graphics

Three-dimensional models are essential if you're in the design field. Google SketchUp gives you the ability to easily create your own 3D models. With an easy-to-use interface and a wide swath of Help features, it's the perfect tool for beginner and intermediate designers alike.

To begin, Google SketchUp puts all of the help options in plain sight, which include video tutorials, tips and tricks, a blog, and a help center. It asks you to select a template from a long list that includes templates for architectural design, woodworking, Google Earth modeling, and basic plans. We started simple with … Read more

It's easier than you might think to max out your desktop power supply, particularly if you have an off-the-shelf system with a large case and a low-wattage PSU. Even if you don't hit the maximum supported wattage rating, with enough extra drives and internal fans, you can all of a sudden find yourself without the necessary internal power leads for that lighting kit you've been eyeing. Here's where Add2PSU can come in handy.

Initially designed by David Lorentzen to add power to a home server, Add2PSU is a small circuit board that lets you daisy-chain desktop power supplies. Lorentzen says he has been awarded patent pending status on the device, and he hopes to have his online store running by the end of August, at which point he will sell the Add2PSU for $19.95.… Read more

Comics apps have been around for a couple of years, but the rise of the tablet has seen a resurgence of interest in digital comic books. Comixology, Graphicly, and the Vintage Comics Droid are three apps that bring superheroes and more to your fingertips.

Creating icons is a necessary task for software developers, but they're not the only ones who make icons; average Joes and Janes also enjoy customizing their desktops with icons of their own creation. Whether you need to make icons for business or pleasure, Imagicon is a simple way to do it. It has advanced features for more-experienced users, but even newbies will be able to master its basics.

Imagicon's interface is just a small square with a few menus across the top; using it isn't an entirely intuitive process, but we were able to figure it out … Read more

Wall Street does not like HTC's decision to purchase S3 Graphics.

Bloomberg reports that HTC's shares saw their largest drop in three weeks after Citigroup downgraded the stock's investment rating over concerns about the $300 million acquisition of S3 announced on July 6.

Many see the deal as a defensive measure as technology companies increasingly use the courtroom as a weapon in dealing with competition. HTC, which has its roots as a white-label smartphone maker but in recent years has broken out with its own brand, is seen as having one of the weaker patent portfolios relative … Read more

An administrative law judge for the U.S. International Trade Commission today determined (PDF) that Apple is infringing on two patents owned by S3 Graphics, while not infringing on two others.

Today's decision is initial, with a final decision from a six-member commission set to be delivered in November.

"S3 Graphics is pleased to win this portion of the ITC investigation," S3 Graphics CEO Dr. Ken Weng said in a statement.

An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

S3 Graphics, a Fremont, Calif.-based graphic chipmaker, filed its complaint against Apple in … Read more

Today Nvidia unveiled its latest high-end laptop GPUs, the GTX 570M and 580M. That's not a huge surprise: the new GTX cards round out the "500 series" of GT and GTX graphics that have been available throughout the year. One feature Nvidia's particularly touting is the GTX 580's Optimus automatic switching, which should offer up "5 hours of battery life in Facebook," in case you measure your juice through social networking.

Nvidia promises that the GTX 580M is the fastest laptop graphics card anywhere, ever--the benchmark comparisons were leveled against the AMD Radeon … Read more

Mozilla has answered Microsoft's concern that WebGL raises too many security risks with the observation that Microsoft itself has accepted the same risks with 3D interface technology coming with its own Silverlight browser plug-in.

WebGL, a new standard from Khronos Group, lets Web programmers add hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the Web with an interface that mirrors the OpenGL ES 2.0 standard used among other places in Android and iOS devices. WebGL opens up online possibilities such as virtual worlds and graphically rich games, and it's built into Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome today.

Microsoft, though, … Read more

Sure, you know about the Wii U. You know about the PlayStation Vita. But do you know about the jDome immersive game screen? How about a device that takes physical game pieces and puts them in games? Or, what about a triple-mount TV stand for all your motion-control camera gear?

The E3 Expo is always known for its explosively loud gaming demos and endless play kiosks (not to mention costumed absurdity), but tucked away in the corners are lesser-known companies hawking peripherals and technology that ranges from the intriguing to the absurd. In years past, these odd bits of gaming … Read more