The latest beta drivers and the first in the 290 series have been released by NVIDIA today, supporting all graphics cards since the venerable 6-series. Their main new feature are official support for enabling ambient occlusion settings in the control panel separately for specific games and enabling NVIDIA Surround on the new X79 SLI-certified motherboards. Ambient occlusion (AO) is settable for uber-popular games The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. So, what does AO do? We'll let Andrew Burns of NVIDIA explain:

If you're unfamiliar with Ambient Occlusion, it is most easily described as a way to make in-game shadowing more realistic, and therefore better.

What he doesn't say of course, is how it kills your frame rate, especially on lower end hardware. Anyway, there's all the usual goodies in this release: 3D Vision game profiles for games such as MW3, Diablo 3 & LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (yes really). There's a HD audio update and nine fixes too, including one for random flickering of the Windows boot logo as it's loading or fading away and a fix for the mouse cursor flickering and shaking in games such as Crysis 2 & Deus Ex when SLI is enabled when using 3DTV Play. The NVIDIA product release page is here and they have a snazzy-looking driver selector here. The release notes follow.

Intel's Ivy Bridge line of processors are not due for release until spring 2012, but it looks like Chinese website Coolaler has scored a sneak peak at the performance level of Intel's 22 nm Ivy Bridge platform by testing an engineering sample of a quad core CPU. The screenshot shows CPU-Z & Task Manager (no HyperThreading) readouts, while the AIDA64 Cache & Memory benchmark has been run. The CPU used is a 2 GHz sample as shown by the photo, which CPU-Z reports as running at its 2.4 GHz turbo boost speed (20% overclock) on a Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 motherboard. Rough and ready verdict: about the same speed as the current Sandy Bridge, but with a significantly enhanced northbridge and graphics core. The AIDA64 scores are actually slightly lower than the current SB scores, but this is likely because the CPU is running unsupported and unoptimized due to a mobo BIOS that's not made for it and a benchmark that cannot measure its true performance. Note the memory speeds, which were run fast at 2134 MHz 6-9-6-24 CR2, further indicating lack of optimization, since these timings suggest somewhat better performance than what was measured.

DisplayLink, the leading provider of technology for virtual and USB-connected computing, and I-O DATA DEVICE (www.iodata.com) today announced the availability of the I-O DATA USB-RGB3/D USB 3.0 to DVI display adapter. Incorporating the DisplayLink DL-3100 chip for connectivity and virtual graphics, it is the first USB 3.0 enabled display adapter to ship in Japan.

"And this is as true in Japan as any other technology-embracing market."

Featuring the robust DisplayLink 3.0 video compression and support for resolutions up to 2048 x 1152, including 1080p, even the newest notebooks, netbooks and PCs can enjoy the benefits of multi-screen computing. And with the throughput of SuperSpeed USB 3.0, those monitors will display high-performance, full-screen HD video, 3D games, rich 2D graphics and multi-channel audio.

NVIDIA today announced that system builders worldwide are now shipping the fastest PC gaming platforms ever built, thanks in part to NVIDIA SLI technology and the just-released Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processors and X79 chipset-based motherboards.

The combination of NVIDIA SLI technology -- which allows for multiple GPUs to run on a single PC -- and new X79-based motherboards allow gamers to customize their PC experience with up to four NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs, including the GeForce GTX 580 and GTX 570, the world's fastest DX11 GPUs. Licensed by the world's leading motherboard manufacturers -- including Intel, ASUS, ASRock, EVGA, Foxconn, Gigabyte and MSI, SLI technology is crucial for playing this year's hottest graphics-intensive games, such as the recently released Battlefield 3 and upcoming Batman: Arkham City with detail, resolution and immersion settings cranked up.

EVGA has just announced a new dual GPU card based on the GF114 GPU - check out the product launch page here and the product page here. If their performance graph on that launch page is accurate, then the card is around 30% faster than a GTX 580 when running the Unigene Heaven benchmark. The output panel contains three DVI connectors for NVIDIA 3D Surround, along with a mini HDMI port. The cooler has three fans, which should make for a well-cooled and reasonably quiet card. The marketing blurb says:

Introducing the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win
It may not be called a GTX 585, but it's the next best thing. This card harnesses the power of two EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPU's for blistering fast DirectX 11 performance, including tessellation performance that destroys the competition. Experience a whole new level of interactive gaming and combine up to three displays off a single card for the ultimate in 3D entertainment, or disable Surround and combine up to four displays for maximum productivity. With these features and more, the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win gives you double the GPU's and double the win!

