VMware has released a new public beta of the company's virtualization software for the Mac, VMware Fusion. Version 3.1 Beta significantly improves graphics performance via OpenGL 2.1 support for Windows 7 and Windows Vista, along with performance improvements for both DirectX 9.0 SM3 and Windows Aero. Additionally, it makes it easier to connect USB devices to your virtual machine with the new EasyConnect feature, extends support for virtual hard disks up to 2 TB, resolves an issue that created multiple Boot Camp entries in the library of the virtual machine, and displays your migration status when migrating from a PC. The update, whose release notes are available from VMware's Web site, also fixes over 200 bugs.

Keep in mind that this is beta software and is thus prone to buggy behavior; you may want to avoid using it for any essential tasks. Also note that downloading version 3.1 will overwrite your current version; reverting to an earlier version of Fusion will require reinstallation.