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Eyes-on impression: Icuiti iWear
Roaming around the North hall expo floor, we stopped by Icuiti to check out their iWear 3D goggles. Although Marketing Rep Adam Travers explained that their primary audience was not necessarily gamers, for demonstration purposes they were running the headset with Unreal Tournament 2004. (For clarification purposes, Travers explained their audience would also be business people conducting and attending interviews in a virtual environment akin to Second Life.)There were two models at the floor: the AV920 and the more premium VR920, which is being touted as the "first interactive Video Eyewear for gamers." The difference between the two models was $50 (as quoted by Travers, at least), a microphone and an accelerometer for motion tracking. The 3D portion when playing UT 2004 worked on multi-floored rooms where you could see all the floors, though the impact does not compensate for the price. Wearing the headset was surprisingly comfortable. When we added our glasses to the mix, the headset dropped a bit but still managed to work decently. At all times we could divert our eyes downward and clearly view the keyboard and mouse.
Icuiti unveils AV230 head-mounted display
Icuiti, producers of numerous "intelligent display solutions," has rolled out a new head-mounted display to provide "four to five hours" of portable viewing satisfaction. Similar in specification to the company's iWear (not that iWear), the AV230 differs in that it doesn't play favorites with Apple's iPod, and instead works with any video source including DVD players and gaming consoles. The eyewear sports twin 320 x 240 resolution displays, an integrated, rechargeable battery pack, 60Hz refresh rates, automatic 2D / 3D selector, NTSC / PAL support, and a mini-USB charger to "maximize mobility." Reportedly "developed from US Military technology," the goggles provide a "44-inch virtual screen" and can even be worn with prescription eyewear, but they fail to mention the humiliation you'll endure if you're caught rocking these in public. Regardless, the AV230 can be purchased now for private, in-home use for $269, and units should start shipping to brave early adopters in December.[Via I4U]
