Comments on: NYT: Google's in talks with online cheap hipster glasses firm Warby Parker, for Google Glass http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:14:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: cooljames http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662958 cooljames Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662958 That's actually a really good price for prescription glasses of any sort. To keep the "let's criticize something" tone of this comment thread, buying glasses is hard. If you want cheap, you get the name of a designer on the temple. Usually, these designers would never stoop to sell $79 frames, but somehow BCBG or Perry Ellis or Gucci is irrevokably branded for all to see.  Anyway, outside of the Google Glass application, Warby Parker is doing it right. You go to their website and pick 5 frames that might work. WP sends you the 5 frames (without lenses) for an at-home try-on (the presentation of this is actually startlingly classy, when you get it in your home). Then, you pick one or more that you like and send the prescription. A week or so later, you have new glasses that you've already tried on and meet your prescription needs. Also, their customer service is great, and I'm a total dick about that sort of thing. Back on topic, $145 for prescription ANYTHING is a good price. Hipster or not, they do good work at Warby Parker. You're not going to find anything stylish (without the aforementioned gaudy branding) under $300 for frames + lenses. That’s actually a really good price for prescription glasses of any sort. To keep the “let’s criticize something” tone of this comment thread, buying glasses is hard. If you want cheap, you get the name of a designer on the temple. Usually, these designers would never stoop to sell $79 frames, but somehow BCBG or Perry Ellis or Gucci is irrevokably branded for all to see. 

Anyway, outside of the Google Glass application, Warby Parker is doing it right. You go to their website and pick 5 frames that might work. WP sends you the 5 frames (without lenses) for an at-home try-on (the presentation of this is actually startlingly classy, when you get it in your home). Then, you pick one or more that you like and send the prescription. A week or so later, you have new glasses that you’ve already tried on and meet your prescription needs. Also, their customer service is great, and I’m a total dick about that sort of thing.

Back on topic, $145 for prescription ANYTHING is a good price. Hipster or not, they do good work at Warby Parker. You’re not going to find anything stylish (without the aforementioned gaudy branding) under $300 for frames + lenses.

]]> By: the_steve http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662869 the_steve Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662869 Oh, did the optician at the dollar tree step her game up? Last time I went in there, the prescription sunglasses she sold me were TERRIBLE. Oh, did the optician at the dollar tree step her game up? Last time I went in there, the prescription sunglasses she sold me were TERRIBLE.

]]> By: Albert Tallman http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662761 Albert Tallman Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662761 Calling ~$145 sunglasses "cheap" is just totally crazy. Calling ~$145 sunglasses “cheap” is just totally crazy.

]]> By: hugh crawford http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662527 hugh crawford Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662527 "cheap hipster glasses" ? How about neither gratuitously ugly nor gratuitously overpriced?  They look to me like what generic glasses would look like if you had to draw glasses on a cartoon duck in a hurry. Sort of what would make the fashion statement "yes I don't have perfect vision, make a big deal about it and I'll sue your pants off under the ADA and tattoo my name on your ass because my cousin is a lawyer and my mom owns a tattoo shop" They don't look particularly hipster to me, but I would love to shop at the eye-ware of third world dictators and Hollywood lawyers store. “cheap hipster glasses” ?

How about neither gratuitously ugly nor gratuitously overpriced? 

They look to me like what generic glasses would look like if you had to draw glasses on a cartoon duck in a hurry. Sort of what would make the fashion statement “yes I don’t have perfect vision, make a big deal about it and I’ll sue your pants off under the ADA and tattoo my name on your ass because my cousin is a lawyer and my mom owns a tattoo shop”

They don’t look particularly hipster to me, but I would love to shop at the eye-ware of third world dictators and Hollywood lawyers store.

]]> By: Daneel http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662521 Daneel Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662521 Meh. I wanna see what Vertu Glass come up with. Meh. I wanna see what Vertu Glass come up with.

]]> By: Ladyfingers http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662425 Ladyfingers Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662425  Mark My Words: the next hipster fad will be polio calipers and boots.  Mark My Words: the next hipster fad will be polio calipers and boots.

]]> By: Dlo Burns http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662406 Dlo Burns Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662406 I'm actually surprised they aren't in talks with Luxottica. No they probably are. I’m actually surprised they aren’t in talks with Luxottica.

No they probably are.

]]> By: Dlo Burns http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662404 Dlo Burns Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662404 What drives me nuts are lens-less frames.One time I was at a music festival and saw a girl reach through the glasses to rub her eye. They just feel like a mockery of a minor disability.  What drives me nuts are lens-less frames.One time I was at a music festival and saw a girl reach through the glasses to rub her eye.

They just feel like a mockery of a minor disability. 

]]> By: pjcamp http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662376 pjcamp Fri, 22 Feb 2013 02:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662376  No, they won't. Who do you think you are, trying to avoid contact lenses?  No, they won’t. Who do you think you are, trying to avoid contact lenses?

]]> By: Taniwha http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662291 Taniwha Fri, 22 Feb 2013 01:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662291 so I'm guessing they won't be selling glasses with HUDs that work with bifocals/progressives any time soon (hint the HUD has to appear in the BOTTOM of the glasses, not the top) so I’m guessing they won’t be selling glasses with HUDs that work with bifocals/progressives any time soon (hint the HUD has to appear in the BOTTOM of the glasses, not the top)

]]> By: Ladyfingers http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662290 Ladyfingers Fri, 22 Feb 2013 01:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662290 The only reason chunky specs are an object of ridicule now is because they're a thoroughly overdone affectation. The only reason chunky specs are an object of ridicule now is because they’re a thoroughly overdone affectation.

]]> By: Jack Thompson http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662279 Jack Thompson Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662279 Let me get this straight: Google, the home of the kings of the nerds, is in talks with a company that makes nerd-frames, to take said frames and integrate an array of sensors and a HUD into them. Google is taking an object of ridicule and making them empowering? Do I have that right? Because that sounds like it has the potential to be amazing. Let me get this straight:

Google, the home of the kings of the nerds, is in talks with a company that makes nerd-frames, to take said frames and integrate an array of sensors and a HUD into them.

Google is taking an object of ridicule and making them empowering? Do I have that right? Because that sounds like it has the potential to be amazing.

]]> By: Dr. Chronobiologist http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662255 Dr. Chronobiologist Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662255 <a href="http://www.warbyparker.com/men/optical/clement-brushed-silver-m" rel="nofollow">This</a> but a bit more rectangular to maximize HUD screen size. This but a bit more rectangular to maximize HUD screen size.

]]> By: oschene http://boingboing.net/2013/02/21/nyt-googles-in-talks-with-o.html#comment-1662225 oschene Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=214601#comment-1662225 Warbaby? Warbaby?

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