Yes, it's here! Following initial buildup and momentum and even the understandable cries of "It can't be!", Second Life Preview 1.9.1 packs a lot into a point point release. This has been the quizzical inquiry by some Resis, to which I've responded, "We like to get a lot done". And behind the scenes, I've been privy to so much passion and hard work to get this out, like, well… yesterday now!

SQUIDFORCE OF COURSE! These tentacles really squirm, thanx to 1.9.1's flexible objects!

Some quick things I'll go over: you can have shiny AND transparent objects now, the white arrows to expand inventory folders have been tweaked smaller, no-build and no-script icons on the menu bar actually look more like "universal language" for NO (meaning they have diagonal red slashes thru 'em), lotsa UI tweaks that'll improve your workflow—altho I notice some clashing clutter in Preferences > Graphics that'll have to be bug-reported—

Huddled 'round the warmth of a lit prim in the cold of a simulated midnight magicness.
This is the new lighting system and it feels much less lonely!

And BIG pillars! The "bosom budies" in the tools window > Features tab, aka Flexible Path and Light. About the former, YES, your prims can wiggle, flop, bend, and simply slump over like the godfather at the end of the eponymous movie, and NEW lighting system to replace that old piece of crap that was sore in the tooth for so long. Prim glows, illuminate! Both of these I've been waxing enthusiastic about and demo'ing with good reasons. If you wanna know more, please feel free to read these guides:

• What's New with Second Life: 1.9.1 Preview
• The Way of the Flexible Path
• Let There Be Lights!

The SL Forums also have birthed a Preview 1.9.1 area for your feedback.

More gossamer glows, this time at the Preview Twilight Zone-version of the Nova Albion Infohub.
Some sorta strange lag hit us all there—I'll be going back to investigate.

BTW, improved F1 Help hasn't made it in yet—that's why F1 does nothing, but in the interim, the crippled ol' "Basic Help" has been taken out in preparation for its much-needed successor.

An olde-timer, a primitar, comes to meet all these young guns. Heh.
Avatar by the impeccable n00body Cain.
AND IN WATERMELON!

What else is there? Occlusion culling (known internally as "Octree"), speeding up your framerate by not rendering what is not seen! Classifieds are now AUTO-RENEWABLE! (Heh, I gotta let Desmond Shang know this, guy has been keeping a copy of his ad in profile to paste each week.) A couple scripting functions I don't realize the magnitude of yet, but I know they've been long-awaited! See more in the Preview Release Notes.

It had to happen…

Aaaand if that isn't enuff, let me enthuse about the thrill of how sitting—and several other functions—have gotten a heck of a lot easier. Sitting has long been a literal pain in the ass for me, it's so hard to do. Now, with one-click object actions, just select "Sit on object" and click once on a prim to rush your av's tush! This was introduced in Preview 1.9.0 but taken out to be refined, and it's baaaack! Also, when you do the one-click to "Open" and show an object's contents, take a careful look at that icon. Let's not forget the "Move To Inventory" and "Move And Wear" buttons, which I know were also hotly asked about! Note: it doesn't work with no-copy items yet, but that's schedded to be fixed.

Maxx Mackenzie asks me to stop for a snapshot. Behind us you can see capes he made!
The scythe was made by Esprite Xavier and the ribbons really dangle in the wind.

Writing of fixes, please, send in your bug reports from Preview via the Help menu > Report Bug, so that the 1.9.1 can roll out on the main grid ASAP. Remember: a good repro is one you can tell a friend to do, and it'll become o-so-very clear to understand. =)

A vertex shader bug leads to pleasantly blue skies.