Diagnosing with Wii Game Controllers

"Wii remotes are not all about fun and games. Scientists can use them to assess and diagnose children with an abnormal head position caused by eye diseases," reports Medical News Today. "As described in a recent Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science article, researchers developed a low-cost digital head posture measuring device with Nintendo Wiimotes to help diagnose this condition, medically called ocular torticollis." Read more.

Pig Holds Promise for Treatment for Retiniitis Pigmentosa

"A newly developed, genetically modified pig may hold the keys to the development of improved treatments and possibly even a cure for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the most common inherited retinal disease in the United States," according to Medical News Today. "The pig model was developed by researchers in the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and at the National Swine Resource and Research Center at the University of Missouri." Read more.

Penn Grads Open Eye Clinic in Liberia

"Two graduate students at Penn are looking to use their interest in medicine to improve eye care in Liberia. Recently, Jessica DiVanno and Jake Graffe — both pre-med students in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies — helped launch the 'New Sight Eye Center.'" goes the post on the Daily Pennsylvanian. "The center began operating a few weeks ago in Liberia with the mission of reducing preventable blindness and visual impairment in rural and urban communities." Read more. New Sight Eye Center would be grateful and appreciate your DONATION of functioning and quality ophthalmic equipment to enhance excellent delivery of comprehensive eye care services to the deprived and underserved Liberian. To donate, kindly contact Robert Dolo newsighteyecenter@yahoo.com.

Whiskey to Eyewear

"You've heard of beer goggles, but probably not whiskey sunglasses," reports Core77. "Oregon-based Shwood, a company that manufactures wooden eyewear by hand in their Portland shop, partnered up with Bushmills to turn whiskey barrels into a limited-edition run of eyewear." Read more.

OptiCare Opticians, Docs and Staff Team Up for Charity Bowl

The OptiCare Connecticut offices from Madison and New Haven vied for bragging rights at the charity bowlathon at Milford Lanes Saturday night to support the Umbrella Fund.  Combined, the teams raised more than $200 for the fund, which supports victims of domestic violence. The team from Madison, Nicole, Mari, Pete, Nyasia, Jordan and Justin, was new to the event and challenged the returning team from New Haven, Sue, Dave, Skip, Wendy, Kevin and Jenny. New Haven came out strong when Wendy struck in the first frame. Madison answered in the fourth frame with a strike by Justin.  Undaunted, Dave, high scorer for New Haven, returned with a strike in the fourth frame. The scores remained close into the second half of play when New Haven started picking up spares. Madison's Jordan, a great utilitarian player who subbed for teammates who were visiting the snack bar, had the most unique play of the game. What appeared to be a gutter ball took a last second bounce into the alley to take down six pins. In spite of that extraordinary play and a tenth frame strike by Justin, high scorer for the team, Madison couldn't catch New Haven. New Haven won, 550 to 333. After the match, Madison captain Nicole began to plan a new roster for the next bowlathon. "Next year, there'll be a different line up", she said. The only comment from New Haven captain Sue was, "We've got bragging rights!"

TOMS Runs Contest for One of Its Giving Trips

Bringing together the company, its customers, and its community, TOMS launched the TOMS Ticket to Give campaign. Only available at TOMS.com in the U.S., the online contest will select one lucky customer or fan each week to participate in a TOMS Giving Trip, according to Blake Mycoskie, founder and chief shoe and eyewear giver of TOMS (www.TOMS.com). Mycoskie is hoping to notify each of the first several winners in person and will be joining the winners on the first several Giving Trips. Previously available just to TOMS employees, the Giving Trips taken through the TOMS Ticket to Give program will enable winners to experience giving One for One™ first-hand.  Giving Trips are not vacations, but journeys into communities of incredible people and enormous need. They are hands-on, face-to-face journeys that, for those who are giving, are as much about personal transformation as positively impacting the lives of others.

