We’re delighted to roll out a new update to JLI today. Log in to test the new features, including a simple newsfeed enabling you to track what’s happening around the site—starting with Comments. This is the first version of the newsfeed; we’ll be adding a lot of functionality and control over the next couple of releases.

Today’s art update features two more Spaces: a Fashion Boutique (Boutique) and a Venetian style Canal (Venice). You can preview these in the application (Explore for “Templates”) or use them for yourself. We’ve added a new sample character (animation), and about 18 Objects as well as 12 new Textures. Some of you will also notice a massive improvement to spaces with Water, which is now reflective and gorgeous on a wider array of hardware.

We’re also continuing to work on various bug fixes and hardware issues. Read on for the complete update.

Hey, thanks to Paul Glazowski over at Mashable for a great review of JLI:

Mashable’s Take: The concept of a virtual world in terms of a graphical, game-like environment doesn’t particularly suit my interests. Yet I find Just Leap In, a beta release launched out of Vancouver, Canada, offers a surprisingly rich experience… Its browser-based nature makes it something of a stunner. The physics engine is a treat, and visual detail again is an outstanding highlight. A look at the world in full-screen is pretty remarkable when one considers the setting in which the application is operating.

Thanks to the commenters on that post as well. Actually, we’ve read and appreciated several thoughtful comments about JLI this week. Susan Reynolds, who writes Case-Notes from the Artsy Asylum, got our joke about empty islands (and shared some very salient thoughts about community-building and relevance for virtual worlds). She also warmed our hearts with this review:

Now comes Just Leap In a newcomer from Canada which, at first blush, sounds like none of the others and could beat Google’s Lively in everything except name recognition. The first clue? You don’t have to search through Google’s annoying database-like setup of questions and answers to figure out how to move around. That alone makes Just Leap In worth a second look.

There’s a lot more out there today, and we’re hoping to round up some responses. At the moment, we’re working towards a major feature release next week that we think you’ll enjoy. Back to the grindstone…

Thanks for checking in.

Today we're rolling out an update to JLI. (Hooray!) In addition to the last release's "freeform" texturing feature, the new version introduces lots of bells and whistles, including commentable spaces and fresh content. Read on for the details.

First, here's a new YouTube video showcasing the latest content and features. Check it out, share it around, sign up to try JLI if you haven't already, and invite others to come and comment on your 3D space! Thanks for testing.

This release (0.7.8) adds:

Comments on spaces. (For now, you have to be logged in to read and write comments. We'll soon be adding RSS, social syndication, and optional notifications).

New space templates, props, and objects for you to personalize, including a Beach Resort, Labyrinth, and Roadside Motel.

Enhanced Explore presentation and interface.