Blue Mars Blog

Fix available for Blue Mars and Blue Mars Lite auto-updaters

2011-12-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

If you have not logged into Blue Mars and/or Blue Mars Lite recently, you may run into a problem where the auto-updater tries to update the client and fail because it cannot download the necessary patch files. We recently moved to a different file hosting service, and this is a side effect of that change.

To work around the problem, please download and run the new auto-updaters below. Once you have successfully run the updater and patched to the new version, you can delete them from your hard drive.

Blue Mars auto-updater
Blue Mars Lite auto-updater

Blue Mars+Xbox Kinect on Display at APEC!

2011-11-09T16:14:00.001-08:00

We're posting from the Hawaii Convention Center, where we are showing a demo of Blue Mars to thousands of international delegates attending the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) 2011 conference!

We're part of an exhibition presented by SEE-IT, a non-profit organization (founded by our CEO Henk Rogers) whose mission is to showcase and promote innovative technologies developed here in Hawaii, and encourage more science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Hawaii's schools.

In addition to our Blue Mars, Blue Mars Lite and Blue Mars Mobile applications, we're featuring a custom-made interactive display just for APEC, using Xbox Kinect motion sensors and a giant LED screen to enable visitors to interact with our avatars using movement.

We also released a new city in Blue Mars that will let you get a virtual taste of our exhibit, so be sure to check it out!

2011-10-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from Blue Mars!

So what are you and your avatar going to be this Halloween?
We've prepared a special treat (or trick) for this fun holiday--click on the tombstone when you first enter the Welcome Area!

(Note: This trick is best enjoyed in Full Screen mode and first-person camera view.)

We've also added a special Halloween costume in your clothing inventory under Accessory: A pumpkin head for guys and a witch hat (with a nice fuzzy texture which can be seen on the full PC version) for the girls.

Hope everyone has a great Halloween weekend...Happy haunting!

Avatar Reality Recognized for Business Innovation in Hawaii

2011-09-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Please see our updated blog post live from the APEC conference!

The 2011 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) conference will be hosted in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Avatar Reality's (real life) office is located. As part of the state's efforts to promote Hawaii-based businesses to the APEC delegates, the Hawaii Business Innovation Showcase was established, to "provide an unprecedented opportunity for businesses registered in the state to showcase innovation in products and services to an international audience during APEC 2011 Leaders’ Week."

Last month, Avatar Reality was selected as one of 35 finalists from over a thousand candidates, and was recognized at an awards event, where a plaque was presented by the Mayor of Honolulu.

To commemorate this event and to share the honor with our users, we have released a virtual replica of the award plaque as a default item for everyone. You can find this item, named Apec2011_Trophy, in your inventory under the "Accessory" section (available in Blue Mars, Blue Mars Mobile, and Blue Mars Lite). You can also see the plaque displayed in the Welcome Area (right at the spawn point) in the full PC version of Blue Mars.

We would also like to take this opportunity to send a big mahalo (thank you) to everyone that has supported Avatar Reality and Blue Mars!

Transformers Wearable Items on Sale in Blue Mars

2011-09-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Autobots, roll out! In collaboration with , a virtual goods licensing, marketing and distribution company, we have released wearable head and arm parts of Bumblebee, one of the main characters in the Transformers movie series.

Now your avatar can become "more than meets the eye..."

Meemo, who obtained the rights from toymaker Hasbro to produce and sell virtual goods based on the Transformers movie franchise, has teamed up with Avatar Reality to release wearable body parts of the character Bumblebee. There are 3 parts: Head, Right Arm, and Left Arm, each being sold for 500 BLU.

Here is how you can purchase these items:

On Blue Mars Mobile for the iPhone and iPad:

From the display avatars:

Click on this avatar Blink for the male version, or this one for the female version.
When Blue Mars Mobile launches and the Bumblebee avatar shows up, tap on the Item List tab on the right-hand side.
Tap on any of the 3 Bumblebee parts to check out and purchase.

From the Search function:

Tap Search on the bottom menu tray, and tap Search by Item Name.
In the search window, enter the keyword "bumblebee."

On Blue Mars Lite for the PC or Mac:

From the display avatars:

Click on this avatar Blink for the male version, or this one for the female version.
When Blue Mars Lite launches and the Bumblebee avatar shows up, look on the Item List on the right-hand side.
Double-click on any of the 3 Bumblebee parts to check out and purchase.

