AvaStar – Infected Download

by

4

WARNING – UPDATE:2/9 – OK The original post is not quite right. Original:

The AvaStar people (wrong – wasn’t reading closed enough) have posted a warning about recent downloads of AvaStar being infected with a Trojan or computer virus. They aren’t clear on what it was just that it was a bad thing. See: AvaStar – infected download.

If you downloaded their version 2.3-2 update in the last 2 or 3 weeks… you are at risk. Get a new copy and replace it. Scan your computer…  Type DEFENDER in the ‘Ask me anything‘ or Search Windows field and run Windows Defender. Click Virus & threat protection. In place of a Quick Scan choose Custom Scan and point Defender to the place you keep your downloads.

Gaia commented below. Also, the original warning came from Casper Tech, not Machinimatrix. Also, the Casper Tech post has changed since I first read it.

Gaia and the Machinimatrix people seriously doubt the AvaStar code or package was infected.

Thinking about it, the programming code for Blender is Python. Blender add-ons, at least all those I have, are delivered as text files written in the Python language. So, the malicious code would have to be written in Python making it a specialized case, which is outside the normal pattern of malicious code for a web hack. So, I suspect Gaia and crew are right, the AvaStar programs and package were NOT compromised.

Doing some research this morning, I find that it is possible to embed malicious software in Blender files (.blend) and place executable code (.exe) in Python programs, but the Python has to call them and Windows intercepts the call and asks if it is OK to run it. Neither case is conducive to hackers. So, possible but unlikely.

However, Casper Tech is pointing out that the website hacks were sending people to a third-party site. They were attempting to inject malicious software into computers arriving at the site. But, a manual virus-scan of your computer will reveal any problem.

SL Gacha Things I Didn’t Know

by

0

There is a Gacha Garden event and two regions of Gacha Garden Shops. You peeps probably already know all this. But, it is new to me. I’m not a Gacha fan. But, I am curious about free market innovations. So, I am poking around and learning.

The Designer [ JUSTICE ] has boots I REALLY LIKE. I went looking to buy them and found they were an exclusive offering at the January Gacha Garden (LM) event (group). These are boots I would expect to go for L$300 or so per color or L$800-1200 or more for a fat pack. At the event, you can try your luck for L$75 a try.

Gacha Garden Event – Feb 2018

Of course, the gold color I want is a rare, rare. At L$75 I figure I can make 4 tries at getting the color I want. Or if I want them all, 10 to 16 tries. After the 10th or 16th try gacha-gambling is costing me more than just buying boots would.

I really wanted them. So, I made 4 tries. I got the Silver rare, 2 ok colors, and one duplicate color. The Silver rare is pretty neat and provides a range from white silver to near black silver. Five colors if I remember correctly. I am happy. The 2 colors are ok but not my colors. What do I do with the duplicate? I’ll get to that. Continue reading →

Second Life News 2018 w06

by

1

Servers

There was no Server and Scripting UG meeting today.

There is a Deploys post up for this week. No roll to the main channel or any of the RC channels. So, version #18.01.17.511913 is running on all channels.

Netherwood

Netherwood

Viewers

The main viewer is version 5.1.0.511732. Updated last in week #2.

Second Life Maintenance Viewer version 5.1.1.512226 – Updated! The previous update was version 5.1.1.511871 in week #4.

Continue reading →

Proportional Shapes in Second Life

by

2

Recently there have been a number of articles about the shape and size of avatars and things related. Penny Patton has been on about how camera position affects our perception of size in SL for years. Now the Lab is preparing to support her altered camera position settings. Plus, she has written articles on avatar size and the effect it has on everything else in Second Life™.

This image is the work of Luc Viatour – https://Lucnix.be

I’ve written a number of articles on the same and similar subjects. Several pointing to Penny’s articles and expanding on the subjects. Continue reading →

Photoshop Version: 19.1.0 20180116.r.238 2018/01/16

by

0

This is the newest version of Photoshop as of today. A few days ago I pointed you to the video showing the new Select Subject feature. That makes selecting some things WAY easier. That is nice but the surprising part is the apparent improvement in Decontaminate Colors.

The Select Subject tool drops you into the Select and Mask… tool, where you find Decontaminate Colors. I use the feature often when clipping out part of an image. (example) I don’t know that it has changed, but it certainly seems to work better.

New Select Subject Tool January 2018

Clipping me out of the green screen in the above image was very quick and easy. May a couple of minutes.

Notice the hair along the left side and where it overlaps the right arm. I would usually have to spend some time working on those areas. Not this time.

If you have the new Photoshop, check it out.

Second Life News Bits 2018 w06

by

0

Saturday was the annual Mole Day. Inara has an article on Mole Day with all the details.

SL Moles are the guys that build all the SL Governor’s public works things. We hear little about them, but they are a key part of Second Life™.

Mysterious girl.

The Machinimatrix Blog got hacked. It is fixed and all is well again. (Ref) The Machinimatrix people did not recommend changing passwords. But, it is probably a good idea.

NiranV the author of the Black Dragon Viewer has an article up on Projector Lights. Part of the information is about setting up Preferences in the BD Viewer. Then Niran gets into setting up the projector lights.

Projector lights are way neat and greatly improve the appearance of a scene. They make night and club scenes much more dramatic.

Catznip Viewer is releasing a beta, they describe it this way:

Catznip R12.1 (beta1) has been posted for patrons (64bit only). We’re testing dramatically faster texture rezzing (new, Catznip unique OpenJpeg). Prejump & landings animations optionally disabled and a slew of crash fixes.

Texture rendering speed was the obstacle to my use of this viewer.

Kitty Barnett, the author of Catznip, is looking for some financial support. So, this beta is only available to those that contribute through Patreon.

This is the 8th anniversary of Myst Online: Uru Live. Get details on the Myst Online website, Anniversary. Events through to February 7th.

Gacha Garden has a new event in progress. There are dozens of free gifts spread around the garden. There is a shopping guide here.

I’m not much of a gacha fan. I tend to only go when there is an exclusive item from a designer I like only available as a gacha. But, Gacha Garden is fun. Join the group. Lots of trading happens there. If you have an item you want to sell, this is a good place to start.

Politics: The Memo is Released

by

0

In America, we have an aversion to government intrusion into our lives and business. Our basic idea is each human is a free sovereign answering only to a higher supernatural power and we Americans join in a political union to form a government that serves the people, not rules, and laws we all agree to live under. This necessitates a need for our government to be transparent and open to investigation by its citizens.

The nature of humans to have diverse agendas and beliefs complicates the process. A need to protect information from those that would use it to harm us or use it to abuse others for personal gain and yet remain an open and free society greatly complicates the government process. Thus, a complicated weave of laws controlling a government run by our elected representatives is supposed to strive to keep us safe and abide by our, the people’s, decisions and will.

Our system has designated selected people to exercise the investigative and overwatch duties. The Memo is the result of these duties and oversight. The information is now being released to the public for all citizens, and the world, to read. Continue reading →