With the introduction of new compute shaders as part of Open GL 4.3 today at SIGGRAPH 2012 in Los Angeles, the Khronos Group says the Open Gl cross-platform graphics API is now more advanced than Microsoft's Directx platform. OpenGL is used to deliver 3D graphics in most CAD/CAM/CAE applications on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

Shipments of GPUs conformant with the Khronos OpenGL ES family of graphics APIs (Application Programming Interface) will reach 1 billion units per annum by 2014 according to Imagination Technologies, a supplier of mobile and embedded GPU (Graphics Processor Unit) technology.

Imagination Technologies, a multimedia technologies company, today announced its Caustic Visualizer viewport plug-in for Autodesk Maya 2013. Imagination will be demonstrating Caustic Visualizer’s highly interactive full-frame performance on the new PowerVR low-power ray tracing hardware reference platform at SIGGRAPH 2012 in Los Angeles.

Mapping the medals, a GIS story map from Esri, features a regularly updated feed of medals counts (overall, gold, silver and bronze) for each country competing in this year’s games. Click on any of the circles — the biggest ones belonging to medal leaders USA and China — to get a detailed breakdown of all medal winners from each nation's Olypmic team.

Meridian Systems recently released Prolog 9.5, the latest version of its project management software. The new version provides visibility into project performance through cash-flow forecasting, workflow, and BIM collaboration features. I recently had a chance to talk with Jon Fingland, head of Meridian's AEC business unit, about the new version and other news happening at Meridian and parent company Trimble.

Dell recently unveiled two new third -generation Intel Ivy Bridge CPU workstations for the CAD/BIM market and the rest of its portable workstation users.

The Dell Precision M4700 is the more portable (and more affordable) of the new line with a 15-inch display and entry-level to mid-range professional graphics. The 17-inch display, high-end professional graphics options and large storage make the Dell Precision M6700 a bulkier laptop that could also serve as a replacement for your desktop. Both have new professional GPU options from Nvidia Quadro and AMD FirePro.

Graphisoft recently released BIMx, its communication and presentation tool for BIM projects, as a 3D viewer app for Android devices, in addition to the iPad/iPhone. The Facebook-integrated BIMx community and the new Model Transfer site will allow the new app to be spread this innovative technology among architects, clients and all other stakeholders.

AutoCAD WS 1.5 is now available for iOS, Android and web browsers, the first major update of Autodesk's design collaboration mobile app. AutoCAD WS now has 8 million+ downloads and this latest set of features is part of Autodesk’s efforts to make design mobile and support social collaboration opportunities. The web version of the app will be automatically updated the next time you log in with your browser at www.autocadws.com.

Nemetschek Engineering Group recently released Scia Engineer 2012. This release of Scia Engineer provides improvements for structural and civil engineers attempting to migrate to, or improve their 3D workflows.

Gehry Technologies recently announced it has completed the acquisition of Bimshare, a privately-held company based in the Netherlands. On the heels of launching its 3D collaboration platform, GTeam, Gehry Technologies is expanding its cloud-based service offerings with this acquisition. Bimshare offers a popular building information modeling (BIM) data sharing solution that provides a way to upload and share 3D models online through browsers on desktop or mobile devices. Through its interface, Bimshare enables architects, building owners, contractors, fabricators, and engineers to quickly and securely share BIM data. A SaaS-based solution, Bimshare is a natural addition to Gehry's BIM collaboration strategy focused on the AEC industry. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.