Microsoft is readying a yet another 3D standard, called Talisman, that supplies hardware manufacturers with a reference platform they can use to build compatible systems. Talisman is "complimentary" technology to MMX, according to Microsoft, who will be upgrading their DirectX APIs to be "Talisman-aware". Hopefully, OpenGL will get the same treatment. Basically, Talisman raises the bar on hardware-based 3D graphics. Microsoft's other upcoming multimedia initiatives include: • 3D capabilities will be built in Internet Explorer using a 3-D browser engine from Intervista Software. IE users will then be able to view 3-D Web sites. • ActiveMovie 2.0 will include authoring tools for audio, video, and 3-D graphics on the Internet and will be bundled with Windows NT and Windows 97. It also will support video capture and conferencing. • Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) technology has been licensed from Dimension X Inc and will be included in Internet Explorer. • DVD-ROM drive support will boost audio and video capabilities for Windows 95, 97, and NT
