(Source: The Roanoke Times)
By The Roanoke Times, Va.
Jan. 9--Where can we get those peepers?
Talk about eye candy: An intriguing story made the rounds this week about PixelOptics. The Roanoke County firm is on the verge of marketing the first electronic eyewear with a lens that will automatically adjust for seeing near, far and, best of all, in between.
The solution for one of the common frustrations of aging could be on the market later this year. Sure, there are already low-tech bifocals and trifocals, and even progressive lenses that transition from close and distance vision. But each comes with distortion and adjustment issues that leave wearers searching for the sweet spot. For some, it's just too much to get used to.
PixelOptics has been working for more than a decade on eVision to develop a lens that does all the work.
One drawback: As with any electronic gadget, the hidden battery will need to be recharged. Plugging in glasses will take some getting used to, but if they perform as billed, it will be worth the effort.
A portrait with a different view
The official portrait of Virginia's 70th governor is a welcome departure from somber portrayals of the men who preceded him. Gov. Tim Kaine is shown outside with the James River in the background. With the magnificent scenery that graces the state's landscape, it is a wonder that this would be the first outdoor portrait of a Virginia governor.
In the painting, artist Stephen Craighead depicted Kaine in a white shirt and tie, but without his jacket. He's wearing something else, though, that most governors have shunned -- a smile. Craighead captured well the optimism of Kaine in a setting most appropriate for a governor whose legacy to Virginians includes 400,000 acres that will remain forever untouched by development.
A connection well made
The latest segment of the Roanoke River Greenway, at 600 feet, is a small package that will yield big things. As Steve Buschor, director of Roanoke's parks and recreation department said, "It's not the greatest or the longest piece ... but it's very important."
That it is.
The section that opened this week will allow users seamless travel from the two-mile stretch from Wasena Park through Hamilton Terrace and onto the three-mile section to the sewage treatment plant. The linkage is a complicated piece that travels under three bridges and over a creek and several utilities. With its opening, greenway users will have a safer passage as they will no longer need to spill out onto a busy street.
Now, if the weather would just allow us to try it out.
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