Friday, January 23, 2015

Software : Download of the day: Blender

Software : Download of the day: Blender

Download of the day: Blender

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Download of the day: Blender

Build stunning 3D models, flesh them out and animate them, or even create your own games – it's all possible in Blender, and totally for free.

Why you need it

Learning the ropes when it comes to 3D modelling can be a time consuming process, so why pay for a program before you feel confident? Blender is a genuinely comprehensive, professional 3D modelling program that is available completely for free, making it ideal if you're dabbling in 3D work but don't want to shell out a small fortune if you're not even sure it's for you.

One of the great things about Blender is its versatility. Whether you want to create photorealistic renderings for use as product mockups, or you just want a quick creation to help you sketch out an idea, Blender has the tools available to help you achieve your goal.

So, for example, there's support for HDR (high dynamic range) lighting to help you ensure your models are perfectly lit, easy weight painting and skinning to turn skeletons into fleshed out models, powerful animation and sculpting tools and much more.

Blender also has its own compositor, so there's no need to export your work to a third party app – saving you even more money. The same goes for Blender's game engine, which allows you to code in game logic, Python scripting and more.

There really is an amazing array of features available in Blender, which seems all the more incredible given it's completely free and open source.

Key features

  • Works on: PC, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD
  • Versions: Free
  • Create 3D models: At its core, Blender is a 3D modelling program, so you'll find everything you need right here
  • Create games: Blender has its own game engine, so you can create assets and then build your game around them, all within the same program
  • Tons of uses: There are so many features contained in Blender that it should be of use no matter what your project is

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Spartan joins Internet Explorer on Windows 10

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Spartan joins Internet Explorer on Windows 10

Microsoft has confirmed that it will ship Windows 10 with both the "old" Internet Explorer 11 and the "new" Spartan rendering engines, but the company has made it clear that it will be focusing its resources on the latter.

It also seems as if two separate browsers will be available with Spartan being seen as the way forward for Microsoft, according to the Group Program Manager for Internet Explorer, Jason Weber.

Webber wrote on the MSDN blog that Spartan is designed to work across the entire Windows 10 device family regardless of whether they come with traditional input peripherals (mouse, keyboard) or whether they will rely on touch entirely.

On call

The IE11 engine, he suggested, would be kept for legacy enterprise websites "when needed" with the new rendering engine used for websites. That apparent "forking" ensures that the browser is compatible across a very broad spectrum.

"Interoperatbility" was mentioned six times in the post which shows how focused the company is on making sure that its brand new browser works with the rest of the web.

Will Spartan join our list of best web browsers? Surely, probably…

Microsoft Office 2016 will arrive later this year

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Microsoft Office 2016 will arrive later this year

Microsoft finally revealed more details about Windows 10 this week, among them new touch-centric versions of its popular Office apps.

Today, the company took to the Office blog to share some additional info - and to reveal that the next version, Office 2016, is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2015.

The new Office apps are universal, offering a unified experience across smartphones, tablets and desktop and laptop PCs, Microsoft has demonstrated.

The next step

"Over the past 12 months, you've seen us reimagine the traditional Office experience for a mobile-first, cloud-first world," Microsoft Office Product Management General Manager Julia White wrote in the post.

"The next step in this journey is the delivery of touch and mobile optimized versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook for Windows 10," she continued.

The apps will be installed out of the box on phones and small tablets (meaning sub-8-inches), and available as a download on other devices. In addition they'll will be available with the next Windows 10 Technical Preview, arriving "in the coming weeks."

  • The Xbox One will finally be more integrated with Windows
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