How to look at the eclipse without damaging your eyes

This afternoon, millions of Americans will head outside to witness the total solar eclipse cutting across our country. Luckily, most people who have planned for this event have likely taken the necessary precautions by purchasing a pair of legitimate eclipse sunglasses. By doing so—and by wearing them properly—they’ve given themselves the best chance at avoiding a dangerous side effect to eclipse viewing: solar retinopathy.
                                               

           
This solar eclipse is pretty special, but that does not make it OK to look directly at the sun. No, not even this once. Never stare directly at the sun, even for the 2-3 minutes the moon is, for the most part, blocking it.

How is the sun so damaging? Well, we see images because photoreceptors, cells also known as rods and cones located at the back of the retina, convert the light into electrical impulses that the brain uses to determine the image we see. But when strong light, like the sun’s rays, hits our eyes, a series of chemical reactions occur that damage and often destroy these rods and cones. When this happens, which is known as solar retinopathy, our eyesight becomes blurry. Sometimes, if the damage is too great in one area, our vision can be completely impaired.

Along with your pupils shrinking, your eyes also have another defensive mechanism. When we look at something bright, we tend to blink our eyes, something known as the corneal or blink reflex. This also prevents us from staring at anything too damagingly bright. But during a solar eclipse, before it has reached totality, the moon is still partially blocking the sun. That means it’s blocking some of that intense light, and it’s a lot easier for us to look up at the sun without blinking. But that doesn’t mean you should. Even that tiny sliver of sunlight is too intense for our sensitive photoreceptors.
So if you do want to watch the eclipse with your own two eyes, wearing those special sunglasses is crucial as they block the sun’s rays enough, allowing you to see the eclipse and not burn your eyes out.

HOW TO NAIL THIS SEASONS LATEST SUNGLASSES TREND

Bigger is often seen as better, and the only way, when it comes to sunglasses but now a newer, smaller trend is turning heads on the streets and the runways  – and it is all too familiar. Cast your mind to the world of science-fiction and The Matrix, more specifically – Neo. His skinny-frame sunglasses are making a big splash in the fashion world.
                                               

The super-slim sunglasses were first spotted at Akris’ Spring/Summer show in 2016, and they soon became adored by street-style stars worldwide. Once Kendall Jenner was spotted donning Balenciaga’s take on Neo’s frames, it didn’t take long for other industry heads and celebs a like to start sporting the trend. How sun-smart they are is debatable, but slip, slop and slap with a hat and you can be flaunting the latest sunglasses trend.

Need some more inspo? Here’s our favourite pair and the well-known faces who make us adore the trend.

Sunglasses company District Vision has developed two new sunglasses styles specifically for athletes.

The two styles, Yukari Windshield and Nako Multisport, were put through a rigorous testing period that took into account different athletes’ eyewear requirements.

The result is two frames that will not only keep your eyes protected from things like wind, dust and UV rays, but will actually improve your training. The Windshield is designed with an extra-wide lens to enhance your peripheral vision, while the rounded top of the Nako Multisport extends the wearer’s upper field of view.

What’s more, they also look good. The sunglasses range from $199 to $219 and are available via District Vision’s store.

In other news, ASICS’s #IMoveLondon campaign reveals the secret to a healthy body and mind.

Kering Explains "Made In Italy" Mix-Up

KERING has denied any wrongdoing in the current case being brought against its Eyewear division by sunglasses boutique Selima Optique, which has accused the conglomerate of falsely labelling sunglasses with the prestigious “Made in Italy” stamp, when they have been - either in part, or wholly - made elsewhere.
                                               

A spokesperson today attributed the incident to a mistake made in its Veneto factory where all its luxury eyewear is made and where all its stamping is done. Eyewear from its Puma label (which is made in China and sometimes in Japan) was brought to the factory to be stamped "Made In China". While this was taking place, 19 pairs of sunglasses from Kering's luxury portfolio got mixed up and were stamped twice: Once "Made In China" and once "Made In Italy". These pairs were then sent to two wholesalers; 18 pairs to one (which the spokesperson declined to reveal) and one pair to Selima Optique. When the mistake was realised, Kering contacted both wholesalers, said the spokesperson, after which the one with the bulk of the stock is said to have understood, but Selima Optique chose to take legal action.

