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Nintendo warns against allowing kids to use Nintendo 3DS 3D functions

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS

 

 Nintendo 3DS hazard children 

Those thinking about buying the upcoming Nintendo 3DS for your pre-schooler might want to wait a few years. In advance of its Nintendo World 2011 demo, Nintendo posted a warning that suggests children under the age of six should not use its 3D functions.

"Vision of children under the age of six has been said [to be in the] developmental stage," according to a note posted to Nintendo's Japanese site. 3D content, including the 3DS, "delivers 3D images with different left and right eye images, [which] has a potential impact on the growth of children's eyes."

Nintendo recommended the use of parental controls to only allow younger gamers to play in 2D. There is "enough for everyone to enjoy," Nintendo said.

Nintendo recommended that players of all ages take breaks from 3D content every 30 minutes - or if you feel sick.


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3D video and gaming hazardous to your health

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Displays, HDTV, Movies

3D HDTV health hazard

When announced the 3DS, they made sure to make the press aware that children should have the 3D effect disabled if they were going to use the handheld console. Manufacturers of 3D HDTV sets have also included warnings that stated that there is a possible health risk to certain viewers, and have provided guidance that children should be limited in their 3D exposure. Year ago, Sega was going to release a 3D virtual reality headset that was quickly and quietly shelved, despite being seen as the future of gaming 15 years ago. Now news has come out that all of these warnings are based on years of research cover ups, and the details are finally being brought out now that 3D entertainment is much more readily available than it was in years past.

In a nutshell, the problem is that children under 7 are still developing their vision, and the 3D effect actually forces you into strabismus, essentially giving yourself temporary lazy eye. Since children are still developing, you run a severe risk of having them end up with permanent strabismus (or, lazy eye.) This is the reason that so many manufacturers want to be overly cautious with the use of 3D as it pertains to children, and it’s also a good reason for parents to sit up and take notice as well. Now that 3D HDTVs are on the market, we’ve gone from having super rare opportunity to view 3D content, to a bunch of animated movies incorporating it (so, 2-6 hours per month, depending on how often you go to those,) to potentially having 3D on in your home on a constant basis.

A lot of higher-ups within the consumer electronics industry point to the fact that the data is 15 years old, and that they may be new factors since the technology has advanced. However, the fact remains that all content that shows a different image to each eye (which is all 3D) forces you into strabismus. More research is needed to find out if 3D HDTV is safe for children, as well as adults, especially for prolonged lengths of time.

Read More | Audioholics

Contact Lens is Almost Bionic

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Science, Videos

Quick, somebody call Steve Austin. The University of Washington has created a bionic eye, well almost. The contact lens can zoom in on images and facts are created in a field of view. It then sends the information so that recipients can see some form of light. While they are mostly intended to help those who are visually impaired, future applications include “holographic driving control panels and even as a way to surf the Web on the go.” The results of UW’s research was shown at the recent Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ international conference.

 

Read More | Trendhunter

Hope for Macular Degeneration With Implantable Mini-Telescope

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science

Mini-Telescope ImplantIf the FDA gives its permission, ophthalmologists may be on their way to stopping and even reversing age-related macular degeneration with an implantable mini-telescope. Developed by VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, it works with the eye’s cornea making the retinal image larger. The scope consists of a 4.4 x 3.6 mm glass cylinder with wide-angle micro-optics to produce telephoto images. Currently about 1.75 million Americans suffer from the disease and the prediction by NIH’s National Eye Institute is that it will almost double by 2020 because of all the baby boomers that will be aging in the next 2 decades.

Read More | Scientific American

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