Snapchat launches video-capture sunglasses

Undeterred by the failure of Google Glass, Snapchat has decided to launch its own pair of glasses that can record video.

The picture and video messaging app is expected to release its Spectacles sunglasses in the US in time for Christmas, priced at about $130 (£100).

The glasses can record 10-second clips that can be sent via Bluetooth to smartphones. The camera has a wider lens than typical smartphones, with a 115 degree angle, and records circular video that is more akin to human vision.

The move could be seen as a response to the recent decision by the rival app Instagram to launch Stories – short videos similar to those that can be posted on Snapchat. Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Facebook, which owns Instagram, said recently: “We see a world that is video first, with video at the heart of all of our apps and service.”

Snapchat, which announced it was changing its name to Snap Inc, plans to roll out Spectacles slowly. Evan Spiegel, Snap’s chief executive, told the Wall Street Journal: “It’s about us figuring out if it fits into people’s lives and seeing how they like it.”

He tested a prototype while on holiday with his supermodel fiancee, Miranda Kerr. “It was our first vacation, and we went to Big Sur for a day or two. We were walking through the woods, stepping over logs, looking up at the beautiful trees. And when I got the footage back and watched it, I could see my own memory, through my own eyes. It was unbelievable,” he told the Journal.

“It’s one thing to see images of an experience you had, but it’s another thing to have an experience of the experience. It was the closest I’d ever come to feeling like I was there again.”

Wearable technology does not have an impressive track record so far. Google’s attempt, which delivered news, messages and calls directly to a user’s field of view, was arguably more sophisticated than Spectacles, and considerably more expensive at about £1,000.

Google stopped making Glass in January 2015, but said it remained committed to the idea of smart glasses. The device was on sale in the UK for little more than six months.

Five Reasons to Wear Sunglasses

They may be great fashion accessories but, more importantly, sunglasses are of extreme importance when it comes to maintaining good eye health.

Dr. Kerry Beebe, O.D., gives his patients two reasons – health and comfort — when explaining why they should wear sunglasses.

“From a health standpoint, you want to keep all ultraviolet light from getting into your eyes and onto the lids and the skin around them,” said Beebe, of the Brainerd Eye Care Center in Brainerd, Minn. “From a comfort standpoint, some people are very sensitive to brightness and glare. By cutting down brightness and glare, people will visually perform better and be more comfortable.”

Beebe said sunglasses protect the eyes from painful sunburns and may help slow down cataracts and macular degeneration. Also, the skin around the eyes, including the lids, is one of the most prone to skin cancer.

“So certainly protecting the skin around the eyes with UV-filtering sunglasses is a good way to prevent skin cancer in that area,” he said.

From a comfort standpoint, polarized lenses are the most effective lenses for blocking glare. However, they can be inhibitive to people playing outdoor sports like golf.

People should always look for sunglasses that block out 99 percent of ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays, said Beebe. Although buying sunglasses from a doctor’s office is the best guarantee of getting a pair of sunglasses that are effective in protecting eyes from ultraviolet rays, some low-cost sunglasses are now carrying optometric “seals of acceptance,” which guarantee their effectiveness.

“You don’t necessarily have to have the expensive glasses to block out UV rays,” Beebe said. “A lot of times the expense comes from the quality of the frames and the optics of the lens. Some lenses are optically ground and are much more distortion free than other glasses that have more of pressed lens where there may be more distortion.”

Reasons to Wear Sunglasses

1.) UV Protection. The sun's UV radiation can cause cataracts; benign growths on the eye's surface; and photokeratitis, sometimes called snow blindness, which is a temporary but painful sunburn of the eye's surface. Wide-brimmed hats and caps can block about 50 percent of UV radiation from the eyes but optometrists say that is not enough protection.

2.) Blue-Light Protection. Long-term exposure to the blue and violet portion of the solar spectrum has been implicated as a risk factor for macular degeneration, especially for individuals that are “sun sensitive.”

3.) Comfortable vision. The sun's brightness and glare interferes with comfortable vision and the ability to see clearly by causing people to squint and the eyes to water.

4.) Dark adaptation. Spending just two or three hours in bright sunlight can hamper the eyes' ability to adapt quickly to nighttime or indoor light levels. This can make driving at night after spending a day in the sun more hazardous.

5.) Skin Cancer. Cancer of the eyelids and skin around the eyes is more common than people think. People should wear sunglasses outdoors whether they are working, driving, participating in sports, taking a walk, running errands or doing anything in the sun.

Five Tips for Healthy Eyes

1.) Wear protective eyewear any time your eyes are exposed to UV light, even on cloudy days and during winter months.

