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AUO trumpets 'deadzone-free' laptop and tablet 3D displays, recommends leaving glasses at home
Hello, future! We had an inkling that glasses-free 3D was the next big thing when we had a gaze at Intel's display back at CES earlier this year, but it seems that AUO is out to overcome the largest hurdle when dealing with lenticular lens 3D technology: viewing angles. Today, the outfit has revealed the world's first deadzone-free naked eye 3D notebook panel at FPD International 2010, and as the lengthy title indicates, this solution will enable you to view 3D content sans glasses and without positioning yourself carefully in front of the screen. Purportedly, AUO's tapping into SuperD's naked eye 3D wizardry to create a 15.6-inch laptop (1080p) and 10.1-inch tablet (WXGA) panel, and there's even an eye-tracking mechanism that's baked in to capture viewers' eyeball movements. Zanier still, both 2D and 3D modes can operate concurrently on the same display, and the viewer can switch back and forth between the two modes without having their brain implode. The company's pushing a mass production date of Q3 2011, which means that the last CES this planet ever sees should be quite the interesting one.
Nikon debuts Android-powered stereoscopic picture frame, 2D to 3D conversions for a monthly fee
2D to 3D conversion techniques -- whether cinematic or otherwise -- don't have us jumping for joy, but Nikon's new NF-300i display sounds like a concept we could get behind. It's a 7.2-inch digital photo frame running Android 2.1 on an autostereoscopic (glasses-less) screen, which sports a special double-density lenticular lens to display images at full WSVGA resolution (800 x 600) whether in 2D or 3D modes. It pulls down images from the cloud to 4GB of internal storage over wired ethernet and 802.11 b/g WiFi, or via USB port if you happen to have MPO files just sitting around for some reason. The notion is that Japanese users will sign up for Nikon's new My PictureTown 3D conversion and hosting service for ¥19,550 (about $244) a year or ¥1,995 ($24) a month and get all their JPEG vacation photos spirited to the device in glorious 3D, and that's also the only way you'll likely ever see one of these screens -- Nikon's loaning, not selling the NF-300i as part of those membership fees.
BenQ intros 23-inch XL2410 3D monitor for your stereoscopic camping delight
If you're looking to don a pair of NVIDIA's 3D Vision specs, a 120Hz monitor is your ticket to the game, and BenQ thinks that its LED-backlit variation on the familiar 23.6-inch 1080p panel is the most gamer-centric you'll find. While the base doesn't seem to swivel like the Alienware OptX AW2310 nor component video in like the ASUS VG236H, it does feature adjustable height, allegedly low input lag for split-section reaction times, not to mention a bevy of display scaling modes for VGA, DVI and HDMI. There's also the always-desirable picture by picture mode so you can have two inputs pumping out video content side-by-side; BenQ helpfully suggests you use it to entertain yourself with a movie while you wait for that perfect headshot. Boom? Find it in Europe this October, and "worldwide thereafter" at an undisclosed price. Press release after the break. [Thanks, John N.]
DIY stereoscopic splitter takes your pictures to the third dimension
Don't feel like shelling out the cash for a 3D camera? Instructables user "courtervideo" has put together a little device that harnesses the magical, mysterious power of something called a "mirror" to let you grab stereoscopic 3D images with your regular ol' 2D camera. The method is pretty straight forward: two large mirrors places beside the camera reflect the image you're trying to capture onto two smaller mirrors, which are then photographed. The result can then be viewed through a stereoscope, which will send one half of the picture to each eye, resulting in a 3D image. We like to think of the stereoscope as the Victorian precursor to Chinavasion Video Glasses. Sounds like fun to us! Hit up the source link to get started.
