headgear
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LG's head-mounted display patent ensures you're always watching
While head-mounted displays are nothing new, LG has patented a novel method for utilizing them that might grab your attention. The patent states that when you're staring at content on a device like a tablet, the HMD is inactive. But turn your head or the device away and that same content will automatically fade into view right in front of your bespectacled eyes. According to the filing, the noggin-strapped contraption is set to buzz as it switches displays and there'll be a slight transitional pause when viewing video. While we're betting virtual reality goggles and Google-branded headgear might prove to be a touch more popular, this is at least a lot cooler than passive 3D clip-ons.
Oculus Rift developer kits go up for regular pre-order, catch VR procrastinators
Anyone who's been wanting to make a game for the Oculus Rift headset, but hemmed and hawed during the Kickstarter run, now has a second chance. Oculus has kicked off its own pre-order campaign that offers the VR developer kit at the same $300 that it cost for the more proactive among us, or $345 for those beyond US borders. As an added incentive, the first 1,000 who pull the trigger still get a copy of Doom 3: BFG Edition to show what the Oculus Rift can do. Twiddling your thumbs will have cost at least a month -- these new kits won't ship until January -- but the pre-order still means a head start over competing developers that haven't yet seen the virtual light.
Insert Coin: UNRULY Headcase, wants to make your GoPro less 'so so'
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We've had a bunch of fun testing out GoPro cameras, but one thing that has always been a source of frustration is the fiddly mount system. A problem that's seemingly inspired a Kickstarter project called Headcase Pro. Effectively it's a lightweight aluminum case aimed at making the GoPro infinitely more mountable. Unlike the bog-standard plastic housing, the Headcase Pro has a self-tightening door that should prevent it from flying open on impact, along with gunk-repelling rubber sealed buttons. Most pleasing to frustrated directors will be the nine threaded mount holes, letting you attach it to your existing tripods and peripherals. Also, the Headcase Pro is large enough to work with the BacPac and battery packs without the need to change doors, and a protective lens ring is a final sweetener. For those of us with more amateur needs, there is the Headgear model, which fits around the standard GoPro case, but still bumps your mount choices and protects your lens. Think this has got legs? Or simply want one for yourself? Then $328 will get you one of the first run, and push the project along to its $25,000 goal. Still not sure? Then focus on the video after the break for a demo.%Gallery-149190%
Hi-Rez handing out prizes for Global Agenda's second anniversary
Time flies when you're fragging newbs, and Global Agenda fans have been doing just that for the better part of two years now. Hi-Rez Studios' sci-fi shooter launched on February 1st, 2010, and for this week's anniversary, the firm is offering up some exclusive prizes as well as trotting out a few old flair favorites. Starting today, any Global Agenda player who wins an instanced PvE or PvP mission before February 6th will receive a mini Switchblade pet to parade around Dome City in between matches. Hi-Rez is also sponsoring a 6-on-6 PvP tourney that features a dragon helmet for all participants and an unnamed exclusive item and cash prize for the winning team. But wait, there's more! Check out Chloe's Burning Fashion for an extensive back catalog of previously retired flair pieces. There are over 100 items available for purchase using Hi-Rez's cash shop currency, including some headgear from past holiday events. Finally, check out this Friday's The Firing Line for more info on Global Agenda at the two-year mark. [Source: Hi-Rez press release]
The Daily Grind: What are your thoughts on headgear?
In the real world, helms and hats are important bits of clothing, especially if you're talking about armor that includes a hefty chunk of metal complete with terrifying plume. So it makes perfect sense that pretty much every MMO set in a vaguely fantasy setting (i.e., nearly all of them) would feature a variety of important hats for characters to equip. But we also live in a society in which most men and women do not wear hats on a regular basis, and that's not even getting into the fact that most lower-level hats in MMOs look kind of dorky at best. Some people like having hats on their characters; hats are part of those characters' appearance. But for many other players, the hat detracts from a character's distinct look, unless it's a purely cosmetic addition without any kind of stats. So what are your thoughts on headgear? Do you like the way it looks? Do you think it should be more freely customizable? Or do you just walk around with the display of said headgear permanently off and never give it a spare thought beyond the stat boosts it provides? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Marshall Minor earphones now available, to buy and to own
We might have had full specs and a price for the Marshall Minors for a good couple of months already, but in true rock star form, they're only now arriving in stock. As of today, your order for a pair of these premium buds will be met with no delay, meaning that if you want to jump on the Marshall Headphones bandwagon, it's just a matter of clicking a few boxes and dispensing with $59. Keeping up with current trends, Marshall's Minors come with a secure EarClick system that promises they won't fall out once inserted as well as an integrated mic and in-line remote for added functionality. All they need now are a good home and a loving owner.
Graduation cap modded with LED array, steals show (video)
Yomo Gaocho, an enterprising young man about to graduate from Northwestern University, has put together pretty much the coolest grad cap mod we've seen. Not that we're experts on the subject or anything, but the array of 256 LED lights adorning his cap surely makes for one of the geekiest ways to bid adieu to one's undergraduate studies. He's taking it one step further too, by programming animation patterns into the white LED arrangement and offering advertising space -- we're not kidding -- for any unorthodox companies that may wish to have him as a walking billboard. See Yomo's creation on video after the break, or hit the source for a guide on how to make your own light-fantastic grad cap.
Metal Gear Arcade mixes 3D glasses with head-tracking for this season's hottest new look
Despite a few harrying run-ins with some large white tents at Manhattan's Fashion Week-hosting Bryant Park, we can honestly say we have no idea what's "in" this year for arcade gaming headgear. Still, even with Konami's lack of zebra print or a sly celebrity endorsement, we've got to hand it to them for this fashionable new "Metal Gear Arcade" number. The arcade game is based on Metal Gear Online, but the head gear adds 3D and head-tracking to the experience. There's also a physical gun controller, and the sit down arcade cabinets pump out your gunplay in huge 5.1 sound. This new arcade incarnation of the game will be playable at the AUO Expo in Japan this week, but we have no idea how long it will be until we can look this badass from the comfort of our own couch. Hit up the source link for a riveting video in Japanese that details this exclusive, outside-the-house experience.
Emotiv EPOC gets reviewed by Joystiq, proves once and for all that videogames turn your brain into mush
We don't want to ruin everything for you, but after some extensive testing by our friends over at Joystiq, it looks like the promising Emotiv EPOC needs a little more time in the thought sensing oven. In its review Joystiq points out the fragile, hard-to-handle nature of the $299 device, but more disappointingly found the thought-sensing functionality of the sensor-stuffed EPOC headgear to be a bit too random, haphazard and inaccurate to actually be enjoyable. Of course, you could blindly assume that 400 hours spent in WoW and a six digit gamerscore has somehow disqualified this Joystiqer's mind from those joys of telepathy, but before you plunk down your hard earned cash and shave off contact points all around your skull, we'd say the full review is at least worth a skim.
Emotiv EPOC human-computer interface supposedly on track to ship next month
Remember that Emotiv EPOC mind-controlled USB controller from last year? Well, we've been dreaming of controlling a game of pong with merely our thought waves ever since, and it looks like our wish might at last be granted. According Emotiv's site, the $299 headgear will be shipping in limited quantities to US customers on December 21st, just in time for your thoughts of the holidays to coalesce into a concentrated, computer-controlling tip. The device works with 14 "saline sensors" applied to the head, in addition to a gyroscope for controlling a camera or cursor, and it comes with the "EmoKey" software to define keyboard shortcuts to be activated by your various expressions and thoughts. Will computer use ever be the same? Yes, probably. [Thanks, Dan]
Bose recruits QuietComfort 15 headphones into war on noise
What is it with headphones and extra wordy product names? The Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling (still with us?) cans are out today, accompanied by an official press release loaded with an impressive array of vague improvements. There's a new "proprietary acoustic design" for passive noise cancellation, "more sophisticated proprietary electronics" for the active stuff and a "new proprietary ear cushion." Clearly, Bose wants you to know its stuff is uniquely awesome, but of course the one way to know for sure is to go test them out for yourself. Your nearest purveyor of audiophile equipment should have them already, and he should let you have a pair for $299.
