Mattel, Google give the classic View-Master a smart makeover

Toymaker giant Mattel works with Google to reinvent its VR game.

The View-Master is a special stereoscope that comes with reels of images or drawings that can be viewed in three dimensions.

The new and smarter model incorporates a smartphone from which an app is downloaded. The phone is placed in the toy's slot, on top of where the cardboard reel is inserted. Upon looking through the device, the user is shown an augmented reality with hovering 3D icons. To see the next image, pull a lever on the side of the View-Master.

The reels are grouped by theme, dubbed Experience Packs. Environments include outer space and wildlife. The View-Master is compatible with the virtual reality platform Google Cardboard, which has hundreds of apps associated with it.

This model is pretty basic, and those who are interested in more grown-up versions can considered the Samsung Gear VR, which is also more expensive.

View a comparison table of selected 3D viewer suppliers from GlobalSources.com