Fujifilm introduces Finepix Real 3D W3 camera, we go hands-on
When reviewers call your product "the worst ____ ever made," do you give up and move on? Or do you build a second model and try to prove them wrong? After introducing the world's first consumer stereoscopic 3D shooter to dismal reviews, FujiFilm chose door number two, replacing the camera with a thinner, lighter, and easier-to-use version that addresses a host of complaints and costs $100 less to boot. The FujiFilm FinePix Real 3D W3 adds a larger 3.5-inch, 16:9 LCD screen, a 720p video recording mode, and HDMI 1.4 out for dropping images and videos right into your 3D-ready TV. Oh, and it actually feels like a real camera this time, our favorite feature by far. We got some hands-on time with the new cross-eyed shooter, read on for more! %Gallery-99488%
Sharp to launch glasses-free 3D smartphone with 3D camera globally this year
Can't say we didn't see this coming. After wooing us with a number of glasses-free 3D displays -- including the one that gives Nintendo 3DS its magic -- and 3D HD cameras for mobile devices, the company has finally laid down the gauntlet. It's promising to release a smartphone with such an autostereoscopic screen and 3D camera, just like we always wanted, before New Year's Day 2011. It certainly wouldn't be the first 3D phone in the market -- Hitachi touted one early last year for Japanese carrier KDDI, and NTT docomo has had a prototype 3D display -- but a Sharp spokeswoman said that this 3D smartphone would be going international. The more the merrier, we say. Now, how about some more details and a pretty picture or two, eh Sharp?
3D video dives deeper with custom dual-camera case
Underwater stills are Eric Cheng's passion and -- from what we gather -- livelihood, but the award-winning editor of Wetpixel is presently experimenting with faster and deeper photography. Discovering German shop Digi-Dat, he wound up with this custom BS Kinetics DuoDive case, which turned his pair of Sony CX550V camcorders into a totally badass underwater 3D camera that will no doubt make manta rays pop out of his screen. If you'd like to follow in his fins, €2,900 (about $3,700) will buy you a similar pair of synchronized stereoscopic goggles, but note that it takes the shop four to five weeks to integrate the watertight LCD and all the LANC-based controls. See another shot of the carbon-fiber-clad contraption after the break, and hit our source link for Eric's full story.
PlayStation 3 could get 3D depth slider à la the 3DS
How will sir be having his gimmick today? The devs behind the upcoming Sly Cooper 3D compilation are wisely mulling over the idea of inserting a 3D-adjusting slider to let users decide just how much stereoscopy they want with their Sony-approved gaming. It's argued that this should allow you greater positional flexibility when smacking fools down in three dimensions, as you'll be able to manually toggle the depth of the 3D effect to suit your viewing angle. We were happy to see such an option introduced in the Nintendo 3DS at E3 and would similarly welcome its inclusion on the PS3 -- though that's no foregone conclusion as yet. All we can say for sure right now is that the stuff is adjustable, but it looks like it'll be up to devs to roll their sleeves up and integrate the slider into their games. Hey, it's the summer, not like they've got anything else to do, right?
Sony stereoscopic screen sharing patent puts two players on one display
After that last bummer, where Sony applied for a patent "feature erosion" in game demos, we're glad to see the company come up with something positive for the gamers among us. Two recent patent apps, titled "Stereoscopic Screen Sharing Method and Apparatus Patent" and "3D Shutter Glasses with Mode Switching Based on Orientation to Display Device," detail the use of stereoscopic 3D technology to let two individual players see different information on the same screen (you might remember that Microsoft has also been working on something similar). Not only that, but the glasses could have earbuds -- for separate audio feeds. Of course, you'd need a 3D display for this to work, and you'd need to wear those silly glasses -- but that's a small price to pay to get rid of the ol' split screen, don't you think? [Warning: PDF source links]
ASUS' 23-inch VG236H 3D monitor gets reviewed: pricey, but a real looker
ASUS' VG236H was quietly announced back at CeBIT, but the 23-inch 3D monitor is just now getting around to making itself known to worldwide retailers. On sale now for a penny under $500 (which includes the complete $180 NVIDIA 3D Vision kit), this 1080p display has also managed to hit the test bench over at Hot Hardware. Critics over there found that it was amongst the nicest looking TN (boo) panels out there, and that the third dimension had no issue popping out on command. In fact, they had little to complain about, noting that it "consistently hit the mark in their testing [while producing] a fantastic image, whether it be 2D, 3D, work or play." Granted, it's not like you've too many options when it comes to snagging a 3D LCD, but at least we're hearing this particular one is worth a look (or three).
