Posted 07.30.2009 at 2:17 pm
12 Comments
Wink Glasses
Technology has replaced conscious memory in so many aspects of our lives, reminding us of our appointments or alerting us when our oil needs changing. But reminding us to blink? One Japanese company has developed a pair of glasses that does exactly that.
Developed by Japan's Masunaga Optical Manufacturing, Wink Glasses remind computer users to blink every so often to avoid eye strain. A sensor detects how long you go without blinking; after five seconds of staring blankly into the screen, the right lens fogs, obscuring your vision until you blink again. The glasses hold an eight hour charge, and even plug into a USB outlet for extra juice during those marathon WoW session.
Of course, at $150, Wink Glasses qualify as an investment. But until someone invents a device to remind you to quit playing computer games and go get a girlfriend, what else are you going to spend your money on?
Want the latest news on grown-up toys and gadgets, product reviews, sneak peeks, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!
12 Comments
To comment, please Login.
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 2013: American Energy Independence
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.
Popular on Popsci
Most Commented
Gadgets
- Xbox One Is The First Games Console For People Who Don't Like Games
- Xbox One: Here's What We Know About Microsoft's New Console
- Drone-Vision Rifle Goes On Sale For $22K
- What We Know (And Think We Know) About The New Xbox
- The First Round Of Apps For Google Glass Is Here
- Headset Zaps Video Gamers' Brains For Better Reflexes
- Google Should Include A Self-Destruct Button On Every Android Phone
- Internet-Enabled Laser Pointer Lets You Play With Your Pet From Anywhere In The World
- The World's Largest Lego Sculpture: A Life-Size X-Wing Fighter
- The World's Smallest Arcade
Most Emailed
Gadgets
- The World's Largest Lego Sculpture: A Life-Size X-Wing Fighter
- Headset Zaps Video Gamers' Brains For Better Reflexes
- The World's Smallest Arcade
- Xbox One Is The First Games Console For People Who Don't Like Games
- Xbox One: Here's What We Know About Microsoft's New Console
- What We Know (And Think We Know) About The New Xbox
- Drone-Vision Rifle Goes On Sale For $22K
- Internet-Enabled Laser Pointer Lets You Play With Your Pet From Anywhere In The World
- The First Round Of Apps For Google Glass Is Here
- Google Should Include A Self-Destruct Button On Every Android Phone
Most Viewed
Gadgets
- The World's Largest Lego Sculpture: A Life-Size X-Wing Fighter
- Headset Zaps Video Gamers' Brains For Better Reflexes
- The World's Smallest Arcade
- Xbox One Is The First Games Console For People Who Don't Like Games
- Xbox One: Here's What We Know About Microsoft's New Console
- What We Know (And Think We Know) About The New Xbox
- Drone-Vision Rifle Goes On Sale For $22K
- Internet-Enabled Laser Pointer Lets You Play With Your Pet From Anywhere In The World
- The First Round Of Apps For Google Glass Is Here
- Google Should Include A Self-Destruct Button On Every Android Phone
Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email
Today on PopSci.com
Copyright © 2012 Popular Science
A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
i should get some.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEUWrj7SyPk
I forget to blink sometimes when I'm reading. I think this is a bigger problem than your making it out to be, I know several people at school with similar issues. I hope I'm not being too racist but I think this effects my Asian friends more than the white friends. Personally I think its because were in a desert and they spent 20,000 years evolving in a more humid climate where your eyes can't dry out so easily. My Korean girlfriend is always putting in eye drops saying her eyes are dry, I suppose it could just be allergies though.
We need a report user//comment button for people like ultimatenerd22.
I think the Wink Glasses can help the general population with this kind of problem.
dordor77@netvision.net.il
Well i guess robots are really getting more intelligent than humans, i mean who would have ever thought you'd need a reminder to blink?! Wow
pretty lame.
what the article, or the company should open up with is that damage to our body is cumulative; and eye surgery advances aside, the best option for those of us who have to spend long periods in this harsh environment does not have to involve damaging ourselves. When they get marketing up, and maybe a little lighter on price, I will be buying them for me and mine. I can see these sold to schools now. Excellent product, and I'm wondering how I can make a program for my GUI to approximate this.
Price still some expensive, but if its good for the eyes, maybe I will buy it, I know that a site had a similar glasses http://www.firmoo.com/
I must of blinked a hundred times while reading this. Kind of makes you self-conscious.
Oh please! What next? Is this really necessary? Do people require reminding to blink due to the excess use of computing? I am amazed, again, today.
www.optegra.com
Wouldn't it be really annoying if the right lens of your glasses fogged up every 5 seconds? Remembering to blink is a nice idea, but that sounds kind of irritating.
When I was a kid we used to play the stare game; two players staring into the other's eye maintaining a no blink stance until the weakling blinked and lost to the un-blinking winner. Now years later you want me to blink more?