2.3d

New Super Mario Bros. 2: Nintendo 3DS gets a new game that's all too familiar

Jeff: The 3DS needs all the help it can get, so a new Mario Bros. game has worked in the past, why not again now? The problem with that mentality is that after a while, even the great Mario isn't invulnerable to becoming stale. And in the case of New Super Mario Bros. 2, I'm afraid it has finally happened.

Now before you gather up the pitchforks and start heading my way, you'll be happy to hear that I still think the game is fun to play. If you own a 3DS odds are you haven't bought a game in a while, so this will most likely find its way into your portable system. That said, you may fall into the same deja-vu trance that I did while playing and begin muttering, "Haven't I done this before?"… Read more

EA: Xbox 360 can do 3D

Crysis 2 "will be the first major video game on multiple platforms to take full advantage of true stereoscopic 3D," according to an EA news release. Until now, we've assumed the PlayStation 3 is the only current-generation console capable of 3D gaming since it supports a newer HDMI specification.

If EA is correct, why didn't Microsoft announce such a thing at the company's news conference this morning? Sony has certainly been riding the 3D bandwagon, so a Microsoft counter-attack wouldn't be out of the question.

The original Crysis took advantage of the horsepower-demanding proprietary … Read more

Panasonic's wireless pole-like speakers/receiver support 3D video pass-through

LAS VEGAS--Last year, Panasonic showed its SC-ZT1 wireless home theater system and it got a nod as a Best of CES 2009 finalist in the home audio category. At CES 2010, Panasonic has announced the next generation, the SC-ZT2, pairing it down to only two pole-like speakers and adding pass-through support for 3D video. Here are the announced features.

Key features of the Panasonic SC-ZT2:

Wireless audio/receiver package with two pole-like speakers Pass-through 3D video support (which implies HDMI 1.4) Virtual surround sound from two speakers 5-inch subwoofers built into the cylindrical base Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio … Read more

Media multiplier

Windows Essentials Media Codec Pack provides a set of software codecs for viewing and listening to many forms of media in Windows Media Player. While this program merely enhances a media player, it does a fine job of accommodating many different and unusual types of videos and music.

The program's interface is simple to operate, since it maintains the classic media player layout. Its commands are easy to understand and navigate. This codec pack makes it a bit difficult to measure any improvements to Windows Media Player since it's not a player itself but rather a set of … Read more

No 3D in 'U2 3D' without binocular vision

After months of hearing about it, I finally went to see the new film, U2 3D today, full of anticipation that for the first time in my life, I would be able to actually see the 3D effects in a film.

A little background: I have strabismus, better known to some as "lazy eye," a condition that, among other things, means that I don't have normal, binocular vision, like most people.

In daily life, this condition means very little. I can drive, hit a baseball, probably even fly a plane. I do see a little bit differently … Read more

National Geographic to release 'U2 3D'

A few months ago I wrote that one of the hottest tickets at this year's Cannes Film Festival was U2 3D, a 3D concert film about the popular band made using the technology of two companies helping to make 3D films a regular part of the movie going experience: 3ality and Real D.

Now, U2 3D is set to be accessible even to those of us who couldn't make it to the Riveria to hobnob with Leo and Bobby and the rest of the gang.

According to a release I got this morning from National Geographic Cinema Ventures, … Read more