PCMag.com Software Product Guide

Google Launches SketchUp 8 3D Modeling Software

By: Michael Muchmore

Google on Wednesday announced a new version of its 3D modeling software, SketchUp 8.

New features include model geo-location integration with Google Maps, more accurate terrain and color aerial imagery, improved photo matching for model building, and integration with Google Building Maker, a 3D modeling tool for adding buildings to Google Earth.

SketchUp is intended for designing anything from furniture to urban landscapes. Its users share their creations online in Google 3D Warehouse. In addition to the free downloadable version, a Pro version with added features needed by engineers and design professionals sells for $495, with updates from previous versions available for $95.

"We've spent months building powerful new tools, fine-tuning functionality and making sure SketchUp 8 continues to be the most intuitive 3D modeler on the planet," Google said in a statement.

New features in the Pro version include solid addition and subtraction tools, a tool for creating angular dimensions in LayOut 3, and DWG/DXF export and import of LayOut 3 drawings so that CAD and other 3D modeler software can open them. LayOut 3 is a companion app to SketchUp.

The free version of SketchUp 8, along with more detailed info on all the new features are available at sketchup.google.com, and the Pro version is available for purchase on the Google SketchUp Pro page.

The software is available in English, French, Italian, Spanish and German with more languages to be released in the weeks to come.

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Internet Explorer Market Share Dips Slightly in August

By: Daniel Levine

Internet Explorer 8 continued to eat up a chunk of global browser market share in August, helping the continued decline of IE6, but IE usage overall was also down, according to Wednesday data from Net Applications.

IE8 usage went up 1.03 percent from July to capture 27.9 percent of the market. Oveall, however, IE usage was down 0.34 percent from July to 60.4 percent, Net Applications said.

Firefox 3.6 came in a distant second behind IE8 with 16.8 percent, up from a third place finish of 16.15 percent in July. Overall, Firefox also landed at number two with 22.93 percent of browser market share.

IE6's 16.18 percent and IE7's 10.89 percent market shares put them in third and fourth place, respectively. Rounding out the top five were Google Chrome 5.0 with 6.77 percent, up slightly from the 6.48 percent it had in July.

Despite the IE6 drop-off, Microsoft said it was still pleased with the results. The fact that IE6's market share is at 5 percent is "overall goodness," the company wrote in a blog post. Helping maintain that number is China and other developing countries that are sticking with the nearly decade-old IE6, Net Applications said.

Microsoft will launch a beta version of Internet Explorer 9 on September 15.

Gmail Glitch Plays Music Upon Sign-In for Some Chrome Users

By: Chloe Albanesius

Is there some old-timey music playing in the background when you log into Gmail on Chrome? A glitch with a YouTube video intended to notify users about Google's new Priority Inbox feature has resulted in some unwanted Gmail background music.

The bug seems to only be affecting those running Chrome – though there was one report on the Google forums of its also affecting an Opera user – and those who have not yet activated Priority Inbox.

"Whenever I sign into my Gmail using Chrome, music automatically starts playing. This is a new issue. It's like old time dance music," according to the original complaint posted on Google's help forum. "Occasionally there will be a sound effect like a click, a bubble, cards shuffling, a dog growling. There is no music running on my computer. It only occurs in Google Chrome on one of my Gmail accounts, it does not occur in Firefox on anything."

The noises described are actually the soundtrack to a video (below) Google launched explaining its new Priority Inbox service. The feature will organize your Gmail inbox to display the most important messages atop the inbox. To activate, users must click the new Priority Inbox link on the top, right-hand corner of the inbox. Doing so produces a drop-down menu with more information about Priority Inbox – including the offending video – and the option to opt-in to the service.

A glitch in Chrome, however, now loads and starts playing the music to that video every time users sign into Gmail.

"We are working on fixing this," a Google employee named Michelle wrote in the forums on Tuesday. "Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your understanding."

"This bug has been fixed for the majority of users, and should be resolved for everyone shortly," a Google spokeswoman said Wednesday afternoon.

Tech-Recipes posted a hands-on video of the problem.

Users were still reporting this issue earlier today. The problem can apparently be stopped by opting in to Priority Inbox – or by using Firefox or Internet Explorer.

"It was really freaking me out for a bit," another user wrote on the forums. "I kept thinking, 'This is seriously how horror movies start... soon a giant clown will pop out of my closet with an axe in hand and spray me with his fake boutonniere.'"

The user said the issue continued even after he/she clicked the Priority Inbox link and paused the video.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 3pm Eastern time with comment from Google.

Live Blog: Apple's Sept 1 Music Event

By: Brian Heater

Another major Apple event is upon us, and it's music to the tech industry's ears, at least if the invite sent out last week is to be believed.

PCMag has sent three of its staffers out to San Francisco to cover the event: editor-in-chief Lance Ulanoff, audio analyst Tim Gideon, and camera analyst PJ Jacobowitz. They will be fighting for elbow space, in order to get the best possible shots of Steve Jobs and whatever it is he's set to unveil.

Gideon, meanwhile, will be live-blogging the event, with color commentary from Ulanoff and various PCMag staffers.

Be sure to tune into the live blog at 1pm Eastern time Wednesday on PCMag's Gearlog blog.