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NVIDIA will stop supporting 3D glasses in April (updated)
Have you noticed that stereoscopic 3D is out of vogue, at least at home? So has NVIDIA. The graphics chip designer has unveiled plans to drop support for 3D Vision, its approach to gaming with 3D glasses. The last drivers to support 3D Vision will come with the final Release 418 in April, with future versions dropping it entirely. You'll still get support for "critical driver issues" in 418 through April 2020, but you'll otherwise need to move on.
At E3, I saw the missing pieces of the VR puzzle
The excitement around virtual reality may have started when Sony unveiled Project Morpheus last year, but last week's E3 was its coming out party. The thing is, I've been around long enough to remember the hype and subsequent commercial flatline over gaming in stereoscopic 3D. So going into this year's grand gaming gala, I was skeptical -- I had that awkward tech history footnote in mind -- and to a point, I still am. But Oculus helped me get over that a bit. All it took was a game from a trusted developer -- Insomniac Games -- and an input solution that makes VR feel less isolating.
Panasonic PT-AE8000U projector touts brighter, smoother 3D for king-of-the-hill home theaters
Panasonic wasn't one of the quickest out of the gate with a 3D projector, having only unveiled the PT-AE7000 in the middle of last year, but it's making up for lost time with a follow-up. The PT-AE8000 puts most of the focus on that extra dimension through both a 20 percent brighter 3D picture and motion interpolation for the stereoscopic image. Fine-tuning is equally new through picture balance and monitor tools that help perfect the color and parallax effects before any 3D movie gets started. Traditionalists in love with 2D get their fill, too: a new 220W lamp produces deeper reds, a more visible 2,400 lumens of brightness and (with the help of plates and filters) an even higher 500,000:1 contrast ratio. We've confirmed with Panasonic that the AE8000U should cost the same $3,499 as the AE7000 when it reaches stores between late September and early October, which makes the new projector a tempting prospect if you've been holding off until now.
VIA EPIA-P910 stuffs 3D display support, quad-core into a Pico-ITX size
If there's been a race in the Pico-ITX realm to catch up to full-size PCs, VIA just leapt ahead by a few bounds with the EPIA-P910. The tiny PC mates one of VIA's 1GHz QuadCore E-Series processors with a VX11H media core to handle the kinds of tasks that would break just about any other system its size: stereoscopic 3D displays and DirectX 11 3D graphics are entirely within the realm of possibility. Likewise, there's a surprising amount of expansion headroom compared to many of the P910's similarly small counterparts, such as the 8GB RAM ceiling and support for both HDMI 1.4a and USB 3.0. You'll need to get in touch with VIA if you want to find out how much it costs to work the new EPIA into an embedded PC, and it's more likely to be headed to corporate buyers than to homebrew projects. We're still looking forward to the shot of visual adrenaline, whether it's in a mini PC or a store display.
Spanish researchers to train FIFA referees on calling plays with stereoscopic 3D, won't help catch dives
Spain might be on Cloud Nine after clinching victory in UEFA's Euro 2012, but a team at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid isn't resting easy. To help referees know when they should blow the whistle, researchers have recorded 500 simulated offside soccer (yes, football) plays in stereoscopic 3D to give refs a more immersive sense of what it's like to make the call on the pitch. The hope is to have FIFA more quickly and accurately stopping play without having to spend too much actual time on the grass. We don't yet know how many referees if any will be trained on the system by the 2014 World Cup, or if it will spread to other leagues -- what we do know is that no amount of extra immersion is needed to catch a theatrically fake injury.
MasterImage 3D glasses-free smartphone and tablet displays hands-on
When MasterImage 3D announced two new displays for smartphones and tablets, you knew a hands-on would be inevitable. Based on the company's patented cell matrix parallax barrier, each display promises to eliminate much of the headaches typically associated with glasses-free 3D. As an added benefit of the cell matrix configuration, more light is allowed to pass through, which should prolong battery life. The smartphone display measures 4.3-inches at 720p resolution, while the tablet sizes up at 10.1-inches with a 1920 x 1200 layout. Generally, our thoughts on MasterImage's 3D technology were two-fold. First, it's absolutely true that the display is less nausea inducing, but when the image was viewed at its most proper angle, the three-dimensional effects were also less awe-inspiring. Nonetheless, the company has lined up partners for both displays and you should see the handiwork featured in consumer technology by the second half of this year.Ben Drawbaugh contributed to this post.
