The Next Generation Ipod Touch To Possibly Feature 3d Technology

There is much excited speculation about the possibility that Apple will include 3D technology with its next generation of the popular personal media device, the iPod Touch. Nintendo has already set the bar by announcing its upcoming Nintendo 3DS gaming system, which will be available on March 27, 2011. As the Apple iPod Touch is currently the top hand held gaming system in the world, outselling both Nintendo and Sony's hand held gaming systems combined, it seems clear that Apple is going to need to step up and address this issue if it doesn't want to lose any of the ground it's fought so hard for.

A 3D screen that doesn't require special glasses will be a great innovation in providing a truly immersive gaming experience to the user. Technology that makes it easier for players to enjoy this kind of effect without extra steps or equipment will help this kind of entertainment to actually fit into people's real lives. The innovation that has allowed this kind of effect to happen is called an auto stereoscopic parallax barrier. This is a barrier placed over the screen proper which blocks out light going in certain directions in order to present a different image to each of the user's eyes. We see in 3D because each eye perceives the world from a slightly different perspective, and so manipulating the image that goes into each eye gives the illusion of depth where there is none.

This parallax barrier is actually an extra layer of liquid crystals in the LCD display, so the actual technology that goes into it is not new. The innovation comes in the sophisticated way that this process can be manipulated in order to provide a stunning 3D effect. Eye tracking can now be implemented with the use of a camera so that the system knows the direction from which the user is looking, and can adjust the parallax barrier accordingly. And because the parallax barrier is simply another layer of LCD, it can easily be turned off and on at will.

Apple seems to be right on the verge of implementing just this kind of technology. Industry insiders have noticed that the company has filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that would allow, in theory, multiple viewers to enjoy just such a 3D effect with no need for glasses. Apple's patent describes a reflective screen with a rippled surface that would function as an auto stereoscopic projection system by tracking viewers eyes and manipulating pixels on the screen ripples to direct the image accordingly. This technology may be used in conjunction with an LCD parallax barrier in order to provide accuracy and precision when displaying a 3D image to multiple viewers.

Apple may also decide to include an extra high definition rear facing camera that would allow users to themselves take 3D video of friends and family. It could very well be the case that 3D pictures and video are about to become a very popular way to record memories and commemorate special occasions. It's this kind of innovation that makes the ordinary just a little more spectacular, and who doesn't want that?

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