Sunglasses

Variable neutral density (ND) filters are handy tools for photographers, in that their opacity can be adjusted simply by rotating them. So, why not use them for adjustable-tint sunglasses? Well, that's exactly what eyewear company Lombell has done.

In what might be described as a real-life Black Mirror episode, a Harvard student uses facial recognition with $379 Meta Ray-Ban 2 smart sunglasses - to dig up personal data on every face he sees in real time.

Eyewear company Chamelo has delivered a world first, with sunglasses that can change colour and transparency with a single finger tap. While this may feel like style over substance, this tech has the potential to stretch far beyond fashion.

Augmented reality eyewear is great for providing turn-by-turn navigational cues, but a lot of the goggles and visors have a kind of tech-nerdy vibe. Blucap Moto sunglasses are different, in that they won't make you look like a Sheldon Cooper wannabe.

Although you may not give much thought to the weight of your sports sunglasses, you likely would notice if they were exceptionally light. Adidas' new 3D-printed specs certainly fit the bill, as they reportedly tip the scales at a mere 20 grams.

While many people have bifocal everyday glasses, their sunglasses tend to be single-vision. The new 32ºN sunglasses, however, let users switch over to a "reading glasses" mode with a simple swipe of their finger.

Tech startup Ampere has smartened up the humble sunglasses with Dusk, a pair of shades that change tint on demand via a phone app or a button press. A deluxe model also packs built-in speakers and a microphone for making calls.

EyKuver has developed a new way of turning prescription eyeglasses into sunglasses. Its affordable, easily removable cling-on tinted film patches create temporary sunglasses to block harmful ultraviolet light.

If the smart specs already on the market aren't enough to get you excited, why not make your own? That's exactly what electrical engineer and product designer Sam March has done, with the help of a CNC router and some app coding.

Bose launched a new audio product in late 2018, in the shape of two pairs of sunglasses equipped with tiny speakers and a microphone. And clearly the company has had some success with them as three more flavors have now joined the Frames lineup.

Although we've seen devices such as wrist bands that warn of UV exposure, users still have to, you know … look at the things. Glatus sunglasses instead verbally notify you, plus they'll reportedly let you know if you're too drowsy to drive.

With an array of tiny speakers and a microphone built into the arms, Bose hopes its Frames sunglasses will begin life as a personal audio device, but soon start augmenting realities by layering useful snippets of sound over what the wearer sees in front of them.