March 1, 2011
As some know, I have a number of sites within my corporate portfolio. Some of these sites are big, some small. Newbetek.com has always been fairly small, as it was a method by which we could keep our customers informed as to our progress in development of new products.
This past weekend, I decided to change hosting providers. It was not due to any big technical issue, but rather because I prefer the interface of my current provider and the fact that I wanted to consolidate my sites to keep things manageable. My domains and the other hosting account were up for renewal, so the time seemed right.
My long-time customers know that I took some time off from business in order to focus on real-world issues. I’m happy to say that most of those issues have been resolved and I’m now beginning to address some long-standing product development projects.
In the past, Newbetek has accepted custom jobs. Although they have been enjoyable projects, they tended to steal focus from the bigger picture. In order to ensure that the main projects keep rolling along, the small jobs will have to remain a thing of the past.
With that said, I am happy to announce that I’ve once again started work on my online eCommerce system for virtual worlds. It will take time to complete, but I think that the end result will be well worth it.
Another product line, the O-Magic platform, was delayed. The first in the series, Lift-O-Magic, was ready for release. I had the advertisements ready and everything was boxed up. I chose not to release it, as I knew that I would be unable to devote the time needed to ensure an adequate level of support. I’ve set a new date for release of May 1st.
We’ve also opened a new shop that provides ample resources to do in-world builds. It’s located in Shelter at 217/86/86 so please come in and take a look.
March 1, 2011
One always ponders a new beginning. Some beginnings are small, others large, but most fit somewhere between. Newbetek started somewhere in between.
I, Newbe Writer, came to the virtual world known as Second Life(tm) mostly out of curiosity. I read an article about the the top 100 most influential CIO’s and the brief write up of Philip Rosedale made me look. Although fascinated by 3d virtual environments, I had long avoided the genre, as most seemed to be aimed at just chatting or at gaming. Although I like gaming occasionally as a pass time, I’ve never justified the cost of a subscription. I’m just not THAT into gaming. As for chatting, well, I’m generally pretty reserved. I like to think that I’m observant. Yes, that’s it: observant.
Second Life is different. It isn’t a game, though you can do that within it. It isn’t a chat system, though chatting happens all the time. It’s much more, while being nothing in particular. In a nutshell, it is what you make it. Very little real content is supplied by Linden Labs. They provide the environment, the servers, the client and all the technical stuff to make it happen. The users provide the content, and it is this difference that makes all the difference.
Content is created by people all over the world, each with different interests, cultures, skills and goals. Graphic artists, scientists, writers and everyone else creates content for themselves and for others. Content can be in the form of a virtual physical object, like a house, tree, chair or vehicle. It can be artworks such as a Rembrandt or someone’s original art. It can be a game or some other form of entertainment. One very important component comprises scripts. Any vehicle, vendor or game requires a script to operate. Smoke stacks, steam engines and radios require scripts. Just about anything can be augmented through scripting.
That’s where Newbetek comes in. I’ve been programming for most of my life. I’ve developed simple applications to rather larger ones in the real world. I’ve also worked as an IT manager for many years. Having spent some time exploring and creating products within Second Life, I have found that the LSL scripting language, though hampered by some strict limitations in the name of security and efficiency, is reasonably versatile. I started Newbetek as a response to my own scripting needs.
Writer Steam Works is Newbetek’s sister company. WSW produces items of a more historical or perhaps steam-oriented theme. Newbetek first started to develop and market items with a more modern theme. Projects in the works include our photo components such as lighting systems. As I progressed, I realized that it made sense to keep all the scripting under a single umbrella. As computer programming isn’t traditionally considered a Victorian vocation, the logical choice was to keep it under Newbetek.
Scripting, much like programming, is a passion of mine, but time is money. I’m always looking for the next project to develop, so if you have something that needs to be scripted, just IM me (Newbe Writer) in-world and we can discuss your requirements.
Newbe.
March 1, 2011
After many months of development, Newbetek is about to launch the first product in our series of “O-Magic” Builder’s Kits. Our Builder’s Kits, designed for use by Newbetek’s Presence Developers, allows content creators to concentrate on what they do best: build content. Each kit will include scripts, configuration files, instructions and examples to help you build the world you want.
First up will be the Lift-O-Magic Elevator Builder’s Kit. The kit was the result of constant demand. Many times, visitors to our in-world shops have asked about our steam lifts. Each has a different physical layout and each has differing special features, such as operational gates, flaps and doors. The original programs were developed specifically for use in Newbetek builds, but we feel that we can unlock value in our development process, and build a name for ourselves, by packaging them and putting them up for sale.
The suggested list price will be a mere L$1995, which translates to about $7.50US at today’s exchange rates. A bargain on it’s own, but the scripts are copyable, so you can automate as many elevators on your own builds as you need! Expect to see the Lift-O-Magic on sale at SLExchange and OnRez through Writer Steam Works by May 1st.
The Lift-O-Magic is only the first of many Builder’s Kits that we will be releasing over the coming months. Keep coming back for more details and the latest news!