween Weekend!

London City Halloween

Experience a monstrous Halloween in London City as spectres and ghouls take to the streets, in a frightmare spanning October. Enjoy weekly themed spooktacular concerts and shudder at the scary exhibits. For more details see mainlandlondon.blogspot.com

Visit in Second Life

Were you frightened?

Some pictures from last night's show in London City.  These pictures were taken on Genesis, the low footprint, super-fast viewer for Second Life.

See more about Genesis here: https://genesisviewer.org

World's End Pub - Bingo Night

You are invited to the most famous pub in town.. serving warm beer and cold pies.

Join Katty and Coffee at The Worlds End Pub on Wednesday.  It is the place to be for Bingo and Pub Quiz fans.  Games are free to join and pay a cash jackpot for the most skilled and often the most lucky!

Bingo and a dance, every Wednesday at 11am SL (7pm UK)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/36/12/24

London City South houses to rent

 

As well as vacant land plots for you to build your dream home on; London City Estate, now offers prebuilt houses with an additional 100 prims for you to personalise your home, in the London City South region.

These home rentals are priced at 199 L$ per week.

Check our the neighbourhood here http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City%20South/133/54/23

Filmed on Genesis Viewer: Hazel O'Connor Halloween Show

This is a quick example of the performance you can expect in crowded places, with the Genesis Viewer.

Please watch in HD.  This video was filmed last night in London City, which as you know, is always very busy.   For information see https://genesisviewer.org 

How to set up the built-in Animation Override in Genesis Viewer [AO]

How to use the built-in AO in Genesis Viewer

Scary Substation today

We hope you enjoyed a good scare last night at our second Halloween show of the season.  You can get even more of a fright today with Bailey and CoffeeQueen in the Substation with their retro tunes from 11am SL time,  followed by Katty on the beach from 1pm SL time.

Eurythmics on Saturday

Eurythmics is a British duo, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.

The band was formed in 1980 with little fanfare, but burst onto the scene with Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) in 1983 and went on to have many major chart topping hits including Here Comes the Rain again, There Must Be An Angel, Who's That Girl, Love Is A Stranger, When Tomorrow Comes, Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves, I Saved The World Today... and many many more.

The duo split ten years later in 1990 but have reunited a few times since then to release singles, their last being I've Got A Life in 2005

Enjoy the music of the Eurythmics this Saturday in London City with our tribute band.
The party starts at 12pm SL (8pm UK) with the show an hour later at 1pm SL.

Telelport to Concert area http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/95/105/24

New Halloween Freebies

FreeHalloween Goodies for All Body types!

Hooray for the lovely people at No-Shot for these fabulous his and hers spooky Halloween Hoodies!

Available for all body types including standard,  these hoodies will keep your chestnuts warm this scary season! 

For these and other Halloween Freebies, visit the Freebie Megastore!

Talking of fur coat and no knickers..

Imagine how shocked we were to discover a lack of ladies underwear for the Free Altamura bodies and clothing offered in London City.

Also, just imagine how we found out!   Well panic not!  Ladies no longer need to scurry around with a hand on their ha'penny fearing embarrassment from a gust of wind irreparably damaging their reputation.

The lovely people at No Shot, have made these wonderful undies especially for Altamura, complete with a colour change HUD, so your collars and cuffs can always match.  And they are available in the Freebie Megastore as a Free Gift.

Thank you No Shot for saving our dignity.

 Collect them here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/115/222/24

Halloween Season

London City Spectre

Experience the chill of Halloween in London City, as wraiths and ghouls leave Highgate cemetery and wander the streets, in this frightmare spanning all of October. Enjoy weekly themed spooktactular concerts and shudder at the scary exhibits. For more details see mainlandlondon.blogspot.com

Visit in Second Life

There be monsters here.. you know who you are! :)

Fancy a creaky old movie today, and in  High Definition?

Try this on YouTube The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb (1964 Hammer Horror)

Digging (up) Debbie Harry

Some pictures from last night's Halloween season party and concert in London City, hosted by DJ Bailey and Coffee McQueen.   Get scared again by the gruesome twosome today at 11am SL in the Substation, playing old hits by old bints.

These pictures were taken on Genesis.  The Low Footprint, High Performance viewer for Second Life.  Make your lappy happy and give it a test drive, see https://genesisviewer.org