3 week Maya classes in Prague for 200 Euro

just send email with your reel and CV for chance to be chosen for discount classes:
Spafi website

nVidia physX demo

really cool demo of nVidia PhysX hardware accelerated engine for dynamic simulations like cloth or rigid bodies in upcoming Mirror`s Edge game:
http://www.tvtech.it/video/214/mirror-s-edge-in-azione-con-nvidia-physx/

PIXAR CARStoons

Reusing Cars`s Mater and Lighting McQueen characters, small team at Pixar led by Victor Navone made 3 funny episodes in less than a year production. I wish CARS movie, although it`s quite good, had more of this silliness and surprising things like here:

http://home.disney.co.uk/characters/cars/

CARStoons director interview

Adolfdesk aquires XSI!! Blitz buy!!

very funny, MUST SEE!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kR7UWImpG54

XSI becomes Autodesk asset

well, even though I`m Maya user I always liked XSI being Maya`s competitor but also inspiration. As XSI would be under Maya selling company, I`m not sure how this competition would work in future: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=12022457&siteID=123112

Autodesk states, they want to preserve XSI product line:

Petit commented: “As we have demonstrated since the acquisition of Alias in 2006, we’re committed to giving our customers choice when it comes to their 3D tools. We plan to maintain and grow the Softimage product line, and through Autodesk FBX provide better interoperability between Softimage products, 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya.


Definitely technologies will merge once again and data exchange between the two packages could be better with new versions of FBX. Welcome to the club XSI users! :-P
I have to admit that before Alias was aquired by Autodesk, Maya was missing proper modeling tools and major updates of animation tools. Waiting for this was endless, but under Autodesk these tools got much improved.