HP does the inevitable, announces the TouchSmart 620 with a 3D display and webcam (video)
HP's pushed out a raft of all-in-ones this past year, but until today, there was one gimmicky stone it left unturned. Say hello to the TouchSmart 620, the company's first 3D all-in-one. Essentially, it's the 610 with ATI's 3D tech shoehorned inside. Otherwise, it looks the same, with a 23-inch, 1080p panel and that sliding display that reclines at a nearly flat 60-degree angle. In addition to the 3D screen (best viewed when positioned upright), it has a webcam that captures 3D stills and video. At the base level, you'll get a pair of active shutter glasses, TV tuner, a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 1.5TB HDD and an AMD Radeon HD 6650 card with 1GB of video memory. (For whatever reason, HP didn't add HDMI-in this go 'round.) That starting configuration technically costs $1,900, but HP's going to apply $300 in instant savings when it goes on sale November 15, so for all intents and purposes it starts at $1,600. Full PR after the break, and if you need a refresher on what this thing looks like, we suggest you revisit our review of the 610. %Gallery-137813%
Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-3D1: dual lenses, 12 megapixel sensors
Do you shoot 3D photos? Nope, neither do we, but Panasonic certainly seems to hope that'll change -- perhaps even as soon as next month, when its Lumix 3D1 hits store shelves... for $500. And how much camera does half a grand buy you? Well, for starters you get not one, but a pair of 25-100mm optical zoom lenses (30-120mm in 3D mode), pumping images to dual 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensors. Two lenses and two sensors make this pocket wonder a natural at stereoscopic 3D video, but it can also pull some pretty clever tricks with still photos. Sure, you can shoot full-res stills and 1080i video simultaneously, but those dual zoom lenses can operate independently as well, letting you snap pics and/or video at multiple focal lengths -- capture a wide-angle shot with one lens and a close-up with the other, for example. Panasonic wasn't able to demo this functionality during our briefing, so we can't speak to the interface, but it certainly sounds like a nifty concept. Beyond that, expect up to 8 fps burst at full resolution, a 3.5-inch touchscreen and "dramatically clear" low-light images, even at high-ISOs (according to Panasonic). Ready to hear more from the camera maker? Jump past the break for the full PR.%Gallery-138520%
Sharp Aquos SH8298U 3D smartphone goes under the knife, comes out in China
Same phone, different market -- that's pretty much what we're looking at above with Sharp's "new" 3D Aquos SH8298U. We first got our hands-on this device's twinner -- the Aquos SH-12C -- back at Computex, with that model sporting the Japan-only 1seg receiver, FeliCa (NFC) and 800MHz / 2100MHz bands. This time out, the OEM's made some subtle changes to its China entry, reducing the handset's storage from 8GB to 2GB, and packing it with GSM / WCDMA / HSPA radios. The rest of the spec list remains exactly the same, leaving this skinned Android 2.3 phone with a 4.2-inch qHD stereoscopic 3D display, dual 8 megapixel cameras, 512MB RAM and a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor. If translated pressers are your idea of fun, go ahead and check out the source.
Engadget Primed: all mobile displays are not created equal
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. The quality of a mobile phone's display is arguably the most important factor to consider when you establish a relationship with a handset. It's inescapable, really. Whether you're playing a rousing game of Robot Unicorn Attack or (regrettably) drunk-dialing an ex, it's the one interface element that you're consistently interacting with. It's your window to the world and your canvas for creation, and if it's lousy, it's going to negatively influence everything you see and do. Today, we're delving into the world of mobile displays, where we're aiming to entertain and edify, and hopefully save you from making regrettable decisions -- when it comes to purchasing new phones, anyway. In this edition of Primed, we'll be examining the different qualities and underlying technologies of several displays, starting with the ubiquitous TFT-LCD and moving through the nascent realm of glasses-free 3D and beyond. We'll also be addressing the importance of resolution and pixel density. Finally, we'll be scoping out a handful of upcoming technologies -- while some are thoroughly intriguing, others are just plain wacky. Go ahead... buy the ticket, take the ride, and join us after the break. It's Primed time.
HTC's bootloader unlock process goes live, Sensation prepares for custom ROM glory
Today is turning out to be a great day for the Android set, what with news of the Google / Moto deal and now -- HTC's unleashing its bootloader unlock tool for the masses. That's right, the company's Taiwanese team of engineers flipped the switch on the service that sees owners of a global SIM-unlocked Sensation working their way towards OEM-sanctioned root access. Unfortunately, stateside owners of the phone's T-Mobile variant, as well as the EVO 3D, will have to sit back and wait while further testing is conducted on their devices. So, what are you ROM fiends waiting for? Head on over to HTC's developer site and let us know your success in the comments below.
