Putting its money where its mouth is, LG's also joined forces with the Korean SkyLife, one of the largest 3D TV broadcasters in the world. Aiming to create industry standards, and do for 3D TV what Sony did for Blu-ray, they'll work together to ensure those ambitious sales targets are met.

Ultra-slim bezels are part of LG's hook, which supposedly help the 3D image pop with more effect. No doubt we'll be seeing more products launch next month at CES, such as these 42-72-inch models and 150-inch projectors which LG's been spouting off about, as so far it's only launched the 47-inch 47LH50 and 23-inch LCD monitor in Korea. [AVING]

If the device "senses" contact with a virtual boundary, it reacts accordingly. For example, If you're drawing on a virtual surface, the pen pulls in the opposite direction to represent friction.

The idea is to use the device in museum applications and such, but let's face it. This thing was built as a Light Cycle control device. All other uses are secondary. [Tachi Lab via Designboom]

[Core77]

Job title Video Game Artist
Job type Full Time
Job description The interactive media group is looking for a skilled artist who wants to work as part of a small highly motivated team to work on interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The position on the team is to help design, visualize, enable and implement interface, 3D characters/environments, animation, texturing as well as original concept artwork. The position also requires a creative thinker who can contribute and comment on the design process as well as being flexible enough to aid in all aspects of production such as asset management and able to work to a deadline.

Looking for an artist with Maya / 3D Max / Photoshop experience
-ability to model, animate, texture & produce bump/normal maps for 3D scene graph environments
-strong environment & character concept artist
-3-4 years of real world experience, iPhone / console experience preferred
-ability to handle asset pipeline management including XML and source control

So, what does "interactive multimedia experiences" really mean? I find hard to believe that Apple would enter the 3D gaming big leagues. That requires a lot of resources, it's an extremely competitive market, and—most importantly—all game companies in the planet are developing great 3D games for the iPhone OS platform. So why would Apple enter this arena when others are doing a great job already? It doesn't make sense.

Sure, Apple has created some simple games in the past—mostly as technology demonstrators to get the ball rolling, first in the classic iPod, then the iPhone—but this job description calls for a lot more: Interactive experiences, user interfaces, 3D characters in 3D environments... My hunch? Apple may be creating something else for the iPhone OS platform, perhaps the equivalent of the Xbox 360 dashboard, an environment in which players can meet and connect to play together online.

The kind of environment that would work perfectly in, say, something like the Apple Tablet? [Apple via Twitter—Thanks Nick Paulson]

Sony will be lugging its 3D cameras to South Africa next year to film up to 25 World Cup matches. It marks a big commitment to a technology they're pushing hard, and comes on the heels of Panasonic's similar plans for a 3D Winter Olympics. More importantly, an accompanying 3D Blu-ray disc of match highlights will be released later next year that should play to the format's strengths. It'll also give you a chance to wear some fugly glasses.

The selected games will be broadcast live at "Fan Fest" locations in seven cities around the world: London, Berlin, Mexico City, Paris, Rio De Janeiro, Rome, and Sydney. Sorry US soccer fans! If you'd only bought more Didier Drogba jerseys. [Fifa via TechRadar, Image via New Scientist]

Measuring 23-inches, the LCD monitor is ideal for PC gamers though will also be compatible with 3D broadcasts, which we'll see a lot more of in 2010. You won't need to keep the shutter glasses to hand 24/7 thankfully, as the ability to switch between 2D and 3D is of course included. This may be the first 3D product LG's put to market worldwide, but back in July their 47LH50 went on sale in Korea, despite Korea only recently announcing a terrestrial 3D broadcast trial. [Akihabara News]

It carries out the commands thanks to built-in sensors, and is able to move the cursor in three dimensions, making it an easy pairing with PC gaming. Normally this sort of interaction is done with the use of a glove laden with sensors, but thanks to the inner workings of the Suma, the PC can translate each squeeze into software-readable form.

It's unlikely to hit the market in its current form, with Cambridge Consultants hoping to license it to peripheral manufacturers. Step forward, NVIDIA and Logitech. [Cambridge Consultants]

Avatar dates back to 1977, when Cameron was just a truck driver determined to "out-Lucas George Lucas" in the outer space epic genre, but it took decades to get the clout to make as outrageous a project as Avatar. When he first sat down to plan the movie, his tech people told him his vision simply was not possible—"'If we make this, we're doomed,' one of the artists told him. 'It can't be done. The technology doesn't exist.'" He had to wait until after Titanic before he could tackle the project again.

This time, he got more invested in the tech side of it. The problem: He needed an incredibly high-definition camera that could deliver both 2D and 3D, without the headaches that sometimes accompanied two hours of 3D watching. There was a camera that could handle it, made by Sony, but the giant 450-pound unit wasn't feasible for Cameron's style of directing—so in 2000, he went out to Japan and persuaded Sony to re-engineer the camera to his liking. They ended up separating the camera's huge CPU unit from its lens, connected by a cable, thus bringing the handheld weight down to only 50 pounds.

Cameron lent the camera to filmmaker buddies to spread the gospel of 3D so his eventual release of Avatar would have the distribution it needed. Spy Kids 3-D and the Lord of the Rings trilogy opened the doors for technologically astounding epic films, just what Cameron orchestrated. His camera and belief in 3D is setting the stage for the current era of blockbusters—not necessarily something you'd expect from a guy who releases a movie about once every 15 years. [Wired]

The "3D LED Wall" is on show at the International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition in Japan, and really highlights just how much of a boner Sony has for 3D right now. They've got 3D laptops, TVs and Blu-ray players planned, and don't forget new games and a firmware update will bring 3D to the PlayStation 3 next year, too. [TechOn via Engadget]

You might remember that Jackson had once planned a 50-foot mecha with a moving face that shot lasers, but it never got built.

From the eBay Listing:

The original 3D scan data of Michael Jackson. It also includes the color map from this scan in either CPV or UV maps. This data was collected using the same equipment that creates the data used to create video games and or CGI avatars to make him speak, laugh, sing or dance.

I must emphasize that the sale of this scan data is subject to the purchaser agreeing to clear the proper rights with the MJ Estate before it is publicly used in a promotional or commercial manner.

I bet you need to emphasize that. Even if the data isn't a hoax (and I'm skeptical), I can't see the Jackson Estate letting this fly without a lawsuit. We'll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, an MJ fan found the auction and created this animation using only the 2D shots shown above. It's all pretty creepy...just let the man rest in peace. [Huffington Post via Techie.com.ph]

The Asus G51J 3D is the first laptop to feature NVIDIA's new 3D vision technology, and it takes advantage of a high performance, 15.6-inch 120Hz LCD that, when coupled with shutter glasses (yup, you still need glasses) garnered these praises from Laptop:

...unlike the TriDef technology that powers Acer's 3D laptop, titles optimized for 3D vision give you a great sense of depth without negatively affecting gameplay. On first person shooters, for example, we found it difficult to aim when using the Acer 5738DG. On the Asus G51J 3D, you don't make any compromises in terms of control or accuracy.

For the 3D tech, you'll take a resolution hit (there's no 3D 1080P display option) and pay a $200 premium, making the full gaming $1,700.

Keep in mind that Acer's system, while utilizing only rudimentary polarized glasses 3D, costs under $800. [Laptop Mag]

In order to be profitable, it needs to generate ticket sales of over $250 million—only Star Trek level. It's not a huge deal, you know. It's just the fate of 3D movies hanging in the balance. [NYT via io9]

The touchscreen is the main appeal of this shower, not just because it provides the 3D experience, but because it controls everything from water temperature and jet intensities to video and sound. Yes, 3D and jets. Perfect combination.