From the Search function:

Click on the Item Search icon on the top menu bar, or select Window > Item Search.
When the search window opens, enter "bumblebee" in the Keyword field.

Check out Blue Mars Lite – Now in Open Beta

2011-08-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce the launch of our open beta for Blue Mars Lite (download available here).

The most notable feature is 3D Chat, which provides a new way to meet and socialize with others. By integrating Google Street View, 3D Chat allows avatars to meet at real locations all over the world and experience them together. Upon launching Blue Mars Lite, users will have the option to explore a pre-set location, such as the Las Vegas Strip or NY’s MoMA. Or, users can create their own groups by pasting the location link from Google Maps Street View into Blue Mars Lite.

Although not currently available, users will soon be able to use a Blink (Blue Mars Link) to Tweet the location of their Waikiki Beach Party, Eiffel Tower Soiree, or any other event. Invitees would then click on the Blink and if they have Blue Mars Lite, they will be taken to the location after login. Otherwise, they will be prompted to download the client.

In addition to 3D Chat, Blue Mars Lite incorporates many of the great features already available in our mobile app:

Personalize your avatar by selecting clothes and other items or customizing its makeup

Shop thousands of clothes, accessories and other items

Vote on other avatars, or post messages in their profiles. Right-click on any avatar to open up their information window.

Use multiple search options to view or find avatars or items, including Top Rated and Best Selling

Visit your Account Settings page to update your profile or view your BLU balance

See who’s left you comments or viewed your avatar on your Information page

Blue Mars Lite is compatible with most PCs and Macs, and is a considerably smaller download than the full PC version. Also of note: Blue Mars Lite is fully integrated with the rest of Blue Mars, so you can access your existing friends lists and inventories from the other applications.

Please share screenshots and your event details with us on our FB page.

Explore Middletown America in Blue Mars

2011-08-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Industrial life in small towns in the USA was part of the landmark studies Middletown (1929) and Middletown in Transition (1937) by Robert S. and Helen Merrel Lynd. These in-depth accounts of life in Muncie, Indiana became classic sociological studies and established the community as a barometer of social trends in the United States. In the years since, scholars in a variety of fields have returned to Muncie to follow up on the Lynds' work, making this small city among the most studied communities in the nation. The center continues this tradition by sponsoring and promoting research on Muncie as Middletown, on small cities generally, and on themes and issues the Lynds explored.

IDIA Virtual Middletown Project brings these studies to life in the virtual world of Blue Mars. This prototype recreates elements of industrial life from that period, specifically the Ball Glass Factory. The project incorporates various modes of learning and interaction - while maintaining the immersive experience. This simulation of industrial life, built as a prototype for a much larger project dealing will all aspects of the Lynd Study, has aimed to create a virtual living museum experience expanding the opportunities for both learning and interpretation. The approach to interactive design embeds learning and navigation experiences subtly into the project to maintain the sense of immersion. IDIA has prototyped several techniques to do this including:

interactive objects that allow for close up inspection;
objects that when clicked bring up web resources that show information;
plans or photographs used in the interpretation;
non-player character factory workers;
a live interactive avatar of Frank C. Ball who greets visitors and introduces them to the factory;
video and audio files of factory experts and archival films;
an in-world interactive Heads-Up-Display (HUD) that provides deeper investigation and navigation through the factory; and
a supporting webpage with complete documentation on all resources used in this interpretation

Find out more at the IDIA Lab website and the video walkthrough.

Blue Mars Celebrates Obon Festival

2011-08-01T18:39:00.001-07:00

Blue Mars continues its Summer Concert series with an Obon Festival! This week's party is held on Friday night at the usual time of 4pm PDT, however, this time the event will be in Ynaga's city of Tao Hua Yuan! Having the event there will allow Ynaga to create some special decorations including the traditional yagura (drum tower).

The Obon Festival is held in various times in the summer throughout the regions of Japan as well as in other countries with Japanese communities including Argentina, Brazil, China, Malaysia, the United States, and Canada. The festival is in honor of the contributions and sacrifices made by departed ancestors. The current focus of Obon is a return to hometowns, celebration of family, and honoring ancestors by taking care of their gravesites.

