EOTB: No More Browser Viewer: Linden Lab Announces End to Project Zero

 

Linden Lab announced it was pulling the plug on an alternative viewer, one accessible through one's webbrowser. 

 

In January 2025, Linden Lab announced "Project Zero,"a viewer accessible through one's computer webbrowser. Browsing sessions through it were limited in time, though a few signing up would randomly be chosen to experience Second Life through it. Later, "priority access" would be an option, but it would cost $2.99 for five hours of time. In March 2025, there was a Firestorm version available, though people had to pay to use it as there was no free option available.

 

Since then, there hasn't been anything about Project Zero that caught the Newser's attention. That is until now. Yesterday, April 21, Linden Lab announced it was "Ending Support" for it.  

 

Last year, we introduced Project Zero as an experiment to explore a new way of accessing Second Life through a web browser. 

Many of you took part in testing Project Zero and shared thoughtful feedback along the way. Your involvement (and the feedback you shared) has been incredibly valuable in helping us better understand how lowering the barrier to entry – by removing the need for downloads or high-end hardware – could help improve new user onboarding and engagement. Thank you for being part of that process.

Based on what we’ve learned, we’ve made the decision to end support for the Project Zero Viewer ... 

 

They would go on to say support would end on Friday April 24 at 5PM SL time.  Those who have unused time were asked to file a support ticket to get up to 30 days worth of time back. The mobile and desktop viewers are not affected. 

 

"The insights gained from Project Zero will directly inform improvements to these core experiences, helping us focus our efforts where they can have the greatest impact. Our work to make Second Life more accessible, welcoming, and engaging is ongoing. We look forward to sharing more with you soon."

 

For the blog post in full, Click Here. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Firestorm Webrowser Viewer Made Available on Limited Runs

 

Normally, Linden Lab doesn't say much about Team Firestorm, the group of volunteers behind the most popular Second Life viewer. But on Friday, they made them the subject of the latest post on the official Second Life blog. They announced there would be a Firestorm version of the Project Zero mobile viewer. 

 

But, there would be a catch to using it. One needed to pay to use it, and it would only be for a total of several hours.

We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new way to experience Second Life with Firestorm. Now you can use it directly from your web browser! No download, no installations, just quick and easy access to your virtual world with high performance and low lag.

To celebrate this launch, we’re offering an exclusive test run: special packs of five hours for just L$250 (US $1). This is a limited offer to help test the service, and it will not reflect the final pricing when we fully launch.  

As the Lab stated, it was a limited time offer, and in about a day the "special packs" had all sold out.

 

 For the blog post in full, Click Here. 

SL Video: "Second Life Works In A Browser"

 

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 From Draxtor Despres, "Dear Lord Philip of the Rosendale I praise thee (and thy team) that I am allowed to LIVE TO SEE THE DAY !!! It works! IT WORKS VERY WELL!!!!"

Lab Begins Limted Testing of Browser-Based Viewer

 

For those who've been curious about what Second Life would be like if played on a web browser, now's your chance to find out. Yesterday, Thursday January 2, Linden Lab announced it was starting up tests of a browser-based Second Life viewer, inviting residents to give it a try. 

Starting today, Second Life residents can help us test access to Second Life directly through the browser, with no download or GPU required.  Initial testing will use the standard viewer UI, but in the next phase of work we will dramatically simplify the user interface, with the overall goal of greatly improving the accessibility of Second Life for a larger audience.     

To give it a try, residents need to click on zero.secondlife.com. You should then see a screen that looks like the picture on the left. The Lab stated that there will likely be a wait time to log on this way, and that browser sessions are limited to ten minutes.

 

The Lab would go on to say that starting next week, some new residents signing up "will be randomly selected to experience their first Second Life session through their browser during the sign-up process. " 

The Lab is calling the name of the project Project Zero, "because our goal is to reduce to zero the barriers to getting into Second Life:  the system requirements, the possibility of not being able to install or crashing, and the many barriers present to getting accustomed to the interface."

 

Firestorm and other third-party viewers will not be involved. 

 

To read the announcement in full, Click Here. 

 

Hat Tip: Eric Mondrain, Pantera Polnocy

  

Bixyl Shuftan

Game Review: Rise of Cultures

 

Second Life may not be a game, but many if not most of it's residents like to play games. Among them is the history-based city-builder "Rise of Cultures." Starting off with a small stone-age tribe, you found a settlement and grow and develop it to become larger and slowly more advanced. So how does it play?

 

Read the game review in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games .

Linden Lab Partners With Speedlight Mobile Viewer, Offering Premium Plus Benefit

 

 For years, there's been talk about accessing Second Life through a mobile viewer. Linden Lab never had one of it's own, but there were third-party clients. Years ago, the best was probably Lumiya, but for some time it hasn't been updated and presumably has become unusable. A few years ago, Linden Lab started working on a mobile-capable platform. But last October, it announced it was pausing development. Development had reportedly been "stagnant" for months, presumably on trying to resolve technical issues.

