glasses posts
3D laptops? Sure, why the hell not... after seeing a desktop shoved into a vase at Computex we guess anything goes. According to Campbell Kan, VP of mobile computing at Acer, we can expect a 15.6-inch Aspire 3D laptop by the end of October. The laptop will run Windows 7 and support native 3D content (something that's becoming steadily more available) while running software that converts 2D content into 3D with presumably mediocre effect. Unfortunately, viewers must wear those bulky, stereoscopic glasses for the full experience. But if anyone stares, just frantically scribble something into a Moleskin with a deep furrowed brow -- they'll assume you're an artist. A glasses-free version is in the works too though that's TBD if you want to wait.
Interactive data eyeglasses could bring the PC to your face, won't fix nearsightedness
Leave it the mad scientists at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to concoct this one. Rather than just figuring out a way to read back information in one-way fashion on one's glasses (think Sixth Sense, but with eyewear), these folks are diving right in to the real stuff: bidirectional communication. In essence, their goal for the interactive data eyeglasses is to track eye movement in order to allow ones retinas to scroll through menus, flip through options and zoom in / out on a map. Obviously, a microdisplay will be necessary as well, but that's just half the battle. We'll confess -- we're still not humble enough to take our Vuzix HMD out in public, but we just might swap our Transitions™ for a set of these.
[Via OLED-Display]
[Via OLED-Display]
Vuzix dips toes in augmented reality, makes video eyewear cool again

Four Eyes: because nerds love USB specs
Ah, horned-rimmed glasses. A style that simultaneously provokes taunts of "four eyes" from cruel children and squeals of muted delight from urban hipsters. Starting in March, this 2-mm thin, 2GB USB bookmark (yes, bookmark) can be yours for $29. A few more pics after the break to ease your confusion.
Solar panel-packin' sunglasses power your gizmos, make Kanye inordinately envious
Before you get all "Oh, that comment was so heartless" on us, we will say that the spectacles you're peeping above are still a concept for now, though we wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that Kanye himself eventually funds their commercialization. At any rate, designers Hyun-Joong Kim and Kwang-Seok Jeong should be mighty proud of their concoction, which integrates dye solar cells into fashion-forward sunglasses in order to power your pocketable gadgets. Put simply, the SIG (Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses) convert the sunlight that they'll obviously see into usable energy, though it should be understood that these could give the impression that you're rockin' a head-mounted display. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?
[Via Engadget Polska]
[Via Engadget Polska]
British physics professor perfects "tunable eyeglasses" -- no eye doctor required
We've seen small scale liquid lenses progress from concepts to commerical applications, and now Joshua Silver, a retired physics professor at Oxford University, has perfected what he calls "adaptive glasses," applying similar tech in a singular and ingenious way. Aimed at helping developing nations where glasses are expensive and doctors are often in short supply, Silver's spectacles are made of tough plastic with with silicone liquid in the lenses. When purchased, each lense will have a syringe attached to it, and the wearer will be able to adjust the amount of liquid in the lenses -- which essentially changes the prescription -- without the need for an optician. About 10,000 pairs have been distributed in Ghana on a trial basis, with plans to distribute one million pairs in India in the next year -- the ultimate goal is one billion by 2020. And somewhere else in the world, a room full of opticians cry into their beer.Wazabee autostereoscopic overlays bring glasses-free 3D to iPhone, ultraportables
While the engineers at Cupertino may or may not be toiling away on a 3D operating system, the gurus at Spatial View definitely are... in a manner of speaking, anyway. The company, which prides itself on making products "for creating 3D effects," is bringing a new trio to MacWorld 2009. First up is the Wazabee 3DeeShell, which is detailed as "a special protective skin with an integrated removable lens that can display 3D content on the Apple iPhone." On deck is the 3DeeFlector, an "autostereoscopic overlay for the MacBook Air and other 13.3-inch notebooks," which supposedly brings eye-popping visuals (and headaches, we'd imagine) to your ultraportable without the need for humiliating glasses. Finally, the Wazabee 19-inch Gaming Display will probably go head-to-head with the IZ3D, though a frighteningly light amount of details are currently available. One's things for sure out of all this -- three-dee is the future, y'all.
Brother Industries shows off eyeglass-mountable retina scanning display
While it's yet to be seen if eyeglass-mountable displays will become as commonly used as, say, Bluetooth headsets anytime soon, Brother Industries at least looks to be making some steady progress at shrinking 'em down to a reasonable size, and it's got a few other tricks up its sleeve to boot. That latter bit comes from its use of a retina-scanning system as opposed to a simple LCD mounted in front of your eye, which effectively uses your retina as a screen to make it appear like images are actually floating in space in front of you. What's more, while the eyepiece currently needs to be wired to a rather sizable contraption in order to pump out those free-floating images, the company says it expects to be able to switch to a wireless system and shrink things down to a decidedly more wearable size by 2010.
