goggles
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Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles now shipping, GPS and head-mounted display included
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? If you'll recall, we heard that Recon Instruments was fixing to up-end the winter sports goggle market in February of this year, with an optimistic-at-the-time ship date of October 2010. Lo and behold, the outfit has managed to nail its estimate, and the planet's first GPS-enabled goggles are now available to highfalutin' skiers and snowboarders. At least initially, the company will be rolling out a limited set, with two models to choose from: the $499 Transcend SPPX is fitted with an SPPX polarized and photochromic lens, while the $399 Transcend SPX features an SPX polarized lens. Aside from the fact that these probably cost less than those ho hum Oakleys in the ski shop, they're equipped with a Zeal Optics' frame design with a micro LCD display, which appears to hang approximately six feet in front of the user. That head-mounted display provides real-time feedback to the wearer, including speed, latitude / longitude, altitude, vertical distance traveled, total distance traveled, a chrono / stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. Yeah, wow. You can bet we'll be trying to snag a set for review when we do our best impression of "hitting the slopes" post-CES. %Gallery-104018%
Apple contemplates head-mounted iPhone display, America cringes
We're pretty sure this isn't an April Fool's joke, and we're pretty sure that it could be. Essentially an iPhone dock that sits on your face like a pair of glasses, "Head-Mounted Display Apparatus for Retaining a Portable Electronic Device with Display" details a headset that contains a stereo display and either a camera or a window for your phone's camera. Also included in the patent application is a microphone, speaker, batteries, and an accelerometer for detecting the user's head movements. Something like this would be great for augmented reality applications -- and something like this would make ever getting a date that much more difficult. We'll let you know if this one ever makes it past the drawing board, folks.
Zeal Optics bringing GPS, sensor-laden Transcend ski goggles to market
Remember those mind-melting Recon Instruments goggles that we caught wind of late last year? Admit it -- you never, ever expected those things to actually make it to market. Despite your pessimism, it seems as if those very specs are indeed making a beeline to the consumer realm, with Zeal Optics jumping in, working a bit of magic and relabeling 'em Transcend. Deemed the planet's first GPS and sensor-laden ski goggles, these things are purportedly capable of logging speed, altitude, temperature and time details, and the side-mounted toggle switches will enable you to view said data in real time (or not, if you're paying attention to the 50 foot drop ahead of you). Peek the read link for further details on the $350+ wearables (demoed after the break), and get ready to hit the slopes with a whole new mindset this October. [Thanks, Christopher]
Liquid Image Summit Series Snow Goggles heads-on
Even the most exuberant fan of 3D displays and tablets has to admit to feeling a tiny bit jaded at this point. To sate the need for variety we went off exploring the quirkier booths and located this head-mounted video and stills camera being demonstrated by Liquid Image. We laid hands on a non-functional prototype, but as far as feel and comfort go, the few seconds we had these on led to no complaints. There's an overwhelming amount of padding around the eyes, probably kinda important when you're flying down the hills, and a tint to the visor keeping sunlight at bay. Recording can be done at 720 x 480 resolution and up to 5 megapixels for snapshots. The Summit Series will be available in July (perfect timing for a winter sports product!) for $149. %Gallery-82498%
Liquid Image outs Summit Series Snow Camera goggles ahead of CES
Liquid Image has just announced new camera-equipped ski masks, swimming goggles and scuba masks, just in time for them to be unveiled at CES 2010. The Summit Series Snow Camera Goggle 335 boasts a 5MP still camera capable of shooting D1 720 x 480 resolution video at 30 frames per second with audio. It's got 16MB of built-in flash memory, expandable to 16GB via its microSD / SDHC slot. Other features include large buttons on the side of the goggles which are easy to press while wearing gloves and a light inside the goggles which indicates when recording. The goggles are estimated to get about 2,200 still images or over 2 hours of video per charge on their lithium ion battery. Liquid Image expects to ship the Summit Series goggles in the summer of 2010, with a price of $149. Full press release is after the break
Google Goggles brings visual search to Android; Favorite Places brings QR codes to restaurant reviews
Looks like Google's been busy on the camera tip lately -- not only is it launching a new QR code-based Favorite Places mobile search product today, it's also demoing Google Goggles, a visual search app that generates local results from analyzing mobile phone images. Favorite Places isn't super-complicated, but it sounds like it'll be pretty useful: Google's sent QR code window decals to the 100,000 most researched local businesses on Google and Google Maps, and scanning the code with your phone will bring up reviews, coupons, and offer the ability to star the location for later. (It's not implemented yet, but you'll be able to leave your own reviews in the future.) Google hasn't built this into the Google Mobile app yet, so you'll need something to read QR codes with -- Android devices can use the free Barcode Scanner, and Google and QuickMark are offering 40,000 free downloads of QuickMark for the iPhone today. We just tried it out using QuickMark and it works pretty well -- although we'll wait to see how many QR codes we see in the wild before we call this one totally useful. Google Goggles is a little more interesting from a technology standpoint: it's an Android app that takes photos, tries to recognize what in them, and then generates search results about them. Goggles can recognize landmarks, books, contact info, artwork, places, wine, and logos at the moment, and Google says it's working on adding other types of objects, like plants. Pretty neat stuff -- but how about linking these two services together at some point, guys? Check some videos after the break.
