VideoEyewear
Latest
Ask Engadget: best wraparound video eyewear solution?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Tywannabe, who can't live another day without a set of 3D video glasses to attach to his phone. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I have been searching for a set of good video glasses for a while, but haven't been able to find a perfect set. I definitely need connections for the Galaxy S II and iOS devices. They also have to have their own battery. Screen size and resolution aren't very important, but it would be nice to have at least 480p. This may be impossible, but I'm desperate. Thanks a lot!" Anyone pleased with their Vuzix set? Anyone have any alternatives? Help a fellow gentleman out in comments below, won't you?
TUAW Review and Giveaway: Vuzix Wrap 310XL Video Eyewear
When you're on an airplane or sitting on a beach, watching a movie on an iPhone or iPod touch can be a bit of a hassle. Sure, you can prop up the case -- in fact, there are a number of iPhone cases that feature a built-in prop of some sort -- but you're still watching your movie or TV show on a pretty small screen. Wouldn't it be nice to watch it on a big, widescreen TV? That's the idea behind Vuzix Wrap 310XL video eyewear. These "TV glasses" are nothing new, but the quality of the displays has been getting better over the years. The glasses themselves look like a pair of fairly stylish sunglasses, and there are two tiny displays (428 x 240) that are placed in front of your eyes that are resolved into one widescreen image. The glasses produce a virtual screen that is the equivalent of watching a 55" display from a distance of about 10 feet. The display works for both standard 4:3 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratios, and the Wrap 310XL is even 3D compatible with the proper media. The glasses are usable with any composite video output, and both RCA and Dock Connector composite adapter cables are included in the box. Read on for my review of the Vuzix Wrap 310XL Video Eyewear. %Gallery-100622%
Objects in Chinavasion's Video Glasses may be cheaper than they appear
Certainly, if we're going to live in a future where console jockeys and other cyberpunk-types run amok in virtual reality dreamscapes, we're going to have to start seeing more cut-rate video eyewear. For most cowboys, dropping $800 on something by Vuzix is just not an option. Luckily, the gang at Chinavasion have recently sourced some generic, relatively inexpensive "Video Eyeglasses." Priced at $135 (with the cost dropping when you buy at bulk) these bad boys feature a simulated display size of forty inches and QVGA (320 x 240) resolution. But that ain't all! It even ships with its own generic media player, sporting 2GB storage and support for the usual file formats (including DivX, XviD, MPEG2, AVI, MP3, and FLAC) as well as ROMs for NES and Sega. Seems pretty straight forward, right? The only question we have left is: if viewed through Video Glasses, will The Girlfriend Experience have a plot? Because when we saw it on IFC, we're pretty sure it didn't. Get a closer look after the break.
Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear ships out to virtual big-screen lovers
Vuzix's $249.95 Wrap 310 is probably the least hideous / heinous of the video eyewear options on the market today, and while it's still take a few bottles of Jack to get us to rock these with a smile, those who are just high on life can now make a set their own. In case you're forgotten, these things provide a virtual 55-inch screen in front of your eyes, and there's support for iPod / iPhone connections as well as basic sources such as DVD players and the like. And hey, there's also the possibility that these could be used in augmented reality applications in the future, so feel free to considering this some sort of futuristic investment. Just like those Y2K preparedness tapes you bought in '99.
Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear actually isn't the ugliest thing of all time
Could it be? Could it really be? Has Vuzix actually deployed a video eyewear solution that isn't completely unsightly in every imaginable way? Our eyes may be deceiving us, but we're going with "yes, amazingly" for the time being. Unlike the company's iWear line -- which looks pretty much exactly like the specs worn by Geordi La Forge -- the unpriced Wrap 310 resembles a set of sunglasses. Now, these aren't apt to be mistaken for Aviators or those patented Kayne joints, but at least you'd look halfway civilized if caught in public with these on your face. Packing a pair of video displays and promising a virtual 55-inch image, these get juiced by just two AA cells and can play nice with pretty much any video source, iPod and iPhone included. There's also an expansion port that'll give it VGA / component outputs in the near future, and if you subscribe to science fiction, it could also be used to read minds in around a score.%Gallery-73139%
Vuzix dips toes in augmented reality, makes video eyewear cool again
Nintendo ain't the only company making waves at the Game Developers Conference this year -- oh no, we've also got Vuzix gettin' down and dirty with a brand new addition to its video eyewear segment. Said outfit has teamed up with metaio in order to showcase a new Augmented Reality Accessory Kit for the VR920 head-mounted display. The bundle will include the CamAR -- a clip-on USB camera that is designed to accurately track objects and the user's position in three-dimensional space -- along with the PhasAR wireless augmented reality input controller. When these are used in unison, users are able to simultaneously see what's going on in the Matrix and in the display. For instance, imagine reading a book that's tied into a program on the VR920; as you read along, images can pop up and complement the text. Far out, right? The full release is after the break, and we've been told that the attachment should sell for around $100 on top of the $399 VR920 when it ships around mid-Summer.
22Moo intros 11+ new video eyewear products
While you risk onlookers pointing, staring, and occasionally tying your shoelaces together, wearing video glasses gives squinty eyes a rest and can really make the most of those small-screened devices. 22Moo has just released a slew of virtual viewers including the VG240, VG910, VG920, VG920D, PlayMate MMC, Argo, Argo+, Argo+Cinema, VG100K, and VG-350, simulating screens from 35-inches to a whopping 80-inches with the VGA VG920s, which can connect directly to the iPod Video and Zune. The Argo+ design is optimized for Wii gameplay while the VG-100Ks double as sunglasses -- an ideal choice if you're trying to avoid the Geordi La Forge look. These newbies look nearly identical to the last round, but at least the prices, at around $275, haven't shifted much either.
22Moo expands its awkward lineup of head mounted displays
Although we Americans tend to scoff at anything labeled 3D, stereoscopic, or wearable display, apparently the Aussies (or somebody) think these things are pretty inspiring. Expanding its (astoundingly) growing list of head mounted displays, 22Moo is offering two more (likely rebadged) units to literally gander at, and is going all out with its marketing ploys to connect these gaudy headpieces to some of the trendiest products out. The lightweight i-Vision 230 comes in white (surprised?), red, and silver color schemes, features a "virtual display" of 35-inches from 2-meters away, rocks a 320 x 240 resolution LCD, and plays nice with your "video iPod, Zune, Wii, and Xbox 360" (not to mention basically any other vanilla video source). The beefed-up Argo+PC adds "PlayStation 3 and set-top box" compatibility, features twin 640 x 480 resolution LCDs, a detachable light shield, stereo headphones, and generates a virtual image of 43-inches. Additionally, this set can reproduce "3D stereoscopic images" if used with a "compatible video card." Both eyewear devices are currently available for those interested, and while the i-Vision 230 will run you $250, the presumably Star Trek-approved Argo+PC (pictured after the break) will demand $350.