Translated, this means that your life isn't worth living without one of these babies in your rig. Apparently.

Intel started the trend of improving integrated graphics with their second generation LGA1155 socket Core i3, i5 & i7 line of processors. Depending on the model, these processors sport integrated HD2000 or HD3000 graphics right on the processor die, which nowadays give acceptable performance for low-end gaming and can play Full HD 1080p video perfectly. This trend is increasing with the upcoming Ivy Bridge processors, which will be able to support a massive 4096 x 4096 pixel display, as we reported here. AMD now also have equivalent products with their Llano-based A-series processors. So, where does this leave discrete graphics cards? Well, the low end market is certainly seeing reduced sales, as there really isn't enough of a performance difference nowadays to always warrant an upgrade from an IGP. As integrated graphics improve further, one can see how this will hurt sales of higher end graphics cards too. The problem is that the bulk of the profit comes not from the top-end powerhouse graphics cards, but from the low to mid-end cards which allow these companies to remain in business, so cannibalizing sales of these products to integrated graphics could make high-end graphics cards a much more niche product and crucially, much more expensive with to boot.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today expanded its 3D display leadership, announcing the immediate availability of its V3D231 LED monitor.

This 23-inch3D-Ready LED monitor features an ultra-fast 2 ms video response time, making it perfect for enjoying a crystal clear 3D gaming and video experience. Paired with a native 1920x1080 full HD resolution and 20,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, users can expect great color accuracy and picture detail, making for unsurpassed 3D image quality.

Today we release an updated Beta revision of Afterburner, this application successfully secured the leading position on graphics card utilities. We're happy to see MSI Afterburner is leading the overclock applications. MSI Afterburner 2.2.0 Beta 8 is ready.

There's quite an extensive change list too, including things like faster startup and unlocking of additional hidden video capture formats. Go get it here.

Mozilla are developing a full-on 3D game engine for their Firefox browser. It looks like having a viable high performance game engine built right into the browser could allow first person shooter type games to reach a much wider audience and possibly even raise the bar for integrated graphics - we're already seeing this with the upcoming Sandy Bridge E processors. The project is called Paladin, which is developing the Gladius 3D gaming engine. To help test it, a basic 3D game, RescueFox has been prototyped, although that's not going to be developed further, but forking is welcomed. We'll let the Mozilla development blog take it away from here.

Here's the latest Radeon Catalyst driver suite for all you Radeon graphics card fans! It has one major new feature:

Enables AMD HD 3D technology support on DisplayPort panels, such as the Samsung 750 and 950 series 3D displays

which sounds very cool and is begging to be reviewed and benchmarked, plus quite a few fixes:

LG announced its first 3D-capable notebook, the XNote A530. Two of its biggest selling points are the 15-inch LED backlit display that's capable of 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, and stereoscopic 3D webcam, that uses two individual cameras to build a stereo 3D video stream, backed by LG's software. The XNote A530 is powered by "Sandy Bridge" 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M graphics. A Korean press release also mentions that the notebook will back 3D PT software, that allows users to make stereo 3D presentations that can be displayed using 3D-capable displays and projectors. The company did not announce pricing and availability details.

LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the world's first glasses-free monitor utilizing eye-tracking technology to maintain an optimal 3D image from a range of viewing angles. The 20-inch D2000 monitor was developed as a fully func-tional entertainment display capable of reproducing games, movies and images in all their realistic glory.

"With a full line-up of 3D TVs, laptops, projectors and smartphones, LG Electronics is by far and away the industry leader in all things 3D." said Si-hwan Park, Vice President of the Monitor Division at LG's Home Entertainment Company. "LG's position has always been that 3D will and must eventually function without glasses. The D2000 is a look at what the future has in store."

Toshiba UK today announces the launch of the Qosmio F750 3D - a revolutionary new laptop with the ability to display mesmerizing 3D images without the need for 3D glasses. The Qosmio F750 3D can also display a combination of 2D and 3D images on screen at the same time, while a range of powerful, high-performance multimedia features ensures the laptop is perfect for even the most demanding tasks.

