I'm amazed when I think about just how long 3D technology has been kicking around.
Of course, we just naturally have the ability to perceive our world in three dimensions (unless you've been poked in the eye with a stick recently, then it's 2D land for you, I'm afraid), but I mean the technology that makes pictures or movies seem like they have real depth, and are coming off the screen or paper at you.
Films with 3D elements were all the rage in the 1950s, and people were viewing images through stereoscopy for decades before those celluloid masterpieces.
The technology is pretty straightforward too, because it's based on fooling your everyday average human brain into perceiving something that isn't really happening.
That's actually easier than it sounds.
Just ask any magician or politician, for that matter.
But basically all 3D technology out there enhances and creates the illusion of depth perception by recording images from two perspectives. The offset images are then shown in a special way to viewers whose brains then interpret the two images as one "sort-of-cool-3D" image.
Unfortunately, the special way viewers need to see the 3D product typically involves sporting some sort of silly eyewear that even Elton John or Lady Gaga wouldn't be caught dead wearing.
Nevertheless, I did recently decide to jump on the 3D bandwagon (one leaves every minute from your local electronics store, you know) and invested in a 3D setup for my new desktop computer.
It was pretty easy to do actually, because when ordering a gaming computer these days, most companies have an option to upgrade your selection to a 3D configuration - and my wife had foolishly left me unattended with the credit card.
All you really need is a good video card, a HD monitor and a basic 3D kit (like the one I got from video card-maker Nvidia), that includes a set of (ugh!) funky glasses.
But now I can play lots of my games in 3D, plus also watch BluRay 3D movies just like in a theatre.
It's a neat and somewhat affordable way to enter the exploding world of 3D entertainment, and despite the relative dearth of content (which is why you should hold off for a little bit on buying that new 50-inch 3D LCD TV), I still like being an early adopter of some technologies just for the sheer geek factor.
But it won't be long before this tech is mainstream and in everyone's homes and hands.
Already, the major television makers are producing 3D-content-ready sets, and newer technology frees viewers from having to wear glasses, as the televisions do the work of splitting the images directionally into the viewer's eyes.
Now glasses-free, we're starting to see the first cell phones and hand-held video game systems coming out with 3D displays, as well as affordable dual-lens point-and-shoot cameras and video recorders now available that shoot in real 3D.
It won't be long before you're experiencing everything on your screens, displays and monitors in um the same way you've perceived the real world with your naked eyes the whole time. But it'll be cooler!
There is a catch, though.
To enjoy this new 3D world that's on the horizon, you will need to be prepared to shell out a fair amount of cash to replace your embarrassingly inferior 2D equipment.
Also, I'd try to avoid eye-level, pointy sticks if possible.
