General Computer Stuff

Second Life – What… SLURL vs URL

by

Updated: 2019-06-28. Fixed link rot.

A bunch of bloggers don’t know the difference between a URL and a SLURL. The simple explanation, if a web page link opens a web page, image, video, whatever in a web browser it is a URL.

If it opens a viewer, then it is SLURL.

A URL: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Echo%20Cove/197/193/25

A SLURL: secondlife://ECHO%20COVE/197/193/25

Click each of the above to see the difference in behavior.

I'll send flowers into the sky to find you
I’ll send flowers into the sky to find you

On the second one, Windows or your anti-virus may complain saying clicking this link may be a security risk. This is both of those saying ‘I don’t know what this is, so I’ll tell you it may be dangerous, just in case.’ But, if you go to the SL Maps page, the first URL, and look at the SLURL shown when you hover over “Visit this Location” link, you’ll see they are the same.

You can decide for yourself by going to the SL Maps page, the first URL, and looking at the SLURL shown when you hover over “Visit this Location” link, you’ll see it shows the same link address I show here.

Control

The behavior when clicking a SLURL is controlled by you. Settings in Windows and/or your web browser control what happens when you click.

The Firestorm team has made an elegant fix. See: Second Life: How to FIX SLURL’s (2016). Fortunately, it works for all viewers Linden and third-party. Unfortunately, it is a Windows-only solution. To get the proxy for SLURL control see: SLURL Proxy.

If you want a more technical explanation, see: Emerald Viewer vs SLURL (2010). While that is a 2010 solution that uses the old banished Emerald Viewer as an example, it still works. Just change the names to avoid the guilty.

HTC Vive Price Drop

by

This morning I see the Vive has dropped in price. The retail price of a new Vive is now a mere US$600. That is better than the previous $800. But still expensive. Vive headsets have been going on eBay for about $500 for some time. Gear VR units are going for $65 on eBay.

HTC Vive – Aug 2017

Sansar is supporting Oculus and Vive. I have neither. So, how well they are supported and how easy they are to setup with Sansar, I don’t know. I have yet to get my Gear VR working with Sansar. So, I know that is difficult. I think I am down to a ‘controller’ problem. I have an Xbox 1708 controller on order (US$20-30±).

If you Google on Vive and SL, you may get the idea Vive and SL will work for VR. That isn’t the case. The information is almost all 2016 stuff written before the Lab dropped their SL VR project and CtrlAltStudio stopped VR Viewer development. I have been able to get SL into 3D, not VR, with my Gear VR. Not really worth the effort. It’s a nice novelty.

I have used the old CtrlAltStudio Viewer to see SL in VR. There is no Bento support. Until someone decides to merge the CtrlAltStudio code and an updated Firestorm there is essentially no ‘native’ VR support for SL. There is some third-party software for various games to get them into VR. Most of those are for DirectX games, not OpenGL.

SL users are second-class VR citizens…

Feedly – Deleting Dead Feeds

by

I went to delete a dead, unreachable feed in my Feedly and I couldn’t. Not something I often have to do. But, I couldn’t find a way to delete the feed. Normally I can click a feed and use the FOLLOWING button that appears in the upper right of the page. Cursor over the button and it changes to EDIT and one can remove the feed. But, not with a DEAD or UNREACHABLE feed. There is no ‘FOLLOWING’ button.

Removing unreachable feeds in Feedly – 2017 Aug

All the articles I could find using Google were no help. They all said to select the feed, go to the FOLLOWING button… I got no FOLLOWING button. Or select the feed and at the bottom of the column will be a ‘remove’ button. Nope. Not there.

It took a few minutes for me to start experimenting and find out how to accomplish the task. It isn’t hard, but the interface for removing a dead feed is different. You cannot remove a dead feed as you would an inactive feed or one you’ve lost interest in.

Click the GEAR icon and all the tools you need are there. I have no idea how long it has been since I clicked that gear icon. I don’t remember these tools being there. But, they are a good set of cleanup tools.

Update 11/2018: Things have changed a little. Still, click the gear. The page will show a list of your feeds. Move the cursor over the listed feed. You can select it by clicking in the box on the left end of the entry Then in the upper right there is an unfollow button. Or at the right end of the item is an unfollow icon button when (trashcan) the entry is cursored-over.

Both of these are very light in color. If your monitor is out of adjustment you may not be able to see them.

More VR Support

by

We have seen the links in the Sansar Atlas that let you send people to a Sansar Experience. But, once there they meet the hassle of download, install, try to re-find the experience… not good.

Now the Firefox browser supports Rift and Vive. That puts us a step closer to having a clear path from the web into VR.

Read more at Road to VR: Today’s Firefox Update Brings Rift and Vive WebVR Support to Everyone.

Braidon Bay - Catterline - Aerial Photosphere 08-08-2017a
Braidon Bay – Catterline – Aerial Photosphere 08-08-2017a

Google is launching VR support in Chrome for Android and Daydream.

You’ll notice the VR people are assuming you know a lot about VR and they leave a lot out of their writing.

Desk top users, if you want to know if your Firefox is updated or ready to update, open the browser’s HELP and look in ABOUT.

Read more

VR News 2017 w30

by

Oculus is pushing updates. A beta update is available allowing a user to combine their Oculus and Steam games in one library. That will be handy.

VR User Case

As it is now I have problems getting Stream VR working on my Gear VR. It does not like the Gear VR’s controller. So, I’ll have to get the Beta and see if it relieves the problem. My hope is because Gear VR and the Oculus store are integrated that will carry over to Steam games in the library.

Get More information from Road to VR, Oculus 1.17 Update Will Let You Launch SteamVR Apps From Oculus Home.