autodesk

Autodesk bringing 3D modeling to the masses

SAN FRANCISCO--You may not know CAD, but if you've got a computer, you can now start creating 3D models.

That's the idea behind 123D Catch and 123D Make, two new free software applications that Autodesk is planning on releasing on Monday. The two programs join the company's existing iPad app, 123D Sculpt, as part of a family of tools that are intended to give just about anyone the ability not just to make their own 3D designs, but also to get them produced as real, physical models.

Autodesk unveiled the two new applications at a press event … Read more

The end of software ownership--and why to smile

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Larry Downes' bio below.

Consumer advocates are up in arms over a recent ruling by a federal court of appeals in Seattle. The decision, Vernor v. Autodesk (PDF), held that the terms of an end-user licensing agreement, or EULA, can change the sale of commercial software into a mere license, in this case a license that prohibits users from reselling their copy of the software.

The case involved an eBay seller named Timothy Vernor. Vernor bought several outdated copies of Autodesk's AutoCAD program from a business that had originally purchased the … Read more

AutoCAD returns to the Mac, mobile app offered

After an absence of more than 15 years, AutoCAD is finally back on the Mac.

Autodesk announced Tuesday the launch of AutoCAD for Mac, a new version of its popular design and engineering tool that will run natively on Mac OS X.

AutoCAD for Mac will offer many of the features familiar to users of the software but will also take advantage of Mac OS X, said Autodesk. The program's Cover Flow interface will help users browse through graphical previews of each file, while the Mac's multitouch gestures will allow for panning and zooming of each drawing. Users … Read more

Autodesk open-sources carbon accounting method

Autodesk is making a revised method for tracking greenhouse gas emissions available for free to other companies.

The design software company on Monday published the results of its own program to reduce its environmental footprint. It also open-sourced its methodology, called Corporate Finance Approach to Climate-Stabilizing Targets (C-FACT).

Although many companies do track their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), there is not a standardized way for setting targets or reporting that data in the U.S.

Autodesk's methodology is based on the the long-term target of reducing global emissions by 85 percent by 2050, set by United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel … Read more

Autodesk crunches numbers for greener buildings

WALTHAM, Mass.--Green buildings aren't only for well heeled individuals and corporate headquarters. There's an ocean of existing buildings ripe for an efficiency makeover.

Autodesk, a company best known for its AutoCAD three-dimensional design software, has spent the past year developing extensions to its existing products focused on green renovations of existing commercial buildings, company executives said here on Monday.

Last year, Autodesk acquired two companies that had developed analytical tools intended to bring more hard numbers to sustainable design efforts. When used with Autodesk's existing applications, professionals such as architects, designers, and contractors can get a … Read more

Autodesk launches Project Cooper for Windows 7

Coming from Autodesk, makers for the thousand-dollar-plus AutoCAD drafting software, there's a new and currently free drafting tool for simple architectural drawings. Project Cooper is a simple app for creating 2D floor plans. It's like AutoCAD, stripped down to the bone and then some, and that makes it a lot easier to use. It's also built for Windows 7 touch screen computers, so you can drag and rotate and objects without a mouse or keyboard. (Project Cooper can also be downloaded from CNET's Download.com.)

The idea is that ordinary humans and some pros will use … Read more

Yahoo CEO Bartz to receive $1 million salary

Updated at 5:20 p.m. PST, with comments from executive recruiter Jon Holman.

Yahoo is providing its new CEO, Carol Bartz, with a $1 million base salary, as part of a lucrative $19 million compensation package for the former Autodesk executive, according to a filing Thursday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under the four-year employment contract, Bartz, 60, will also receive an annual equity grant valued at approximately $8 million in February, the filing stated. This grant will be doled out at the same time other Yahoo executives receive their annual equity grants.

And like most … Read more

Autodesk to cut 750 jobs, lowers earnings outlook

Autodesk announced on Thursday plans to cut about 10 percent of its workforce--or about 750 employees--as it lowered its fourth-quarter earnings outlook.

The drafting and design software maker now expects to post between $475 million and $500 million in revenue when it reports results on February 26. In its previous forecast in November, the company said it expected to bring in $525 million to $550 million in the quarter.

Autodesk also lowered its non-GAAP earnings outlook to 18 cents to 24 cents, excluding special charges, down from its previous forecast of 28 cents to 34 cents.

The company's shares … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 890: Mad Molly Mondays

Yahoo's got a new chief, AT&T is spamming Idol fans and non-Idol fans alike, and the Storm Worm has been cracked. That's all big news, but the biggest news comes from me at the end of the show. Be sure to listen all the way through. Listen now: Download today's podcast Episode 890

Yahoo names new chief executive http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7827518.stm http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10142085-92.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10142275-93.html http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-yahoo-react-bartzs-selection-considered-safe-uninspiring/

AT&T spams 75 million users with ‘Idol’ … Read more