Shake Up at Davis Vision, Visionworks, and Viva

Folded into an announcement about staff changes, HVHC Inc. stated that during the next 18 months, the company will be consolidating its 15 national retail brands under a single name, Visionworks and that Davis Vision managed care business will expand into new markets. Oh, yeah, the staffing changes: Steve Holden left as Davis Vision's president, so the company is looking for a replacement. Bob Cox, the former vice president of human resources for Visionworks of America, will assume new responsibilities as senior vice president for HVHC human resources shared services. Cox has been with Visionworks since April 2002. Cheryl Grobelny, a 14-year veteran with Viva, will report to Cox as vice president of HVHC talent management.

More on the One that Got Away--Released More Like It

Walker with the "record breaker"

"Back in January Lance Walker, the CEO of Browning Eyewear, was fishing on Pickwick Lake and hooked a monster largemouth. And in a state where anything over 8 pounds is a monster (more on that later), it didn't take Walker long to realize he had been bitten by Godzilla," reports Knoxnews, as OpticalNews from Opticalceus  report in January. But loike all good fish stories, this one continues. "Walker fought the fish, landed the fish and couldn't believe the size of the fish. When he got it back to Pickwick Landing State Park and weighed it, the largemouth tipped the scales at 14.58 pounds — a shade heavier than the 14-pound, 8-ounce largemouth that stands as the state record." Read more.

Tom Ford Takes Retro Look to Multi-Grand Level--$3 Grand

Us Weekly  reports that "Tom Ford is bringing over-the-top luxury into focus. The fashion designer, whose celeb BFF is Julianne Moore, has designed two limited-edition eyewear styles for men and women. Besides being super stylish, they're also extremely expensive -- $2,950 to be exact -- and made from only the finest materials. (An average pair of Tom Ford glasses retails anywhere from $360 to $510.)" Read more.

The Evolution of Eyewear Marketing

"Last year, Americans dropped $8.37 billion on prescription eyeglasses, according to the Vision Council—a good portion of that going to pay for high-end designer frames that, ordinary plastic though they be, fetch out-of-sight prices. (Toss in designer sunglasses, and you can add another $2.28 billion to the figure.) Many are shoppers who grumbled about the high cost of frames but bought them anyway. Why? Because glasses, as everybody knows, are fashion accessories," according to an Ad Week post. "Things were not always this way, a fact that the two ads on these pages render with startling clarity. How was it that the humble pair of eyeglasses went from a staid and sensible piece of ophthalmological hardware to an über-sexy design accessory? Marketing, dear reader, marketing." Read more.

Glaucoma--Neurologic Disease, Not Eye Disease?

"A new paradigm to explain glaucoma is rapidly emerging, and it is generating brain-based treatment advances that may ultimately vanquish the disease known as the "sneak thief of sight." A review now available in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, reports that some top researchers no longer think of glaucoma solely as an eye disease," according to Medical News Today. "Instead, they view it as a neurologic disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain to degenerate and die, similar to what occurs in Parkinson disease and in Alzheimer's. The review, led by Jeffrey L Goldberg, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, describes treatment advances that are either being tested in patients or are scheduled to begin clinical trials soon." Read more.

New Means of Caring for Children with Glaucoma at Home

"A new study, published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus , has provided parents with an Icare Rebound Tonometer to evaluate IOP patterns in normal children at home," according to Medical News Today. "The device has produced similar values to a clinical measurement and may prove beneficial for the study and treatment of children with glaucoma." Read more.

Anarchy Launches Sunwear

"Anarchy Eyewear was founded in the streets of youth culture and draws its influence from the core of music, action sports, fashion, art and the act of being independent and living life on your terms," according to Seattle PI. "Anarchy Sunglasses are designed to complement the independent customer who carves his own path in life. Anarchy customers are unique and lifestyle driven and they demand a brand and products that reflect their nature. Anarchy works with a variety of athletes in: surf, skateboard, snow, wakeboard, BMX, MMA, and auto." Read more.

Kaenon Releases New Sunwear

Kaenon Polarized, the Newport Beach, CA, launched its 2012 spring sunglass collection – the first of several planned releases this year – as the company celebrates it’s tenth year of selling premium polarized eyewear. These existing styles are now available in new, colorful offering through Kaenon’s authorized retail network and online dealers. Read more.

Pramaor Gives a Peak at Its Spring Campaign

 Pramaor has uploaded in its official YouTube website the HD video of backstage at the new 2012 campaign for Blackfin and Bioeyes. The new project will be one of the great new additions at the International Optics Exhibition but the video already conveys the daily life of the protagonists, contemporary men and women, who deeply experience reality and express it in minimalist, sophisticated look and eyewear. Authentic and elegant, the new campaign created by Anidride/design for the Agordo-based company and immortalized in the photographs by Giovanni De Sandre, fully reflects the characteristics of the Blackfin and Bioeyes brands, a perfect combination of innovation, design and technical research.

Moscot Sun Collection 2012 Released and Its Campaign

To herald the introduction of its 2012 Sun Collection, Moscot launches its companion 2012 Moscot Sun Campaign. It is said to juxtapose the sophomore collection's bold, modern frame designs with age old collegiate sports and vintage uniforms, and trademark dry humor, to produce an eclectic, quirky, and evocative visual mashup. The philosophy of seasonal collection's campaign reportedly is reflected in the Sun Campaign, which balances the three central elements at the core of the Moscot brand: history, fashion and humor. Read more.

Huffington Post Sunwear Contest: Guess Who?

Probably not who you think.

"Photographer Jeff Gorman has been making ads for L.A. Eyeworks for over thirty years, snapping shots of Mickey Rourke, Meryl Streep and Whoopi Goldberg donning specks;" goes the Huffington Post post. "The black-and-white photos, cataloged in a new book, 'Greg Gorman: Framed' [Damiani, $50.00], are given a modern edge with high-contrast lighting and sassy poses.So put on your reading glasses and take a closer look at these four-eyed celebrities. Can you guess who is who?" Click the link for the contest.

Makeup and CLs Turn Moore into Palin

"Step aside Tina Fey: there’s a new Sarah Palin in town. Julianne Moore becomes Palin incarnate in Game Change, a made-for-TV movie which details the inner workings of John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid," says People Magazine. "And though the film — which debuts Saturday night on HBO — focuses on the campaign, it’s Moore’s Palin who steals the show thanks in part to her amazing physical transformation" using makeup and contact lenses. Read more.

Loop Celebrates Its 10th Year

"Paris Eyewear inspired by European culture, celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its popular frame: Plume Paris Loop. Withstanding the test of time and fashion, the Loop frame has become one of the bestselling frames for the brand," according to Midwest Lens. "Characterized by its Plume Paris Style: Loop (3 frame) simplicity, elegance, and uniqueness the Loop stands apart from frames that come and go. This spring-hinged stainless steel frame can be found in Gun/Black, Brown/Green, and Maroon/Navy." Read more.

Babiators Presents New Line

Babiators, showcasing its collection at the Spring ENK Children’s Club trade show from March 11-13, 2012, will present six new colors along with the existing styles. Its new line of bright and bold new colors including wicked white, superstar silver, nighthawk navy, beach baby blue, limelight lime, and sneak attack pink and black. These glasses offer 100% UVA and UVB protection.Read more.

Tom Ford Releases Fall Edition

"Tom Ford sunglasses and eyewear, we can say fairly unequivocably, are the best and most stylish frames in the business," says Hollywood Reporter. "The acclaimed high-fashion designer is releasing a special-edition optical collection for fall 2012, and his new models have a vintage, 1950s look: they're made of gold-plated metal with precious water buffalo horn on the front and the temple tips." Read more.

Sox's Peavy Will Wear Goggles--Maybe

"Jake Peavy said he ordered a pair of goggles in case his eyes continue to give him some irritation," according to the Chicago Tribune. "But the Chicago White Sox's starter vowed Wednesday, 'I'm not going to (wear them) unless it's an emergency.' Peavy said the eye irritation has subsided and he has been pitching with contact lenses. But some redness exists as the result of some irritation suffered last week." Read more.