Recon Instruments putting heads-up display, extra layer of 'cool' within ski goggles
It's a match made in heaven, really. A GPS-linked heads-up display system, and ski goggles. Together, at long last, forever. Recon Instruments is reportedly developing said technology right now, and if all goes well, a HUD-equipped set of alpine goggles will indeed be on sale to the general populace next fall for between $350 to $450. The device is expected to tap into your cellphone, and if said phone has a GPS chip within, you'll be able to see where you're at, where your fellow snow bunnies are and where you're headed. It'll also provide all sorts of other vital information, such as hang time off of the rail jump, altitude gain / loss, a stopwatch and temperature. There's no word on whether it'll alert you when too much powder starts building on that front-side edge, but here's hoping these things are durable enough to survive the face-plant that'll inevitably ensue when that scenario plays itself out.
DIYer concocts homegrown View-Master, relies on HTC Magic and Google Street View (video)
It's been far, far too long since we broke out the View-Master from the admittedly dusty toy chest, but now we're guessing it'll be at least a score before we get the urge again. Why, you ask? The View-Master 2009. These homegrown virtual reality goggles are surprisingly impressive despite their ragged look, and by utilizing some form of cardboard enclosure, an HTC Magic and Google Street View, the designer was able to mimic that "immersive" environment we've grown to know and never forget. Don't believe us? Have a look at the vid just past the break, and hang in there 'til the end if you're scouting a how-to guide.
Brother, NEC look to invade your retinas next year
Brother may spend a big chunk of its time on things like printers and sewing machines, but it's also quietly been working on some decidedly more futuristic products, and it may just be set to deliver on one of them. While it wasn't offering much in the way of specifics the last time we heard about its retina display technology, Brother now seems to have a fully developed, fully functional prototype (pictured above), and it says it plans to commercialize the glasses sometime "next year." Naturally, there are a few considerable limitations compared to more traditional displays, but the company's as yet unnamed goggles do promise to beam an 800 x 600 image directly into your retina that'll appear as a 10-centimeter wide image floating about one meter in front of them -- which is certainly no small feat, even if it may not be the most practical one. Slightly less specific, but also working on a retina display of its own is NEC, which apparently hopes to incorporate a microphone into their display and use it as a real-time translation device that would quite literally display subtitles as you talk to someone. Ambitious, to be sure, but NEC is also saying it hopes to get it on the market in 2010. Read - Register Hardware, "Brother creates direct retinal imaging specs" Read - Far East Gizmos, "NEC develops Worlds first retina-display translation Eyeglasses" [Via Popular Science]
Neo Steam lets in the soul reapers
It's October, and that means all of the spooky Halloween events are coming out of the woodwork. But how many of them are offering you a pair of steampunk goggles for completing them? Well, only one right now -- Neo Steam.Atlus is throwing open the doors to the Underworld, and all sorts of creepy-crawlies are invading their fantasy steampunk MMO. Defeating these event monsters will get you souls to trade in to special soul reapers to claim pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie for recovery purposes, but the big 250 soul turn in will get you a special pumpkin hat (as seen above) to commemorate the event.However, some monsters will drop event tickets, which enters your account in for a chance to win a pair of handcrafted steampunk goggles. So, what are you waiting for, an invitation? Kill stuff, get loots!
