Mobile tech just solved a 28 year old problem
I've had an issue for 28 years. Actually, I've got plenty of issues, but this one has been lingering for 28 years. It's plagued me, bothered me, ticked me off and I just wanted it to go away. Today it has. See, I've been wearing glasses for 28 years. I did the contact lens thing for a few years, but basically, I'm a glasses kinda guy. And my eyes are pretty bad. I'm nearsighted, meaning I can't see far away, but to be honest, I really can't see things near me that well either. Therein lies the problem: how the heck can I tell what eyeglass frames look good on me? Truth is: I can't because the frames have clear glass in them, which obviously does nothing for my eyesight. I usually bring someone with some fashion sense with me, but today I couldn't. What to do, what to do......
The answer hit me while I was waiting to be helped. I had my XV 6700 Windows Mobile phone with me and it has a 1.3 Megapixel camera in it, right? I decided to snap pics of myself in potential frames, and then put my glasses on to view the actual pics. Heck, if I wanted to, I could have do a whole little fashion show and recorded a video!
So that solved the majority of my dilemma. Using the camera, I could take pics and then review them with my corrected vision. The other issue I had was getting a second opinion on my choices. Barb couldn't join me at the store, but once I had the pics, it was a simple matter of sending her the pics in an e-mail via the EV-DO connection. Sure enough: I got the thumbs up in about 3 minutes.
Never again will I agonize over picking out frames when I can't clearly see what they look like. Of course, maybe I should just buck up for the RK surgery, but that's another issue entirely. ;) By the way, this approach was so successful for me that I bought not one, but two pairs of glasses. James says they're ugly, but that's what us younger, hipper folk call "trendy".
I have used this to show people things I was looking at buying and asking their opinion. My Cell can do all of this as well and I have used it alot.
Posted by: gor | January 04, 2007 at 02:33 PM
Does the cartoon get new glasses too?
Posted by: Mark Polino | January 04, 2007 at 02:59 PM
Mark, he doesn't need them. He's still the same handsome devil he was when he was drawn last year. Of course, I say that as someone with very bad eyesight, so I could be seeing things. ;)
Posted by: Kevin C. Tofel | January 04, 2007 at 03:03 PM
Leaving tech aside, I solve my vision issues ;) by going through surgery. Never again have used glasses nor contact lens :)
Posted by: Jose | January 04, 2007 at 03:11 PM
Brilliant idea! My father has this kind of issue/problem and I usually choose frames for him (as a person with "with some fashion sense" :P ).
Posted by: prixus | January 04, 2007 at 05:12 PM
A big laser and a brilliant physician took care of my 29 yr-old problem (at least until I get to reading glasses age). Did it last year. I have a follow-up exam tomorrow.
Posted by: MiniMage | January 04, 2007 at 07:14 PM
Laser surgery scares me and contacts are a pain (literally and figuratively). So I'll stick with glasses too. But my frames aren't very stylish and haven't been updated in maybe 3-4 years. I only wear them when I want to see which is usually in the car or in front of the TV so I'm not too concerned with how bad I look.
Posted by: Dave Zatz | January 04, 2007 at 08:27 PM
I've had glasses since hitting 40. I solved my glasses problem a year ago without the surgery.
I wear contacts only at night when I sleep. These contacts reshape my eyeball overnite and I don't need glasses all day long.
Just use "the goggle" on Paragon CRT
Posted by: Skip Coghill | January 04, 2007 at 08:38 PM
Yeah, I wore glasses for 28 years, then contacts for 5 years, then had the LASIK surgery 5 years ago. Best thing I ever did. I was pretty nearsighted with stigmatisms in both eyes. Of course recently I had to now get reading glasses, but that is why I went from being a heavy PDA user to a Samsung Q1 user, for the larger screen. ;-)
Posted by: Helmut | January 05, 2007 at 08:10 AM
Kevin, RK is so 1990. LASIK is the way to go. The technology is very well established and reliable now. Your own physiology is all you really need to worry about with LASIK any more. If you have chronic dry eyes or have a corneal epithelium layer is prone to sloughing (scratches easily when you rub your eyes) they you might reconsider. But otherwise, go for it. You'll only have to worry about how odd you look without the glasses.
Posted by: Evan Easton | January 05, 2007 at 09:22 AM
Dude, you look like a totally different person in those specs! I almost didn't recognize you! But what do I know, I've recently been turned into a cartoon, as well, and my eyes are just dots. ;)
Posted by: Paul J Manoogian | January 05, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Wow, I could totally use that.
Posted by: Alslayer | January 05, 2007 at 11:59 AM
I have been using contacts since 3 years ago. And glasses since 20 years ago. I switched to day and night contact lenses about a month ago and I'm very very pleased.
Posted by: Ctitanic | January 05, 2007 at 12:06 PM
Kevin this has to be a rare occasion when the UK is ahead of the US.
From my experiences at Specsavers opticians in the UK, it's common practise to have an lcd screen that will let one take 4 photos of oneself wearing the glasses; it then displays the 4 photos at once, allowing one to view while using one's current glasses.
I'll admit it doesn't give one the option to send the shots anywhere, you definately scored with that option.
On the ugly topic, at least he didn't say you had a face for podcasting.
I normally use the camera when I see posters advertising events that I want to tell Cathy about.
Posted by: Philip Ferris | January 05, 2007 at 01:08 PM
Nice goggles dude!
You look really hip. Not like a geek at all!
Posted by: Perky Nerky | January 06, 2007 at 04:57 AM