06/16, 5:00pm
Rebuffs API used in Chrome, FireFox and Safari
Microsoft, through its TechNet Security Research & Defense blog claims that WebGL, the open 3D graphics API, is flawed. Microsoft believes that these flaws present significant security vulnerabilities. Consequently, Microsoft could not incorporate WebGL into any of its products.
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04/12, 3:40pm
Khronos fashions StreamInput standard for touch
Khronos today established a standard that would provide a common platform for touch and motion controls. StreamInput would be a royalty-free programming interface for not just touchscreens but haptic (vibration) feedback, motion sensors like the PlayStation Move or Wii remotes, and even depth camera systems like Microsoft's Kinect. Augmented reality apps, games, and others with advanced controls could keep every device in sync and use extensions to easily add new methods as they come about.
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03/03, 12:50pm
WebGL spec final with Apple, Google, Mozilla, more
The Khronos Group used the second day of the Game Developer Conference to post the finished, 1.0 spec for the WebGL standard. Its language brings OpenGL ES 2.0 visuals to browsers that can recognize WebGL in HTML5 and JavaScript. A suitably equipped browser can play real, 3D games with pixel shaders and other more modern visuals without having to use a plugin, even on phones and tablets.
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07/26, 1:00pm
OpenGL 4.1 adds hooks for OpenCL and OpenGL ES
The Khronos Group today published the first specification for OpenGL 4.1 in what's considered a coup for desktop graphics. The standard catches up to DirectX 11 in visual features and overtakes it in integration with other standards: it can now sync graphics with OpenCL to take advantage of video hardware's general-purpose math features. Mobile app developers also now have full compatibility with OpenGL ES 2.0, theoretically letting a developer write an app for the iPhone or Android without having to change the visual effects when porting to a computer.
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06/14, 1:10pm
OpenCL 1.1 promises speedups
Standards body Khronos Group today rolled out OpenCL 1.1, a new version of the universal general-purpose computing format. It chiefly adds better integration with other devices: OpenCL events can be linked to those in OpenGL to have more math and graphics events start at the same time. Commands can also come from multiple destinations, and memory buffers can be spread across more than one device.
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03/11, 11:20am
Khronos says OpenGL deteails set
The Khronos Group today outlined the official feature set for OpenGL 4.0. The new graphics standard is the first major update since the launch of OpenCL and better exploits general computing features. It can draw the output of an OpenCL calculation without having to invoke the main processor and potentially frees up the processor even more when video or a similar task is already being offloaded to the graphics core.
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12/10, 6:20pm
Khronos details in-browser OpenGL tech
The Khronos Group today published the draft specification for WebGL, its universal standard for accelerated 3D graphics inside web browsers. The initial format takes advantage of HTML5's canvas support to draw OpenGL ES 2.0-level graphics without having to use a plugin. Besides simplifying the use of modern 3D hardware, it lets 3D interact more closely with web pages themselves and supports tasks like scripting to automate events or even test graphics before they're put into finished code.
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09/14, 4:25pm
Khronos Group preparing new standard for 2010
Developers working with Khronos Group are currently testing a new standard, WebGL, that aims to bring hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to a wide range of browsers without requiring a dedicated plug-in. The system is based on the Canvas element within HTML5, but adds the ability for OpenGL functionality to be accessible using JavaScript.
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08/04, 3:45pm
Khronos outs OpenGL 3.2
At the SIGGRAPH show that kicked off on Tuesday in New Orleans, the Khronos Group announced the release of its latest OpenGL graphics standard, OpenGL 3.2 (PDF). This update, the third major one in the last year, improves performance, quality, accelerated geometry processing and greater flexibility in dealing with 3D applications. Open GL 3.1 was released in March.
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04/21, 3:35pm
Google O3D
Google this afternoon took the covers from an early version of O3D, a new standard for controllable 3D on the web. The format is intended to be a truly browser- and OS-independent format that supports truly modern 3D graphics and which runs well when interacting with the modern web. It takes advantage of the shader (visual programming) effects of current graphics chipsets to produce visuals such as rippling water, reflections and fire, all while properly supporting JavaScript for elements such as real-time changes to the 3D world.
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12/08, 11:40pm
OpenCL 1.0 ratified
Heralding the era of GPU-enhanced computing, the Khronos Group on Monday evening announced the ratification and public release of the Apple-proposed OpenCL 1.0 specification, the open, royalty-free standard for cross-platform, parallel programming in PCs. The OpenCL spec, proposed by Apple under six months ago, is designed to improve performance of software applications (ranging from gaming to scientific and medical software) and is supported by vendors such as Activision, Blizzard, AMD, Apple, ARM, Broadcom, Electronic Arts, IBM, Intel, Nokia, NVIDIA, and Samsung. The OpenCL standard was completed in nearly six months time by the working group in order to be ready for the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the next version Apple's operating system that is expected to ship early next year.
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08/13, 8:40am
OpenGL 3 Features
Standards backer Khronos Group has published the specifications for OpenGL 3.0, the next major revision to the universal graphics programming format. The new version focuses on high dynamic range (HDR) images and now includes support for 32-bit, floating point data both for depth and rendering buffers as well as for textures. The advance allows for more precise color and also permits more accurate calculation for visual effects.
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