3pointD.com

A couple of new pieces of Second Life-related Web functionality (or is that Web-related SL functionality?) caught my eye this morning. The first is a service called httpdb, which provides users with free, persistent out-of-world data storage (up to 250kb per user) that can be accessed by scripts within SL using the new llHTTPRequest function. [Via VTOR.] Data storage within SL is almost totally lacking; data can be stored dynamically in variables or statically in notecards, but both forms are quite unstable. httpdb attempts to solve the problem, at least for small data loads, and looks quite easy to use. A similar service is available from SL resident Carl Omlet.

The second has been kicking around the SL forums for about a week now, but has found a nice easy-to-use form courtesy of SL resident Velox Severine, described at resident Chandra Page’s site. [Also via VTOR.] This one lets you point the new in-world Mozilla browser at pretty much any page on the Web, rather than simply having access to the Linden Lab help page that’s provided as the only native option.

The browser doesn’t support cookies or Flash very well, but the hack is easy on Windows. httpdb doesn’t give you much storage space, but (if its provider can be trusted to keep the service running) it does solve some stability problems for SL data storage.

These are important steps forward for SL. Finally, it seems, the tools necessary to build really robust Web-enabled applications in SL are beginning to appear. That’s fairly exciting, as one of the biggest lacks in SL has been its inability to communicate in an interesting way with the Web — where, arguably, the most exciting strides are taking place in terms of new ways for people to connect. And that’s what 3pointD is all about, isn’t it? Looking forward to more.