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Better hurry to get your invention ideas to Electrolux, because the deadline is November 1, and the contest was just announced on October 18, 2007! Your challenge is to create useful devices that solve specific challenges in Second Life. What's at stake is up to 100,000 Linden Dollars (L$s)!

Who? What? How Much?

You've probably heard of Electrolux, the global producer of household appliances? It owns such brands as Frigidaire and Eureka and several other internationally marketed appliance brands. But If you don't know about Second Life or Linden Dollars (L$s), you may be wondering what this invention contest is all about.

I first thought that "Second Life" referred to life after death or a second career, and that Linden Dollars were some kind of chocolate "chits."

Wrong.

Second Life (SL) is a virtual world where anyone can choose to live a life with aSex In Second Life (from Strive Notes) new identity. You can create whatever persona you want for yourself, pick the age you want to be, go to school, work, enjoy sports, create music, socialize, and even have sexual encounters. At least one couple has married in SL, meeting IRL (SL-speak for in real life) almost two years later!

Linden dollars (L$s), named for the Linden's who created SL, this the currency of SL and members can purchase or sell property and other items on SL with this currency. L$s can be traded for various real life currencies; 270L$ is equivalent, for example, to about $1US. (That means that the prize of 100,000L$ is equivalent to $270 US.)

What You Need To Do

OK. Now, if you're interested in this contest, I suggest you join the SL community , log in, and spend a few days trying to navigate around and figure out what would be needed. If you've had an idea for RL and you just haven't got it going yet, this SL contest might be a good incentive to get it started... Electrolux agrees that you hold all intellectual property rights and it will not disclose your product or concept without your permission. But check and double check the contest's rules and regulations before submitting.

Although established SL members may have an edge in this contest, inventors don't have to submit a finished product. You can submit just a concept, and that approach could make the timeline easier to meet.

Now, go for it!

Myra Per-Lee
Featured Blogger
InventorSpot.com