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Companies To Invade Your Retinas As Soon As Next Year?

Engadget is one of many reporting that Brother and NEC both seem to have retina display technology in the works for release next year. Brother, at least, seems to have a fully functional prototype, while so far NEC is mostly talk. "Naturally, there are a few considerable limitations compared to more traditional displays, but the company's as yet unnamed goggles do promise to beam an 800 x 600 image directly into your retina that'll appear as a 10-centimeter wide image floating about one meter in front of them -- which is certainly no small feat, even if it may not be the most practical one. Slightly less specific, but also working on a retina display of its own is NEC, which apparently hopes to incorporate a microphone into their display and use it as a real-time translation device that would quite literally display subtitles as you talk to someone."

15 of 245 comments (clear)

  1. oblig by Vo1t · · Score: 4, Funny

    I for one welcome the retina-porn overlords

    1. Re:oblig by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Year 2011: It's now commonplace for the average man to walk around with an erection. Average male IQ drops 40 points.

    2. Re:oblig by Hognoxious · · Score: 1, Funny

      2012: study confirms, men are still smarter than women. Film at 11.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  2. Invasion is such a strong word... by RobertB-DC · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think "Liberation" would be a better word. The companies will enter the eyeball (in small numbers), and will be cheered by all the cells... at first. But then they'll get caught up in the bitter rivalries, with renegade Rods lobbing bombs at the Cones, who will in turn blame the support cells in the Sclera for fomenting dissent.

    This can only end badly.

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
  3. "Fun" Mods by StaticEngine · · Score: 5, Funny

    Replace that low power LED with a super-high-power multi-Watt LED!

    Hilarity ensues!

    (As does screaming, and permanant blindness.)

    1. Re:"Fun" Mods by Yvan256 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Help! The goggles, they do too much!

  4. Re:A Little Bit Backwards? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wouldn't it make more sense to display subtitles as someone talks to you?

    Indeed it would. And even better, it could then make that scene from Austin Powers an every-day reality. I love technology!

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
  5. Re:A Little Bit Backwards? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...a real-time translation device that would quite literally display subtitles as you talk to someone.

    Wouldn't it make more sense to display subtitles as someone talks to you?

    That depends. It could have a heuristics system to ensure that the next word coming out of your mouth doesn't get you in trouble:

    Wife: How do these pants make my butt look?
    Husband: It makes your butt look extremely HALT, FULL STOP. EXCEPTION ERROR. ALTERNATE VALUE very small, dear.

    Boss: So, Peter, what do you think about my proposal for extended work hours with no overtime?
    Peter: I think you are a fu-HALT, FULL STOP. EXCEPTION ERROR. ALTERNATE VALUE -n person and a brilliant leader!

    Son: Hey dad, what's an erection?
    Dad: Well, you see, it's when a man HALT, FULL STOP. EXCEPTION ERROR. ALTERNATE VALUE asks your mother.

    Oh the applications.

  6. Re:Imagine this by McGiraf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Google Goggles.

  7. Re:Too little too late by pwfffff · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm sorry to be the first to inform you, but you have been judged as having an imagination which is unfit to be used in conjunction with this website. Please remove this URL from your favorites and hand in your geek card on the way out.

    Thank you.

  8. Tsk. That's the best Simpsons meme you've got? by Valdrax · · Score: 2, Funny

    Naturally, there are a few considerable limitations compared to more traditional displays, but the company's as yet unnamed goggles do promise to beam an 800 x 600 image directly into your retina that'll appear as a 10-centimeter wide image floating about one meter in front of them -- which is certainly no small feat, even if it may not be the most practical one.

    I would've pointed out that this is currently vaporware.
    In other words: THE GOGGLES! THEY DO NOTHING!

    --
    If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
  9. So, I guess you could say... by Anubis+IV · · Score: 2, Funny

    The goggles (from NEC), they do nothing?

  10. Re:10 cm x 10 cm or 10 cm^2? by Jay+L · · Score: 3, Funny

    Either way, if I'm trying to read a 10cm-wide display that appears to be a meter in front of me, I'm going to lean forward to read it. Of course, that's futile with a retinal display... I predict a lot of hunched-over early adopters!

  11. Re:A Little Bit Backwards? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    She's a construction worker.

  12. Re:Obligatory joke by deathguppie · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's already too late... Muhahahahaha!

    --
    once more into the breach