3D

While last year's CES didn't blow us away in terms of gaming, we've got high hopes for 2010. Both Sony and Microsoft have new technologies right around the corner and we're hoping to get to see a taste of each at the big show.

Microsoft announced Project Natal at E3 2009, and it would make sense for the company to showcase some of the technology's applications at CES. Could we get an official release date and price for Natal?

Sony has a new motion controller that is almost ready for release so we're anxious … Read more

A new decade is upon us, and to kick off the "tens" in perfect fashion, there's the International Consumer Electronics Show. CES is ground zero for TV announcements, so each year I use this space to predict the major trends in TV tech. As you may know, CNET also runs the Best of CES awards, and I'll be picking the three most compelling HDTVs again this year. Chances are, one or more of the following trends will play a big part in the winner's pedigree.

Over the last five shows worth of prognostication--CES 2005, … Read more

3D graphics became ordinary first in games, then in operating systems, and on Thursday, it took a significant step toward being built into Web browsers as well.

The Khronos Group, which oversees the OpenGL graphics interface, announced that its work with Mozilla to bring hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the Web has reached draft standard form. The standard, called WebGL, lets programmers who use the Web's JavaScript language take advantage of the fact that video cards can handle 3D graphics with aplomb.

The group now wants commentary from Web developers and others who might be involved with WebGL so it … Read more

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe is a fun game based on Daniel Defoe's novel. Each level is a treasure hunt to salvage items from Crusoe's shipwreck. As you progress, Crusoe builds a new boat to escape. Each vignette is richly detailed and visually entertaining, with beautiful graphics, music, and sounds.

You can choose to play the game either in "Relaxed Mode," which offers hints and untimed play, or "Survivor Mode," which has fewer hints and a timer to keep you on your toes. We chose "Relaxed Mode." To play, you search for hidden … Read more

Dream Chronicles - The Chosen Child chronicles the journey of Faye as she travels a fantastical landscape seeking her daughter Lyra, who has been captured by the Fairy Queen. The game uses dreams as a motif to enhance and propel the story as it unfolds. The graphics are rich and detailed, and the game play presents a fun challenge.

Dream Chronicles - The Chosen Child is challenging and engrossing. The story begins in a beautifully decorated tree house full of interesting and unusual items. Some items are clues; others are there to be used for special purposes, and some are … Read more

Navteq announced a partnership Monday under which it will supply 3D map data for Microsoft's newly expanded mapping online services.

Last week, Microsoft took its first steps building 3D imagery into Bing Maps with data from about 100 cities to start with in the Streetside feature that gives a driver's-eye view of the world. But slogging down innumerable streets the world over is an arduous process--Google has been doing it for years with Street View and still has a ways to go to add its first data, not to mention the challenge of keeping views up to date. … Read more

Google is offering a public DNS service (DNS is the address book for Internet domains) that will resolve the domain names you type into a Web browser to servers you want to visit. But that could really give Google a complete picture of who you are. Do you want that? We also chat about the World Cup coming in 3D and the effects of BitLocker encryption being broken.

Google Public DNS service not ideal for everyone http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/12/google-public-dns-service-not-ideal-for-everyone.ars … Read more

Screen savers these days tend to give users a lot of options: adjust the speed of one element, change the quantity or color of something else, add your own music, and so on. Coral Reef screen saver downplays customization in favor of really, really good graphics, and we can't say it's a bad trade-off.

The screen saver doesn't do a whole lot. As the name would suggest, it's an underwater scene, with fish leisurely swimming past a shipwreck. Sunlight streams through the water, creating a ripple effect on the sea creatures in the foreground. Users can … Read more

Unique's 3D Salt Water Fish Tank is an attractive screen saver that transforms your computer into a burbling aquarium. Some aspects could be better, but it's soothing and not a bad simulation overall.

The screen saver's graphics aren't going to fool anyone into thinking that they're seeing real fish, but on the whole, they're pretty high quality, with smooth and realistic movement. We like that you can customize the look of the aquarium to some extent, such as setting the tank lighting for high noon, dusk, or night. You can also adjust the tint … Read more