Author Archives: melissa

Darkworks shows off TriOviz for Games 2D-to-3D SDK, we get a good look

Darkworks introduced its TriOviz for Games SDK yesterday during GDC , and while TriOviz technology has been around for years in Hollywood, it wasn't until today that this same technology debuted for console and PC titles. Essentially, this software wrapper enables standard 2D video games to be viewed in 3D on a traditional 2D display, and we were able to sneak an exclusive look at the technology today at the company's meeting room. We were shown a European version of Batman: Arkham Asylum on Microsoft's Xbox 360, and we were given a set of specialized glasses (which were passive, unlike NVIDIA's active-shutter 3D Vision specs) in order to enjoy the effect. So, how was it? In a word or two, not bad. It obviously wasn't perfect, but you have to realize just how cheap of a solution this is for the consumer to implement. All that's required is a set of special glasses, but given that these can be distributed in paper-frames form , you could easily find a set for a couple of bucks (at most), if not bundled in for free with future games. Users won't need to purchase any additional hardware whatsoever, and what they'll get is a deeper, more immersive image in return. We could very clearly see the 3D effect, and even though it was subtle, it definitely enhanced our experience. We noticed a minor bit of blurring and ghosting during just a few scenes, but when you consider that this doesn't actually change the underlying code in existing 2D games (that's the cue for developers to breathe a sigh of relief), we didn't feel that these minor quirks were unreasonable. The other interesting aspect is just how clear the image remained for onlookers that didn't have 3D glasses on; we noticed slight image doubling at specific points, but it's not something we simply couldn't look at without acquiring a headache. More after the break... Continue reading Darkworks shows off TriOviz for Games 2D-to-3D SDK, we get a good look Darkworks shows off TriOviz for Games 2D-to-3D SDK, we get a good look originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Infographic: The Power of the Death Star vs. Power of the Force [Infographics]

I was talking with Matt and he wanted to know the exact meaning of Darth Vader's famous words: "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force ." That's why I made this chart. More
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Will iPhone OS Finally Support Multitasking? (InternetNews.com)

A popular blog following all things Apple says that iPhone users will finally get multitasking with the 4.0 release of the iPhone OS. But when will 4.0 make its debut?
Posted in Iphone | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

One Day, Robots Will Build Sturdy Skyscrapers For Us [Architecture]

Dubbed a " nested skyscraper ," this building is a concept design which is intended to be particularly good at resisting the effects of earthquakes and other natural disasters. What really gets my attention though is that robots are required for construction. More
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Android’s American market share soars, WinMo pays the price

Mobile manufacturer and platform market share stats for the US are in for the month of January thanks to comScore, and as usual, they tell a fascinating (and somewhat unpredictable) story of what's actually going on at the cash registers. Motorola -- which has long since fallen off its high horse on the global stage -- still maintains a commanding presence in the American market by representing some 22.9 percent of all subscribers, though that's down 1.2 percent from October 2009; that's particularly interesting in light of the Droid's success, and a possible sign that smartphones still aren't on the cusp of dominating the phone market overall. Samsung recently touted the fact that it had held onto the States' overall market share crown, though Sammy was undoubtedly referring to sales, not subscribers -- in other words, there are still a ton of legacy RAZRs out there inflating Moto's stats. Turning our attention to smartphone platforms, BlackBerry OS, iPhone, and Android all saw gains, while Windows Mobile and Palm both saw significant downturns. You might use Palm's loss of 2.1 percent of overall market share in a single quarter as a big nail in webOS' coffin, but we're inclined to believe this includes legacy devices -- and considering the huge installed base of Palm OS -based handsets ( Centros , for instance) that are coming off contract these days, it's neither surprising nor alarming to see that kind of drop. Android's gain, meanwhile, likely comes in large part from WinMo's whopping four percent loss -- it's no secret that WinMo 6.x is well past its expiration date with customers leaving in droves (even before Windows Phone 7 Series announcement), and our informal observations lead us to believe that many of those folks are heading for Android. After all, it's kind of convenient that Android gained 4.3 percent and WinMo lost about the same, isn't it? BlackBerrys still dominate the American smartphone landscape, and the iPhone market looks like it might be mature for the time being -- Apple added just 0.3 percent to its market share in the quarter, possibly a sign that folks are holding out for whatever Cupertino brings us come Summer. Is this a sign that Palm needs to step up its game yet again? Undoubtedly -- but at the same time, we wouldn't call the loss of those Palm OS subscribers a death knell just yet. Android's American market share soars, WinMo pays the price originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AMD to finally take on netbook space with new Fusion chip… next year

We've always said AMD should go after the gaping hole between netbooks and thin-and-lights by releasing a low-power platform with solid graphics abilities, and it looks like the company's finally coming around -- AMD's John Taylor just told us that the chipmaker will be releasing a netbook-class Fusion CPU / GPU hybrid codenamed "Ontario" with integrated DX11 graphics sometime next year. If Ontario sounds familiar, it's because we've seen it leaked in the past -- it's a part of the "Brazos" platform built around the low-power Bobcat core . Of course, AMD has been promising Fusion chips of all stripes for years now without a single shipping part , so saying that a Fusion chip will get it into the netbook game in 2011 is mildly amusing -- while AMD's definitely turned things around, it's still incredibly late to the low-end party, and Intel's solidly beaten it to the hybrid CPU / GPU punch with the Core 2010 and Pine Trail Atom chips. Add in the fact that NVIDIA's Optimus -based Ion 2 chipset seemingly offers the extended battery life of Atom with the performance of a discrete GPU, and we'd say the market niche Ontario is designed to fill may not actually be so niche when it finally arrives. We'll see what happens -- a year is a long, long time. [Image via OCWorkbench ] AMD to finally take on netbook space with new Fusion chip... next year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The iDongle Makes iPhone Jailbreaking Child’s Play [Hacking]

It used to be that jailbreaking your iPhone was a long, involved process , but worth it for the freedom . We've reached a new age, though, where emancipating your phone is as simple as plugging in an iDongle. Liberty! More
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When iPhone Games Approach Art, and When They Don’t [IPhone Apps]

There are a lot of iPhone games. Most of them are crap. A significant fraction are good. Few are great. Even fewer are great and original. Like this one might be! More
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alt Text: Resurrected Movie Gimmicks of the Future

With 3-D making a comeback, it's time to dig into Hollywood's history and excavate other cinematic technology that was groundbreaking for its time.
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The ’70s Photos That Made Us Want to Save Earth

Shortly after the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the new organization sent 100 photographers out to document the human and natural environments. After a lively few years, the Documerica project was canceled and the photos were archived. Now, this incredible portrait of America in the mid-1970s is making its way onto Flickr.
Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment