Thursday, October 28, 2010

11.4 FAQ4 - Gucci 3D glasses

It finally happened. Time Magazine reports today:

3-D technology just got a whole lot sexier.

"Gucci has stamped out its own corner in the tech market with a new line of luxury 3-D glasses. The 80s-style aviator plastic specs will retail for $225, and feature that coveted (for some) Gucci logo. Technically speaking, the glasses feature 6-base curved lenses that operate with circular polarized technology, allowing images to trick your eyes into seeing a 3-dimensional picture, and a mirrored coating to help with color contrast. (Most complaints with modern 3-D film conversion focus on how dark or dingy the picture appears.)"

Questions: (1) 6-base curved lenses? And (2) Circular polarized technology allowing images to trick your eyes into seeing a 3-dimensional picture?

Answers: (1) Optician lingo referring to the curvature of a lens with no refractive power (i.e., a plano lens, used in sunglasses). A 0=totally flat, an 8=very curved, and a 6=cool-looking curved lens. And (2) A better way than linear polarization of allowing each eye to see a different image, or together, a stereo pair. The stereo view is retained even if you tilt your head a little, hence more comfortable when watching 3D movies. However, it is the brain (in the intraparietal sulcus area), not the eyes, that is tricked into seeing 3D.

We have no comments on the US$225 a pair price tag.