It's been a while since there was a concept I wanted to turn into reality this much, but to be honest, I wouldn't even know what movie I'd want to watch first in there. [Yanko Design]

No word on when it'll become a real product, but it's bound to be pricey. A reminder, too, that of all the 3D TV systems we've tried so far, Panasonic's active shutter-glasses and 103-inch 3D Plasma concept produced less flickering than Sony's active shutters, and was more watchable than JVC's 3D system that uses passive polarizing glasses. Oh, and here's what Panasonic's final glasses design looks like. Yep, until we see 3D TVs that don't need glasses, we're all gonna look like dorks. At least it'll be in the comfort of our own lounge rooms. [Samsung Korea]

Basically the the virtopsy bot (yes, "Virtibot") manipulates and dots the body with markings in order to measure and take a bunch of stereo images with its array of cameras. While the external structure and markings of a body are being documented, a CT scan takes care of the innards. The final 3D image is created which pathologists then use and abuse without worrying about deforming a deceased body. If need be, the Virtibot can use a needle to extract fluid or perform minimally intrusive biopsies.

Aside from being far neater than a traditional autopsy, virtual autopsies allow for archiving of the 3D bodies for later medical analysis or case comparison in the event of criminal trials. Not to mention that there'd never be another "Oops, I didn't mean to make that incision" hilarious coroner moment again. [New Scientist via Pop Sci]

It wasn't a news item. It was something that somebody made up. It's totally, totally ignorant and stupid, and even the people who picked it up and spread it along, said there's no way this can be true. And of course there's no way it can be true. You shouldn't believe what you read on the internet. Take everything with a big grain of salt.

That's what Lucasfilm's Head of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet says about those rumors. The only 3D Star Wars movies you will see are the classic trilogy and those three shameful accidents also known as the "prequels."

Or maybe Steve here is just trying a Jedi mind trick on us. Here's hoping he is not lying. [Movie Geek Squad via io9]

The cylindrical display is about 10.6-inches tall (and 5.1-inches in diameter). Sony doesn't seem quite sure what to do with it at the moment, but says it's considering various uses, like digital signage, or even a digital photo frame for the home. [Sony via Network World]

Watching an army of 3D crustaceans attack from the sub-$800 Aspire 5728DG's 3D screen is truly awesome. But ultimately, it only makes me crave Disney World's full-out MuppetVision 3D. And the larger screen isn't all I yearned for.

Don't get me wrong, watching some clips and playing games in 3D on the 15.6-inch screen is pretty damn cool, but the experience is limited in screen size, viewing angle, and content. Oh, and did I mention that it actually hampers the experience for viewing non-3D images? A well-performing budget notebook the Aspire AS5738DG is, but as a 3D theater and gaming console it leaves a bit more to be desired.

Price

$780 (As configured with a 2.00 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P7350, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics, 4GB of RAM, Windows 7 Premium, 320GB hard drive)

Three Dimensional Computing, Kinda

Acer's 3D notebook doesn't use Nvidia's more expensive 3D Vision GPU and technology, but instead uses TriDef's, a mixture of a 3D film coating on the display, polarizing glasses and software. The notebook comes with a pair of polarized 3D glasses (thankfully the lenses aren't a tacky blue and red) and embarrassing clip-ons for those out there that already wear spectacles.

Windows 7 has lots of new features, but 3D image support isn't one of them. It would be actually be cool to see Aero in 3D, right? OK, I digress. The 3D experience is isolated to the preloaded TriDef Experience software which contains a number of pictures and video clips.

I put on the glasses and fired up some of the clips (like any 3D content, the videos are all fuzzy without the glasses on). There is one video of the crabs taking over the world which is just downright disturbing, but the 3D tour of an alien dessert is freaking trippy. I was totally enamored with the videos for at least 45 minutes, finding myself reaching out to touch things and inspecting the depth of certain images. The quality isn't high definition, but the standard def 3D video still looks fairly crisp and vivid.

After a bit, however, the novelty wears off. Firstly, you have to position the screen at the exact correct angle to get the full three-dimensional effect. If the screen is slightly off a precise 120-degree angle, then the 3D images are jarred. That also presents a problem when trying to watch a 3D video or image with a friend or laying back in bed. Secondly, while obvious, is that the 15.6-inch screen is small. I get that it can't compare to the 103-inch 3D Panasonic HDTV I saw a few weeks back, but the smaller the screen, the more inherently limited the 3D illusion. And since you have to sit fairly close to the screen at all times, my eyes started feeling strained after an hour or so.

