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Business I Technology

Immersive XR glasses, earphones that translate 50 languages on the spot, and an underwater drone that's basically a little submarine – here are this month's new tech toys and gadgets \ By Guy Shahar The tech novelties you need to know about

Seeing the whole picture

While VR headsets provide virtual reality visuals to the eye, AR (augmented reality) or XR (extended reality) glasses are designed to enhance existing reality with digital projections of information onto wearable lenses. They tend to resemble regular transparent eye or sunglasses, but they can generate content within the scene from the user’s viewpoint. This month, technology retail chain BUG has begun importing Chinese brand TCL’s XR devices to Israel. The new NxtWear wearable personal display doesn’t come with an integrated battery, advanced processor, or complex software – these are all obtained thanks to the USB-C that connects to a DisplayPort compatible phone, tablet, or laptop and via adapters when used with non-USB compatible devices. This makes it possible to

lower the product’s price, and of course its weight (which stands at a mere 75g), though it requires the user to be physically near the device, which isn’t as practical as fully autonomous XR devices can be. Also, note that the glasses themselves are quite imposing, and won’t really go unnoticed when worn in public. They have integrated speakers on each side and volume control, as well as control over the display’s brightness. They can also instantly be changed from screening in 2-D to 3-D. The NxtWear offers two 1080p Micro OLEDs embedded in a pair of frames that should give the wearer the effect of viewing a 130-inch screen from about 4m away. Higher resolution

would of course be preferable, but it’s perfectly acceptable as it is, for most content. NxtWear makes it possible for the content you’re viewing to flow according to the movements of your head, but it does require some getting used to (trying the glasses on before purchasing them is highly recommended). Sound quality is good in comparison with other brands, but still lacks basses. All in all, it remains a product mostly adapted to gaming purposes. The NxtWear will mostly delight tech devotees in search of new ways of consuming visual content. Price: NIS 1,599, and an extra NIS 230 for the gaming console adapter, available at all BUG stores and online at bug.co.il

40 ATMOSPHERE MARCH 2023

photos: PR