[By Will Greenwald, PCMag.com]

Samsung has unveiled a new type of active shutter 3D glasses that improve on almost all issues found in conventional pairs.

The company’s new 3D glasses use Bluetooth instead of infrared signals to sync with the 3D TV, meaning the glasses don’t need to have line-of-sight with the TV. With conventional, infrared glasses, the signal can be disrupted by obstructions between the glasses and the TV or emitter, disabling the shutters. Bluetooth solves this problem by using radio instead of infrared transmissions. Because of the new technology, the glasses will only work with 2011 and later Samsung 3D HDTVs; older models that use infrared technology can’t use the new glasses.

Instead of conventional glasses, the new models use a thin headband to which the lenses are attached. The entire product weighs less than 1 ounce, and can be tossed on a cylinder-shaped induction charger to recharge its batteries without physically plugging it into anything. The optional charger can charge up to 4 pairs of glasses at once, just by having them stacked around the cylinder.

Samsung has not yet announced pricing or availability for the new 3D glasses, but they’re expected to be included with Samsung’s newest 3D HDTVs.

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