To recap, we’ve started a new promotion to give away free designer eyewear and other prizes to a lucky Twitter follower. All you have to do is follow us on Twitter and be the first to respond to our random posts announcing the giveaways. We’ll Tweet “Contest is on. The first follower to Tweet ‘I want my free eyewear’ to @framesdirect is the winner of a new pair!” at any random time of day. We’ll announce the winner in The Eye Zone blog (your name and city) and ship the new eyewear off in a jiffy!

That’s it. You’ll never know when we’re going to announce the contest (at least once per month), so stay tuned! No purchase is required, but you do have to be a Twitter follower of @framesdirect to qualify.

Be sure to follow FramesDirect on Twitter to be in the running to win eyewear.

Follow us on TWITTER and you could be the first to win a pair of ANGEL Decadent Sunglasses

ANGEL Sunglasses are one of this summer’s hottest sunglass collections. You can protect your eyes and still have a high fashion look! ANGEL Sunglasses are made to compliment the independent lifestyle of a fashion forward female.

Italian handmade Zyl, nylon and a high-grade nickel silver is what makes up these beautiful frames. ANGEL sunglass lenses are composed of shatter resistant polycarbonate lenses and provide the ultimate clarity. ANGEL polarized lenses filter out glare and transmit only the light you need, providing an increase in clarity and reduced eyestrain. Not only do they offer 100% UVA and UVB protection, but they also have scratch resistant coating for long lasting wear.

Given today’s economy, you can’t beat the prices for these high quality, durable sunglasses.

Our next give-away is the ANGEL Decadent sunglasses, Havana/Brown lenses (QAG3235), which is

• Lightweight flexible Nylon frame material w/ Leather wrapped temples

• 5 barrel metal stop hinge
• 8 base Sunglasses lenses
• RXable lenses
• 100% UV Protection
  
  

Shop ANGEL sunglasses today and pick out the frame that best matches your personality, lifestyle and pocketbook!

We will ship to any winner within the USA for free, but you will be responsible for the cost of shipping if you choose to upgrade to a faster method of shipping. Winners outside the USA will pay only shipping and tax.

If you’re not familiar with Twitter, it’s a form of micro-blogging that allows you to send out a 140 character blurb to all of your followers. It’s free and extremely easy to use, so be sure to sign up and follow us, not only for the chance to win sunglasses, but also to be the among the first to know about all of our news about eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, goggles and eyewear in general.

Related pages & posts: Eyewear Updates through Twitter, FramesDirect.com is Skype enabled!, Show Off Your Eyewear in Photos & Video, Join the FramesDirect.com MyBlogLog Community.

Want to get these alerts immediately? Just sign up to follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/framesdirect.

FramesDirect.com, the online leader in eyewear, is seeking an experienced Lead Developer.

Do you have 5 years of web development experience using ASP, SQL server, ASP.NET, AJAX and Javascript?
Then you’re just who we’re looking for.

Experience with Flash and Actionscript desirable but not essential.

Please be familiar with Visual SourceSafe, Visual Interdev, Adobe Photoshop.

Our development office is in southwest Austin location off FM 1826 near Driftwood. There is the possibility of working remotely after a year. Email resume of professional experience to the e-mail link below. Sorry, at this time we don’t offer Visa sponsorship.

If you are interested and live in Austin (sorry, this one’s in-house), send a copy of your resume. Agencies need not apply.

Want to get these alerts immediately? Just sign up to follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/framesdirect.

If you are interested and live in Austin (sorry, this one’s in-house), reply by e-mail with a copy of your resume. Agencies and virtual workers need not apply.

Want to get these alerts immediately? Just sign up to follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/framesdirect.

Reply by e-mail with your resume. Please put the title of the position you wish to be considered for in your response. This position will be working out of the Austin, Texas office near Driftwood (off of 1826).

South Austin residents will have an easier commute so if you live in South Austin please note that in your reply. Agencies and virtual workers need not apply.

Want to get these alerts immediately? Just sign up to follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/framesdirect.

We get a lot of questions at FramesDirect.com from office workers who are suffering from tired, dry eyes. So we’re excited to introduce Gunnar Optiks, the first eyewear line specifically engineered to eliminate these symptoms for the intensive computer user.

Gunnar identified four important factors that lead to eye fatigue for computer users and developed a solution for each one.

Optical Noise:
Problem: Glare is a problem among people who work on primary light sources such as computers. Scratches or smudges tend to intensify glare.

Solution: All Gunnar lenses have hydrophobic, oliophobic and anti-glare finishes. And incorporate fRACTYL lens geometry helps focus light.

Optical Wavelength:
Problem: High energy wavelengths produced by artificial light sources, such as fluorescent bulbs and computer screens, contribute to eyestrain and fatigue.