Obon is a summer festival, so participants often wear light cotton yukatas and enjoy summertime treats such as watermelon. Traditional music is played from the yagura, and participants perform regional dances around the tower. The conclusion of the 3-day festival is floating lanterns on the rivers as a symbolic way of lighting the paths of the ancestors. There are also fireworks displays.

In Blue Mars, we will celebrate with Japanese music selected and streamed to us by DJ Ilko. Ynaga and JamTuner are creating decorations and party favors including watermelon, lanterns, yukatas and the drum tower. Arzach has created three new colors of his kimono for ladies as well. All these will be available at the party on Friday. We will also offer BLU$ prizes for correct answers to Obon Trivia questions.

The main part of the party will be held in Tao Hua Yuan, but we may travel to Edo for fireworks and to display our glowing lanterns. Please prepare for the festival by downloading both Tao Hua Yuan and Edo for ease of participation.

We hope to see you Friday!

Blue Mars Mobile v. 1.5 Now Released!

2011-06-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

What's new in the Blue Mars Mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch?

For one thing, you can now search Best Selling items by price, making it much easier to find items that fit your BLU budget.

But here's the big news! Members can now chat with each other in groups rather than just one-on-one or via comments. Now multiple friends can join a room to discuss the latest fashions in Blue Mars or to share other online interests you have in common.

You already share tweets and post to Facebook from Blue Mars Mobile. Now you can invite your followers and friends to join you for a chat in Blue Mars! Just tell them to download or upgrade to our free app at this link: http://bit.ly/bmmob15.

Leave your feedback for Blue Mars Mobile at this forum thread.

Atlantis June Jubilee

2011-06-01T12:55:00.001-07:00

Join us Friday, June 3 for Atlantis June Jubilee! We'll be in the Welcome Area with music and fun. The party starts at 4 pm PDT (7pm EDT, midnight GMT), but we'll be around early to help more time zones enjoy the fun!

There will be party favors for everyone and BLU$ prizes for the following categories:

Best Atlantean costume

Best fishy facepaint

Best oceanic screenshot using Blue Mars technology. That means either from our Blue Mars PC world or using Augmented Reality from Blue Mars Mobile. Just send your screenshots to josie@avatar-reality.com before party time!

Join us for underwater fun on Friday!

New Currency Purchase System on the Way!

2011-05-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

We are switching our currency purchase system to a new and more reliable service. As such, beginning on May 31, 2011, 12:00 am PDT, the "Buy BLU" feature will be unavailable for a short time.

Please note that this does NOT affect Blue Mars Mobile for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Blue Mars Mobile users will still be able to buy BLU through in-App purchase.

We will announce when the system is back online. Also, we will do everything possible to minimize the downtime, but it could take up to a few weeks. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience, and we encourage you to purchase your user and developer BLU before May 31, 2011.

Blue Mars Mobile Augmented Reality

2011-05-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

We recently introduced Blue Mars Mobile v. 1.4 with the new Augmented Reality features. Need to know more?

Take a look at our video for ideas of how you can use AR to create videos and screenshots including your Blue Mars Mobile avatar. Yes, the bear is a budding star, definitely ready for the small screen!

If you need more step-by-step instructions on how to make this happen in your own productions, view our video tutorial and refer to our developer guidebook.

Henk Rogers: Mission Mars!

2011-05-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Henk Rogers, new CEO of Avatar Reality, met with Blue Mars members on Wednesday, May 11 to make one thing perfectly clear: He's here to make Blue Mars the epitomy of Virtual World platforms. While Henk is a bit frustrated that Blue Mars is not yet in the orbit it deserves, Henk declares we have the right technology and the right developers to make it happen.

During Henk's visit, he listened to the questions and desires of the member base and responded in favor of most requests. He's working on a plan for the Blue Mars platform, and once it's in place many exciting things can happen.

New Cities? Rogers says that he has a plan for Blue Mars, and once that plan is far enough along, cities are definitely a part of it.
Vehicles? Henk stated that vehicles were possible, but they should be added when we have sufficiently large terrain to require vehicles.
Card Games? Henk believes card games should be relatively easy to put in Blue Mars.
The ability to interact with objects and animals through the use of AI? Henk says that will be an important part of Blue Mars as it develops.
Anything new? Henk mentioned plans he's working on an Adventure Engine to drive quests and related adventures.

