High- and Lo-Tech Eyewear @ AVZ

January 27th, 2008 at 10:51pm Mr. Oh

If you’re one of the many people who have been looking for something slightly stronger than off-the-rack reading glasses, but slightly less than a full-spec. iota-class blast helmet, well, my friends, Hern Worsley may have just what you’re looking for. I’m speaking of the AVZ Vision Enhancement unit, 250 lindens’ worth of high tech goodness,available at your helpful AVZ retailer today . The trapazoidal lenses look black in most lights, but are actually highly polished metal and reflect light at certain angles. The top sliver of each lens pulses whenever you’re wearing the unit, in a colour that you can select with an oral command like “/88 trim gold”.

The frames are silver and black coloured, fashioned apparently, from titanium and some carbon-fibre alloy, so they don’t weigh a great deal, but they pack quite an unexpected punch. Although the unit is scifi streamlined, the frames are still bulkier than you might expect from ordinary glasses frames. This is because each ‘arm’ contains a dual-gem laser fitting, four in all, emitting long pencil-lead-thin beams that will match the colour you’ve set for the lens pulses.

The lasers are also turned on and off by oral command. Thankfully, the phrase “/88 lasers on” doesn’t come up in ordinary conversation often so you normally won’t need to worry about inadvertantly decapitating everyone in your line of sight on the dance floor. Judging from some parties I’ve been to, it doesn’t hurt to hold that possibility in reserve, however.

My other eyewear from AVZ is decidedly low-tech. These are the TV Goggles. It’s my respectful opinion that although the circuitry miniturization of the TVs themselves is way impressive, Hern Worsley has neglected to build into these goggles an adequate antenna. I receive various images, but the station keeps changing at random and there is an intolerable amount of static. Plus, the two eyepieces seem to always be on different channels. I know that signal reception can vary from sim to sim, but this is ridiculous. And Worsley offers no cable option, either. I suppose that would be unweildy in glasses.

With some editing of the prims and their contents, it’s possible to add your own images (textures) into the glasses and have them sequenced into the static. It’s all explained in an accompanying notecard. But no phone number is given for a repairman to deal with all that static and poor reception. I simply cannot recommend these for serious TV viewing via Second Life. I’m sorry to have to say this, but here at Men’s Second Style Appliance Reviews, we have to call ‘em as we see ‘em. And this time, we’re seeing ‘em pretty fuzzy. In their present state of repair, the only possible use I can think of for these TV Goggles is as a very amusing fashion accessory, especially for a retro-themed outfit. They would be great for that purpose. But my advice is: don’t sell your RL TV just yet.

Visual Enhancement (lasers included) is available for 250L$ and TV Goggles for 200L$ at any AVZ outlet. Their main branch is at OnCom (127, 119, 36); look for the shop marked “prim warez” and “accessories”.

Photos taken at Abbots’ Aerodrome — Abbots (160, 92, 111).

Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No

Notes: On Mr. Oh: Nora Entice - Hunter Almond by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins & Fashion). Fuwagime hair in gold-blond by hiko Nino (Happy Dispatch). With Vision Enhancement: Salamander outfit in gold by June Dion (BareRose). With TV Goggles: Red Leather shortsleeve shirt by Beryl Greenacre (Swell).

Entry Filed under: AVZ, Accessories, Eyewear, Novelty