Sony restricts stereoscopic PS3 games to 720p 3D
Sorry, fellow gamers, we're out of luck if we want to play stereoscopic PS3 titles in their full high definition glory -- Joystiq reports that Sony guidelines won't allow for 1080p 3D. As we discovered in April, the goal is to run even native 1080p content at a lower 720p resolution when splitting the image in twain, allowing enough processing overhead for a smooth 60fps framerate and likely reducing eyestrain. Mind you, it's not like there are many occasions when you'd have cause to complain -- even in two dimensions, native 1080p titles on modern consoles are few and far between. Exempt from the specification are 3D Blu-ray movies, which run at a slower (but larger) 1080p24 by default, so rest assured that when you're being tortured with Clash of the Titans repeat viewings, you'll see every glorious detail.
Microsoft's new lens tracks your face, steers 3D images to your eyes (video)
Glasses-free 3D has taken several forms, but most have a critical flaw -- viewers have to stand in predefined locations to get the effect. That just won't do, so Microsoft's prototyped a new approach, and it's one of the wildest we've seen. Taking a cue from Project N... we mean Kinect, cameras track the face while a special wedge-shaped lens traps bouncing light, and after the beams have reached a "critical angle," it exits towards the viewers eyes, aimed by programmable LEDs at the bottom of the screen. Since the system can beam a pair of simultaneous images to two different places, the obvious use is stereoscopic 3D, but researchers found they could also send different images to different viewers, as a sort of privacy screen. If that sounds far fetched, you're not alone -- but you'll find a video proof-of-concept at the more coverage link.
ITRI's display manages 2D and 3D at once, set to challenge Toshiba for hybrid supremacy
We're still not really sure how Toshiba managed to do both 2D and glasses-free 3D in a single display, but we do now know that it isn't the only company to have achieved this stereoscopic feat. Engadget Chinese caught sight of ITRI's similar composite display, which is able to add depth to individual sections of the screen whilst leaving the rest of it stuck in Flatland. It's a 22-inch, 1680 x 1050 panel and, while 3D content is said to be rendered in much lower resolution than the rest of the display, SecondLife doesn't really require that many pixels to freak you out anyhow. No word on a possible retail release, so you'll just have to keep crossing your eyes at your current monitor.
Toshiba prototype display does 2D and 3D at the same time
One of Toshiba's favorite hobbies is to tease the general public with prototype autostereoscopic technology, and that's exactly what we have here today; demoed at SID 2010, this screen can display 2D and 3D images simultaneously on the same 12-inch screen, no glasses required. How it does that is rather complicated, especially when translated from the Japanese, but it sounds like Toshiba's sandwiched a special panel with gradient-index lenses between a high-speed polarizer and the typical color LCD. We'd wager good money it's not coming to a store near you, but we'll keep an eye out for future developments. These days, they have a tendency to pop right out of the screen.
Intel HD graphics to support 3D this summer, 30 more WiDi laptops on the way
Intel's integrated graphics are about to get a stereoscopic shot in the arm this summer. Although the Computex presentation today wasn't clear on whether it would come in the form of a firmware update or all-new hardware, we're being promised the ability to watch 3D movies straight off Blu-ray discs. Mind you, the GMA HD graphics aren't aimed at competing with NVIDIA's 3D Vision or any other heavyweights, not least because they'll be relying on polarized lenses to generate that extra sense of depth. Intel had even better news regarding its Wireless Display tech -- which throws your laptop's picture onto a nearby HDTV -- as it will soon be spreading out to "over 30" laptop models and going global. You can count on Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, and Samsung to bundle this Google TV-killing functionality in with their portable computers sooner rather than later. Update: A bunch of the new WiDi laptops were on display at Intel's Computex booth. Looks like we are in for some new ones from HP, Acer and Dell. Check out the gallery below. %Gallery-94341%
NEC's 3D Valuestar N all-in-one PC: orcas all up in your retinas
Golly. We never thought to invest in a 20-inch all-in-one PC just to watch converted versions of Free Willy in 3D, but darn if we're not reconsidering now. NEC has today revealed its Valuestar N range, with the VN790/BS being the standout in the range. The machine offers up a native 1,600 x 900 resolution panel, integrated Blu-ray drive, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, WiFi, six USB 2.0 sockets, an undisclosed Intel Core 2010 CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), and of course, native 3D support. You'll need to spring for an optional (but not really) pair of glasses to fully enjoy the third dimension sans intense headache-inducing blur, but given that they aren't of the active variety, any ole set will probably get you through. Pricing looks locked at ¥220,000 ($2,422) for a June debut in Japan, with approximately none of that actually going to save the whales. A crying shame, we say.
