We finally clapped our peepers on the long-awaited Xpand universal 3D glasses at the recent IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin. The active shutter specs have been designed so that they can be used with any brand of 3D television, unlike the glasses supplied, which only work with their parent TV. That means that if any of your affluent mates have already splashed out on a 3D TV, then you can invite yourself round for some 3D viewing and bring your own glasses with you.

Offering full 1080p 3D to both eyes, the battery-powered glasses are said to offer up to 100 hours of use, and are designed to support both passive and active 3D images, so that you can use them with 3D-capable laptops, as well as at compatible cinemas.

The specs are available in a range of colours and are supplied with two extra CR2032 batteries, a microfibre bag and three nose-pieces so that you can find the best fit for you.

We only got to try them out on one TV and a laptop at IFA, but we were impressed by the performance that they offered. 3D images were suitably multi-dimensional in appearance, while the colours retained their vibrancy and sharpness.  And they didn't even give us a headache.

For a full list of compatible TV models, check out www.xpandcinema.com/3dtv

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