Ever wished a 'Second Life' ?

There are time when we wished to become a renouned celebrety, go hiking to some world famous place like Mount Everst, have late night parties in five star clubs (without any family issues), own a huge mansion, drove Ferrari or even own an island!
How about having a second life where you can do all those things which you have not been able to do in your current life (for obvious reasons).

Second Life® is a 3-D virtual world created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe.

From the moment you enter this new World, you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.

You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow Residents. Because Residents retain intellectual property rights in their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other Residents.

The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the inworld unit of trade, the Linden™ dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden dollar exchanges.

It's a Second Life world. Experience it once! Read the steps and Tutorials


Steps in Second Life :

1. Create an AVTAAR

The Second Life world is a place dedicated to your creativity. After all, an avatar is your persona in the virtual world. The picture below shows how easy it is to create your avatar. Despite offering almost infinite possibilities, the tool to personalize your avatar is very simple to use and allows you to change anything you like, from the tip of your nose to the tint of your skin. Don't worry if it's not perfect at first, you can change your look at any time.

2. Where do i start

The Map.
Imagine you want to find people socializing. View upcoming events' information on the web map by clicking the the green dots being shown.

The Search Menu.
Now you'd like to learn more about a particular event you saw on the web map. Search for it, and read its description. It sounds great, and you teleport there.

Other People.
Once you arrive, right-click on anybody's avatar and choose "View Profile" to learn about them.

3.Meet people


4. Own a virtual land
Owning land in the Second Life world allows you to build, display, and store your virtual creations, as well as host events and businesses.

You can pay money ans buy that land (optional) and expand your virtual business/ social network

5. Create anything
The Second Life world is a place dedicated to your creativity. It's about dreaming of something one moment and bringing it to life the next. Everything in Second Life is resident-created, from to the strobe lights in the nightclubs to the car (or spaceship) in your driveway.

6. Make REAL MONEY (that's right)
Here's how it works:
The Second Life world has a fully-integrated economy architected to reward risk, innovation, and craftsmanship.


Residents create their own virtual goods and services. Because residents retain the IP rights of their creations, they are able to sell them at various in-world venues.


Businesses succeed by the ingenuity, artistic ability, entrepreneurial acumen, and good reputation of their owners.


Residents who have amassed lots of Linden™ dollars are matched with residents who want to buy Linden dollars at the LindeX™ exchange (our official Linden dollar exchange), or at other unaffiliated third-party exchanges.


The Second Life real estate market provides opportunities for Residents to establish their own communities and business locations. See Land Pricing & Use Fees for details.

For sample videos,visit:

secondlife

MeBeam on CNN

Another lander on Mars from NASA

Watch Mars (live) at internet as NASA attempts to put another lander !

Not only is NASA,the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, going to attempt to put another lander on Mars, but this time their doing it live on the Internet for all to see.
According to Michael Learmonth of Silicon Valley Insider, starting at 6 PM EST today, people can head to NASA’s website, or Second Life, to watch as NASA attempts to put the Phoenix Mars Lander down on solid ground. I only say “attempts” as missions to Mars have had a checkered past over the years, but the twin rovers of Spirit and Opportunity have certainly proven it can be done. If successful, the first message from Phoenix will be received at 8 PM EST to let mission control know that the lander has in fact touched down and the status of its components.
Phoenix will be landing in the northern arctic region of the planet where an ice layer is known to exist below the surface soil. The lander will be able to dig down to this layer, scoop up samples to put inside of its on board ovens, and then analyze the vapors to determine the mixture of liquid. In addition to this portion of the mission, it will also use an attached weather station to see what the climate is like in the far north, and use a mast-mounted camera to take pictures of the surrounding landscape.
The mission is expected to last 90 “sols”, or approximately 92 Earth days. As a possible comparison of Phoenix’s fortunes on Mars, Spirit and Opportunity were expected to last only 90 sols, but are now at 1562 and 1541 respectively.

Go Green

Recycling Codes

These days, recycling is encouraged more and more to make our environment "GREEN". However, people rarely know what and how does recycling works. It would be interesting to notice what kind of symbols (apart from a simple triangle) are used on recycling products and what each of them mean.

History

The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI)introduced a resin identification coding system in 1988 at the urging of recyclers in US. A growing number of communities were implementing recycling programs in an effort to decrease the volume of waste subject to tipping fees at landfills. In some cases, these programs were driven by state-level recycling mandates.

The SPI code was developed to meet recyclers’ needs while providing manufacturers a consistent, uniform system that could apply nationwide. Because municipal recycling programs traditionally targeted packaging - primarily containers – the SPI coding system offered a means of identifying the resin content of bottles and containers commonly found in the residential waste stream. Recycling firms have varying standards for the plastics they accept. Some firms may require that the plastics be sorted by type and separated from other recyclables; some may specify that mixed plastics are acceptable if they are separated from other recyclables; while others may accept all material mixed together. Not all types of plastics are generally recycled, and recycling facilities may not be available in some areas.

Let's look at the codes and utility of each of them!



Number 1 - Plastics
PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)

Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter
containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food
trays.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps,
(occasionally) new containers

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.



Number 2 Plastics
HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles;
shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter
and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow
only those containers with necks.
Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers,
floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables,
fencing

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.




Number 3 Plastics
V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil
bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding,
windows, piping
Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.
Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed
bumps, mats

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.





Number 4 Plastics
LDPE (low density polyethylene)

Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags;
tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet
Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some
communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many
stores for recycling.
Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes,paneling,
lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.



Number 5 Plastics
PP (polypropylene)
Found in: Yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws,medicine
bottles
Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases,
ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets,
trays

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.



Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers,
aspirin bottles, compact disc cases
Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam
packing, carry-out containers

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.



Number 7 Plastics
Miscellaneous
Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials,
sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain
food containers, nylon
Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some
curbside programs now take them.
Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors.