Electronic Glasses Finding Their Way Into This Era

A distance meter adjusts the glycerine-based lenses in just 14 milliseconds.

They're not very pretty, but prototype eyeglasses from University of Utah scientists could make progressive lenses obsolete for older people. Using electronically activated lenses and infrared distance meters, they can focus automatically on whatever you're looking at, whether it's far or close up. Once perfected, the device could eliminate the need for multiple pairs of reading or driving glasses for folks with presbyopia or farsightedness.

Age-related far- or nearsightedness happens when the lenses in your eyes can no longer change focus between objects. As a result, many people between their 40s and 50s have to wear progressive-lens eyeglasses divided into small focal zones depending on object distance. One company called Deep Optics has pursued an auto-focusing solution using see-through liquid-crystal lenses, but is still working on a practical prototype. Google is also working on an auto-focus contact lens with Novartis, but recently said that it wouldn't be testing one anytime soon.

Faraday Future's first car secures over 64,000 reservations

FF-91

EV-maker Faraday Future says it has received 64,124 reservations for the car it unveiled at CES within 36 hours of the event. Sure, that's nowhere near the 232,000 pre-orders Tesla got for Model 3 in a day, but we're talking about company that has yet to release a product -- in fact, the model it presented at CES (an SUV called the FF 91) is its first car ever. Sadly, Faraday Future didn't say how many paid $5,000 for priority reservation and how many opted for the free standard option. That means we also can't say if it racked up enough money to keep going.

The electric-automaker was reportedly plagued by all kinds of money trouble last year, you see, from bills and rent to lawsuits. Things were so bad, various sources said it could shutter by February 2017 if it fails to raise funds after CES. The company would have made over $320 million if all 64,124 slots chose the priority option, but we somehow doubt everyone paid up, even if it is refundable. As Electrek said, the free reservation tier makes it hard to gauge how many people are actually interested in buying and how many merely signed up to keep an eye on new updates.

One thing's clear, though: FF 91 successfully piqued people's curiosity. Whether that will translate to sales, who knows. The flashy electric SUV is an all-wheel drive, has a 378-mile range and can go from 0 to 60 in 2.39. Faraday Future hasn't revealed how much one would cost you yet, but it plans to start production in 2018.