Hi folks! While we’re working on our next major update, we’re also busy responding to feedback.

Our sample avatars just returned from physiotherapy today. So the next time you log in and see your avatar in action, look for:

• - Sprint mode (Shift + run over 2 seconds)
• - More variety in idle animations
• - More natural responses, sidesteps, stair climbs, etc.

More motion soon.

You’ll also notice a charming tweak to interactivity in today’s update: lights in any space are now interactive (click once to turn off, click again to turn on).

Love her or hate her, Vice Presidental nominee Sarah Palin is one of the most popular celebrities on the world stage today—and she can sure deliver a punchy line.

You might have noticed our new Palingram 3D applet, a cheeky toy that lets you write your own speeches for Governor Palin to deliver in a 3D world, and share with your friends:

Check out Sarah’s default message, Sarah Speaks, then click “Create Your Own” to write new lines for a (virtual) Governor Palin to deliver to the world.

Click Send to Friends to share your Palingram by email or to embed it in your blog (or anywhere on the web) by pasting the html code.

Enjoy! As always, we look forward to your feedback as our beta evolves at www.justleapin.com.

We’re excited to announce a major update to Just Leap In today, including controllable avatars. We’d like to invite you to visit us and test out the new features at justleapin.com:

Avatars: You can now select and control a character in the Just Leap In world – just click “Identities” to pick one. To view your avatar in action, click the “person” icon at the top-right of any space, or use your scroll wheel to zoom out. (This is just the first step towards fully functioning avatars: over the coming weeks we’ll add key features like networking, customization, and “surround view” for cinematic viewing of your character).

Newsfeeds and RSS: keep in touch with your friends’ actions in JLI (starting with comments) without logging in. Read the newsfeed for your space, your links, and the entire site: just click the RSS link beneath any newsfeed to subscribe in your browser or reader of choice.

Invitations: invite your friends to your space by e-mail.

Popularity: browse the most popular spaces on JLI, by most Comments and incoming Portals.

Lots of new art and content to play with, ranging from French cafe furniture to gondolas and toys like a (suspicious) gnome and a fish.

We’re also looking for volunteers to suggest new space templates, objects, and games. Please jump on the Suggestions thread on our Forum to participate!