News with a View
by Abby Albrecht
3Dlabs Resumes PCI Card Creation
3Dlabs announced that it is resuming production of its Oxygen GVX1 PCI graphics accelerator and continuing to promote its Oxygen VX1 PCI graphics card. 3Dlabs' continuing support for PCI graphics enables professionals to take full advantage of workstation-level graphics capabilities in legacy PCI systems, systems with integrated graphics, or non-upgradeable AGP slots. In addition, Oxygen PCI graphics cards allow multi-monitor operation in systems that currently utilize the AGP slot for other purposes.
The Oxygen VX1 PCI is an all-purpose 2D/3D card for entry-level to mid-range applications. The Oxygen VX1 PCI offers full OpenGL support and technologies such as Virtual Textures. The GVX1 PCI offers onboard hardware geometry acceleration. In addition, users can augment their existing AGP graphics with up to three accompanying Oxygen GVX1 PCI cards, for a total of up to four fully-accelerated 3D displays using Windows NT.
Toon Boom Animation Contest
Have you finished your Big Kahuna entry yet? If so, Toon Boom Technologies has launched its "Tooning into Animation" contest for Mac OS X users. The contest calls for artists to use Toon Boom Studio to create animation in one of three Web animation categories: music videos, political cartoons, and online advertising. One winner in each category will work with interactive entertainment giant Sega of America, Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist Mike Luckovich, and internationally-acclaimed DJ Mark Farina to create Web-based animated shorts. Toon Boom will announce the winners and debut their content at Macworld Expo in New York. Winners also will receive $1,000, Toon Boom Studio 1.0 software ($499), a 9x12 inch Wacom Intuos Tablet ($429), and a trip to Macworld. Entries for the contest must be created using the Mac OS X version of Toon Boom Studio. The Toon Boom Studio public beta software is now available as a free download from the company's Web site.
RichFX Partners with Gifts.com
RichFX, Inc. announced a partnership with Gifts.com, Inc., a subsidiary of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., to use 3D visual presentations to market products on the gifts.com Web site. For Mother's Day, gifts.com used RichFX technology to promote the Loving Family Pendant. The companies used synchronized audio with RichFX computer-generated video content to show online shoppers a 3D video with a Mother's Day story featuring the pendant. The campaign was so popular that Gifts.com plans more such promotions using RichFX.
Management Moves, Pulse
Pulse appointed Brian Lipschultz as Chief Financial Officer. Lipschultz brings experience with companies ranging from the Fortune 100 to venture-backed firms, and will be responsible for leading Pulse's financial strategy, legal affairs, and administration. Before joining Pulse, Lipschultz was Chief Financial Officer of uMogul.com, an asset management company, and DreamWorks Consumer Products Worldwide, where he oversaw finance and accounting, IT, legal and strategic alliances, and served as general manager of international operations and publishing. For more information, visit the company's Web site.
Abby Albrecht is the Web editor for 3Dgate. She says she wants a revolution, well there you go. You can write to her at [email protected].
