FEATURE ARTICLE (A00014):
The
first video sunglasses will soon be a hit:
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The consumer electronics
(CE) market continues to see new product categories
emerge, as with Eyetop, the first video sunglasses.
Eyetop is now positioned as a peripheral for any
video source, and Aberdeen believes it will be on
the gadget-of-choice list for Christmas - but it
will rapidly become a part of the product standard
for portable video devices and some enterprise vertical
market offerings. Meanwhile, traditional high-end
entertainment displays keep getting bigger and cheaper.
Ingineo, a Wisconsin start-up, has introduced a
pair of sunglasses called Eyetop sporting a miniature
16-color, 320×420 resolution AM LCD. The glasses
weigh slightly more than 2 ounces and allow display
of an NTSC or Pal video signal from any source,
overlaid on what the user sees through the terminator-style
sunglasses.
Combining these glasses with earphones and a portable
DVD or video player enables users to have the video
equivalent of an iPod - of course, the control unit
hangs from the user's belt, and the user has to
have space for the video source, so it is not quite
that convenient. Ingineo suggests a variety of usage
models, from watching wireless TV to videoconferencing
to screening home videos while doing other things.
Unfortunately, the glasses do not fit over standard
sized glasses, but they will work with contact lenses.
At $349.95, this peripheral will see a lot of early
adopter uptake - particularly as the alternative
is a much heavier i-glasses HRV product for $699
that does not let users see the surrounding world.
Four AA batteries power the glasses. Consumers can
get a full set of technical specs from www.eyetop.net,
as well as a list of retailers that are selling
Eyetop glasses in the U.S. and abroad.
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