Optinvent promises to offer Clear Vu HMD for less than $200
While some may say that price isn't the main factor that's been holding HMDs back from mass acceptance, France's Optinvent (a spin-off of Thomson S.A.) is apparently of that opinion, and it's now promising to deliver a full-fledged HMD for less than $200 by the end of next year. In addition to their trend-setting good looks (to be further refined in the final version), the company's so-called Clear Vu goggles make use of a reflection system that displays images in the wearer's field of vision rather than completely obstructing it, which the company says opens to the door a whole host of augmented reality possibilities -- like heads-up GPS directions, for instance. Unfortunately, the company isn't offering much in the way of actual specs just yet, although it does say the goggles will display an image size equivalent to a 71-inch TV placed 2.5 meters away.
Liquid Image video camera goggles get upgraded specs, Japanese release
Aloha, friends! Are you finding your beach holiday experience is missing that certain bit of techno je ne sais quoi? Maybe it's because your snorkeling exploits are going undocumented, in which case you may look to Liquid Image's newly unveiled UDCM310. An evolutionary improvement on the previous model, the new goggles feature a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, software-free USB connectivity and the ability to record 720 x 480 video at 30 fps to a microSD card. Sure, it's not exactly overwhelming you with shooting options, but it also keeps your hands free for whatever underwater heroics you want to film. [Via Akihabara News]
All the World's a Stage: So you want to be an Engineer
This installment of All the World's a Stage is the thirty-fifth in a series of roleplaying guides about how to roleplay various aspects of the lore and gaming elements of WoW. Engineering has been my favorite profession in WoW, both in terms of its usefulness in the game, as well as its status as an awesome profession for roleplaying. Maybe it's just because I'm a huge fan of steampunk, but I find that those gadgets and funny things you can make with engineering have a certain style that goes beyond simple utility -- You just look at an engineer with his goggles, his mechanical mount, and maybe even some sort of robot or machine trailing along after him, and you immediately get the feeling that this is a character with character. No other profession can give you such a distinct characterization: you're not just a rogue, for example -- you're a scientist rogue!In addition to that, most other professions feel like "crafting" jobs added on to the regular game, which they are -- they may give you better stats in one area or another but otherwise don't add many new abilities. Engineering, on the other hand, gives you a lot of special abilities and buttons to push, all of which can start to feel like a special sub-class for your character, underneath whatever class he or she already has. In fact, as roleplayers, many of us play up our status as engineers as much or even more than our status as a hunter, warlock, rogue, or whatever. That engineering style is so persistent that it can define our characters more than anything else -- our own Palehoof practically defined this style in the column devoted to engineering that he used to write every week, before he lost his horns and his hooves in a bizzare scientific experiment (and decided thereafter to spend more time with his family). His commentaries on practical and theoretical engineering serve as excellent inspiration for all roleplayers who would call their characters engineers.
Insider Trader: Patch 3.2 profession change analysis
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.Over the past few days, some upcoming professions changes for Patch 3.2 have been announced, and although they are not as detailed as they could be, several of the changes will have quite an impact. First and foremost, every profession-specific buff is being upgraded. This includes an Enchanter's ability to enhance their own rings, a Leatherworker's bracer enchants, and more. For a complete list of the current profession bonuses, check out Insider Trader's guide to Profession-Specific Buffs, parts one through three.These buffs also answer some of the concerns surrounding the upcoming Jewelcrafting nerf that epic gems might be introduced without a buff to the Dragon's Eyes, which, in combination with the fact that these gems will no longer be prismatic, would effectively squash the Jewelcrafting bonus.Jewelcrafters will also do well to note that they will be able to acquire epic gems by prospecting Titanium. Combined with a Blacksmith's two extra prismatic sockets, this powerful duo is one of the most popular profession combinations.In addition, Engineers will be seeing some welcome changes to their profession that may make it more appealing. Unfortunately, some of the details have not been made public, so the competitiveness of their self buffs, for example, remains to be seen.
Neo Steam launches into open beta, promises beta accounts will become permanent characters
Not only has Atlus Online begun their open beta of their first game, Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent, but they've also unleashed a second piece of interesting news -- characters created during beta will be available when the game goes live.Yes, that's right, Atlus Online will not be doing the standard database purge once the open beta is over and switched into live mode. All of your hard work leveling up your characters during the open beta will roll over into the live game.Plus, Atlus will be giving one lucky tester a set of handcrafted steampunk goggles created exclusively for Neo Steam. The goggles are shown in the picture above and they don't look too bad, if you ask us. All you have to do to be entered is simply play in the open beta and hit level 20! That's it!You can run on over to the Neo Steam website and grab the open beta until June 8th, or visit our sister site, Big Download, for the client as well..
