IEEE Spectrum March, 2007 - 46

RESOURCES
Myvu dual displays-is straightforward.
Video control is provided by a pendant
integrated into the cord that connects the
headset to the iPod housing. A number of
interchangeable nose rests are provided
to ensure a comfortable fit for the headset while being worn. Tinted transparent
windows are also built into the Myvu so
that you can look around you without
having to remove the glasses, allowing
you to spot just where the flight attendant
is with the meal trolley. The displays are
bright, providing a sharp and clear picture,
and the sound quality is good.
However, the Myvu does not really
replicate the sensation of watching a
large television. In fact, the image appears
distractingly small when you first start
watching a movie or a TV show. After
a few minutes of viewing, though, you
do mentally adjust, and viewing is
comfortable.
But it's still not the same as an actual
large display, and even with the provided
transparent windows, everyone who tried
it felt somewhat vulnerable because of the

loss of peripheral vision while wearing the
headset. And despite the recent drop in
crime in New York City, no one said they
would use the Myvu while commuting on
the subway, for example. In fact, the only
places they said they would feel comfortable using the Myvu were in controlled
environments, such as in their own homes
or onboard an airplane.
Unfortunately, at home the Myvu
compared unfavorably with the option of
ignoring the iPod completely and instead
using Apple's iTunes software to watch
video content on desktop or laptop displays. And several felt that given the
Myvu's price tag-US $300-they would
rather use that money to purchase a
cheaper stand-alone portable DVD player,
with its larger screen for things like long
plane trips.
If the Myvu comes down in price, and
if it provides a more immersive viewing
experience, it will indeed be a product
to watch. For now, though, it just feels a
little too much like a solution in search
of a problem.
n

Sci/TEcH MuSEuMS

By Janet M. six

nasa space center hOustOn
this texas museum is housed next door to
NASA's Johnson Space center. our judge
says that "just walking in the front door
gave us an adrenaline rush." Exhibits
include Kid's Space place, a walk-through
history of space vehicles (including some
life-size replicas), and moon rocks. bus
tours of the center itself are also available. Museum staff, who wear astronaut
work suits, are easy to find and very helpful. our judge says that "it was exhilarating to see so many people excited about
science and space exploration." the
junior juror particularly enjoyed all the
control panels on the mock-up space
shuttle flight deck.
LOcATION: houston
ANothEr oFF thE WALL productIoN INc.

INfORMATION:
http://www.spacecenter.org
ADMISSION:
uS $18.95; children (4-11), $14.95;
Seniors, $17.95
ENgINEERINg JUDgE:
Janet M. Six, Wylie, texas
JUNIOR JUROR:
Alexander, age 1

www.spectrum.ieee.org

http://www.spacecenter.org http://www.spectrum.ieee.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum March, 2007