FROM THE house of Nikon have come electric
spectacles that are battery-operated and change 0
from dark to light and
back again at the touch of a button in less than
10 seconds. In contrast, the better
known photochromatic lenses can
take up to an hour to turn clear on
coming indoors.
The batteries are hidden next to
the hinges of the spectacles beneath
switches. The switch on the right is
used to turn the lenses dark, while
that on the left clears them.
However, there are drawbacks.
For one, the spectacles cost a prohibitive $416 for a pair. For another,
it is available only in three styles,
and that too for men. The third, and
perhaps the greatest, shortcoming is
that the spectacles are available only
with non-prescription lenses, which can be mass-produced; prescription
lenses have to be made to order.
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