Kressley Again MC's Safilo's Show at Vision Expo East

Eye Surf notes that "Carson Kressley, renowned stylist, television star and host of the make-over show Carson-Nation on the OWN network will again serve as the celebrity guest emcee of Safilo USA’s Spring/Summer 2012 fashion show at Vision Expo East." Read more.

Two Ironman Champs Join Rudy Project

"They’ve completed almost 100 Ironmans combined, they were both college athletes, they are best friends who can finish each other’s sentences, and now they’re both Rudy Project sponsored athletes," notes Eye Surf. "Rudy Project is proud to announce that it has signed Ironman Champions Hillary Biscay and Meredith Kessler as their official helmet and sunglass sponsor." Read more.

Badgley Mischka Distributed by McGee

Eye Surf reports that "the McGee Group will be the exclusive global eyewear and sun wear manufacturer for Badgley Mischka. New Badgley Mischka eyewear and sun wear collections will launch in January 2013 with plans to distribute in both the United States and international markets." Read more.

Optic Industry Sales in Europe for 2011

"The optics industry, in the main European countries (Italy, Spain, Germany, France), closed 2011 with sales of over EUR 15 million, up by 1.9% over the previous year," reports GfK Retail and Technology. "These are the findings of the Optics retail sales tracking data presented at MIDO 2012 by GfK. The research carried out analyses durable goods consumption, which includes sunglasses, frames, ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses and contact lenses solutions." Read more.

Nike MAX Transitions at PGA Merchandise Show

"Nike Vision and Transitions Optical, Inc. showcased new Nike MAX Transitions adaptive sunglasses at the PGA Merchandise Show. Available in two colors, the lenses are responsive to changing light and specifically engineered for sport performance including golf, hiking and trail running." That's a post on Midwest Lens. Read more.

Converse Eyewear Introduces New Shade

"Converse Eyewear introduces the edgy unisex Overtime "Caution Tape" shade for Summer 2012," reports the Examiner. "Crafted for maximum impact with bold styling, riveting color contrasts and the Star Chevron graphic logo on the temple, this exclusive style from the new Converse Star Chevron Eyewear Collection is a sporty oversized sunglass with striking composition and caution tape graphics. Flexible, yet durable, these Overtime frames are fun, and comfortable enough to keep up with your inner athlete." Read more.

Stem Cells to Repair the Cornea

"A new cornea may be the only way to prevent a patient going blind - but there is a shortage of donated corneas and the queue for transplantation is long. Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have for the first time successfully cultivated stem cells on human corneas, which may in the long term remove the need for donors," according to Medical News Today. Read more.

Math App Helps Visually Challenged

"Without looking down, Kira runs her index finger across the screen of an Android tablet that she is holding in her lap. For the occasion, she has painted her fingernails bright pink. When her finger touches a line drawn on the screen, the tablet vibrates quietly. Scanning her finger back and forth and feeling the vibration come and go allows her to trace the line's path," according to a Medical News Today post. "When her finger reaches a pink dot, the tablet gives off an electronic tone and she grins delightedly. Kira is one of two visually impaired high school students who are testing a new Android app, one designed to assist students like her in mastering algebra, geometry, graphing and other subjects that are particularly hard to comprehend without the aid of normal vision." Read more.

Eyefinity Officially Opening Its eStores

Eyefinity will unveil eStores by Eyeconic at the 2012 International Vision Expo East. eStores by Eyeconic, which will be free to VSP practices with an eWebExtra website, promises to offer practices a way to create an online optical store, connected to their eWebExtra site and customized to their practice. An online extension of the private practice’s brick and mortar dispensary, an eStore allows both VSP and non-VSP members to shop online 24/7 for contact lenses, prescription eyewear, and sunwear that can be delivered right to the patient’s front door.  The e-store has been in beta testing for about a year. Read more.

