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'EyeBud' for the iPod Video
JonathanGCohen writes "The SeattlePI is reporting that eMagin, a company that makes video display products for military and industrial uses, has a new headset accessory for the iPod that projects video on to a screen smaller than a quarter that is mounted in front of one eye. Its makers say this creates the illusion of watching a 105 inch screen from a distance of 12 feet." The only problem is that the expected retail value of the EyeBud is around $600, about $200 more than a 60 gigabyte iPod.
...I have to take a vacation away from my monitors just to let my eyesight recover. What the hell are these gadgets going to do to us?
So you're supposed to wink for an hour straight when you watch an episode of Lost?
Actually I would say wearing it creates the impression that you are the sucker that you really are.
C'mon, while being a cool "toy", this thing is pretty much already dead in the water.
From the article: "Devices which isolate auditory input to one ear are comfortable (i.e., phones) but splitting one's field of vision is highly disorienting..."
This is very true. Not to mention the fact it looks really stupid. Who is really going to adopt and use this thing on a regular basis in it's current form?
It's a start to something that may one day be adopted and used, but right now? I would declare is a pretty cool "concept" item. Nothing more.
"why don't you just slip into something more comfortable...like a coma!"
Why would I want to look at a QVGA image on a 105" inch screen?
Or, a 16" monitor set to 800x600 when viewed from 2'.
That's not the ONLY problem. It is also VERY dorky looking and you can't really move about with that thing on, which really takes away the reason for having an iPod. iPods are mobile. They function well and they look nice (huge factor for those outside of the geek/nerd crowd). So, you're left using this while stationary. If you're going to do that, why not just watch it on a TV or monitory and save yourself $600? I could imagine frequent business travellers using one of these but hard to imagine anyone else having an use for it.
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I also disagree with your statement that Apple hardware is all about fickle and impressionable folks being wooed by gee whiz industrial design and ergonomics. People happen to like Apple hardware and software solution because it offers a well integrated solution that minimizes finger pointing. As some OEM PC vendors we've encountered have tried to pass the buck with us and wanted us to pay more for a problem they believed was a Windows issue when we already payed for service/warranty.
Perhaps you care to explain how a survey of 140,000 readers of Consumer Reports rated Apple service higher for A) solving problems, B) waiting on the phone, C) support staff, D) web support of both Desktop and Laptop systems. Perhaps consumers gravitate towards the Honda Accords instead of the Dodge Neons. Both have a steering wheel and four tires, but most people are willing to pay more for the Accord.
In the "PC" (Wintel) market, this would be dead in the water, but the Apple market (including the iPod market) is far more trend-driven. People who buy Apple products (including iPods, excluding probably the iPod Nano and the Mac Mini) are relatively likely to be willing to spend hundreds of bucks on some shiny new geegaw, if it's appealing enough.
Seriously, WTF are you going on about? This isn't 1997 any more and the Wintel/Mac stereotypes are really tired. They make for good flamebait, but that's about it... Classifying Mac owners as trendy idiots who throw their money away is ridiculous (before you call me a fanboy I own a PC and a Mac and use them both, and I don't own or care to own an iPod.) And at this point far more PC users own iPods than Mac users. And yes, iPod owners are prone to buy accessories, but if you look at what actually sells (and the prices) the most popular ones make sense-- FM transmitters, protective cases etc. (There are some ridiculous ones, too, but that's a fringe market.)
As far as the product itself-- yes, it's a neat toy (though I get a headache trying to imagine using it.) No, it won't take the world by storm at that price, but it's new tech so it's not really supposed to.
Watching a video in one eye really sucks. It doesn't matter if it creates the illusion of seeing a 105" screen from 12', if it's only in one eye then most of that value is lost.
This will also contribute to eye strain by having to focus on something that close, while one eye is still focused really far away, or vice versa.
-1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
It's a neat idea, but this particular model will never catch on as the EyeBud has the unfortunate effect of making the wearer looking like a Borg from Star Trek (and not 7 of 9, either!). While the iPod is a great device, the main reason that it was practically sold-out in stores and online this Christmas is its sleek look, small size, and stylish marketing campaign. In general, that's when all techy devices catch on in the general population, from home PC's to laptops to cell phones -- when they're small enough and attractive enough that the user doesn's look like a geek. Well, that and the price tag; nobody's going to pay $600 to look like the biggest dork on the block.
Bring the price down under $200, and streamline the design so that it looks like an extension of a bluetooth headset or maybe a pair of mirrored Oakley look-alikes. Sure, that'll probably take a couple of years. But only then will it be worth marketing this device as "the next big thing".
Oh yeah! As a Mac user, I love being freed from the burden of individual thought. Sometimes I wish I was a PC user with the power of thought, but then I return to the comforting, warm glow of my Mac.
Seriously - the parent post is just so much garbage. And it was modded insightful for trotting out another hackneyed stereotype that's long since been put to rest.
Mac users are exactly as trend-driven as Windows users and Linux users.
How dumb do you think these people are? All such devices have a lens in front of the eye so the focal distance is much further out. How much further out I can't say, but since they mentioned 12 feet it very well may be that.
If I could get a $200 DVD player with a screen twice the size of a $600 TV, and save on style in the meantime, I don't think I'd buy the TV too.
This is the beginning of having hot virtual pr0n sex. W00t!