Researchers cram bio-signal monitoring system inside baseball cap
Never before has headgear been so intrinsically linked with actual brain waves. Thanks to a team of researchers looking to create a method for "continuously monitoring high-temporal resolution brain dynamics without requiring conductive gels applied to the scalp," a new baseball cap has been created to do the trick. Said hat conceals five embedded dry electrodes which contact the wearer's forehead, while a single electrode behind the left ear acquires EEG signals. From there, the data is transferred wirelessly and can be processed in real-time to determine a driver's level of drowsiness, for instance. The gurus behind the invention have high hopes for its future, and they've already envisioned it being used in a plethora of medical scenarios and for controlling home electronics. To those about to rock this -- prepare for some serious hat-hair.
Remote Wrangler straps remotes, gizmos to your noggin
Let's face it, not everyone can afford to go out and blow hundreds of dollars on a swank universal touchscreen remote or home automation system in order to simplify their life, and for those who are forced to juggle the half-dozen or so remotes required to bring their AV system to life, this here invention is for you. The clever, albeit ungainly Remote Wrangler is a unique (and admittedly unsightly) piece of headgear that turns your average couch potato into a professional wrestler wannabe, and also creates a remote control magnet all around one's face. By utilizing the oh-so-versatile Velcro, this device enables remotes, iPods, junk food, Wiimotes, caffeine pills, and an essentially limitless amount of other objects to flank your dome, theoretically saving you hours on end hunting under murky couch cushions for long lost controllers. As if this weren't enough to warrant an immediate purchase, it also doubles as a battery-powered temporal massager, and while we can't confirm, it looks to come in several editions including one with a built-in afro for the disco set. So if you're single (or would like to be), have no friends whatsoever, and don't even mind personal humiliation, keep an eye out for the Remote Wrangler to hit electronics prank departments sometime in the distant future.
Nike kicks out Performance Hatphones for your iPod nano
If you poor souls have really been running around with one of the iSoundCap contraptions on your dome in order to bring your iPod a bit closer to your skull, you've finally got a somewhat stylish alternative. Seeing a huge opportunity, Nike has jumped into the strap-your-DAP-on-your-head game with its Performance Hatphones. No, there's no Bluetooth connectivity or any other connection to a mobile handset, but we're assuming Nike is just replacing "ear" with "hat" and calling it a day. Anyways, the fleece caps are designed to keep your noggin toasty while providing a "fully functional iPod nano click wheel" on the outer rim -- you know, so you appear to be calling yourself "loco" while scrolling from Abba to Zebrahead. So if you're looking for the perfect winter companion to your C.O.R.E. Backpack iD (or just really love the swoosh), you can pick one of these up for yourself or the opposite sex in a variety of colors for $60 a pop.[Via Slashgear]
Shred Ready offers up waterproof, helmet-ready Freestyle Audio DAP
We know the winter's coming soon, and if you haven't hit the slopes just yet, we know you're itching to climb back in that ski lift as soon as possible. Shred Ready is making sure those "first day back" errors won't cost you an MP3 player, as its Freestyle Audio DMP is not only small enough to fit in any of the 238 (or so) available pockets your ski coat presumably has, but it's completely waterproof as well. Designed to handle the harsh, unforgiving nature of the mountain, the DAP promises "skip-free" playback from the built-in 512MB of storage, and even if you pull an all-nighter on the black diamond trial, the reported "40 hours" of battery life should keep things jamming 'til the break of dawn. It also comes bundled with the SR Can-Can Earflaps to conveniently attach to your helmet and keep the cabling under control. Unfortunately, the $199.95 price does not include a helmet of your own, but there's certainly no shortage of MP3-ready headgear if this one looks a little steep (ahem) to you.[Via Red Ferret]
