This year, still counting 2009, the audience has for the first time in history since stereoscopic 3-D was introduced decades ago chosen to watch a movie in 3-D format rather than its counterpart 2D version in the theaters. For the cinemas, 3-D has brought the little extra but a big screen to make people leave the comfort of their home to get something extra for their money when going to watch a movie. If you have asked yourself the question "why can't I have 3-D at home?", you have also probably made the assumption that the reason is that the technology is not there yet. This is no longer the case, and the top TV manufacturers has for the past year had 3-D ready LCD,plasma and LED-LCDs just waiting to launch. So why have we still not seen any ads for 3-D tv's, players and shows?

The last showstopper has so far been the agreement on how 3-D content shall be encoded and broadcasted. A big step has now been made as the final 3-d blu-ray specification was announced December 17th. The keynotes are that Blu-rays with 3-D content will be backwards compatible with older players to play 2-D content and that the most used Blu-ray player (the PS3) will be able to play movies in 3-D.

The new 3-D movie Avatar will probably be the first to be released with the new specifications next year.

This article has been consistently using 3-D as describing stereoscopic 3-D content as the blu-ray.com team has unanimously decided to use this spelling.

I'm waiting in anticipation for the first 3-D TV sets to be sold early next year, either using shutter or polarization technology.

I'm invited to Stereofoto.no's monthly gathering at Justisen in Oslo to show off 3DInlife stereoscopic multimedia player.

The gathering is open to anyone interested in stereoscopic photograpy and there will be people there from 6pm the 9th of December.

My plans are to bring a 3DInlife stereoscopic MP to show off, and there will be possibilities to try your own photos on the player.

If you want to try your own photos, it is most convenitent if you bring them on a Micros SD or CF card with the photos stored in a folder named "3DPHOTO" and videos in "3DVIDEO". The photos should be side-by-side stereoscopic jpeg, and the video MPEG1/MPEG4/H.264 encoded. Try keeping the size down as the player struggles with large images and videos.

I may also bring along some other gadgets.

If you are interested in buying a 3D MP, I will bring one or two to Justisen. Send me an email to reserve. You can read my own test of the MP, or read more about it on 3DInlife's  pages here.

Do you have some digital stereoscopic 3D photos lying about which you want to show off on your webpage?

Do you want to add that little extra to your Microsoft Messenger (MSN) photo?

If you are lucky to own a 3D camera you can take a side-by-side stereo shot and convert it into a 3D animated GIF with this new tool.

Even if you ar not lucky to own a 3D camera, you can learn how to take two stereoscopic images and upload them with the 3D animated GIF tool and make them magic :)

What are you waiting for? Go and check it out!

The UK based Channel 4 will from monday November 16th will have one week of 3D fun for the family.

With titles like "The Queen in 3D", "Derren Brown Presents the 3D Magic Spectacular", "Flesh for Frankenstein" "Friday the 13th Part III in 3d", The Greatest Ever 3D Moments" and "Hanna Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert", it is clear that we are talking old 3D classics, not any of the newest Pixar movies.

Acer has now launched the Aspire 5738D 3D, an ordinary laptop with a screen capable of showing 3D using polarized glasses.

Unlike for instance the Samsung Geforce 3DVision screen, it does not rely on high refresh rates and active shutter glasses with battery to operate. Instead the screen (and software) from TriDef merges the two images needed for stereoscopic 3D and display every other horisontal line with different polarization filter. This means you still have to wear glasses, but something like the ones you get in the 3D cinemas nowadays. Without glasses the picture looks blurry when 3D effects are on. Unfortunately, the software so far only supports Windows 7 and games made for DirectX 9 (!)

Yes, you read right, Fujifilm has finally announced the release of their first stereo 3D camera "Finepix Real 3D W1" in Europe.

A few days ago Search Engine Roundtable discovered that YouTube, the insanely popular video site (you know), is playing with a stereo 3D feature.

Already, you can go to YouTube and watch stereoscopic content, or upload your own.

Today I got an email from Loreo, a Chinese company specialising in lenses, saying they have decided to cancel their long awaited 3D Lens in a Cap Digital model 9008.

Loreo have had this project, which was a follow-up to their 3D Lens in a Cap, for quite some time. The 3D Lens in a Cap Digital was also launched last year, but due to technical difficulties in manufacturing taken back from the market.

Well, this is the biggest piece of junk I have ever seen. If you expect anything else than a protection case to your iPhone 3G, be prepared to be disappointed.

The Wazabee 3DeeShell is a case for your iPhone with a removable lenticular screen that is ment to enable stereo 3D images, videos and games on your iPhone 3G. The shell/case comes in a variety of colors, and seen only as a case it is protective and tight. The package also comes with a protective foil to put on your touch screen. Nice, but the time I have had my iPhone, I have never used one and still no scratches.

 Hot out of the oven is the new "Create your own stereogram secret" tool.

The tool lets you type in a short word, and have it converted to a stereogram.

You can then send a link to the stereogram to your friends, and have them try and figure out your hidden message.

Reading a stereogram may take a little bid of patience and practice, but once you have made it you'll be thrilled about the stereo 3D effect this can produce. -And from what seemingly seems to be an image with random static noise.

Can you read the msg in this stereogram?

Tip: look closely at the image and focus at something behind your monitor, and the msg will appear to you in 3D inside your screen.

Click here to create your own!

I am about to import a handfull stereo 3D multimedia players to norway, and am looking for interrested buyers.