Video headgear or eyepatch?

Remember how we all mocked the gadgets and appliances used by our parents when we were kids? You know, the "Veg-O-Matics," the "Pocket Fisherman" and pretty much anything else pitched by Ron Popeil on TV after 2 a.m.

Well, don't laugh--we're next. Imagine the reaction of our own children a decade from now when they find something like the "DataGlass HMD" in a corner of the basement. Accurately described by SCI FI Tech as a "cross between a pirate, a cyborg soldier and a member of the Borg hive," this multimedia headgear can always be used for Halloween if it doesn't work out as a virtual display device. Japan's Shimadzu says the HMD projects the equivalent of a 14-inch monitor before your eye(s) once connected to a computer or video player, though it's intended primarily for industrial use--something that's reflected in its $1,636 price.

That may seem like a lot, but just think of the fun it will bring your family for years to come.