As to the relationship between Blue Mars on the PC and Blue Mars Mobile, Henk stated that the intent of the mobile project is to drive traffic into the Blue Mars virtual world. The Mobile platform reaches a new market and new uses, but it exists as a sibling and support to the virtual world.

Henk promised more meetings with the citizens of Blue Mars who look forward to news of his plan and moving with Henk into the Martian future.

New Blue Mars Mobile (v. 1.4) Connects Across the Net and into Reality!

2011-05-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Introducing some very cool features in our latest version of Blue Mars Mobile!

In our previous mobile version we connected to the Blue Mars PC client and to Twitter. Now you can link directly to Facebook as well! With one touch of a button you'll be able to send your current screen shot to Facebook. You can link Facebook back to your avatar, too, using a URL of this format: http://p.bluemars.com/launchmobile/#username

How do we interface reality, you ask? We have added some new Augmented Reality to our Martian magic! Would you like a video of you and your avatar dancing at your next party? It's possible! Just place an AR marker at the position where you want your avatar to show up, then let the cameras roll! Your avatar will appear standing on the marker in your screen shot or video. Want to share vacation shots? Add your avatar to serve as a guide. Then share your tour photos via a tweet in Blue Mars Mobile.

The size of the avatar will depend on the size of the marker. Two sizes are currently available for printing from links at this link: http://create.bluemars.com/wiki/index.php/Blue_Mars_Mobile:_AR_Mode

Download the latest version of Blue Mars Mobile (v. 1.4) at the App Store.

Meet and Greet with Henk Rogers

2011-05-10T03:05:00.001-07:00

Henk Rogers on Mars!

Join Henk Rogers and the Avatar Reality staff Wednesday in the Welcome Area for a Meet and Greet. The festivities begin at 3:45 pm PDT (6:45 EDT, 11:45 GMT)

Find out what direction Henk has in mind for Blue Mars (PC) and Blue Mars Mobile! You can ask questions, too, but to be efficient with our time, please email questions ahead of time to josie@avatar-reality.com.

We'll wrap up Henk's visit with champagne, music, and dancing!

If you haven't yet downloaded our PC client, you can get it here: http://bit.ly/getbluemars. Please allow time for download and to create your avatar.

See you Wednesday!
Josie Blues

Congratulations to Stephany, Blue Mars Mobile Top Rated Avatar!

2011-05-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, avatars on Blue Mars Mobile have been strutting their style and flashing their fashion. Voting closed on May 1, and we now have our Top Fifty fashionable avatars.

Stephany, always stylish, and full of encouraging comments to other top fashionistas, landed the #1 spot and wins 2000 BLU. The rest of the top 10, Kaylu, farahxox, nicci_uk, JESSET, JessicasMystery, madelicious84, sunpetal, estelleparnall, and ciara-pagie, win 1500 BLU.

Avatars rated 11-30 are also winnrs of 1000 BLU, and the remainder of the top 50 win 500 BLU.

Congratulations to you all! Look for more contests to come on Blue Mars Mobile.

Styling for BLU on Blue Mars Mobile

2011-04-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

The temperature may vary more on Mars, but the avatars are hot! Now you can win BLU for your fashion sense and style. We're going to offer BLU prizes to our top rated avatars, with 2000 BLU going to number one! Who can stop with just one, though? Positions 2-10 will win 1500 BLU, 11-31 win 1000 BLU and others in the top 50 will win 500. Voting ends May 1.

How can you win more votes? Make yourself easy to find!

Not only can you find avatars by checking top-rated, you can also get to the top of the 'Recents' list by buying new outfits and changing often.
Make yourself more visible, literally, by adding a photo to your app profile.
Notify your twitter followers. Remember, your tweets show up over your head! Use this link to point directly to your avatar: http://p.bluemars.com/launchmobile/#username (Insert your name in place of 'username')
Invite your friends to download Blue Mars Mobile and ask them to vote for you! Go to "Help > Invite a Friend" to send them an invitation email.

Don't forget! The polls close May 1.

Good luck, look sharp, enjoy Blue Mars Mobile!

Celebrate Earth Day with Blue Mars!

2011-04-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

What connects us all? The planet we live on, for one! Let's get together to celebrate the beauty, life force, and conservation of Earth. Earth Day is Friday, April 22, and we have a party planned in the Blue Mars welcome area dancefloor.