The Qosmio F750 3D is designed for those looking for the ultimate 3D experience. Like the world's first glasses-free 3D television - the Toshiba REGZA GL1 - the Qosmio F750 3D uses a special lenticular 3D screen to give users the freedom to experience all the benefits of 3D entertainment, without the restrictions of having to wear 3D glasses. Glasses-free 3D technology adds a truly immersive element, perfect for experiencing 3D in a more natural and comfortable way, particularly for those that may already require prescription glasses. The 39.6cm (15.6") screen also offers Full HD resolution for clear, vivid images, while a 120Hz refresh rate eliminates blur or ghosting with the fast moving images seen in action films and games.

Japanese display maker Mitsubishi released its latest addition to the DiamondCrysta series, the RDT233WX-3D. This 23-inch LED-backlit LCD monitor with stereoscopic 3D capabilities uses an in-plane switching (IPS) panel that can provide 178°/178° viewing angles. With full-HD resolution (1920 x 1080), the panel features response time of 3.8 ms (GTG), a honest-sounding 5,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (1,000:1 static contrast), and its display inputs include HDMI 1.4, DVI, and D-Sub.

The Mitsubishi DiamondCrysta RDT233WX-3D features stereo 3D support, and bundles a pair of 3D glasses; Giga Clear II image enhancement engine that adjusts various image parameters dynamically to give out the best image quality; and PIP (picture-in-picture) function. 2W stereo speakers are embedded. Its stand is designed to allow height and tilt adjustments. Slated for release by the end of May, the Mitsubishi DiamondCrysta RDT233WX-3D is expected to be priced at 52,800 JPY (US $645).

Toshiba Corporation today unveiled "dynabook Qosmio T851/D8CR", the world's first glasses-free 3D notebook PC able to display 3D and 2D content at the same time on one screen. The new PC will be available in the Japanese market from late July.

Dynabook Qosmio T851/D8CR employs Toshiba's distinctive 3D Window technology to realize the world's first glasses-free 3D portable PC able to simultaneously display 3D and 2D content in separate windows in a single screen. Users can watch high-quality 3D images or enjoy 3D games in one window without any need for wearing dedicated glasses or installing a dedicated panel over the display, while at the same time working, browsing the internet or sending e-mail in another window.

Acer America Corp., the number one provider of 3D displays worldwide, today debuts its new Acer 3D Series Displays for customers in North America. The new 27-inch (HN274H) and 23.6-inch (HS244HQ) widescreen 3D LCD displays are the ultimate visual medium for enjoying the vivid realism and depth of three dimensional entertainment and learning.

The new 3D LCDs provide thrilling full HD 3D visuals via HDMI or DVI-DL to PCs, Blu-ray Disc Players, game consoles, cameras and 3D TV programming via a set-top box. Supporting the HDMI 3D solution, the displays deliver immersive 3D broadcasting, Blu-ray movies, gaming and photography. The solution is also ideal for schools, as education content providers create new 3D curriculum that makes learning more engaging.

The Khronos Group released the final WebGL 1.0 specification to enable hardware-accelerated 3D graphics in HTML5 Web browsers without the need for plug-ins. WebGL defines a JavaScript binding to OpenGL ES 2.0 to allow rich 3D graphics within a browser on any platform supporting the industry-standard OpenGL or OpenGL ES graphics APIs. WebGL has the support of major silicon and browser vendors including Apple, Google, Mozilla and Opera with multiple browsers already shipping with WebGL implementations including the beta releases for Mozilla Firefox 4.0, all channels of Google Chrome 9.0, an Opera preview build, and Apple Mac OS Safari nightly builds.

WebGL leverages the pervasive availability of OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics on almost all browser-capable desktop, mobile and embedded platforms and the recent developments in Web technology including the massive increases in JavaScript performance. The ability for Web developers to directly access OpenGL-class graphics directly from JavaScript, and freely mix 3D with other HTML content, will enable a new wave of innovation in Web gaming, educational and training applications and graphically rich user interfaces to make the Web more enjoyable, productive and intuitive.

Fujitsu released the world's first all-in-one desktop PC that offers glasses-free 3D viewing. The Esprimo FH99/CM from Fujitsu packs a 23-inch screen with full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution featuring glasses-free 3D technology. The all-in-one is based on Intel Huron River (Sandy Bridge mobile) platform, it is driven by an Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor clocked at 2.00 GHz, with Intel HD 3000 graphics, 4 GB of DDR3 memory, 2 TB of storage, Blu-ray drive, and HDTV tuner. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, SD card slot, and USB 3.0. Display can be extended using an HDMI port. Pricing is unknown, but we can guess that glasses-free 3D screens aren't cheap.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today introduces three new do-it-yourself friendly mini-ITX platforms - the new ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T-series. The new ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T series reinvigorates the ION-ITX series with an added boost of graphics power.

