There's one thing holding back the new wave of virtual reality headsets and smart glasses: style. Or rather, a lack of it. That's a criticism that can't be levelled at Avegant's newly unveiled gadget, the Glyph.
With a curved, clean headband and cavernous ear pads, at first glance the Glyph appears to be little more than a good looking headphone design from a promising tech startup. The first hint that there's more to these Beats-beaters than meets the eye (and ear) is in the HDMI cable protruding from the left ear pad.
Hidden in the Glyph's headband is a set of HD virtual reality goggles, transforming the headphones into a personal, anti-social (in a good way) theatre experience. By pivoting the headband across your eyes in Geordi-La-Forge-style, the Glyph becomes an all-consuming entertainment wearable, cocooning you in visual and audio experience.
Plugging into your smartphone, tablet, laptop or games console, the Glyph is designed to let you watch films or play games in normally tedious environments, like plane flights or long commutes. As well as providing a more intimate system for watching videos, the head tracking system lets you control compatible video games, terrifying fellow commuters as you eagerly seek out your next bad guy.
Slated for a release in autumn, the Glyph is currently undergoing a final design and testing phase, with an expected launch price of around £400. Expect to miss your stop with frustrating regularity by the end of the year.