PlayStation 3's 3D implementation explained, may require upscaling and reduction in detail to work
It was only a couple of days ago that Sony flicked the switch on 3D compatibility for the PS3 -- albeit without retail games that can yet exploit it -- so what better time to dig into the nitty gritty details of the company's implementation of the third dimension? Digital Foundry have done just that, starting off with a discussion of how Sony translated WipEout HD from 2D into 3D. Noting that the original version ran at 1080p, Sony's senior development manager Simon Benson explains that notching resolution down to 720p opened up some pixel processing overhead (one 1080p stream requires nearly 2.1 million pixels, whereas a duo of 720p images is around 1.85 million in total), while reducing the refresh rate to 30Hz allowed the devs the breathing room to complete the extra geometric calculations required by 3D. That's certainly not the 1080p video at 100Hz per eye that we were hearing about at IDF last year, but at least it shows that games that haven't been coded for 3D can be translated, albeit at more demure settings. In the case of Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, the game already ran at a 720p / 30fps clip, so the solution was to generate it at a lower resolution and to use hardware upscaling and a few optimizations to make 3D work. Lest you think the transition was all bad news on the graphical immersion front, the SCEE devs also mention that quite a few field-of-view and motion-illustrating effects could simply be disabled in 3D, as in that mode "you get [them] for free." Of course, we're still only talking about retrofitting 3D, and Sony's big hope is that developers will code for the new format right from the start, resulting in visually richer and technically more efficient implementations. Hit the source for more.
iPad apps: defining experiences from the first wave
There are now over 1,348 approved apps for the iPad. That's on top of the 150,000 iPad-compatible iPhone programs already available in the App Store. When Apple's tablet PC launches, just hours from now, it will have a software library greater than that of any handheld in history -- not counting the occasional UMPC. That said, the vast majority of even those 1,348 iPad apps are not original. They were designed for the iPhone, a device with a comparatively pokey processor and a tiny screen, and most have just been tweaked slightly, upped in price and given an "HD" suffix -- as if that somehow justified the increased cost. Besides, we've seen the amazing potential programs have on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and webOS when given access to a touchscreen, always-on data connection, GPS, cloud storage and WiFi -- but where are the apps that truly define iPad? What will take advantage of its extra headroom, new UI paradigms and multitouch real estate? Caught between netbook and smartphone, what does the iPad do that the iPhone cannot? After spending hours digging through the web and new iPad section of the App Store, we believe we have a number of reasonably compelling answers. Update: Now includes Wormhole Remote, TweetDeck, SkyGrid, Touchgrind HD, GoToMeeting, SplitBrowser, iDisplay, Geometry Wars and Drawing Pad.
Unreal Engine 3 adds extra dimension with NVIDIA 3D Vision
Epic Games has announced that its wildly popular Unreal Engine 3 has now added NVIDIA's 3D Vision to its list of supported technologies. We've already come across Batman: Arkham Asylum being played with NVIDIA's signature shutter glasses so this isn't a huge surprise per se, but it does put a stamp of compatibility on the vast catalog of games -- both current and future -- built upon Epic's graphics engine. Those include Borderlands, Mass Effect 1 and 2, Bioshock 1 and 2, and that all-time classic 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. The Unreal Development Kit -- a freeware version of the Engine for non-commercial uses -- is also being upgraded to make the addition of stereoscopic 3D effects "easier than ever," while other small improvements (covered by Gamespot) show that the Epic crew isn't standing still on its core product. Good news for all you mobile mavens wanting a taste of Unreality on your iPhones or Pres.
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...