We'll start with music, dancing, and party favors for all. DavyRocket has made some gifts for us including a beautiful Blue Earth pendant. The guys have a blue jay to wear on the shoulder, and the ladies will receive a teddy bear to hold. See all the prizes at this link.

There will be opportunities to win BLU$, too. You can win by sharing an original poem about Earth or any Earth Day related topic or by sharing a great way to conserve the energy and resources of our planet.

If 4pm PDT is a bit late for you, come by the Welcome Area early. The volunteers will be there to hear your poem or other Earth Day ideas, and you can pick up your free gifts.

For this event we have another way you can win, too! We have an Earth Day 2011 Quest set up in Misty Hollow. Here's how it works:

Go to Misty Hollow
Travel to Green Hill and follow the road to the river
Click the watering can to cross the river
Now click the new watering can for your first quest clue
Each clue has some information and a question for you to answer
After each correct answer, you will get more information
Make note of the new information
Move to the next station. Just keep going along the river while keeping the river to your right side.
Complete all 15 stations to win our Earth Day shirt.

We're all winners when we save the Mother Earth. Enjoy the celebration on her offspring Blue Mars!

Henk Rogers Named CEO of Avatar Reality

2011-04-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Henk Rogers, Co-Founder of Avatar Reality, will take on a more integral role with the day to day operations of the company as its new CEO, effective April 18, 2011. Rogers is widely respected with a proven track record of success. He is best known for revolutionizing the videogame industry by bringing Tetris to the United States and world market. His career began almost 30 years ago, when he programmed and self-published Japan's first role-playing game (RPG), The Black Onyx, which became the #1 title in the country.

"I believe that the full potential of the Blue Mars platform and technology has yet to be realized," said Rogers. "With this, I am excited about the innovation to come, and am fully committed to the success of the company and Blue Mars."

"We are thrilled that Henk will take on an expanded, more active role at Avatar Reality," said Co-Founder Kazuyuki Hashimoto, who will continue as President. "Our team, the product, and the Blue Mars community will all benefit from his vision, leadership and experience. With the recent success of Blue Mars Mobile, our first iOS application, and some new, breakthrough technology in the pipeline, this is an exciting time in the history of our company."

Welcome, Henk! We're happy to have you. Onward and upward to Blue Mars!

Spring Creatures in Mars Party on April 15

2011-04-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's April, and it's Party Time! This Friday our party will be Spring Creatures of Mars! Join us as we celebrate the Wild Thing in us all this Friday, April 15 at 4pm PDT (7pm EDT, midnight GMT).

Who attends? Any member of Blue Mars who would like to! Sometimes the staff drops by. The volunteers and the dancing bots are regulars. We congregate to welcome any new members or others who have questions or interest related to Blue Mars. This is a great time for those who found Blue Mars Mobile to take a peek into Blue Mars PC to explore that facet of the Blue Mars universe. Anyone who thinks Friday nights are meant for music, friendship, and fun are welcomed.

This week, our contributing designers, DavyRocket and SMZ-Greenie, have promised some creature freebies. We're not exactly sure what they will make for us, but I've heard whispers about wings and curly horns as party favors for our guests.

There will be opportunities for BLU$, too. Prizes will be awarded for

Best Creature Costume (points for originality)
Best Creature Face Paint
Best Creature Performance by an avatar!

Music this week will be provided by 106themix. Be sure to request your favorite songs for the party playlist. Use their request line 20 minutes or so before the party starts. Choose your favorite tunes, or pick some with a creature theme!

If 4pm PDT is a bit late for you, come to the Welcome Area in Blue Mars early to show us your creature costume or face paint. We'll be sure you get the party favors, too!

If you are a Blue Mars Mobile user and you can't get into Blue Mars, show us your creature look on your BMM avatar! Message JosieBlues, so I can show everyone else the Martian Wild Thing in YOU by posting it on Flickr.

See you Friday in Blue Mars!

JosieBlues

Blue Mars Updates and Upgrades

2011-04-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, our major server upgrade is complete! But we have other recent innovations in Blue Mars and Blue Mars Mobile as well.

With Blue Mars Mobile, you will now receive an email whenever anyone places a comment on your profile. With one click, you can open the BMM, and see the new feedback.

Several Blue Mars cities have had recent updates, too!

