Not blender related, though still relevant to news, in my opinion,
ImageWorks has released quite alot of their internal goodies opensource:
http://opensource.imageworks.com/
Open Source: It’s always been a part of what makes Imageworks tick. However, up until now we haven’t had a chance to contribute back to the open source community. We’re beginning to change that now.
We’ve chosen 5 projects to release as open source. This software can be freely used by large and small studios around the world. We’ve intentionally chosen popular non-restrictive licensing models to help ensure you have lots of options.
Each of these projects have passionate people behind them who are interested in seeing the code widely used. We’re into the idea of building small development communities around this code. If you’re interested in contributing, join the respective mailing lists and introduce yourself.
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with Imageworks’ open source offerings. I hope you find something useful.
Rob Bredow
CTO
Sony Pictures Imageworks
I’m particularly interested in the Open Shading Language. 