An official statement from the label said "Kering Eyewear denies all allegations made by Selima Optique, Inc. Kering Eyewear luxury products are made in Italy and are labelled in compliance with all applicable law."

Fashion and beauty trends from the late ’90s and early aughts are incredibly on trend right now, and we’re loving it. (Remember those halter tops that your mom wouldn’t let you wear back in the day? Well take that mom, we’re grown-ups now and we can halter top if we want to!)

Slip dresses, jellies, chokers, and metallic lip glosses were only the beginning. Bandanas, tube tops, and mini backpacks are back, and in case you haven’t noticed, the Lil’ Kim aesthetic is alive and well. Colorful hair? Pasties? Logo’d everything? Yeah, that sounds like the Queen Bee.

Microsoft is working on true holographic glasses

Microsoft has unveiled an augmented reality prototype which features true holographic capabilities.
                                             

The company is developing a device which uses laser light interference to display phase-only holograms.

The researchers are using a combination of GPU-accelerated algorithms and eye tracking to create a hologram display with a generation rate of 90Hz-260Hz.

Using real-time eye tracking, the prototype – which is shaped like a pair of glasses – can match image focus to eye focus, rendering areas of the hologram which the user’s eye is focussing on while blurring out unfocused areas.

The prototype also features vision correction, which can correct near and far-sightedness in addition to more complex problems such as astigmatism.

Microsoft said the form factor and displays of the prototype glasses were promising, but the computing is currently done using external drivers. This means significant challenges remain in creating a standalone, lightweight holographic device.

The paper comes a few weeks after Facebook talked about building AR glasses. Snap, which sells camera sunglasses for its Snapchat messaging app, has introduced AR software features, although it has not yet indicated it's working on proper AR glasses. Apple is also thought to be developing AR technology.

As a research endeavor, this new Microsoft hardware might not ever be mass-produced, although it does indicate some people inside the company are interested in exploring different shapes and sizes for its holographic technology.

Several Pairs Of ‘90s Sunglasses To Wear

It seems as though the days of oversized bug-eye sunglasses are behind us. Just scroll through Instagram and you'll begin to notice a trend — celebs are rocking smaller, nineties-inspired sunglasses, instead of the large shades of years past.

This isn't exactly surprising to me considering almost every trend from the nineties has made a triumphant return to the fashion zeitgeist over the last few years. There three basic characteristics that define this new wave of nineties-inspired sunglasses: They're small, they frequently feature colored lenses and they often have thick frames.

Just take the sunglasses worn by Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid recently. Bella rocked a pair of small oval Roberi & Fraud sunglasses while in Paris on Wednesday, and Gigi caught everyone's attention when she stepped out wearing small, red, cat-eye sunglasses while in New York City earlier this month. Kendall Jenner has also been spotted wearing small black oval sunglasses, which really rounds out the fashion model trifecta.

Perhaps one of the biggest proponents of the nineties sunglass trend is Selena Gomez, who has rocked several nineties-inspired sunnies for a variety of occasions. She's rocked an oval pair with red lenses, a slightly rectangular pair with ombre purple lenses, and a small black oval pair. Gomez is the queen of nineties sunnies.

Whether you opt for retro forms or more futuristic designs, colour is key to making your sunglasses stand out this spring.

This is the moment a cheeky octopus made off with a woman's £100 sunglasses after she dropped them in a rock pool.
Emma Solomon was walking at the north end of One Mile Beach in New South Wales, Australia on April 20 when she spotted the octopus and put her Ray-Bans in the pool to point the animal out.
The octopus took a liking to the shades and swiftly attached himself to one of the arms.