VSP Giving Back

VSP Vision Care (www.vsp.com) reported that in 2011, it invested more than $8.7 million in free eyecare and eyewear for 86,594 adults and children in need throughout the United States. As the largest not-for-profit vision benefits and services company in the United States, VSP has a long-standing commitment to giving back to the community, having launched its first charity program, Sight for Students, more than 15 years ago. Today, VSP has three charity care programs that benefit both patients and doctors which include: Sight for Students, VSP Mobile Eyes and Eyes of Hope. Read more.

Big-Big Eyewear in China's Halls of Power

"Enter a Beijing eyeglasses shop, and you’ll invariably see a special case filled with thick, oversize spectacles. Salespeople refer to them as lingdao (leaders) glasses," reports Global Spin. "They are considered the preferred style of China’s political elite, who currently are gathered in Beijing for the National People’s Congress’s (NPC) annual confab, a largely symbolic exercise in which some 3,000 political deputies wave through legislation with little in the way of real debate. Lingdao eyewear, although not necessarily on the cutting edge of global fashion, can cost remarkable amounts of money. A version with 18-karat-gold frames, for example, runs for $13,000. Run-of-the-mill pairs, say Beijing salespeople, start at $1,000." Read more.

ClearVision Launches Consumer Website

ClearVision Optical launched a BCBGMAXAZRIA consumer optical website. The site is said to represent a step towards national-level engagement of its brands among consumers, while driving traffic into ECPs that carry the brand. To promote the site, BCBGMAXAZRIA will use a strategic social media campaign that will include a series of posts to Facebook and Twitter, e-blasts to BCBG consumers, and spotlights on Lubov Azria’s Bon Chic blog. Two interactive contests reportedly are planned.Read more.

Aggregator Promises to Make Shopping for CLs Easier

Similar to how Kayak.com has taken the legwork out of exploring airline flights and travel accommodations, Cheap Contact Lenses Online will direct a consumer to the definitive best deal on the web, says the company. And also like Kayak, it’s not only about finding the cheapest alternative, but reportedly also discovering the most affordable option for the finest and most recognized brand names available. Read more.

Soft CLs That Repair Themselves? Yeap, Well Maybe

"At some point in the future, ripped contact lenses may heal themselves, thanks to a new stretchy material that behaves like Velcro at the molecular level, bioengineers reported today," notes MSNBC. "For now, the so-called self-healing hydrogel only works in highly acidic environments, such as our stomachs, where it can be used as a medical suture or a high-tech drug delivery device." Read more.

Lacoste Releases 2012 DNA Brand

"For the Spring/Summer 2012 season, Lacoste Eyewear debuts a collection true to the brand DNA," reports EyeSurf. "The iconic Petit piqué print forms to the silhouette of uplifting cat eyes. Polished metal details are inlayed onto brows, strengthening a classic profile. The collection ranges from skilled craftsmanship displayed through layered materials and dual colorations to pure simplicity with striking shapes saturated in rich colors." Read more.

The Converses Chevron Returns

Converse released "the new Converse Star Chevron Eyewear Collection crafted for maximum impact with bold styling, riveting color contrasts and the Star Chevron graphic logo on the temple," according to EyeSurf. "Four new styles in three colors are sporting the new Star Chevron design concept, with temple tips and nose-pieces crafted in a comfort-grip rubber in courageous contrasting colors." Read more.

Appeals Court Upholds VSP Ruling

VSP Global(SM) today announced that On March 1, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the prior ruling of the California Federal Court which dismissed Aspex Eyewear's lawsuit against VSP Vision Care, said a VSP Global spokesperson.  With the case now dismissed, this ruling reaffirms the right of VSP to refuse to conduct business with companies who sue them, and in this case, Aspex Eyewear.  VSP reported that the Ninth Circuit Court affirmed the December 2010 ruling of the California Federal Court that dismissed Aspex's last surviving claim against VSP after Aspex conceded the dismissal of all of its earlier anti-trust and unfair competition claims that VSP successfully challenged as baseless.  Read more.