Solution: Gunnar’s proprietary iONik lens tints are effective at eliminating eyestrain and fatigue by specifically targeting and then shifting the high energy wavelengths produced by artificial light sources.

Dryness:
Problem: Prolonged, concentrated viewing of computer screens typically results in less blinking, which leads to dry, irritated eyes.

Solution: The highly wrapped configuration of Gunnar’s fRACTYL lens geometry sits close to the face and creates an ocular microclimate. This prevents dry eyes by trapping in humidity and blocking out evaporative air currents.

Weight:
Problem: Wearing eyeglasses for extended periods can result in uncomfortable pressure and pain at their points of contact.

Solution: Gunnar uses a patented diAmix lens material that is extremely strong and ultra-light making them extremely comfortable for extended wear.

We’re so confident that you will experience a better quality of vision and comfort when wearing your new Gunnar Optics computer glasses while working or gaming that we’re offering a 30 day no hassle money back guarantee.

Place your order online for Gunnar Optiks Computer Glasses (non-RX) or Gunnar Prescription Computer Glasses or if you need help, call one of our optical eyewear experts at 1-800-248-9427.

Related pages and posts: Computer Glasses, Video: Gunnar Optiks Computer Glasses, Eyewear Tips & Tricks, Prescription Eyewear Trends.

Want to get these alerts immediately? Just sign up to follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/framesdirect.

http://www.facebook.com/FramesDirect

In addition, there is also a fan photos folder on our Facebook fan page so that you can share images of you trying on our eyeglasses and sunglasses online with your friends and all of the other fans of FramesDirect.com. Head on over to FrameFinder(sm) Virtual Eyeglass Try-On to try on frames, capture the images and upload them for the world to see. Or, take your own photo with your new eyewear and upload that, too.

Be sure to include the brand and model of your new eyewear so that your fans will know what you got.

Related posts: Eyewear Updates through Twitter, Join the FramesDirect.com MyBlogLog Community, FramesDirect.com & The Eye Zone Blog in VisionMonday.

Want to get these alerts immediately? Just sign up to follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/framesdirect.

Reply by e-mail with a link to online portfolio and resume. Please put the title of the position you wish to be considered for in your response. This position will be working out of the Austin, Texas office near Driftwood.

South Austin residents will have easier commute so if you live in South Austin please note that in your reply. Agencies and virtual workers need not apply.

Video: How Contacts are Made

Related: contact lenses, Seasonal Allergies? Try 1 Day Disposable Lenses, Eyewear Tips & Tricks, Sunglasses & Contacts Go Together, Contacts: Spotlight on Focus Progressives.

Want to get these alerts immediately? Just sign up to follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/framesdirect.

Les Yeux - Jil Sander Eyewear was the official eyewear sponsor of the 34th annual César Awards, which honors the best films in France. Daughter of actor Gerard Depardieu, Julie Depardieu (2), wears Jil Sander JS106S from Marchon. The actress won a César Award last year and can be seen in the upcoming film La Femme Invisible.

Beach Baby - Kristin Cavallari (3) sporting a pair of Marc Jacobs MJ107S from Sàfilo as she participates in The Second Annual Cosmo Bikini Bash at Nikki Beach Club in Miami Beach.

Champ - Australian pop singer/songwriter and occasional model Kylie Minogue (4) wearing Carrera Champion sunglasses from Sàfilo.

Eye Teese - Dita Von Teese (5) wearing the Ginger sunglass in platinum by Badgley Mischka Couture Eyewear from Sama while at the 2009 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

Going with the Flo - Rapper Flo Rida (6) in Dolce & Gabbana DG2029 from Luxottica.

What Works - Evan Rachel Wood (7) sports the Emilio Pucci EP625S from Marchon. Wood stars in Woody Allen’s latest film Whatever Works, which premiered last month during the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

At a Whisper - Lindsay Lohan (8) wears Incognito by Sama Whisper at Destination: Sama in West Hollywood.

International Appeal - Famous Korean actors Hong Suk-chun (9), Kwun Oh-jung (10) and Kim Hyun-sung (11) in 3.1 phillip lim eyewear from Modo.

Stage Presence - Jamie Foxx (12) wore the Carrera Safari sunglasses from Sàfilo during his guest performance on American Idol.

Related pages: Sunglasses Online, Dolce Gabbana Sunglasses, Carrera Sunglasses.

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Video: How to Take Care of Your Eyeglasses

Related: Eyeglasses Online, Choosing Eyeglass Frames: Things to Know, Eyewear Tips & Tricks, What’s My Eyeglass Frame Size?, Top Eyewear & Optical Tools.

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Houston, TX June 17, 2009 - A near tragedy for Dr. Guy Hodgson, a founder and chairman of leading online eyewear provider, FramesDirect.com led to an independent fund raising effort for a well-deserved foundation, a foundation that happened to be set up by a contestant on the American Idol TV show.

