A Paris-based company has taken a page out of 007’s gadget book and is marketing a new line of sunglasses that combine style sense with multimedia functionality. Inginio SAS has announced Eyetop – eyewear that comes with a miniature 64-bit colour LCD screen in one of the sidepieces. Calling the wearable gadget “plug-and-play,” the device works with any device equipped with a video output including digital cameras, digital camcorders, portable TVs and laptops via a cable connection. Users can watch the screen with one eye, while not having their field of view obstructed. Retailing for US$699, the sunglasses are available now. Details can be found at www.eyetop.net.
Lara Croft gizmos go mainstream
In other wearable gadget news, Tomb Raider heroine Lara Croft won’t be the only one to have high-tech digital recording devices this summer. While Panasonic Canada Inc. has lent its gear to the Paramount Pictures’ summer blockbuster character, its e-wear line is available now for purchase. The new e-wear SV-AV30 is a four-in-one audio/video recording device that combines a digital video recorder, a digital still camera, a digital audio player and a digital voice recorder. Using the device, roughly the size of a make-up compact, users can record digital images and video or listen to music and store the content on an included SD Memory Card. The SD-AV30 is just one offering in Panasonic’s e-wear line, which the company is marketing alongside this month’s debut of the second Tomb Raider flick. For more information, visit www.panasonic.ca.
3Com connects Wimbledon goers
Tennis fans got more than ace seats at this year’s annual Wimbledon tournament in England. Attendees were able to stay connected throughout matches via wireless local area network (WLAN)-enabled kiosks from 3Com Corp. The 3Com 11Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point 8000 supports up to 156 users and offers security features including RADIUS authentication, IEEE 802.1x support, 40-bit WEP encryption as well as dynamic session key encryption. At Wimbledon, the kiosks relied on three 8000-series access points. Find details at www.3Com.com.