New Smart "CL" from UC-Davis

"The droplet goes in a flexible sandwich of the substance polydimethylsiloxane, or PDMS. The sensor acts as a variable electrical capacitor. When the sensor is pressed down, the sensing droplet is squeezed over conductive electrodes, increasing its capacitance," reports PhysOrg. "The sensor also could be used in 'smart gloves,' giving physicians an enhanced ability to measure the firmness of tissues and detect tumors, and in 'smart contact lenses,' to monitor intraocular pressure without affecting vision." Read more.

Hunger Improves Our Ability to See Food Words

"Our senses aren't just delivering a strict view of what's going on in the world; they're affected by what's going on in our heads. A new study finds that hungry people see food-related words more clearly than people who've just eaten. The study, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that this change in vision happens at the earliest, perceptual stages, before higher parts of the brain have a chance to change the messages coming from the eyes," according to the post on Medical News Today. "Psychologists have known for decades that what's going on inside our head affects our senses. For example, poorer children think coins are larger than they are, and hungry people think pictures of food are brighter. Rémi Radel of University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France, wanted to investigate how this happens - whether it's right away, as the brain receives signals from the eyes, or a little later, as the brain's higher-level thinking processes get involved." Read more.

Sunwear over the Past Six Decades

The National Post has a great poster about the sunwear styles during the past 60 years. See a copy here.

Designer Pays Homage to the Classics

Eyewear designer Marie Wilkinson talks to the National Post: "I think the economy of design and lack of ego of Mr. Cutler and Mr. Gross in terms of them not interfering with classic shapes in ways that might “date” a frame may account for the longevity of the designs. And when designing a frame, it’s important to think about shapes from past eras but then to immediately discard the literal shapes and work on the new shape afresh. Each season we “nudge” our clients into thinking about progressive new shapes: I think our clients seem ever hungry for more forward styles." Read more.

Transitions PR Campaign for Eye Health of Minorities Wins Award

Transitions Optical's "Meeting the Eye Health Needs of Culturally Diverse Groups" program won PRWeek Award for multicultural marketing campaign of the year. The company that created the campaign for Transitions was Euro RSCG Worldwide, and it has worked with Transitions Optical on multicultural outreach since 2006. The first initiative focused on the eye health needs of Latinos, then African Americans and Asian Americans. The initiative educates groups about their unique eye-health risks—and helps eyecare professionals do the same (and reinforces Transitions Optical's leadership in this cause). Read more.

Bausch and Lomb Expands PureVision 2 HD

"Bausch and Lomb has announced plans to expand its range of PureVision 2 HD For Astigmatism contact lenses with the addition of new powers," according to Zenopa. "Bausch and Lomb has announced plans to expand its range of PureVision 2 HD For Astigmatism contact lenses with the addition of new powers. The first wave of new lenses are being introduced this month, extending the sphere powers offered to plano to minus 9.00D and cylinder powers of minus 0.75D, minus 1.25D, minus 1.75D and minus 2.25D in ten-degree increments around the clock." Read more.

Eyes--the Windows to the Soul--Proved!

"The eyes are the window into the soul – or at least the mind, according to a new paper published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science," reports Midwest Lens. "Measuring the diameter of the pupil, the part of the eye that changes size to let in more light, can show what a person is paying attention to. Pupillometry, as it’s called, has been used in social psychology, clinical psychology, humans, animals, children, infants – and it should be used even more, the authors say." Read more.

The Evolution of Eyewear

Midwest Lens has an interesting chart about the history of eyewear--from the days of Emperor Nero through the Dark Ages to today.

Riff Collection Inspired the Line

"Inspired by famous saxophone and trumpet riffs in great jazz songs, the Riff Collection offers a modern take on retro standards, with a high bridge to create a more modern and European look and spring hinges for a comfortable fit," according to Midwest Lens. "Hubbard and Coltrane combine modern and retro design elements in perfect harmony." Read more.

