You have heard of the custom earphone system for iPod called the earbud right? Well, now there is an Eyebud accessory too. That is correct and it is called the Eyebud 800 by eMagin Corporation. The Eyebud is a virtual reality display system with a little video which will be used for podcasting and also allows the listener to also look at movies or Music Videos. The Virtual Reality Super iPod Display has now made its debut and the iPod will never be the same.

The eMagin Corporation has completely taken the Las Vegas CES Consumer Electronic Display by storm with its announcement of the Super Eyebud 800 Virtual Reality personal display system. The company says that the system will enable iPodders to view movies while commuting on the subway to work or skip the in-flight movie for their own choice. Kids can be entertained on long trips without the expensive back of seat in-car video systems. Perfect for waiting in line for the doctor or at the DMV. In fact it is comfortable to wear just about anywhere.

The screen is very small but delivers high resolution and can plug into any video-capable iPod or video player. The company says that the; “SVGA (800 x 600) display delivers full-color video at 60 Hz from hand helds delivering SVGA, NTSC, or PAL signals.” Although the screen is super small it is said to be the same as if you were watching a 100-inch Television from 10 feet away. The eyebud can be mounted to use in either eye and there is a 3D Visor (Z800) to shield your vision from the glare of the sun so you can use it even in the bright of day.

The combination of the earbuds high quality sound and the incredible video head mounted display make the Eyebud 800 the coolest little trick invention of year so far. It is not available at stores yet, but expect to be seeing it at the major Electronic Stores and on the Internet by June. And it has a battery for six hours of use too. You need this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

I’m a sucker for a good battle. Not an all-out war, mind you — just a good tow-to-tow, one-on-one slugfest. Think Holyfield vs. Tyson, Alien vs. Predator, or Ashley Simpson vs. anyone with ears.

I’m also a sucker for ingenious products. So in the spirit of combining these passions, I’m acting as the Don King of products to put the Apple iPod up against Velcro, for the title of All-Time Super Product.

Category 1 – Impact on Other Industries
Once it was released, Velcro had clothing manufacturers scrambling to try it out. This led to the creation of Velcro flies, Velcro pocket fasteners, and, of course, the Velcro shoe fasteners you still see children wearing today. Other industries adopted the product as well.

But the iPod has touched a greater number of industries in a shorter time. Just type “ipod products” into any major search engine, and you’ll see what I mean.

Electronics companies like Bose have developed iPod docking stations, speakers and other peripherals. Clothing manufacturers have created iPod pockets in some of their garments. Even car manufacturers have jumped on the train. And then there’s the media impact the iPod has had — “podcast” anyone?

** Point goes to the iPod **

Category 2 – Memorable Features
A product with memorable features will succeed for a number of reasons. Shoppers are more inclined to remember it, recognize it, and relate it to others in casual conversation. This leads to buzz, “mindshare,” popularity and profit.

iPod enjoys a great product name — catchy and easy to remember. It also has a memorable look and feel.

Velcro, on the other hand, has never been duplicated, and so it enjoys complete uniqueness in the mind of consumers. The sound alone is one of the most memorable product features of all time. Open a Velcro fastener, and that sound will be recognized anywhere in the civilized world.

** Point goes to Velcro **

Category 3 – Inventiveness
The iPod has partly evolved from MP3 players, and from walkmans before that. Velcro, on the other hand, was adopted from nature.

George de Mestral got the idea for Velcro while walking his dog through a Swiss meadow in 1948. He and the dog returned home covered with burrs, those prickly plant husks that cling to animal fur as a means of seed distribution.

Intrigued by the seed sacs, Mestral examined them under a microscope. There he found the secret to their clinging power — a series of hook-and-loop fasteners.

Mestral took an idea from the plant world and turned it into a viable product that became a multi-million-dollar industry.

** Point goes to Velcro **

Category 4 – Marketing
George de Mestral overcame a lot of skepticism with his hook-and-loop fastener. He said it would rival the zipper, and people laughed. When it actually did rival the zipper, he sold it as fast as he could produce it — a marketing success story, to say the least.

Apple kept the iPod shrouded in secrecy during its development, and released it amid a flurry of media attention. Within days, every person in every industrial nation had at least heard of the iPod, if not actually seen or purchased one.

** Point goes to the iPod **

Category 5 – Longevity
Perhaps longevity is an unfair category, given the iPod’s young age. But I’m the Don King of product battles here, and I say it goes. To be fair, we can revisit this category down the road a decade or two (to see if the iPod is still around).

But for now, it’s an easy point for Velcro, having endured for nearly 50 years with no end to its popularity in site.

** Point goes to Velcro **

Category 6 – Cultural Impact
Velcro changed the way we think about fasteners. But are fasteners part of our culture? Granted, Velcro enjoyed a brief cultural thrust when some parenting groups argued it would lower the intelligence of children (letting them “get off easy” by not having to tie their shoes). But that’s about it.

The Apple iPod, on the other hand, has changed the way we think of music and mobility. And those things are definitely a part of our culture.

** Point goes to the iPod **

The Results Are In – It’s a Tie!
If you were expecting a lopsided victory, I’m sorry to disappoint. Both products have had a major impact on the world around them. So they share the title of All-Time Super Product. And maybe they’re not meant to compete anyway. Maybe they’re meant to live in harmony and complement one another.

Take those jogger’s armbands for example. Velcro holds the armband firmly in place, and the armband holds the iPod firmly in place. The end result is a more enjoyable experience for the jogger.

And if that’s not harmony, I don’t know what is.

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Republish the article
Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article as long as it is left intact with byline, author’s note and website address / hyperlink. iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. VELCRO is a registered trademark of Velcro Industries B.V.

About the Author
Brandon Cornett is the editor of iPodKnowledge.com, one of the Internet’s largest (and ever-growing) collections of iPod tips and articles. Maximize your iPod’s performance, learn how to choose the right iPod, or submit a product review by visiting: http://www.iPodKnowledge.com

Everyone is buying iPods these days and all the retail stores are out of stock. Many parents had to buy gift certificates for their children for Christmas having missed getting into those stores early enough to get them an iPod. This is one massive consumer movement; can you believe it? Do you have an iPod yet?

But what will the future of the iPod craze look like in years to come? We already have the iPod Nano and at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas we saw the announcement of the Eyebud, which is a tiny head and eye mounted unit allowing you to watch music videos or Pod Casting with full motion video.

Well with all this technology, how can it advance any more? Well, glad you asked and here are some ideas regarding the future of the iPod and iPod Nano. I believe that the iPod device will eventually end up with several variations such as a wrist watch with a voice activated feature and become a holographic entertainment center and communication device (3G Video Cell phone too). It will be able to run whole seminars and University Classes on the table at Starbucks by simply laying it on the table and turning on the holographic professor.

All these technologies are moving forward now and soon we will see them all integrated into the newest versions of the iPod for your viewing pleasure. Isn’t technology great? Stay tuned to the iPod saga as the story will be even better than this with future renditions. Think on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow