20/20

Trends/Technology

July 2020 Trends/Technology

Teleoptometry – What Do Patients Think?

When teleoptometry debuted in 2015, it was met with considerable skepticism. Many wondered if it was a threat to optometrists and their patients.
September 2018 Trends/Technology

Glaciers, Alaska and Opticianry

Have you ever been to Alaska? Do you live there? If so, you know the beauty and splendor of America’s largest and 49th state. We all learned in grade school that Alaska is the largest state of the union, larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined!
August 2018 Trends/Technology

A Guaranteed Game Changer

It’s not often that a technological innovation comes along that stands to potentially change the face of the optical industry: Nosepads; PALs; spring hinges. Each answered an extant demand, and, in the process, forever altered the way glasses are made, sold, and worn. In my years of selling, I wondered myself what it was like to have been around to witness such radical new developments. Now, I know.
June 2018 Trends/Technology

Lens Design Computing at American Optical – a Personal Reflection, Part 2

In Part 1, I reviewed equipment used in lens computing from the 1911 Comptometer to the 1970s teletype. Here, I’ll tell you about the rapid changes in computing from the 1970s into the late 20th century. As an Engineer, I recall in the late 1970s being pleased to have a TI 99 desktop Calculator at my disposal. It was a powerful scientific calculator, but was memorable because it included a programmable magnetic strip. This permitted lens design/power calculation programs to be read into the calculator and subsequently executed. It was handy to have and helped as it was something engineers could bring to and use in offices and on the shop floor. The magnetic strip allowed programs to run calculations where prompting for variable input was possible.

August 2016 Eyewear

Go Back to School…Vegas Style

Vision Expo is right around the corner. Hopefully you’ve already made your travel plans. Next on the agenda is your strategy. What do you want to accomplish while you’re there? From courses to the exhibit hall, events to parties, and let’s not forget the night life, a few days in Vegas may feel like a whirlwind. Take full advantage of the many opportunities by planning ahead: register for classes, note which companies you want to see, and schedule appointments when possible.

July 2016 Trends/Technology

Leaving Lab Vegas

Last year, I took a job at a branch lab of a nationally known lens manufacturing company, working in a small, regional finishing lab built near my house. At the time, I felt I’d reached the highest level I could at the dispensary where I’d been working as an optician and optometric assistant since early 2012.