As many skiers and snowboarders know, two pairs of goggles are a necessity. Yellow lenses for snow and clouds and purple lenses for the sun. However, skiing with an extra pair of goggles isn't the most convenient. Changing goggles on the slope makes the lenses fog up and the goggles can get scratched or broken inside a pocket.
The good news is several attempts to improve all-occasion goggles are hitting the market. Almost every major brand has a new model out or in the works promising one pair of goggles for many conditions -- whether it's a "system" for switching lenses, a battery-operated goggle whose lenses change color via a push button, or an automatically adjusting lens. Some cost as much as $250.
Smith Optics's, www.smithoptics.com, newest offering, I/O, which hit stores this season, has two different-colored spherical lenses that snap into the top of the frame and slide under the nose and retails for about $160. The Uvision Pro Multi-Lens from Uvex Sports, www.uvexsports.com, has lenses that fit into a nylon pod, which fits into the goggles and retails for about $130.
Slated for fall release, Uvex's Magic are upgraded battery-operated goggles that adapt to changing light with a push button. The lenses are like Venetian blinds: When the goggles are "off," dyed liquid crystals in the lens align perpendicular to the surface, letting light through with a soft tint. When they are "on," a charge snaps the crystals into a spiral pattern that blocks light. They cost about $210 and can be worn over eyeglasses.
Scott USA, www.scottusa.com, introduced Natural Light lenses which use different colors to filter the light, creating goggles that adjust automatically. (The lens doesn't actually change; it just performs over a broad range of light.) And Zeal Optics, www.zealoptics.com, new Detonator goggles feature "photochromatic" lenses -- similar to what are used on sunglasses -- which adjust by themselves to a change in light within 30 seconds (the lens changes color depending on the ultraviolet-light levels). These goggles retail for about $200.
If fashion doesn't prevent you from trying different goggles, these might be worth a try.
Picture a soccer game that you can download and then play
with other people all over the world. You can hone your playing skills on the
practice field, or join a pick-up game with friends and fellow soccer fans all
across the globe. With the launch of HomeTownSoccer, soccer enthusiasts from around the world can now indulge in online soccer games.
