Hasta La Gadget!

3D glasses are nothing new — we’ve been tossing on RealD specs at the theater for at least a couple of years. But in typical Vuzix fashion, the Wrap 1200 brings a pair of displays directly to the glasses, simulating a 75-inch 3D screen. Tiny 852 x 480-pixel monitors display native 16:9 content on the three-ounce specs, and iPhone and component video cables are included in the box, letting you plug in to a variety of content (there’s no HDMI support, however). The display supports side-by-side and anaglyph 3D, and you can also revert back to 2D content if things don’t pan out as expected. The Vuzix Wrap 1200 is rated at three hours of playback with the pair of included rechargeable AA batts, or you can substitute lithium ion batteries for up to seven hours of use. Jump past the break for the full rundown from Vuzix, or hit up the source link to grab your own pair for $500.

Update: Originally, we reported that the Vuzix Wrap 1200 only supports anaglyph 3D, when it is in fact capable of side-by-side display as well. The post has been updated to reflect this correction.

Continue reading Vuzix Wrap 1200 brings 3D to the glasses for $500

Vuzix Wrap 1200 brings 3D to the glasses for $500 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RageGage anger-relief device now comes in a presidential theme so angry Americans can virtually bash the president without the risk of being tackled by the Secret Service.

The FCC started talking about its intention to allow for 911 texting (and even photos and videos) last year, and now Chairman Julius Genachowski is out with a detailed plan for a “next generation” 911 service. The standout feature of it is just that — the ability to send a text, photo or video in the event of an emergency — but that also brings with it a complete overhaul of the backend of the service, and a switch to an IP-based architecture from the current circuit-switched system. That, the FCC says, should provide more flexibility and resiliency, and the agency has a number of other improvements in mind as well, including increased accessibility for people with disabilities, and new measures to improve the accuracy of location gathering (including new rules for wireless carriers). Of course, it all still is just a plan at the moment, but the FCC says it will consider a move to accelerate adoption of the plan next month.

FCC details plans to bring texting, photos and video to 911 service originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When I was 15, I was wearing baggy jeans, chasing girls and listening to hip hop. If I was 15 today, I’d probably do the same things but with skinny jeans on. Not Nick D’Aloisio. He’s a 15-year-old kid who makes iPhone apps. And I made him cry. More »

According to a recent Apple patent, embedded projector technology may be closer to a reality than previously thought. Image: Patently Apple

Maybe an iPhone with an embedded projector isn’t so far off after all.

A patent uncovered by Patently Apple reveals Apple’s intention to eventually include a mini projector in the iPhone and iPad and a pico projector-like accessory for MacBooks.

But the most incredibly novel and useful part of the patent description isn’t the projector. It’s the advanced gesturing analysis that would be used in conjunction with the projector to interpret shadow or silhouette movements when presentations (or even workspaces) are displayed in a dark environment.

In Patently Apple’s words, “The level of detail associated with this patent would suggest that Apple’s development teams are moving full steam ahead on the projection system project.”

Just last week we saw the development of a new glass lens tiny enough that it could eventually be used in mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. And although interactive displays, typically in the form of holograms, long have been a staple of science fiction, such technology has in recent years moved increasingly closer to a reality. Intel researchers, for instance, have developed a projected display that behaves like a touchscreen.

The gesture-detecting technology would involve a library of gesture commands that could be used to easily share data. For instance, an image could be shared from one projected display to another. Figures in the patent show a swipe-type motion, not unlike what’s already used in iOS, would instigate the image transfer. Shadow or silhouette gestures would be detected with a camera, then analyzed with image-processing software.

Since the projector lens would be mounted on the side of the iPhone or iPad, an image could be projected on a wall simply by placing the device on a flat surface. Alternatively, a tripod could be used for displaying the projected image on a surface.

Two devices could also be used to display one single, larger, unified image in a “Unified Display Mode.”

Apple first revealed it is working on projector display technology in 2009, and has issued a series of related patents since then. This, by far, is the most detailed yet.