ATC3K action cam beautifully retrofitted into ski goggles
Remember Oregon Scientific's ATC3K digital action camera? Yeah, it's back and better than ever. Over at Biobug, one rather talented modder has decided to integrate said device into his UVEX ski goggles, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. All that was required was a soldering iron, some cabling, a Dremel cutting tool, an ATC3K camera, AA battery box and a small plastic case. Oh, and time -- lots and lots of spare time. Hit the read link for a pictorial trip down assembly lane, and feel free to create your own for this winter's best-ever YouTube vids.
Stealth detection items nerfed
I tried to make a "stealth nerf" pun in the headline, but it just wasn't coming to me. Anyway, Blizzard has decided that items that grant stealth detection were feeling too mandatory in arenas, "forc[ing] players to use lower level equipment even when more powerful items were available to them." Therefore, they've nerfed the lot of them. Ultra-Spectropic Detection Goggles can no longer be used in arenas. Epic engineering goggles will no longer grant stealth detection. Stealth detection on many other items (Catseye Ultra Goggles, Blood Guard's Dragonhide Gauntlets, Marshal's Dragonhide Gauntlets, Knight-Lieutenant's Dragonhide Gloves, General's Dragonhide Gloves, Bloodvine Lens, Knight-Lieutenant's Dragonhide Grips, Blood Guard's Dragonhide Grips, The Night Watchman) has been reduced. This hotfix is already live; tooltips are not updated, yet, but will be in the next patch (patch 3.1.2). What's your reaction to this? Obviously it's bad when people feel compelled to wear low-level items because they're overpowered (witness the Badge of Tenacity for Druid tanks), but is this going to lead to rogues becoming even more overpowered than (I hear) they already are?
The state of Engineering in 3.1
In case you missed the memo, the short list of changes to the Engineering profession that have been posted for patch 3.1 are all you are going to get come patch day, like it or not. Bornakk confirmed that Blizzard feels that the "perks work out" compared to what other professions offer, and that they "have no changes planned at this time."The relevant forum thread has grown to over 1300 replies and more than 50,000 views, suggesting that while Blizz might be satisfied, much of the Engineering community is not. In fact, many are threatening to drop the profession and take up Jewelcrafting, which is something I hear about a lot. Of course, if your profession is really, honestly inferior to all others, then why is everyone trading up to the same one? Pass through the break for a list of the upcoming changes, the major gripes, and a comparison of Engineering to other professions in order to put this all into perspective.
Holy Paladin goggles added in patch 3.0.8
Holy Paladin Engineers can finally rejoice, because patch 3.0.8 is bringing them the goggles that have been oddly missing from Wrath thus far. The highly anticipated Unbreakable Healing Amplifiers are pretty good, and just like the other Northrend goggles, they only require level 72 to wear. While many peoples' mains will outgrow these goggles in 10-man raids, they're perfect for breaking into raids or twinking out an Engineering alt. Along with all the usual Engineering sorts of things, the stats are: Unbreakable Healing Goggles1821 Armor55 Stamina, 60 Intellect1 meta socket, 1 yellow socket87 spell power, 73 crit rating So they're pretty good! But they don't really hold up to raid gear. As for our Feral Druid buddies who also happen to be missing some goggles, I'm not 100% sure if they've opened up the Leather goggles to you yet, but if it hasn't happened yet it probably will. The addition of these goggles shows that they're aware of the problem, at least. If I had a Druid I would hop onto the PTR and take a look, but alas, I do not.[via MMO-Champion]
The Queue: Mystery of the missing goggles
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft.It's Friday, the second best day of the week, in stark contrast to Wednesday which was the worst day of the week. What is the number one best day of the week? Well, that's for me to know and you to find out! Or guess, or form your own opinions. You know, whatever.Oh right, the questions! Canth asked...As a Holy Paladin I picked up Engineering for the goggles. However, it seems that for level 72, they only have Ret and Prot versions of the epic goggles. Is there a Holy (something with int/SP on it) equivalent anywhere? Did Blizzard forget about us?