Where's my 3D Content At?!

Still, maybe the biggest flaw with Acer's 3D implementation is an utter lack of content. Some popular 3D games are supported (the TriDef Ignition software enables 2D to 3D conversion of certain games and applications supporting DirectX 9 and above), but it is trial and error and requires a bit of setup on the user's part. Tridef's website lists the games that are supported, and after they are installed you have to open them with the TriDef software. After all was said and done, though, I did really love exploring Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft in 3D. Freaking awesome is what it is. I actually said that aloud a few times as my little three-dimensional gnome jumped around the immersive forest.

I felt the same way about Google Earth (after finding out that it would work by searching TriDef's forums). Flying over the Grand Canyon was definitely cool, but there is only so much time I can spend pretending to be a world traveler.

What the Aspire needs is more 3D content and a list of supported content, so you don't need to do so much digging to find out what works. I mean really, do any of these 3D movies which are viewable on the notebook appeal to you?

For Non-3D Computing Time

The 3D experience is a mixed bag, however, as it impacts the non-3D computing experience. The 1366 x 768 resolution 15.6-inch display is glossy and bright, but there are small horizontal lines that are constantly discernible to the naked eye. They are distracting, but you kinda get used to it. Like a Band-Aid on finger, you don't like having it there but it's something you come to accept.

Other than the lines, the laptop is your basic mainstream system. Though it is a bit heavy at 6.2 pounds for a 15.6-inch notebook (my Sony Vaio FZ weighs 5.8 pounds and it's 3 years old), I found the keyboard to be quite comfortable and the multitouch trackpad with its dedicated scroll strip to be well-sized. All the ports you have ever dreamed of surround it, including 4 USBs and an HDMI out.

The Acer Aspire AS5738DG 's 2.00 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (along with 4GB of RAM) crunches out pretty solid performance for a budget system. In 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium, running Firefox with over 10 tabs open, iTunes and TweetDeck, the system showed no performance hit.

When adding in playback of Jarhead on DVD, the system held up without pauses thanks to the discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics card. However, the system more than struggled to play back World Of Warcraft at a 1280 x 768 resolution; at 800 x 600 it was just fine with an average of 60 fps.

Battery Life

The Aspire AS5738DG comes with a 6-cell battery which ran for a disappointing two and a half hours during my everyday usage (running Firefox, Pidgin, TweetDeck and streaming music on Slacker.com). Like I have said, the system isn't the most portable at 6.2 pounds, but I would have liked to have been able to sit on the couch with it for longer without having to have it attached to the wall.

Verdict

For under $800, the Acer Aspire AS5738DG is a solid budget system even when you don't take into account that it is one of the only notebooks on the market with 3D viewing capabilities. Sure, I have some complaints about the 3D experience: I wish it was easier to get content and I'm not thrilled that the screen has horizontal lines on it all the time. But once you do find the games and content you want to see in 3D it is sweet.

If you can live with the annoying lines on the screen and a bit of work to get the 3D working the way you want, the Aspire AS5738DG is a good buy. And for those that are just not interested in 3D at all, you can always pick up the Aspire AS6738 sans 3D capabilities for over $100 less.

Sweet 3D capabilities

Attractive design with comfortable keyboard

Loud Dolby speakers

Heavy for a 15.4 inch laptop

Screen has distracting horizontal lines from 3D coating

Mediocre battery life

Still under development, the prototype is about 10.6-inches tall (and 5.1-inches in diameter). Sony doesn't seem quite sure what to do with it at the moment, but says it's considering various uses, like digital signage, or even a digital photo frame for the home.

It only supports a 24-bit, 96 by 128-pixel stereoscopic color image right now, but you don't need glasses to see the 3D effect.

I just hope that whatever lessons Sony learns from a device like this can bring us one step closer to hologram-like TVs. Fingers crossed. [Sony via Impress]