[Thanks, Tom]
[Thanks, Tom]
Remote control spy glasses offer built-in camera, music playback
Comically enough, these aren't the first sunglasses we've seen with a hidden camera built right in, but for those who don't need full motion video to catch someone red-handed, this much cheaper alternative should certainly do the trick. As you can tell from the not-at-all-noticeable modules flanking the sides, there's a 1.3-megapixel camera up there along with a rechargeable Li-ion, 1GB of storage and a pair of earbuds to keep the elevator music going even after you reach the eleventh floor. You'll also find USB 2.0 connectivity and a remote control for slyly snapping shots, but really, if you roll into a debutante ball with these gracing your face, expect your cover to be blown in record time.
[Via The Red Ferret Journal]
[Via The Red Ferret Journal]
Lumus-Optical's LOE-based glasses get pictured
Just as expected, Lumus-Optical is all set to showcase its microdisplay-packin' spectacles at CES, and while it doesn't seem that the technology has changed since we first heard of them, we've now got a slew of photographs to go by. Apparently, the glasses will boast twin microdisplays and an ultra-thin LOE lens, which can purportedly immerse the wearer by creating the effect of viewing a 60-inch screen from ten feet away. Also of note, the company claims that unlike gaudy alternatives, these won't make you look like a complete tool, but judging by the image above, we aren't so sure that's entirely accurate.
Read - Press release [PDF]
Read - Photos
Read - Press release [PDF]
Read - Photos
YelloMosquito delivers Qingbar Gp300: the wireless HMD
Although you may not be familiar with YelloMosquito, chances are you're totally aware of the business that 22Moo is in. Turns out, the former is simply a division of the latter, which is busy boasting about the Qingbar Gp300. 'Course, we've known that completely wireless head-mounted displays were in the works, but YM is claiming that these unsightly things are the world's first cordless LCOS video glasses to feature a built-in media player complete with DivX support. Reportedly, users can enjoy getting mocked while watching a 50-inch virtual screen, and they can load up their files via the built-in miniSD slot. If you just can't resist the urge to relive your Virtual Boy glory days, you can pre-order the December-bound unit now for $299 -- otherwise, you'll be laying down a Benjamin more (or smartly saving a mint) when it ships en masse.
[Image courtesy of YelloMosquito]
[Image courtesy of YelloMosquito]
Myvu universal edition video headset gets promiscuous
Look away sheeple, myvu has chucked aside the iPod exclusivity and any hopes of capitalization with their new universal edition eyewear. Available this month for $199, the universal brings the myvu simulated big-screen viewing effect to Archos, Creative Zen, and Zune players specifically in addition to the generic media player, camcorder, and cellphone of your choice. At least within the limits of the included connectivity kit which covers "most" portable media players according to myvu. Yeah, all iPods supporting video will also be supported. Come now, you didn't think they'd stray too far from the money-teat did you?
MyDo eyeSonic glasses: like Oakley's Thump, minus the tint
Those who got a kick (ahem) out of MyDo's Bururu glasses will surely appreciate the firm's latest spectacles, which seem to function pretty much like Oakley's Thump sans the tint. The eyeSonics reportedly utilizes "bone conduction speaker equipment," non-slip arms, a 3.5-millimeter input (no Bluetooth?), and are set to arrive in four different colors. Interestingly enough, these bad boys aren't exactly cheap, and we'd probably just stick with separate devices before we coughed up the ¥38,000 ($336) required to neatly combine headphones and glasses.
[Via Impress]
[Via Impress]
Scalar, eMagin showcase HMD and microdisplay creations

[Via I4U]
Read - eMagin's SVGA-3DS microdisplay
Read - Scalar's Teleglass T3-F
i-Bean glasses provide mobile TV up close and personal
It's getting to the point where some of these gadget-laced glasses providers are going to have to collaborate, as hauling around a suitcase full of variously useful specs is really getting rediculous. Joining the ever-growing fray is Arisawa Japan, whose i-Beam contraption functions as a less invasive head-mounted display by beaming a virtual "21-inch screen" of broadcast television right before your very eyes. The device itself weighs in at just ten grams, packs an external attachment to house the TV tuner and four AA batteries, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack to boot. Of course, we'd probably recommend just snapping up a do-it-all GPS unit that handles television programming on the side, but hey, it's your ¥39,800 ($336) to do with as you please.[Via Wired]



























