"ALGORITHMS: VZillion creates online 3D community"

VZillion will be a stereoscopic 3D virtual world where users can rent apartments and choose avatars. Slated to open in April 2009, the VZillion has been awarded the "Best New Technology" at the 3D Film & Interactive Festival (Orlando, Fla., Nov. 14-to-17, 2008). Users will include individuals, businesses, education providers and entrepreneurs. Each user customizes their 3D apartment with furniture, wall-mounted screens and artwork. Members will use the screens to surf the internet from inside their virtual apartment. By creating a media room with multiple screens users will be able to surf simultaneous channels featuring sports, entertainment, shopping, social networking, and more. Users will also be able to share videos and music in their personal libraries.

"HARDWARE: Panasonic demonstrates LCD shutter 3D"

Panasonic demonstrated a shutter glasses system it dubbed the world's first 3D full HD Plasma Theater System at CEATEC JAPAN 2008. The Panasonic system enables the viewing of true-to-life 3D images by using a 103-inch plasma television and a Blu-ray Disc player, distributing full high-definition (HD) (1920 x 1080 pixels) images to left eye and right eye using LCD shuttered glasses.

"HARDWARE: AMD boosts 3-D graphics acceleration"

Advanced Micro Devices' ATI graphics unit will claim performance milestones later this week for its FirePro 3-D graphics accelerators. The AMD group said it expects to deliver what it says is the fastest and most cost effective rendering for 3-D CAD software during this week's IBC 2008 conference in Amsterdam. The device targets the creation, management and delivery of digital content for the entertainment industry. ATI said it worked directly with vendors to develop the 3-D modeling software. Vendors included Solidworks Corp. and Dassault Systems, which offers the Catia (Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application). For both 3-D modeling packages, ATI built in direct vertex buffer object (VBO) support for its line of 3-D graphics accelerators.