2.) Look for quality sunglasses that offer good protection. Sunglasses should block out 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation and screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light.

3.) Check to make sure your sunglass lenses are perfectly matched in color and free of distortions and imperfections.

4.) Purchase gray-colored lenses. They reduce light intensity without altering the color of objects, providing the most natural color vision.

5.) Don’t forget protection for children and teenagers. They typically spend more time in the sun than adults.

Round sunglasses – the humblebrag shades

How did round sunglasses – the “Difficult Spice” of all sunglasses shapes – become the most worn types amongst celebrities? They are beloved by Gigi and Bella Hadid, while pony-tailed singer Ariana Grande wears a vintage Chanel pair in her new video. She called them her “favourite glasses in the world”.

Unlike the oversized shades so beloved by mid-noughties era the Olsens or the trusty aviators, the circular shape is notoriously difficult to pull off. The round glass shape does not complement all face shapes. My friend calls them the glasses equivalent of a #humblebrag. The queen bee message relayed by the wearer is loud and clear. They say: “Hey, I’m good-looking enough to pull them off!”

They have also, along with flower-crowns and anything that looks like a doilie, become a mainstay of #celebritiesatcoachella. Which links them back to their rise to prominence in the 60s (think Janis Joplin, hiding her insecurities behind her rock-star glasses or Mad Men’s Megan Draper, completing her beach-ready look with her curved shades) and their place in the rock pantheon (John Lennon, Prince, Kurt Cobain). Like the leather jacket, they are a signifier of rock-star grit without, you know, having to actually get dirty.

It makes sense that in 2016 – an era of bite-sized, collage-style curation – round sunglasses would make a comeback. They are a nod to self-loving, outlaw cool.

Fashion Trends: When did sunglasses become popular?

Although the Roman Emperor Nero wore polished gems when watching gladiator fights, the earliest reference of sunglasses as we know them came from the courts of 12th century China. There, smoky quartz lenses were used to shield the facial expressions of judges when they questioned witnesses. A similar style was seen in Italy in the 1400s - also used in court.

In the 1750s, James Asycough tested tinted lenses which he hoped would aid certain vision problems. Glare protection was still not a concern at this stage.

Towards the 20th century, sunglasses became more popular, especially amongst film stars who wore them to protect their eyes from bright stage lights.
This popularity was aided by Sam Foster who began production of cheap sunglasses in 1929. These cheaper glasses were popular with beachgoers in New Jersey.

Army Air Corps commissioned Bausch and Lomb to design an efficient spectacle that would protect pilots from high altitude glare.

In 1936, Edwin H Land began testing his patented Polaroid filter on sunglasses.
Sunglasses really gained popularity during World War II when Ray Bay started making Aviator style glasses. These became available to the public in 1937.

The 1960s 'Behind the Glass' Foster Grant campaign further introduced sunglasses to the public, portraying them as a chic, desirable accessory.

Welcome to the New School of Sunglasses

Sunglasses are underrated.

They really don't get the praise they deserve when it comes to their incredible ability to make or break any outfit. Ex: You could be wearing overalls and sneakers (read: a very casual outfit), but when you slip on a pair of square Célines, instantly, you look like the most powerful person in the world.

This, however, was not always the case (which is probably why you don't yet, fully, appreciate them).

While simultaneously dropping mad, up-to-date, sunglass knowledge on you, we're also going to contrast today's trendy styles with their less trendy counterparts of the past. (You're going to freak when you see Britney Spears' utterly-'90s aviators.) Time to scroll.

Sandra Bullock had it going on. Square sunglasses, like most styles of the ‘90s, had a lot of exposed metal. They were also incredibly light-weight and thin. Nowadays, especially if they're up to Kim Kardashian's standards, the more face they cover, the better—mystery is key.

Mirrored sunglasses are not a new concept (Exhibit A: Cher), but what is a new concept are all the cool shapes and styles the lenses now come in. Shay Mitchell found love in a round pair, but see the shopping picks below for more variety!

Britney is just so darn cute! Her orange lens-ed aviators were really cool and hip…at one point in time. The fashion world is now onto bigger and better things like the incredibly popular Dior ‘So Real' sunnies Olivia Palermo loves.

Sure, Renée Zellweger's pair are a bit sporty, but you get the idea. Again, the major difference is the size of the frames. Sienna Miller's sunnies also have small embellishments that take the feminine style to a cool-girl level.

Back in the day, the more color the better. Also, don't you love how Christina Aguilera matched her outfit to her sunglasses? Cate Blanchett represents a more current version and it's clear she wanted them to be a stand-alone statement (that all-black outfit says it all).