Next-Generation NVIDIA ION graphics and a dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor combine to deliver a perfect balance of performance and energy-efficiency in the new ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T series. High-definition video playback capabilities enable the ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T series to deliver a premium multimedia experience with hardware decode acceleration for smooth playback of high-definition Blu-ray 3D and streaming Internet video content.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the world's first graphics card designed specifically for the embedded market with the VIA eH1, a DX10.1 compliant, multi-display card that thrusts any system with a PCI Express slot into a new realm of graphics and video capability.

The VIA eH1 comes with a three year product longevity guarantee and is the most power-efficient discrete graphics and video solution on the market today. The VIA eH1 AIB features an advanced DirectX 10.1, OpenGL 3.1, OpenGL ES 2.0 compatible 64-bit architecture and offers multi-stream 1080p HD video decoding and Stereoscopic 3D rendering capability. This makes it the ideal solution for a range of embedded applications that require advanced graphics and video on multiple displays.

MSI recently rolled out its new generation 15.6" CX620 3D notebook computer which packs all-new 3D display technology and impressive computing performance. Intel's latest Core i3/i5 CPU with ATi Mobility Radeon HD 5470 discrete graphics card (1GB DDR3 display memory), and HD LED backlit display. So whether you're playing games, watching films, or viewing photos, enjoying the ultimate in 3D images is as easy as putting on a pair of 3D glasses.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern adds that the MSI CX620 3D is sheathed in MSI's own stylish color film print to protect against scratching and wear and comes with an independent chiclet keyboard and seamless touchpad, giving it an extra touch of class. In terms of performance, MSI's exclusive GPU Boost and ECO power-saving technologies allow you to switch between display modes to maximize multimedia, processing, or battery performance, depending on the task at hand.

ViewSonic has launched its first 24" 3D-LED monitor, the V3D241wm-LED, giving people the opportunity to watch 3D content in full HD. The monitor has been certified by AMD for use with its Radeon range of graphics cards, ensuring maximum compatibility and ease of use. The monitor includes a set of wired active shutter glasses, allowing users with a compatible computer to get started right out of the box.

Using the included 3D glasses, the V3D241wm-LED can display 3D games and movies without any loss of quality by taking advantage of the monitor's 120Hz frame rate and ultra-fast 2ms response time. The ultra-responsive LED screen has a brightness level of 300 nits and a contrast ratio of 20,000,000:1, providing a high level of detail and colour reproduction.

LG Electronics (LG) today announced the world's first premium notebook offering cinematic 3D experience at near Full HD quality. To deliver an immersive 3D experience while rendering high-quality movies, games and graphics, the LG A510 features a hardware combination never before offered on a notebook: 15.6-inch Full HD 3D LED LCD display powered by Intel Core i7 Processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics card with 1GB of dedicated DDR3 video memory.

"3D is increasingly becoming a common part of the home entertainment landscape so it's against this backdrop that we're working to make this technology better and more accessible for consumers," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "As more and more people consume content and interact via portable screens, we think this is a natural next step for business travelers, college students and small office/home office owners. And we put the entire package in a beautifully-designed chassis because we don't think high-tech has to be a dull grey pizza box.

Hyundai today rolled out the W243S 3D monitor in Europe. This 24-inch monitor suited for 3D entertainment uses a TN panel with a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1, brightness of 300 cd/m², and response time of 5 ms. Display inputs include Component, HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub. 3W stereo speakers are integrated. The stand allows height and tilt adjustments. A software that converts 2D video to 3D is bundled. Hyundai is pricing the W243S at €1,399.

When it first came out, Sony's PlayStation 3 game console was the easiest way to have a Blu-ray disc (BD) player, because the console uses BD as its primary media. With a new firmware update from Sony, users can add Blu-ray 3D support. It is especially interesting because not every older standalone Blu-ray player supports the latest 3D format. Firmware update 3.50 applies to all versions of the PlayStation 3 (that's Slim and the original design). The move to let the PS3 have Blu-ray 3D support was backed by an announcement that upcoming game titles on the PS3, such as Gran Turismo 5 and Killzone 3 will come in stereoscopic 3D.