Marc Jacobs Releases Spring 2012

The new eyewear collection from Marc Jacobs mixes retro charm with unique color combinations—pairing great shapes, pastel tones and pop hues for a modern statement. Oversized silhouettes sunglasses create a style statement. Color blocking enhances the geometric shapes, which have contrasting colors in multi-layer acetates. The new vintage-chic square optical frames come in candy colors, like the sweet tones of cyclamen/blue/white, lime/white/green and blue/azure/white, the soft shades of Havana brown/blue/white and black/dark tortoiseshell/Havana brown or the timeless tones of black and Havana brown.

OD Launches Online Eyewear

"Contemporary Vision Center has launched "ochiwear.com, an online retail prescription glasses website aimed at redefining accuracy, style and quality for the online eyewear industry," reports StLToday. "[The company has] also begun a model search for their ochiwear.com national marketing campaign. Founders, Dr. Traci Hahn and designer/artist, Andy Hahn, combined their passions for better eyecare, and fashion when opening Contemporary Vision Center. Now with Ochiwear, they have their sites on improving quality and accuracy of online prescription eyeglasses." Read more. 

Opticians Supporting World Book Day

"World Book Day celebrates authors, books and illustrators but, most significantly, it recognises the hugely important skill of reading. The benefits of being able to read are endless," according to the Daily Record. "Not only does it improve our spelling, vocabulary and memory, reading also helps us to communicate, use our imagination and understand different ways of life. Leading opticians Specsavers is a longstanding supporter of literacy, which is why it has chosen once again to support World Book Day." Read more.

Polaroid Donating to Sightsavers

To mark the company's 75th anniversary and the launch of the special Best Under the Sun Sunglass Collection, Polaroid Eyewear will collaborate with the global charity Sightsavers to help fund its work to restore sight and prevent blindness in children and adults living in some of the world's poorest countries. Available this spring/summer, Polaroid will donate a share of sales from every single pair of sunglasses sold in the 2012 Best Under the Sun Collection throughout the year to the organization. The money raised will help Sightsavers treat some of the 39 million blind people worldwide.

Acuvue Launches New 1-Day CL for Astigmatism

A quarter of a century after revolutionizing the contact lens industry with the introduction of the first disposable soft contact lens, the Vistakon Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., launched its 1-Day Acuvue Moist contact lenses for Astigmatism, a daily disposable soft toric contact lens for individuals with astigmatism. The lens features what the company is calling Blink Stabilized Design, to harness the pressures of a blinking eye to help keep the lens in place and quickly realign the lens if it rotates out of position.

Fendi's New 2012 Line of Eyewear and Sunwear

"This Spring/Summer 2012 season, Fendi Eyewear debuts a sun and optical collection that embodies the timeless and iconic design elements synonymous with the luxurious fashion house," according to Eye Surf. "The double “F” logo is inlayed onto rich zyl in unique form, whether on end pieces or repeating, layered onto triple laminate temples. Color blocking highlights beautiful frame shapes that are skillfully crafted from both custom zyl and polished metal. Sleek and unexpected, Fendi pushes expectations and reinterprets the Fendi “F” to create innovative temples, re-emphasizing the fashion forward philosophy of the legendary brand." Read more.

New Crizal Lenses Fight UV Light. Essilor Introduces a UV Rating System

Essilor has introduced Crizal UV lenses, reportedly offering the most advanced protection against damaging UV light. The Crizal UV lenses use a new anti-reflective coating on the backside of the lens which virtually eliminates UV light reflection into the eyes while maintaining the premium transparency of the lens, according to Essilor. 

Essilor also has initiated a new “Eye-Sun Protection Factor” (E-SPF), a rating system similar to the index used to rate skincare and sunscreen products’ efficiency. Values vary from 2 to a maximum of 25 for clear lenses and 50+ for tinted sun lenses. With an E-SPF of 25, Crizal UV lenses are the only ones to reach the maximum level of protection in the clear lens category and outperform other lenses on the marketplace, reports the company. Read more.