American Idol fan Dr. Guy Hodgson and his wife had 14-week premature triplets in March 2008, leading to heart operations for two of the babies, one a seven-hour open-heart surgery. The baby’s heart actually had to be stopped and he was put on a bypass machine. Fortunately, the heart defect was repaired and all of the babies are now thriving. You can view the story of Dr. Hodgson’s triplets including pictures and video at http://www.totsites.com/tot/hodgson3.

Dr. Hodgson was very touched when watching the story of American Idol finalist Danny Gokey and the love he had for his late wife, who also had a heart condition and died in July 2008, four weeks prior to Mr. Gokey’s Idol audition.

The Fashion Team on TV Guide’s Idol Wrap Up show wanted to feature the eyewear worn by Gokey during his performances on American Idol and direct the public to the fan web site, DannyGokeyGear.com, for more information on the various frames. DannyGokeyGear.com contacted FramesDirect.com, to arrange for an easy way for fans to purchase the eyewear.

The frames worn by Danny on Idol are frames made by major manufacturers and were already available on the FramesDirect.com web site. For Dr. Hodgson, giving a portion of the profits of these frame sales seemed like a simple and effective way to help a cause that was near and dear to him.

FramesDirect.com agreed to split the gross profits with the fan site, because DannyGokeyGear.com will be donating a portion of the profits to Sophia’s Heart Foundation. When there appeared to be some confusion in the social media over the campaign’s intentions, Dr. Hodgson decided he would also make contributions directly to the foundation himself. His first hand experience of his own children undergoing heart operations made this fund raising effort very personal to him. To emphasize his personal commitment to the cause, Hodgson also pledged to give 50% of the remaining FramesDirect.com profit from all sales of these frames between May 24, 2009 and July 21, 2009, regardless of whether the purchase is made by a fan, to Sophia’s Heart Foundation. Dr. Hodgson has contacted Sophia’s Heart Foundation to inform them of the pending donation.

As of June 12, 2009, sixty-two frames have been sold in the campaign. FramesDirect.com and DannyGokeyGear.com will continue to monitor sales and make their final donations on July 22nd 2009.

Dr Hodgson said, “I know the endless hours of anguish as a loved one undergoes open heart surgery. If a frame we already sell, but is also worn by Danny, can help a child then this is a cause I wish to contribute to. This is personal to me.”

“It appears there may have been some confusion among Danny’s fans and perhaps even Danny himself about this project,” Dr. Hodgson said. “Hopefully, this information will clarify the situation and my personal involvement and also increase the awareness among the public of Sophia’s Heart Foundation,” he added.

Please feel free to contact Dr. Guy Hodgson at gwhodgson@framesdirect.com

About FramesDirect.com
Dr. Dhavid Cooper and Dr. Guy Hodgson have been in practice in the Houston area for over 20 years and founded FramesDirect.com in 1996. They have a Houston eye care office and eyewear showroom. The family of optical websites includes FramesDirect.com and The Eye Zone. The office can be reached at 1-800-248-9427.

Contact:
Richard V. Burckhardt
713-914-0011 x250
press@framesdirect.com
Skype: rburckhardt
# # #

“The two best options for contact lens wearers who experience allergic reactions and would like to continue wearing their contacts during those times are pharmacological therapy and the utilization of 1 day disposable lenses,” said Harvard Sylvan, OD, director, professional relations, CooperVision. “As lens dehydration and protein deposition can occur during the course of the day even with daily disposables, a material that resists both deposits and dehydration is preferable.”

One study found that 67 percent of allergy sufferers agreed that daily disposable lenses provided improved comfort when compared to the reusable spherical soft lenses they wore prior to the study[1]. Also citing better vision with daily disposables, the patients who participated in this three-year prospective study reported fewer allergic ocular symptoms than with conventional daily-wear soft lenses.

The daily modality also has the highest patient compliance rate at 94 percent[2]. In part, this is because daily disposable lenses are extremely convenient and easy for patients to use and handle, and require no end-of-day lens care regimen, expensive solutions, or overnight storage of worn lenses.

“With the rise of environmental antigens causing discomfort and intolerance, allergy season presents a great opportunity for practitioners to move patients to daily disposables,” said James Gardner, senior director of marketing, CooperVision. “Patients are very loyal to the daily modality due to its convenience, performance, comfort, and promotion of health—so they’re incentivized to return for the next annual supply on the anniversary of the initial dispense.”

CooperVision 1 Day Disposable Lenses
As part of CooperVision’s PC Hydrogel™ family of lenses, Proclear® 1 Day disposable contact lenses feature PC Technology™, providing patients with the convenience of a daily disposable lens and comfort that lasts all day long. Additionally, Proclear 1 Day lenses are made with omafilcon A material, the only lens material with an FDA-cleared indication which may provide improved comfort for contact lens wearers who experience mild discomfort or symptoms relating to dryness during lens wear.

