trufocals
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NASA, now brought to you by Superfocus LLC (video)
In what reads like ad copy or a particularly prescient passage from Snow Crash, the Wall Street Journal says that the next Space Shuttle Discovery launch will feature two astronauts wearing "Superfocus" glasses. Not familiar with Superfocus? Then perhaps you'll recall these adjustable glasses by their old TruFocals moniker? Superfocus glasses consist of a conventional prescription lens and a second, flexible lens that changes shape by moving a slider on top of the bridge. A trick that solves focal length issues for veteran astronauts who can't change focus from far to near as a natural part of aging. Click through for the full video explanation of Superfocus by its inventor Navin R. Johnson Dr. Stephen Kurtin.
TruFocals make steampunk glasses a functional, expensive reality
Glasses with an adjustable focal length -- sounds so simple, somebody must have already done it, right? Well, yes, but earlier efforts have looked more like diving goggles than something you could, you know, wear in public. The Harry Potter-esque TruFocals, on the other hand, are (only just) acceptable looking and operate via the golden slider you see above. By tweaking translucent fluids between a pair of lenses for each eye, it alters the distance at which the specs focus, sort of like having your very own zoom function. The price for such flexibility is $895, which inventor Stephen Kurtin considers a sterling bargain, and we've got video of him after the break explaining just how awesomely revolutionary his product is.[Via CNET]
