Headplay announces Personal Cinema System HMD

Los Angeles-based Headplay has announced a new head-mounted display that it's hoping will stand out from the myriad of other stylish HMDs on the market, set to officially unveil its visor-style Personal Cinema System at CES. Designed by the prolific folks at IDEO, the Headplay uses a single LCoS micro display to deliver a virtual 52-inch screen at resolutions "up to" 1024 x 768, with a separate "Liberator" box handling the input situation, including component, composite, and s-video signals, as well two USB ports and support for various memory card formats. Unlike most other HMDs, the Headplay also does away with the integrated headphones, although the company will be providing a set of noise-suppression ear-buds of its own along with the unit. Look for this one to land sometime in April for an even $500.

[Via Uber-Review]

[Peter Bolesh @ Jan 5th 2007 2:24PM]

Seriously, I love you guys at engadget, but can we remember that the word "myriad" isn't followed by the word "of." It's used just like the word "many."

Hate to be such a stickler, but it pains me.

Thanks, folks.

[John @ Jan 5th 2007 2:38PM]

Peter,

I hate to be a stickler, but your use of "can" requires a question mark. Such infelicity pains me.

thanks

[Jess @ Jan 5th 2007 2:51PM]

Myriad can be used as a noun and thus myriad of is perfectly acceptable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myriad

[Peter Bolesh @ Jan 5th 2007 2:58PM]

thanks, jess, for pointing that out - i retract my previous comment...but still refuse to use it as a noun, personally.

john, i knew someone would see that sooner rather than later ;)

engadget, myriad away in whatever word class you choose.

[Whyette @ Jan 5th 2007 4:36PM]

Besides "myriads of" is an idiom of sorts in the English language, and is therefore acceptable, especially in informal works (like a tech blog).

[Jamz @ Jan 5th 2007 5:15PM]

There's nothing idiomatic about the usage of myriad as a noun. On the contrary, please read the following entry from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Main Entry: myr·i·ad
Pronunciation: 'mir-E-&d
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek myriad-, myrias, from myrioi countless, ten thousand
1 : ten thousand
2 : a great number
usage Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it.

[xVariable @ Jan 5th 2007 5:32PM]

Peter Bolesh said: "Seriously, I love you guys at engadget, but can we remember that the word "myriad" isn't followed by the word "of." It's used just like the word "many.""

What the fuck are you talking about? Which of these makes grammatical sense: "I had many (a myriad) those", or "I had many (a myriad) *of* those"?

[Jamz @ Jan 5th 2007 5:57PM]

I have to say... well done, xVariable. You rightly point out that "many" is an adjective, a pronoun AND a noun.

I have many dogs. (adjective)
Many are terriers. (pronoun)
A good many of them smell bad. (noun)

Of course you cannot substitute myraid for many - they have different definitions. However, in pure grammar terms they are similar, but not identical. Myriad cannot be a pronoun by its very nature -- referring to a "countless" or indefinite amount.

And I would have to say, while it is correct grammar, the adjective form of myriad generally sounds very pompous -- e.g., The myriad dog breeds are not limited to those listed by the American Kennel Club.

[xVariable @ Jan 5th 2007 5:38PM]

Anywho, back on-topic...

No headtracker? How unfortunate, as it is, thus, not very useful for first person perspective games...

[Kauz @ Jan 5th 2007 5:43PM]

ON TOPIC?!? I refuse! I've never heard "myriad" without being followed by "of". Anyone else on the same page?

[Steelwurm @ Jan 5th 2007 5:44PM]

I was expecting legion comments about the new 'porn visor', but instead I get an educuation.

PS - of

[Jamz @ Jan 9th 2007 8:34AM]

Steelwurm... nice try. Using legion as an adjective is a great thing to support -- but it cannot be used as a direct modifier, only in the "predicate position."

You could have used it as a noun -- a legion of comments -- but as an adjective, it is only acceptable in the form "x are legion."

Keep up the good work!

[Camperton @ Jan 5th 2007 5:55PM]

I never use it with "of".

[Camperton @ Jan 5th 2007 5:56PM]

I never use it with "of". The "of" is implied and seems like overkill.

[Camperton @ Jan 5th 2007 6:00PM]

Jamz

i think it depends, on a case by case basis.

[Bad Beaver @ Jan 6th 2007 11:12AM]

People, it is a HMD with a decent resolution, for 500 bucks! Also, it is the first I see with a decent design! Sportive, not geekish. Now if it also had a digital video input...

Superbly sweet gadget!

[fungolicious @ Jan 31st 2007 5:32AM]

Icuiti's iWear VR920 is a better unit and less expensive.

[synthaxx @ Sep 20th 2007 5:14PM]

@fungolicious because of your excellent arguments i was almost convinced.
That is until i saw the 640x480 resolution, and that it's only $100 cheaper than this thing, and that it uses inferior lcd displays. Other than that ... you're absolutely right!

That said, they can't even show us real pictures or video of this thing, so i'm holding off judging it for now.

When will we get some decent goggles, with maybe a nice overlay? Pretty please?

[way2trivial @ Jan 6th 2007 5:09PM]

Kauz, go crazy
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=myriad+-of
Results 1 - 10 of about 351,000 for myriad -of. (0.26 seconds)