Another mobile client available is Speedlight. It's been around at least since early 2020. Earlier this week, Linden Lab announced they were partnering with Speedlight, offering unlimited time on the mobile viewer as part of it's Premium Plus perks.

The Speedlight mobile app is already popular with many of our community members since it enables Residents to stay connected with Second Life while on the go, and now Premium Plus subscribers get access to additional Speedlight benefits: no online time limitations along with prioritised online support. Now you can enjoy Second Life on your mobile devices (or in a web browser) with the freedom to stay connected as long as you like! To get these benefits, all you need to do is access Second Life using SpeedLight with your Premium Plus account.

 

 

While most of Speedlight's features are free to use, there's only a limited time one can use it per month. For more time, one either had to buy it or subscribe to a gold account. And now there's the option of signing up for Premium Plus. But how much of a perk is this?

 

Trying it out with an alt on my webbrowser, the viewer did allow you to check where your avatar was, as well as who was around it. You could also check one's friend list to see who was on and groups, as well as nearby chat. There is also a 3D view, but it's considerably less detailed than regular SL viewers, unlike what the picture with the Lab's announcement suggests. Surroundings are simplified, and one's avatar appears as a stick figure. One can move around and jump, but there's no sound or music, and one may get stuck at a sim crossing.

In a thread in the official forums, comments were somewhat mixed, overall favorable. The one big complaint was that the picture in the announcement was misleading. A few commented the perk would probably be of best use to merchants, who could use it when away from their computer to check up on business.

The partnership between Linden Lab and Speedlight marks the second time in a month the Lab as made a deal with someone offering an SL product not owned by them. Speedlight was developed by Glaznah Gassner. 

Source: Modem World

Bixyl Shuftan

Windows 10 "Warning" Users Not To Use Firefox, Chrome, Pushes Edge Browser

By Bixyl Shuftan

While PC users have been frequently using Microsoft's Windows 10, most pass up it's web browser, Microsoft Edge, in favor of the popular Firefox and Chrome. It's used less than Apple Safari, which is limited to the much smaller Apple computer market. Microsoft's old browser Internet Explorer has gotten a reputation for being slow and buggy, so besides people being used to the more familiar browsers, they may be a little too wary of the old "E"'s problems to try the new one. But rather than try an advertising campaign to convince people to use their browser, it seems Microsoft has instead decided to take advantage of it's operating system to push it's other product.

Lately when Windows 10 users try to download Firefox or Chrome, their installation is interrupted by a popup reminding the user they already have Microsoft Edge, "the safer, faster browser for Windows 10." While Edge may be a fast browser, this popup is not only annoying and frustrating, but it may confuse some less than experienced computer users into thinking the more popular browsers are unsafe.

This isn't the only time Microsoft has been pushy with computer users about choices of browsers. Last year, it's debut of Windows 10 S would not allow users to instal other browsers on laptops.

Microsoft's move isn't just annoying computer owners, but also people in online computer magazines. Matthew Humphries of PC Magazine was polite, "Microsoft, please don't do this. Focus on making your software better, prove to us that it is, and market it as such. You already have the advantage of Windows 10 shipping with Edge." Joel Hruska of Extreme Tech was more blunt, "You are training your end users to expect that with each new Windows release, they must spend time digging through settings to find all the things you stealthily changed and shut them off again. This kind of subterfuge encourages customers to view the update process as fundamentally adversarial, because it requires us to spend time shutting things off rather than giving them a chance to function as intended. It encourages end users to believe the worst about your company’s practices and behaviors. When Microsoft chose to make Windows 10’s upgrade advisor pushier and more aggressive, it didn’t just make people angry; it fed a narrative of distrust and deceit, priming people to believe that MS wanted them to use Windows 10 so it could collect and monetize data based on how individuals use their computers. If you ever wonder why people harbor such suspicion towards Microsoft, take a look in the mirror. It’s because you’ve taught them to. ..."

In the meantime, Windows 10 users grumble about this latest annoyance, which for some may make them wonder if it was worth upgrading from 7 or 8.


Sources, PC Magazine, Daily Mail, Extreme Tech

Bixyl Shuftan

Game Review: Forge of Empires

Most of the games we review can't be played while Second Life is running, or are usually more than a little difficult to do so. One many of our readers will be able to is "Forge of Empires." Playable on one's browser or as an app on a tablet, Forge of Empires is a city and empire historical strategy game in which the player directs the course of his city and territory as it progresses through the ages. So what is the game like?

Read the review in Other Grids, MMOs, and Games.