goggles

Flying your Bell Ranger in a ball cap is something of a fashion statement. But it lacks that iconic, ant-head panache that until recently only military pilots wearing restricted, government-use-only night vision-equipped helmets could pull off.

The NVAG-6 Night Vision Goggles change all that. They're the first night vision goggle certified by the FAA for civilian use, according to manufacturer Nivisys. Of course, looks are not what will sell this gear. It's the safety margin they can potentially add to low-light and nighttime flying (PDF).

"This is a historical moment for civil aviator night vision safety. Nivisys … Read more

One of my grandmothers swears by cutting onions under running water. The other recommends lighting a candle with a scent heavy enough to overwhelm onion vapors. Neither trick--or any other old wives' tale, for that matter--has prevented me from tearing up whenever I'm slicing onions. But RSVP's Onion Goggles seem to do the job, without resorting to any unusual tricks.

Goggles and contact lenses have been proven fairly effective in reducing or preventing tears while you cut onions. The Onion Goggles use a comfortable foam to create a seal that protects your eyes from onion vapors, along with … Read more

I know those little Google search ads are supposed to be terribly clever.

And I realize that Google has lots of other highly interesting services, none of which come to my mind just this minute because, well, I seem to have done without them until now. They don't move me. They don't make me think "oh, what a fabulous little invention."

Then I heard about GMail Goggles. So brilliant and yet so wonderfully, non-mathematically human.

Someone at Google clearly came into work one morning and said: "You know that girl I met in a bar … Read more

Just a quick post to mention a silly (or is it?) experiment that Google has released to the public: Mail Goggles. This feature is designed to prevent you from sending stupid e-mails in the small hours, when you're most likely to be inebriated and at risk of making a complete idiot of yourself.

When enabled, Mail Goggles kicks in at the time you specify (default is between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday), and throws five math problems up on the screen when you press "send." You have a limited period of … Read more

Maybe this is what Oakley had in mind before its sudden lapse in creating the "Medusa Hat."

Von Zipper's "Feenom Goggles" and headphone earmuffs may not score fashion points, but at least they don't look post-apocalyptic. They're also more functional than the Medusa ensemble, especially if you're on the ski slopes.

The whole Feenom set is geared toward active types, according to Book of Joe, with an "articulated helmet hinge" on the goggles and "large fluffy earmuff headphones" meant to stay put in mid-shred. We have no idea … Read more

Underwater cameras are nothing new. Many cameras can accept waterproof casings for wet shooting, and the Olympus Stylus 790SW and Pentax Optio W30 can take a solid dunking without any armor. Still, until now I haven't seen an underwater camera you can strap to your face.

Liquid Image has revealed the Underwater Digital Camera Mask, a strange hybrid of bulky swim goggles and a waterproof point-and-shoot camera. It comes in 3- and 5-megapixel flavors, both offering 16 MB of onboard memory and 18-25 fps variable rate VGA video. It runs on two AAA batteries, and accepts microSD memory cards … Read more

It's such a common problem: There you are, wearing your best pair of night-vision goggles, and you can't see the damn keyboard. What's a clandestine operative to do?

iKey claims to have the answer with a LED keyboard that it says is "compatible with NV goggles, featuring filters that remove unwanted light interference" such as halo glows, according to Ubergizmo. It's kind of a version of Stacco Switch's rugged M779 that provides the necessary discretion you won't get with an LED piano lamp. Unfortunately for amateur spies, it seems to be aimed … Read more

Look, here is something we all need: "high-definition" swim goggles, for $24. With these, you can either stalk your underwater prey (insert Jaws music here) or at least just prevent yourself from smacking into the sides of the pool because you can't see a darned thing.

Apparently, they've been tested for "comfort, visibility, fit, and adjustability," which means they probably break easily if you don't treat them absolutely right. They're fog-resistant, UV-protective (UV rays underwater? Guess you learn a new thing every day) and filter blue light so that your submarine vision … Read more

You'd think catching movie pirates would be as easy as preventing anyone with a camcorder from entering a movie theater. Or throwing a net over Johnny Depp's house.

Instead, Malaysian theater workers are employing a high-tech strategy. According to a Reuters report, the Motion Picture Association is training Malaysian theater workers to strap on night-vision goggles to catch pirates in the act of filming.

And it's working. In the past two months, 17 illegal movie-tapers have been caught by begoggled Malaysian ushers.

Could New York City be the next test bed for the night-vision goggle probe? According … Read more