myvu crystalYears ago, I was flipping through the pages of a catalogue on an airplane and saw what at the time was the greatest invention I had ever seen: A pair of sunglasses with a built-in TV. It advertised that you could sit on the beach and watch your kids while simultaneously watching television. I had dreamt of getting them, and even started saving in hopes of buying that $800 contraption I had only seen a picture of in a catalogue.

I never bought them. In fact, I put the catalogue back in the seat pocket, and left it just as a dream. But with the advent of portable media players such as the iPod and the Zune, it was only a matter of time that a contraption like that would make the leap from niche gadget to mainstream product. So when the Myvu Crystal came my way, I jumped at the chance to play with it.

The glasses themselves are a very sleek design. As I put them on, I noticed they didn’t obstruct my entire view beyond the glasses. I wasn’t sure if this was good or bad, since I could easily be distracted by what was around me, though it also meant I would see something important around me, like if I were on a plane, I’d see a food tray coming and know to move my legs in. The headphones are in-ear style, which would normally be great except this was a loaner from the company that had already been used at least once. At least they put 3 different pairs of covers in the package, though the ones that would have fit me best were the used ones. READ MORE »