HTC Developer site goes live: OpenSense SDK and kernel source offered aplenty
HTC's flipped the switch on its development website, which was designed to be a "one-stop shop" for a wide variety of SDKs and other resources for developers. As promised, the manufacturer's OpenSense SDK -- which includes a S3D SDK for HTC's 3D stereoscopic interface and pen SDK for its Scribe feature -- is now available for download; there's also plenty of kernel source codes to peruse and access. Finally, the Bootloader Unlock web tool, one of the most highly anticipated pieces of software that the company's promised to unleash, only shows as "coming soon" on the site. There hasn't been any official word on when it'll go live, but we're expecting it to happen later this month as the EVO 3D and the Sensation both get adorned with their unlocks. It's great to see the company follow through completely on one of its promises, eh? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony's 24-inch PlayStation 3D 'dual-view' monitor: here's how it works
Sony's got some wonderful ideas here at E3 2011, but the company's left quite a few threads for journalists to sew up -- what's the battery life like? How much will continuous client gameplay cost? Just how does that split-screen 3D monitor work? Sony's 3D gaming czar Mick Hocking flew in from Liverpool to talk stereoscopy with the press, and we've got some answers for that last one. What you see above is an LCD panel that refreshes at 240Hz, and delivering 3D at 60 frames per second to each eye, by using the typical active shutter glasses technique of blocking light to your left eye when the "right" image is displayed, and vice versa for the right eye. However, the glasses have a special button that makes both lenses of one player's glasses display images for the left eye, and both lenses of another player display images for the right, allowing each to have their own 60fps feed all the time for private split-screen gaming. While that potentially means you could use these glasses on non-Sony 3DTVs too and get the same effect (or, you know, just pick up a Sharp Quattron 3D or Vizio Versus, which do much the same thing). Hocking told us that this particular unit also does additional software processing to reduce ghosting. But what of games? The 3D guru said there'll be a number of titles supporting the feature when the monitor hits this fall, and that other 3D titles could potentially (and easily) be patched if they also support split-screen to begin with. Hocking says developer enthusiasm's been particularly intense for split-screen, even more so than the holographic and head-mounted display technologies that Sony's working on, and we may see the feature integrated in Bravia televisions should the idea take off.
Sony to remaster select PSP titles for PlayStation 3, allow cross-device continuous gameplay
As much as you love your PSP, we suspect that its low graphics definition is starting to bug even the most devoted fans. Sure, you can wait for the almighty NGP, but for the time being, Sony's offering the next best thing for you game connoisseurs: the PSP Remaster series for PlayStation 3. As the name says for itself, Sony will be porting select portable game titles to the PS3 in high-def Blu-ray flavor, and some may even come with new add-on content plus stereoscopic 3D support. But that's not all: gamers will also be able to share game save data between the two platforms, meaning you can pick up where you left off on your preferred device. Pretty neat, though it'll be interesting to see how much Sony and the studios wants to charge for what are essentially the same games you already own. The first PSP Remaster title announced is Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, but this is only heading to Japan at an unknown date -- gamers in other countries will just have to keep squinting at the PSP for now.
MIT Media Lab develops glasses-free HR3D, supports broad viewing angles (video)
We've already seen plenty of glasses-free 3D HDTVs and portable devices, but a promising new technology called HR3D (High-Rank 3D) has hit the prototype phase. Engineers from MIT's Media Lab, who developed the new solution, say that it avoids compromising on screen brightness, resolution, viewing angle, and battery life, and doesn't require those pesky (and pricey) 3D glasses. HR3D uses a pair of layered LCDs to give the illusion of depth, with the top layer (or mask) displaying a variable pattern based on the image below it, so each eye sees a slightly different picture. Nintendo's 3DS uses a similar technique, but with a parallax barrier instead of a second display. The designers constructed the prototype from two Viewsonic VX2265wm displays, removing the LCDs from their housings and pulling off polarizing filters and films. We've yet to go eyes-on with HR3D, so we're a mite skeptical, but tech this promising is worth watching closely, and from every angle.
IPS and 3D come together in Mitsubishi's new 23-inch display
Looking for the vibrant colors and wide angle viewing of an IPS display and the in-your-face action that only a 3D monitor can provide? Well, Mitsubishi's got you covered with its new 23-inch LED backlit IPS panel that promises Full HD resolution, 178-degree viewing angles, and a 3.8 millisecond response time from a 39 millimeter-thick slab of screen. Content comes to the RDT233WX-3D through a DVI-D connector, two HDMI 1.4 ports, and D5 connections, while your eyeballs see things in three dee with the included passive 3D glasses. It'll be available on May 30 in the Land of the Rising Sun (no word if it'll come across the Pacific) for an undisclosed amount. Those interested in getting one to the US can enlist the services of their local importer -- an open wallet or a blank check should do the trick.
Acer Aspire Z5763 all-in-one comes with 3D screen, promises Kinect-like gesture control over movies
Sure, it may look just like any of Acer's other all-in-one desktops, but this one's got a few tricks up its sleeves -- the Acer Aspire Z5763 spits out stereoscopic 3D images to a set of NVIDIA 3D Vision specs, and uses its 2 megapixel webcam for a Kinect-like gesture recognition system that Acer's calling "AirControl." As you'll probably know if you've recently spent any time considering a 3D-ready computer, that means it's got a 23-inch, 120Hz LCD screen that displays content at 1080p, and here you'll find it accompanied by Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processors, NVIDIA GeForce GT 440 or 435M graphics, a Blu-ray drive, up to 2TB of storage and 16GB of DDR3 memory, as well as built-in stereo speakers with several flavors of virtual surround sound, an optional TV tuner and loads of connectivity. What you won't find is any pricing or availability for the USA, but if you're living in merry old England you can pick up the rig next month for £999 (about $1,650).
Nintendo teases next gaming console, says it probably won't be 3D
Nintendo's been denying rumors of a new home console for nearly as long as we can remember, but every so often those crafty execs slip -- accidentally or intentionally letting us know that exciting things are in the works. Well, last we heard from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, a stereoscopic 3D console was on the table, but Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime just swept that notion under the rug. "We've not said publicly what the next thing for us will be in the home console space, but based on what we've learned on 3-D, likely, that won't be it," he told CNN, prompting a legion of 3DTV owners to imagine that their favorite Nintendo characters cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Why would Nintendo dismiss 3D for home gaming on the very same day that its 3D handheld set a sales record? Simply put, the company doesn't think the glasses-free 3DTV market is ready for such applications. Ah well -- guess we'll just have to settle for a Wii HD, then.
Sony and LG price a swath of 3D HDTVs
We're still waiting on LG's ginormous 72-inch LZ7900 to make its debut on store shelves, but the rest of CES's primo 3DTV crop is rearing to ride out, with Sony's HX929, HX820 and HX720 series of LED-backlit LCD screens and LG's Infinia PZ750 plasmas now priced at Amazon. 3D-Display-info.com found Sony's locally-dimmed Bravia sets starting at $2,099 for a 46-inch HX720 with Gorilla Glass protection, all the way up to $3,799 for the premium 55-inch XBR-55HX929 with a full-array LED backlight. Meanwhile, the 50-inch LG PZ750 (with Smart TV, naturally) starts out at $1,599, while a 60-inch version of the same thing will run $2,199. Which one fits best in your den? That depends on a number of things, but we will add that the Sony sets are merely up for pre-order, while the LG units are listed as shipping within a matter of weeks.
Kinect keeps surgeons on task, Nintendo 3DS might assist optometrists with diagnoses
The latest generation of gaming gadgets do some nifty tricks, and one of the niftiest they might perform is assisting the realm of medicine. Microsoft's Kinect sounded like a candidate for surgery, and this month real-life surgeons have actually put it to use -- Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Canada rigged the Xbox 360 depth camera to its medical imaging computer. Now, doctors don't have to scrub out to manipulate an MRI scan, or even appoint a peon to the task -- rather, they simply raise their bloodied glove, and dive into the digital imagery with a wave of a dextrous hand. Meanwhile, the American Optometric Association has expanded upon its initial praise of Nintendo's 3DS, saying the autostereoscopic 3D handheld "could be a godsend for identifying kids under 6 who need vision therapy." Though Nintendo's warning labels had originally incited a bit of fear among parents, the organization says that kids who can't experience the 3DS to its full potential may have amblyopia (or other vision disorders) that can be more easily treated the earlier it's caught, though one doctor interviewed by the Associated Press contends that kids with amblyopia may not know what they're missing to begin with -- so don't necessarily expect a panacea, folks.
