September 7, 2011 - 19:18 AMT
Sony Vaio laptops to produce 3-D images without glasses

Sony’s just come out with a thin panel that lays over the screen of Vaio laptops to produce 3-D images without glasses. The software uses a built-in webcam to judge your distance from the screen and optimize the graphics.

It’s nothing new, but still pretty cool, wired.com reports.

Toshiba debuted similar technology with the Qosmio F755 3-D notebook last month. Sony and Toshiba use similar facial depth technology, where two images are projected simultaneously, one for each eye.

Sony unveiled the 3mm panel, the VGP-FL3D15A, at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin. The panel arrives on the heels of an announcement that Sony, Panasonic and Samsung will unite behind standardized 3-D glasses.

Sony’s IFA spread was all about 3-D. The company also announced a touch-screen PC with 3-D screen, a 3-D capable media player and a 3-D projector.

The sheet will be available next month in Europe for $183. The Vaio S series laptops will retail for around $1,000.