Vist IDIA Labs to see a new user hud interface for information and easy navigation from place to place.
OnLand has a new automobile show room
Fashion Esplanade has a new art exhibit by DeadLine Painters
Misty Hollow is offering new seating postions
Wildwood has a new spring area with egg hunt

Have fun in Blue Mars!

Blue Mars Downtime for Major Server Upgrade

2011-04-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Blue Mars servers will be offline this week for a major migration. It will take all day, and unfortunately most of Blue Mars--including the PC client and the iOS-- will be down during that time.

Starting Thursday, April 7, at 1 pm PDT effective all day and possibly into Friday, these servers will be offline for the upgrade:

PC Client
iOS app
Most websites

Note that the following websites should be unaffected except for the possibility of broken links:

www.bluemars.com,
www.avatar-reality.com,
and the user forum (http://www.bluemars.com/forum/)

Starting Wednesday, we will post periodic in-world and in-app announcements about the shutdown. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and we ask for your patience and cooperation as we work to get everything back online as soon as possible.

Avatar-Reality

Latest Version of Blue Mars Mobile Now Available on the App Store - New Chat Feature!

2011-04-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Blue Mars Mobile (v 1.3) is now live and features more social tools and stronger integration between the iOS and PC Clients.

The new Chat functionality allows users to connect with anyone in the Blue Mars universe, whether they are online in the App or PC/Windows version. Simply add people to your Friends list, and once they approve your request, you can start chatting. If you are a PC Client user and already have an established Friends list, it will automatically appear in the App.

Other new features:

Post comments and messages on other avatar's Information Pages
Improved UI makes it easier to swap and discard layers of clothing and accessories
More ways to Search, including by Price

Download or Upgrade Blue Mars Mobile on the App Store.

Please help us spread the word about Blue Mars Mobile. Once your friend creates an account, we'll send both of you a reward! See the Help section in Blue Mars Mobile for details or find out more in our Wiki Guidebook.

Spring into Action in Blue Mars!

2011-03-25T03:52:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the action in Blue Mars! This week brought us animations to swim and to fly, and we started a campaign to help our neighbors. We had a selection of new designs and builds, and we'll wrap up the week with a Spring Fling Dance and Fashion Show.

The disaster in Japan has left many of our friends struggling to set their lives back in order. To show our support, we've added a link to a site that is collecting donations to the Red Cross, UNICEF, and other aid organizations. Also, we have a shirt created for our members to call attention to the situation and encourage members to donate. For your free shirt, contact JosieBlues in the PC client. Alternately, you can retweet our tsunami message left on Twitter with BlueMarsOnline. Our hearts and thoughts are with all of those who have been affected.

On a lighter note, DavyRocket has created some animations that will allow members in our PC client to swim and fly as alternatives to walking and running. Watch the video demonstration by Aniline at this link: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=204167496279211&comments

Animations are available in Misty Hollow in Davy's mall. You may also want to visit Fashion Esplanade for Estelle's latest tops for men and women, and be sure to see the new TownHouse in Beach City by hirasawatei. Screenshots of the latest in Blue Mars are available at Flickr. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluemarsflickr/)

Be sure to join us Friday, March 25, for our Spring Fling Dance and Fashion Show. The festivities begin at 4pm PDT, but we'll be there early and late for those with time change challenges. In addition to the usual dances to the music of 106themix, we'll offer the following BLU$ prize opportunities:

Most colorful facepaint
Best floral facepaint
Most original facepaint
Best male spring fashion
Best female spring fashion

Participants can use posing animations created by DavyRocket to model their outfits for us. Everyone will receive a complimentary copy of these animations as well as some new spring hair and our Blue Mars Cares tees. Those modeling for us will earn some designer beads; carved shell for the guys and glowing red for the ladies.

Please select your music favorites for this event by making requests close to time for the dance. The request line is here: http://www.106themix.com/onairinfo/playlist.php You're allowed three requests per 40 min.

Spring into action with us in Blue Mars!

Blue Mars Mobile 1.2 Release

2011-03-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

The latest version of Blue Mars Mobile is now integrated with Twitter! Link your avatar and Twitter account (just enter your username on the My Account page of the app) and tweets will appear above your avatar when in 3D view. Plus, certain keyword and phrases in tweets will trigger animations…see how avatars react!

Get the Blue Mars Mobile app on the App Store, available now for free: http://bit.ly/bmmob11