The world's most popular professional 3D animation package, 3ds max by discreet, just got an upgrade. Rather than being a major overhaul, this seems an effort to bridge gaps between 3ds max and some of the industry's leading 3d applications in several areas. However, 3ds max6 is not just upward expansion reaching higher in 3D visual effects, it is also broadening to encompass a wider scope of different industry disciplines.

Few topics are more controversial than genetic engineering, yet considerable amounts of research dollars are being poured into the area every year. Right now, genetically engineered plants are

Let an explosive flash of light and particles take over your desktop in screensaver mode.

Now where's my flying car?.

Now where's my flying car?.

Now where's my flying car?.

An impressive paperback replacement with a remarkable display: it’s only let down by the unintuitive software.

World's largest superconducting magnet ready to tackle the big questions ofthe universe.

A potentially stunning card -- but don't buy one just yet.

Nanotube fibres could help people literally climb the walls.

The biggest problem with modern robotics is not the mechanisms, its the intelligence behind the mechanisms. Matching the human sense of balance is a major challenge, for example. Enter cy

Battery capacity has proven to be a serious barrier to true mobile computing. Tim Dean looks at how the technology is evolving.

Puny printing from Big Blue.

Easy GIF and AVI animations with effects

Researchers solve 'noisy' graphite problem.

Following the success of version 2, version 3 brings more brick busting action, but this time it is ...

Ultimate data recovery challenge.

Purdue researchers develop technique by adding water to aluminium/gallium alloy.

Cosmic rays reveal hidden secrets.

A different kind of shoot-em-up