Do you remember waiting for the future as a kid? The advent of flying mototrcars and virtual reality displays seemed right around the corner. Well, wait no more, the future is finally here. Myvu has finally created something that looks suspiciously like a virtual reality headset, and the best part? It plugs right into your iPod.
Looking like Data’s headset from StarTrek, these shades do more than shield your eyes form the sun. They are in fact are personal television screens, for your eyes only. Plug them into your iPod or media player like headphones and you’re free to watch your favorite movies, shows, or games anywhere you go. The original Myvu Solo Plus boasts a 320 x 240 resolution, which allows you to keep your peripheral vision intact, as well as 4 hours of battery viewing life and headphones that include noise reduction technology.
As of yet Myvu has three models of viewer, the original, the Shades, which can last up to 10 hours, and the Crystal, which give the largest field of vision at 640 x 480. Imagine sitting on an airplane or waiting at a station, and being able to watch your favorite shows is an interesting concept, and one a the heart of innovations lie the iPod Video, but what the Myvu does is both intriguing, and a little far-fetched. You are given your own personal theatre, but in everyday life when is this innovation viable? Besides the constant traveler who doesn’t want to interrupt the person next to them, the idea of completely covering your vision while out in public is a bit frightening, and while the original model does allow you to keep peripheral vision, the idea is still a bit unnerving.
Which is perhaps why with all the sci-fi talk of virtual reality displays, they never really caught on. Myvu has attempted to bring our sci-fi dreams into reality, but perhaps that is never where they were meant to go. It would be interesting to see these headsets catch on, but in my mind there is a slim chance. Still, they are nice to think about as an idea.
