It's no secret that we most any sane individuals give the gaudy head-mounted displays of today a hard time for being so socially destructive, but a pair of companies have unveiled separate creations that look to make these things a bit less noticeable when perched on your face. eMagin's prototype SVGA-3DS microdisplay (shown after the jump) comes in at a minuscule 0.44-inches, relies on OLED-on-silicon technology, touts impressively low power consumption, and can reportedly show off an 800 x 600 resolution image. Over in Japan, Scalar is back on the scene with its Teleglass T3-F, which projects a virtual image of a 28-inch display two meters ahead of the viewer. The device mounts on the arm of your glasses, sports a 0.24-inch WVGA transmissive LCD, operates nearly four hours on two AA batteries, only covers one eye (baby steps, folks), and is fully retractable for those times when you actually need to converse with people without completely frightening them away. eMagin's invention is still being tweaked before official release, but citizens residing across the seas can pick up Scalar's latest right now for a stiff ¥98,000 ($808).

[Via I4U]
Read - eMagin's SVGA-3DS microdisplay
Read - Scalar's Teleglass T3-F

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]

We've seen eyewear of just about every variety, and while we wouldn't necessarily recommend crafting your own over seeing an optometrist, Y4G3R's mechanical spectacles are probably better to look at than through. The brass-clad glasses resemble a mishmash of steampunk and modern DIY prowess, and while you may have seen a set similar to these worn in movies from decades ago, the mechanics here are likely superior. According to their creator, the "temple arms retract and the ear hoops pivot under for compact(ish) storage," and furthermore, "the bridge is spring loaded, extending another few centimeters when worn." So if you're curious to see just how neatly a pair of homegrown specs can plicate, click on through for the aftermath.

[Via Wired]

We'll admit, we didn't think MyDo's Bururu vibrating spectacles would be topped anytime soon, and while the University of Washington's smart sunglasses don't snatch the crown outright, they certainly make a solid case. The admittedly gaudy prototype certainly isn't the most attractive eyewear we've ever seen, but researchers are insisting that we focus on the electrochromic material that enables on demand color / tint changing rather than the bulky frames. The film can purportedly alter its transparency depending on the electric current that flows through it, essentially giving athletes and motorists an easy way to instantly adjust the level of reflection and tint depending on the ever-changing circumstances around them. Touted as "more active and more intelligent" that existing specs, this watch-battery-powered device allows the wearer to alter the shade by simply spinning a wee dial on the arm, and while we wish we could tell you that U-Dub's swank new specs would be arriving before the bright summer rays, it'll be quite "a few years" before these hit commercialization.

[Via Primidi]