About CooperVision
CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. [NYSE: COO], is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. Dedicated to enhancing the contact lens experience for practitioners and patients, CooperVision specializes in lenses for astigmatism and presbyopia. CooperVision manufactures a full array of monthly, two-week, and daily disposable contact lenses featuring advanced materials and optics. For more information, visit http://www.coopervision.com.

[1] Source: “An Evaluation of 1-Day Disposable Contact Lens Wearers in a Population of Allergy Sufferers,” V. Hayes, C. Schnider, and J. Veys, Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, June 2003.

[2] Source: “Compliance and contact lenses,” Review of Cornea and contact lenses, March 2006.

Related pages & posts: CooperClear DW, Proclear Contact Lens, ProClear Compatibles, ProClear Multifocal, ProClear Toric, Sunglasses & contact lenses Go Together, Wearing Contacts - It’s All About Comfort.

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If you are interested and live in Austin (sorry, this one’s in-house), reply by e-mail with a copy of your resume and a writing sample. Agencies and virtual workers need not apply.

Sparkling But Not Splashy
To what do we owe this graceful throwback to subtlety? Well, according to Leslie Muller, Senior Director of Design for Marchon Eyewear, after having invaded scores of sunglass designs for the last couple of years, Swarovski crystals and other stones are not as important. They still have a place in collections, but mostly in tonal form to match the color of the frame. A more subdued detail - but shimmering nonetheless - that is now starting to appear in acetate temples is the use of layers of glitter.

Name Dropping? Not So Much
What’s in now is to create new alternatives to the in-your-face design elements. Sun-wear product development teams are opting for smaller logos and focusing on distinctive details to set collections apart rather than relying so much on brand names alone.

Temple of Detail
Open temples (a.k.a. Y-shaped or wishbone) continue to be a big trend among the most chic styles. Laser-etched or -engraved temples are also still popular, especially when they reveal a second or third color. Mesh detailing on temples is starting to burst on the scene, while cutouts and metal accents on zyl temples are also playing a large role in sunglasses design.

Gold Is Glam
It’s all about gold right now. Gold metal styles and gold hardware details seem to be making their way across all sunwear lines in some form or another. Perhaps it’s because polished gold never goes out of style, due mainly to its radiant elegance and flattering wearability. You can’t say the same about silver, but colored metals are a whole different story.

Metallics Rock
Bright and bold actually does apply to metal frames. The demand for vibrant metals has created a surge of metal sunglasses in various forms: matte, semi-matte, lacquered, brushed, antique, and satin. Senior Director of Product Development at B. Robinson, Lauren Michael, agrees that colored metals are highly favored at the moment, with the most desired options being dark burgundy, teal, black, white, rose, and violet.

Crystal Clear
The influence of crystal is everywhere, with translucent colors (sometimes two-toned) lighting up frames either completely or combined with solid fronts or temples. Designer Robert Marc sees transparency as a big trend for the upcoming season. “Clothing is no longer about hiding everything that is underneath, but instead about artfully combining transparent and opaque materials to be sexy without being too revealing; eyewear will also demonstrate this interest in clear materials,” he said.

Zest of Zyl
The beauty of zyl is its innate ability to lend itself to a designer’s playfulness. Satisfying the most artistic of whims, zyl colorations may range from traditional to striking. Striated plastics are all the rage right now along with organic- and nature-inspired patterns (i.e., horn), as are double laminates where opposites attract.

While classic tortoise and black frames continue to be best-sellers, the new trick is to add sophistication by combining them with unexpected colors or patterns on the interior of frames. This allows designers to add a little spice by using more vibrant colors on the face without sacrificing wearability.

Solidifying Brilliance
Let’s talk about solid colors. Soft, milky-based tones like ivories and muted grays are finding their way into various collections as well as hybrid shades of purple. Those who want to express themselves with a little something that makes more of a statement will be pleased to see more blue, green, coral, orange, and topaz hues in acetate. And finally, it won’t be long before you realize that red is the new white.

There you have it. The latest in sunwear may not blind you with bling, but it will sure make a long-lasting impression from the minute it’s displayed in your shops ’til your customers spot their favorite new trend on your shelves.

Related pages & posts: Daria Werbowy, Vogue Eyewear’s New Super Model, Christina Aguilera in Glamorous Oversized Prada, Spotlight on Ray Ban Sunglasses, Versace Sunglasses.

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Related pages & posts: Ray Ban Colorize Sunglasses, Ray Ban Sunglasses, Ray Ban Eyewear, Ray Ban RX Eyeglasses, Ray Ban Prescription Sunglasses, Spotlight on Ray Ban Sunglasses, Look Up: Ray Ban Wayfarers Colors.

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