We posted comments of the TruFocals as sunglasses yesterday. After two months of use, we thought we would give our impressions of the variable-focus TruFocals as reading glasses today.
It took us about two days to get used to changing the focus on the TruFocals as the slider was a bit stiff. At first, it was a two-handed operation. Once the mechanism had loosen up some, we could do it with one hand. Now we don't even think about it when we work the slider from looking at the computer screen to reading a book to gazing out the window. Also, because of the wide field of view, it is GREAT to be able to read again without constantly having to move the head.
One thing we had to fiddle with a bit to get right were the arms. Since the front of the frame are heavier than the typical glasses, they tend to slide forward. It took a while to get the arms in just the right position where they were not too tight on the side of the head or pressing too hard on the back of the ear.
We were a little timid with cleaning the lenses at first as we didn't really know how durable they were, especially the flexible inner lens. We are happy to report that they are still scratch-free after two months of wear. It may be because we only use the microfiber cleaning cloth to wipe the lenses, or that we don't wear them to do yard work. Whatever the reason, it is a record for a pair of glasses in this office.
TruFocals have now been on sale for 14 months. During that time, they have been racking up some pretty serious awards and recognitions:
- TruFocals recently won the Silver medal in the prestigious Wall Street Journal 2010 Technology Innovation Awards.
- TruFocals have been certified by NASA for space flight. Four astronauts are planning to take these glasses to the International Space Station on the next shuttle flight (November).
The accolades and recognition brought TruFocals to the attention of George Lois. George is famous for numerous memorable advertising campaigns and he quickly convinced the TruFocals folks that they need to change their name if they want to establish their product in the market place.
George came up with a concept: “I used to have trouble seeing. Now I see the world in Superfocus”. So going forward, TruFocals will be know as Superfocus. There is no change to the glasses themselves, just a transition to a name that better represents what the glasses do.
To spread the word, there will be a new advertising campaign to convey the Big Idea behind the variable-focus glasses. George has recruited a diverse collection of celebrities in the arts and entertainment fields. People with credibility, who do not normally endorse products and who love these glasses:
- Penn Jillette (the magician and comedian of Penn&Teller);
- Rita Moreno (the movie actress);
- Joel Grey (the stage and movie actor);
- Judith Jamison (the artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater);
- Richard Meier (the world-renown architect).
Look for them and the new Superfocus video ads, but remember, you read about it first on RainyDayMagazine! [Permalink] -SuperFocus: FirstUse |
