Vuzix Wrap Video Eyewear projects video over reality

Yes, yes. I know how the picture looks. There's no way to look cool in a television headset no matter how you slice it. Maybe if you have a silver jumpsuit and you're from the future you can pull it off... But not us present-day commoners.

But while the looks are rough, as cool core technology goes, Vuzix has more than enough to go around.

Headsets like these have been kicking around for several years now, offering the wearer the chance to watch a virtual, big-screen image projected onto the inside of the goggles. But there's one problem with most of these devices: You can't see anything else aside from what's on the screen, as they cocoon you in a shell of darkness and a video screen for each eyeball. If you need to return to the outside world, you have to physically take the glasses off.

Vuzix's latest headset, the Wrap 920AV, changes the equation. Now you can see the video projection just like you do with older-style headsets, but the lenses are translucent, not blackout shades. The result: You can see through and around the video so you're always aware of your surroundings while you watch. (A control button lets you set the level of translucence so the picture doesn't get washed out.)

Why would you want a feature like this? Beyond the obvious reason that you can still see your professor lecturing while you're watching The Colbert Report, the Wrap offers the promise of "augmented reality," where you can get a video overlay that offers extra information or detail about what you're looking at, much like audio guidebooks do today. Think virtual video guides for Civil War battlefields or your local museum that move along with you.

As with many of the other Vuzix models, headphones are integrated and the picture simulated is that of a 62-inch TV from nine feet away. Pricing hasn't been set, but the company says it will hit below $500, with availability this quarter.