OpticsPlanet.com Blog

Labels: brilliance awards

As it is once again October I thought it best to remind everyone that it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A number of great organizations and charities increase their efforts to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness programs. Awareness is especially important, as even with all the advancements in the treatment of this deadly disease, the best way to keep yourself safe is to be vigilant with early detection. Decades after it was first used as a means of detecting cancer, mammography still saves more lives from breast cancer than anything else.

As awareness is so important in saving lives, many organizations, even those with no overt connection to cancer research, lend their support every October. For instance, the NFL has added pink to their colors for the month, both on player uniforms and on official merchandise. If those big tough guys can wear a bit of pink, so can you.

If you want to add a little pink to your gear setup while also getting a great flashlight that supports a Breast Cancer Charity, check out the Streamlight Pink Nano Light with White LED Flashlight.

While many companies talk about their support for Breast Cancer Organizations, Streamlight has put their money where their mouth is with the Pink Nano Light. For each Nano Light sold Streamlight will donate $1 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which is a fantastic organization geared toward raising awareness and money for research.

The Pink Nano Flashlight weighs only .36 oz. and measures 1.47" long, but it also has a long-lasting and powerful LED that provides 10 lumens of light. The 4 included alkaline button cell batteries will last for up to 8 hours. With the Nano light you have a fantastic flashlight that's perfect for a keychain, purse or pocket!

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is one of the top breast cancer charities because it is focused on putting every dime of the donations toward research and awareness. So many charities have a ton of overhead that eats away at donations, but 90 cents out of every dollar donated to the BCRF goes directly to breast cancer research. Over their nearly 20 year history, the BCRF has donated over $330 million, which has gone toward researching genetic factors in contracting breast cancer, new early detection methods such as MRIs for women with a higher than average risk, and numerous treatment options, from health initiatives (women with a normal body weight are more likely to survive than those over or under weight) to new drug programs.

The BCRF understands that there may never be a single "cure" for breast cancer, as there are so many forms it can take, but by advancing the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of breast cancer they hope to see a day where as few people pass away from the disease as possible.

Show your support for the wonderful women in your life this October by purchasing a Streamlight Pink Nano Light for yourself, and maybe one for that special lady too.

Labels: breast cancer awareness, streamlight, streamlight keychain flashlight

We are always trying to add cool new styles of eyewear to our inventory here at OpticsPlanet. We have great sunglasses and eyeglasses from top brands such as Ray-Ban, Serengeti, Prada, Versace and more that will keep your eyes safe from harmful UV rays and give you a little extra style. But if there's any one advancement in eyewear technology in recent years that has gotten more attention than any other it is 3D glasses.

It was the end of 2009 that Avatar hit theaters and changed the Hollywood landscape forever. As the highest grossing film of all time, Avatar proved that the higher ticket prices for 3D movies would not scare away the public, and a whole new way to make money from movies was discovered. More recently Disney re-released The Lion King in theaters in 3D. The film has made an additional $80 million dollars over it's already massive box office numbers from when it was first released. You can be sure that Disney is going to be releasing more of their classic films in 3D in the future.

But, as many of you know, 3D isn't just for movie theaters. Advancements in HDTVs has brought the immersive experience home as well, and the prices on high definition 3D televisions has come down significantly over the last few years. If you want to really save some big bucks on a new HDTV, you should head over to Dvor, our member's only store, where we have new sales events every day on a wide variety of products, including television sets.

There's a lot that goes into viewing 3D at home. You need a 3D enabled television and either a compatible blu-ray player and some blu-ray movies, or the correct cable or satellite setup to watch live TV in 3D. I've seen a handful of different types of programming in 3D, and I have to say that nature shows (especially with sharks!) and sporting events are my favorite thing to watch. Tennis is probably my favorite 3D sport, as the camera angles for the 3D feed are lower and give you a far greater sense of the speed of the ball.

But even when you get your 3D HDTV, you'll need glasses to enjoy the new experience. Most TVs only come with one or two pairs of 3D glasses, if any at all, so you'll likely need to pick up a few extra pairs. It's important to know what kind of 3D glasses you'll need, as there are two main types for modern 3D. Gone are the days of the red and blue lenses. You'll want either Passive Polarized 3D Glasses or Active Shutter 3D glasses. The Active Shutter style are more expensive and heavier, but they tend to give a clearer, brighter picture. The weight makes them difficult to wear for long periods of time though, so many people choose the more common, cheaper and lighter weight Passive Polarized 3D Glasses.

We currently have 3D Polarized Glasses from two top brands: Polaroid and Cocoons. The way they work is through variations in polarization from the left to right lens, so that only certain light waves will reach they eye. The difference in light creates the illusion of 3 dimensions.

First take a look at the Polaroid 3D glasses. Their options are designed for both home use and if you want to take along your own pair of glasses to the theater. I personally think it's a good idea to bring your own, as you can be sure that your pair are clean, clear, comfortable, and (really important) look cool. That's a big factor with the 3D glasses by Polaroid. They feature a style very similar to some of the latest fashions today! Check out the Polaroid Coolio Passive 3D Glasses. They feature Passive Polarized 3D technology, but the frames are so cool you'd be tempted to wear them at the beach! The Polaroid Celeb 3D glasses are also trendy, but they have larger, curved lenses for greater viewing area, so you can turn your head a bit more without affecting the 3D view.

But I know a lot of you wear eyeglasses. I do too! It can be tough to find a good pair of 3D glasses that will fit over your glasses. That's where Cocoons 3D Glasses come in handy. As the name "Cocoons" implies, their eyewear is designed to cover your glasses completely and comfortably. There are a few different styles available, with some better at covering larger glasses frames and others better for smaller frames. Regardless of the type you choose, you'll still have a high performing option with a sweet style. The Cocoons Wide Line 3D Polarized Glasses are my personal favorite, as they look cool and are super lightweight and comfortable.

It is also important to note is that 3D technology is still improving. As some people have complained about eye strain while watching 3D movies, new advancements are being made to deal with this issue. Some upcoming 3D films, including the two new Hobbit films, are going to be shot at 64fps, which is twice as fast as traditional film cameras. New digital cameras and better techniques will no doubt greatly improve the clarity, brightness and sharpness of the image for 3D films, and this will transfer to home viewing as well.

There have also been advancements in 3D viewing that can be achieved without glasses, which is definitely an exciting prospect, although at present the viewer has to be located at a very specific distance and height to enjoy the 3D experience. No doubt this could be the wave of the future, but it seems to be at least a few years off at present, and it will likely not be very common for at least the next five to ten years.

For now, if you want to enjoy the incredibly immersive and fun experience of 3D, make sure to pick up a couple pairs of 3D Glasses so you and your friends and family can partake in the wonderment!

And for more news and reviews head over to GearExpert.com. We just launched the site and will have some great information there soon on everything from rifle scopes, binoculars, and red dot sights to 3D glasses, rangefinders and more! Check it out!

Labels: 3D glasses, hdtv