Page 5 Amazon Alexa-Powered Smart Glasses Unveiled at CES 2018 By Daniel Feldman Vuzix, a longtime wearables maker, is releasing augmented-reality glasses that respond to Amazon Alexa voice commands. Alexa software is going where no other voice assistant has gone before: eyewear. Amazon is partnering with wearables maker Vuzix Corp. to release a pair of augmented-reality smart glasses that respond to commands from Alexa. Vuzix said they won’t become available until the fiscal second quarter. The $1,000 glasses are targeted to enterprise and “prosumer users,” the company said. The glasses, dubbed the Vuzix Blade, can display certain information, like maps or sports scores, via voice command through Alexa. The Vuzix Blade can also receive phone calls and have a built-in camera, microphone and touchpad mounted to on the side of the glasses. Consumers have to be Amazon customers in order to use the Alexa function while wearing the Vuzix glasses. This article appeared on The Optical Vision Site With all the bad news we are inundated with that everything we like to eat is bad for us, it’s nice to get some good news every now and then that something we like actually has some health benefits. The best news in that arena we’ve heard in quite some time came from a recent article published in JAMA Ophthalmology recently, found that dark chocolate might boost the clarity and sharpness of our vision. The researchers found that those who ate dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate scored higher in vision tests for improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, particularly small letter sensitivity. Eating dark chocolate can improve blood flow to both the visual cortex and retinal vessels. Flavonoids are one group of phytochemicals that have antioxidant abilities. Cocoa beans are good sources of flavonoids. Flavonoids are a large group of plant-based antioxidants. The type of flavonoids found in chocolate are flavanols. Unsweetened cocoa powder has 88 to 96 percent cocoa solids. Dark chocolate contains 45 to 80 percent cocoa solids, and milk chocolate has 5 to 7 percent. Flavonoids exert a protective effect on blood vessels via antioxidant properties in scavenging harmful free radical compounds, but also by improving vascular endothelial function. Eating 1 to 2 ounces of dark chocolate daily may result in health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, according to New York University. However, any benefits from flavonoids must be considered against the calories, fat and sugar you’ll get from most chocolate. One ounce of dark chocolate averages 170 calories. The test published in JAMA showed the positive results lasted around 2 hours and so, therefore, might not aid in any long-term vision improvement, but I, like most of you, am willing to give dark chocolate a delicious fighting chance to prove itself. Optical Coverage offered as a rider to dental plans Mutual of Omaha has introduced dental and vision insurance to provide individuals a more holistic approach to health care coverage. “The dental and vision coverage options we introduced this are a direct result of what our customers told us would serve them well,” Jeff Ganow, Mutual of Omaha vice president and actuary, said in a press release. “Customers have counted on us as a Medicare supplement provider for more than 50 years. We hope these products can help round out coverage for our customers’ additional health care needs.” The dental policy options, Mutual Dental Preferred and Mutual Dental Protection, offer various coverage levels, deductible and premium amounts. Dental coverage is available to individuals ages 19-99, and the vision insurance is available as an optional rider to a dental policy. As of Oct. 7, 2017, the dental and vision products were available for customers to purchase through licensed agents and brokers in 23 states. For more information, visit mutualofomaha.com/ dental-insurance. When developing the new products, Mutual of Omaha surveyed current and potential customers to assess their needs and learn what types of dental and vision plans they would find valuable, according to the release. Dark Chocolate Sweetens Eyesight Submitted by David Cohen